Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints

8,019 consumer complaints on file.

#11666917June 14, 2025
ENGINE
The car has been experiencing significant problems with oil consumption. During a routine oil change on 2/27/25 I was told my oil was significantly low and I had it refilled. When I checked the following weekend [XXX] it was significantly low again after only 500 miles. I took it to Take 5 in Lebanon, Tennessee, weekly for 3-4 weeks, near where I was working at the time, who topped off the oil again with 2 to 5 quarts weekly. On April 14, 2025, I brought the car to Hallmark Hyundai. They started an oil consumption test and a 20-point check when the mileage was 69,752. After 500 miles was driven, the oil tank was almost empty. Another check revealed the oil was leaking in 4 different places, that they (Hallmark Hyundai) reportedly fixed, including the valve cover gasket. On [XXX] while driving back to New Jersey from Nashville, I checked the oil after roughly 1000 miles of driving since the repair, and the dip stick was dry. (The service light did not go on.) Upon returning to New Jersey approximately 5/13/25, I took the car to Circle Hyundai in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, was told the valve cover gasket was still leaking, and replaced it again; I was charged a second time for this service. At another 500 miles I checked the oil, and it was again very low. Miguel at Circle Hyundai told me I needed to wait 500 more miles or when the service light comes on; I informed him the service light had stopped working (this was first noticed in Tennessee). On 6/2/25 I emailed Miguel again at 539 more miles and the dip stick registered oil halfway below the low line again. I was instructed to drop the car off and they would submit the claim to Hyundai; Hyundai reportedly responded that they were no longer responsible for a repair because the warranty had run out and I wasn't the original owner. I was told to continue to drive until an engine malfunction for my extended warranty with Assurance to cover repairs; I am concerned about the safety of the engine seizing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INF
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666605June 12, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V879000(Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666402June 11, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
June 2020 I purchased the car brand new 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe SE 2.5L from dealership, after the first year I started having issues with my display monitor just shutting off and my car going idle at red lights or when I’m sitting in traffic. I’ve never been in an accident and I’m not a reckless driver to my standards besides occasional potholes, the car going idle happened 3 times before I reached out to a dealership asking questions only for them to tell me, “it sounds like I’m using the start-Stop feature too much and it’s not recommended to be used often”. So I stopped using it completely. Fast forward throughout the years, it still happened about 5-10 times a year for the past few years, I’ve learned to hurry up and put it in park, give it gas, then put it in drive. Fast forward 2025, Feb I was passed due for an oil change about 300-500 miles the the oil light came on and when I check it myself the oil tank was completely empty, I assumed it was normal since I was passed due for an oil change, and a family friend told me that wasn’t normal, I follow the recommended oil change interval on my warranty paperwork 7,500 even set my car to it, after the oil change my car was fine. I took it in at 130,284 miles, fast forward June 2025, I start my car a morning for work & it’s at 135,658 miles, the oil light comes back on and I notice it’s completely empty again. 2nd time it’s happened this year, and two family friends that are licensed mechanics tell me that’s not normal especially if I’ve gotten an oil change this year & it’s seems like the engine is burning oil too quick. I took it in to get another oil change, tell them about the issue of it being empty when I’ve been this year and it doesn’t seem right, the dealership & a local quick oil change place tells me it’s due to me not bringing it in for regular maintenance. There are no lights on on my dashboard, and when I called the dealership to ask about using the lifetime powertrain warranty I have, I have to pay.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666275June 11, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VISIBILITY/WIPER
My wife was parking the car at carport, all of sudden unintended acceleration happened and hit through the wall. The damage on the car was $12478.57 and damaged the wall and storage on both sides of carport. My wife is scared to drive this car.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665954June 10, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
