Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints

8,019 consumer complaints on file.

#11681094August 16, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Vehicle unable to recognize face when wearing sunglasses and disables all driver assist aids, including turning off the cruise control
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681061August 16, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Horn not blowing. It started giving a low sound and now it has stopped working completely. I went online and saw where this problem is wide spread.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680579August 14, 2025
AIR BAGS, ENGINE
My engine failed. Dealership put it through an oil consumption test which it failed. They ended up keeping my car for 3 weeks to build a new engine, add new belts, new spark plugs and new filters to go with the repair. After completing this repair they told me they noticed my air bag light on. They recommended a new sensor to fix it. Which I was to pay $600 for. I agreed to this and had it done. I picked up the car and had it for 3 weeks before the airbag light came back on. I brought it back to dealership. They assessed it and told me the problem actually came from the seat and the total.to repair the whole seat would be $2500+ I am the only owner of this car. It has never been in an accident where the airbag deployed. It is in it's original state. I feel this is a huge safety concern that should be looked into.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680619August 14, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This car has oil consumption issues due to a manufacturer defect, design of the engine 2.4L. This has been on going for the last three years and is getting worse. Now is affecting the catalytic converter because of it burning so much oil. The Hyundai dealership will do nothing for me. Now they want $4,500 for a new catalytic converter. I can’t afford a new car and this should be an expense of Hyundai. In my research I have found there are thousands of cars on the road with this issue. They knew about this years ago and just kept making the cars and selling them . They should be helping me and all they are doing is denying that this has a problem. What recourse do I have. Why hasn’t there been a recall?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680700August 14, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I purchased a new 2025MY Hyundai Santafe Hybrid. Since the day of my purchase there has been a constant error message that is displayed on dash saying "Driver attention warning system failure". this light stays on constantly and disables cruise control and adapative cruise system. This affects the usability of the vehicles. WHen asked Hyundai they say, drivers arent expected to wear sunglass if this system has to work properly, they even say constant blinking will cause system to fail and disable cruise control. This is a serious concern. How can people drive a car without blinking and how can a new car have disabled cruise control all the time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680774August 14, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Hyundai disabling critical vehicle safety systems if people wear sunglasses. I brought MY2025 hyundai santafe hybrid, this has driver attention monitoring system. Since the day i brought this vehicle i have been getting issues related to driver attention warning system. This error is being caused for no reason, this comes on when vehicle comes on and stays on (sometimes for days sometimes for weeks and sometimes for hours). HYundai says this issue is because i have a dash cam in car, error wont go away even when dash cam is removed. Recently hyundai engineers said its because you may be wearing sunglasses. What? Wearing sunglasses will disable AEB and cruise control !!!OMG. I removed sunglasses and tried still wont work. Hyundai sent me list of things not to do, including not to laugh, not to shorten your eyes and not to wink. this is a major safety concern, not allowing drivers to wear sunglass which will disable safety critical systems.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680412August 13, 2025
SUSPENSION
Purchased new 2025 Hybrid AWD Santa Fe with 47 miles on 8/3/25 at 6pm. By 6:30am on 8/4/25 I noticed an occasional knocking when coming to a stop, reversing, turning and at times driving forward. The knocking became more frequent and noticeable as the day went on with more driving and not once did a service message or warning light display. At 1pm on 8/4/25 with an added 100 miles, I drove it to Hyundai Service Department to have them diagnose the issue which they immediately heard. After 8 days, I was told it was a control arm issue which them lead to a complete suspension rebuild on the driver side. I could have lost total control of the vehicle due to the bad control arm. They claimed the passenger side was fine and I picked up my car on 8/12/25 4pm. By 6:30am on 8/13/25 the knocking was back and car is pulling to the right. Car is back in the service shop to further investigate the knocking. I believe Hyundai is trying to cover up this issue as the service report they initially gave me had no mention of the control arm or suspension rebuild. I refused to sign and asked for another service report stating what the issue was and how it was repaired.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680479August 13, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Hyundai's Forward Attention Warning is so aggressively annoying it makes me want to drive off a cliff to shut it up. Driving with an arm in the 12 o'clock position? "BEEP! Keep your eyes on the road!" Polarized sunglasses? "BEEP! I can't see your eyes!" Oh, there's a setting! Let's turn it off..."BEEEEEP! WHERE ARE YOUR EYES!". I just purchased and cannot use Cruise control I need to wear glasses It has a hard time seeing my eyes I cannot turn off I have tried many positions on steering wheel to no avail.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680406August 13, 2025
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, a bystander noticed that the glass partition had shattered without impact. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the part replacement was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,677.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680184August 12, 2025
WHEELS
I lease a vehicle (under one year old) equipped with low-profile Pirelli tires. After three months, one tire developed a sidewall bulge. I contacted Pirelli and was referred to Hyundai. The Hyundai dealership advised that Pirelli tires are not covered under Hyundai’s warranty and that Pirelli must authorize any replacement. I was subsequently informed that Pirelli declined coverage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680172August 12, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The attention detection system is the worst designed feature of any vehicle I have ever experienced. It constantly dings while looking directly at vehicles ahead. It is distracting and turns off by looking DOWN directly at the steering wheel. It is a safety hazard and Hyundai needs to push out a fix ASAP or allow the feature to be disabled entirely. You cannot use cruise control without it activated and the feature is a safety hazard that makes the car LESS safe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680171August 12, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