A few days ago, while driving on one of Chicago’s busiest expressways, my Hyundai 2020 Santa Fe with only 56,000 miles and a complete record of up-to-date maintenance, suddenly started smoking, smoke coming from under the front hood then caught fire without any warning. The fire consumed the entire front end of the vehicle from underneath the car to the top hood of car, to make matters worse, my seatbelt temporarily locked up during those critical moments, compounding the terror of the situation, potential risk to my life and property. I am incredibly grateful that I was able to escape unharmed, but I remain visibly shaken and traumatized by the experience. As you can imagine, this unexpected event has profoundly affected my peace of mind and trust in the safety of Hyundai vehicles. It is extremely concerning that a modern car, properly maintained according to its manufacturer's recommendations, could catch fire during regular operation, no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of any problems prior to the incident. I have always valued Hyundai’s engineering and safety standards, which is why I find this incident especially alarming. I am uncertain to what component failed the fire department stated it could have been either the brakes or electrical. As of writing this no official inspection to determine cause has been conducted however, I have reported the fire and filed an insurance claim and asked If they are able to determine how this happened to provide me with this information.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665674June 9, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I bought this vehicle at Enterprise car sales back in [XXX] and it's been having issues for a while now recall after recall I bought this vehicle at 7745 Indiana avenue Riverside California 92504 I actually bought this vehicle without realizing that this car had a recall prior to buying it off the lot therefore in California law this company should have not sold the vehicle with a recall as Hyundai has warned me about this as he advised they cannot sell a vehicle with a recall on it. When I had to Google search my recall as I have not received a letter Enterprise car sales gained the letter for the recall prior to my buy and did not mention anything as this recall was sent out on the letter way prior to buying ever since buying this vehicle I have had numerous recalls as to now there is a GDI issue with the engines as I have made many complaints through the financing company Santander consumer USA, Hyundai, Enterprise car sales, and it seems like no one has listened to me on the lemon I have gained as I'm sure it sounds just like a complaining customer. I pay a very high interest rate and very high monthly payments 523 a month is expensive let alone expensive to pay for a vehicle that I constantly have to put in maintenance and now my engine is gone my VIN number somehow is not on regards to the recall but yet my VIN number has been on every recall Hyundai has ever given out when it comes to my vehicle as the GDI 3.3 l should be really considered on regards to a recall as well as the 2.4. I'm not very happy as I would like to have a voice on to what is fair I am sick of this vehicle having issues after issues as I do take care of my vehicles with good maintenance routine all I can ask for is to have someone here my voice and to take action either from Enterprise car sales to Hyundai which I believe Enterprise car sales is more reliable at this point than Hyundai since Hyundai let me be aware of the California law they cannot sell a vehicle with recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665892June 9, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Description of problem: The Transmission will disengage while driving, allowing the car to 'coast' as if in neutral. The problem sometimes occurs at red lights, where the vehicle remains stationary for a brief period and then corrects itself as if nothing happened. I noticed the "D" character flashing on the dashboard when the issue occurred, indicating a problem. The engine will rev, but the car will not move. The vehicle spent about two weeks at the dealership (Hyundai of New Port Richie, FL), but they were unable to find an issue after conducting over 80 miles of test driving. The last incident occurred on June 8, 2025, only days after I had removed the vehicle from the repair shop due to this problem. When pulling into my son's driveway, the car's engine revved to about three thousand RPM, and the vehicle rolled backward, out of his driveway, and into crossing traffic. Luckily, the pickup truck on the street was able to stop before hitting my vehicle, which was now sitting in his lane of traffic. I looked down at the dashboard, and the car was still in "D" but would not move forward. After a few seconds, the transmission re-engaged and moved forward again as if nothing had happened. I DID NOTHING AND THE CAR RECOVERED BY ITSELF! I returned the vehicle to the dealership for further investigation on June 9, 2025, and am driving a rental. Summary: This car is unpredictable and unsafe in this condition. Someone could drive this car for days without experiencing an issue, but it does happen when you least expect it! I use this vehicle for local travel only, about twenty-mile trips.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665719June 9, 2025