The vehicle was purchased brand new and at near 8k miles the brakes became warped. It caused severe shaking on the highway and has continued to get worse. Hyundai confirmed the brakes were bad but refused to replace the rotors. Rotors on a new car should not be warped at 8k miles, cheap materials lead to that
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680011August 12, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Bought Car in 2022 when COVID was still a problem. I had problems with the LED screen on the dash turning off. It did come back after about 10-15 minutes. I had to pull over to the side of the road in the meantime. I brought my car in and no problem was found. I was told that there was no way they could order a $6,000 part if they could not reproduce the problem. I still have had this problem periodically, but it does not last as long. This can be a safety risk when the screen goes out when driving. My check engine light has gone off many time in the 3 yrs and 7 months of me owning the vehicle. I am asked if the light is blinking when this occurs. If I said 'no', I was told 'then you don't have to worry'. I had my car in to evaluate the engine light on, and was told not to worry that no code showed up (I did not get a service record if they didn't find any thing, despite me asking). The very next day I was stranded on a busy Hwy. My car was towed to the shop. I barely got off the Hwy as one of my fuel injectors was bad. I was 45 min from my home and the check engine light went on. I started driving home and called the service dept. I was told that as long as the light was not blinking, it would be ok, and I tomorrow I should call for an appt if it is still on. My car started to act up when I was nearing my home, but it was drivable. The next morning the light was still on. I did not feel safe driving it around and felt it was another fuel injector. I was driving my car to the shop and the car was slowing down a little at a time. By the time I was about 1/2 mile from the shop, my car was only going 14 miles per hour. I was driving on the side of the hwy with my flashing lights on. Very unsafe. I know that I have a lemon for a car, but not taken seriously, that is a PROBLEM. I have had many more times that my engine light was on and would bring it in for an evaluation. Sometimes things were found, other times not. I am concerned about that lack of concern.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679916August 11, 2025
ENGINE
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Blown head gasket How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Engine overheated and coolant boiled in 110 degree weather. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes by Hyundai. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes by Hyundai. Hyundai states that engine needs to be replaced because the head gasket isn’t repairable on the 3.3L engine. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, engine overheated once and diagnosis was blown head gasket.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679921August 11, 2025
ENGINE
The carrier bearing failed and caused the engine to lock up while driving, thankfully we weren't on a busy road and were able to coast off the road. There was no prior light that appeared. We are just thankful it wasn't our 16 year old, newly licensed driver for whom we purchased the vehicle, driving. It has not been looked over by the dealership yet as they have failed to return any phone calls. I have made 4 calls in the last two weeks that have gone unanswered. To which one person i spoke with (not the one i needed to speak with) said 'your should go get your money back'.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679943August 11, 2025
ENGINE
Engine suddenly failed as I was sitting at a stop light and now is making a rattling/knocking noise
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679969August 11, 2025
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, STEERING
Check emergency, stopping function alert. Check hybrid system stop safely. Both alerts came on the dash the steering wheel vibrated 11 other alerts popped up in the car steered me to the side of the road. It would not start again and This has happened four times in the 7 months I’ve had the car Hyundai cannot figure out what the issue is. In fact they tell me there is no issue because it’s not happening to them while it’s been there for almost a month.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679763August 11, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The climate control screen is difficult to see, especially in sunlight. This makes it unsafe to change things like fan speed while driving. Interestingly all other screens are very bright but this one screen is not bright and dealer says no adjustment available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679733August 11, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): [XXX] Make: Hyundai Model: Santa Fe Year: 2024 Description of the issue: •Component or system that failed: The vehicle’s brake system, including the emergency braking system, failed to slow or stop the vehicle at low speeds. The problem is available for inspection upon request. •Safety risk: This failure endangered my safety and others. While driving slowly in traffic, I fully pressed the brake pedal, and the emergency braking system activated, but the vehicle did not slow or stop, causing a minor collision with another vehicle. •Reproduction or confirmation: Prior to the incident, on two separate occasions, I noticed the brake pedal felt loose or like it “released” at low speeds, forcing me to press harder for the vehicle to slow. These issues were not previously inspected or documented. I was planning to have the brake issue inspected along with a current recall and other concerns, including a stiff seatbelt buckle and a door that was difficult to open, as soon as I had the chance. I have not received any formal recall notice by mail or email. I learned about the recall during routine maintenance at the dealership. •Inspections: The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer but I plan to take it to an authorized Hyundai dealership asap for inspection. The accident has not been reported to the police or insurance yet but it will be first thing tomorrow. •Warning lamps or symptoms: No warning lights appeared, but there unusual brake behavior was noted on two occasions about two weeks before the crash. Thought this time was significantly worse, and by worse this I mean the vehicle didn’t brake. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679702August 10, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
Rear camera stoped working
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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