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while her son was driving 20 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the fuel injectors needed to be replaced, but the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was then towed to a second dealer, AutoNation Hyundai Mall of Georgia (3445 Buford Dr, Buford, GA 30519), who determined that the fuel injectors needed to be replaced and informed the contact that parts were still on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665651June 8, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Driving vehicle at highway speed, engine RPMs dropped to less than 1500, could not maintain any speed, CEL illuminated. As soon as vehicle was pull to side of road, it would no longer run. It would start, idle roughly then stall out. Vehicle was towed to Mountain Hyundai in Denver. High pressure fuel pump failed, fuel pump in one cylinder failed, fuel was dumped into oil fouling all spark plugs. This is the second high pressure fuel pump failure on this vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665617June 8, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The glass on the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe seems to be incredibly unsafe. 2 weeks after purchasing the vehicle, while driving on [XXX], something kicked up into the windshield and cracked it. The crack was about 12 inches long. Overnight, the crack doubled in length. The replacement glass that was ordered to Safelite was broken upon delivery. While waiting for a new windshield, something else hit the windshield on the interstate and there was another chip. 2 weeks after my windshield was finally replaced, I found that the passenger front window was cracked in the top corner and had no idea why. Within 2 days, the window was cracked all the way from the top to the bottom. This weekend, something hit the windshield on the interstate again, and the windshield is once again cracked/chipped. I have owned 11 cars in 16 years and none of them have ever had windshield damage, despite spending my entire driving life in the same area. Now, a new car that I purchased for the purpose of avoiding maintenance costs has had 3 cracked/broken windows in 12 months, and I've spent $1000 on glass and will now have to spend another $100-$500 more to fix this one. Hyundai warranty does not cover it. Glass coverage is not an option for insurance in North Carolina. I believe that the glass on newer Hyundai vehicles is very cheap, defective, and unsafe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665504June 7, 2025
ENGINE
The engine is experiencing excessive oil consumption. A Hyundai dealership performed an oil consumption test 8 months ago and confirmed the vehicle is burning around 2 quarts of oil every 500 miles, which is far beyond normal operating limits. The engine is still installed in the vehicle and available for inspection upon request. This level of oil consumption puts the engine at high risk of failure while driving, which could result in a sudden loss of power, stalling, or even engine fire. The need to constantly monitor and refill oil creates an ongoing stressor and safety concern. There was no warning light or indicator before the oil levels dropped dangerously low. The Hyundai dealership that inspected the vehicle (Maguire Hyundai in Ithaca, NY) verified that the engine is burning oil at a rate consistent with known defects in Theta II engines, but stated the vehicle does not qualify for engine replacement under current recall or warranty guidelines because I am the second owner — despite the fact that I purchased it Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) through Hyundai in 2019 and I'm still under 100,000 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665367June 6, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Backup camera no longer works
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665279June 6, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
While driving the car keeps Jenkins, and on the dash board it cane up have your power train checked. My vehicle has been in the shop 4 times since February over 30 days twice. My vehicle is still currently in the shop at the dealership. They refuse to check my power train area, and keep telling me 2 of the cylinders are backfiring
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665210June 5, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Car was unused for less than a week and upon going to use it the vehicle was dead. Jumped vehicle and next day was dead again. In researching the problem, many other Santa Fe Hybrid owners have run into this same issue. Dealership admitted many hybrids from Hyundai face this issue and recommended installing a trickle charger for when not using the vehicle for a couple days which seems ridiculous for a brand new vehicle. Likely something draining battery slowly in car
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665072June 5, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
From the day we purchased this used vehicle, the check engine light came on. We had to have the catalytic converter replaced next. Now we’re having oil leak issues. Multiple oil leaks have been repaired, and I’ve most recently paid over $700 to have this issue resolved. A week after the Hyundai dealership repaired it, the vehicle is leaking oil again. We have to add oil about every 5-7 days. Today we were told that my [XXX] daughter needs to drive it until the engine goes out, and not to add any oil. This is not only unacceptable, it’s also unsafe! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665141June 5, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Was traveling on [XXX] near Reston, VA when the Santa Fe engine started missing and losing power and check engine light came on. Vehicle was towed to dealer and repaired on 04/26/24 Mileage was 36285. The repair order says it was fuel injector for cylinder #1. The second time the same thing happened was on [XXX] near Haymarket, VA. The date was [XXX], mileage was 36577. The engine started missing lost power and check engine light came on. Vehicle taken to dealer for repaired. They replaced injector #2. The third time was about [XXX] mileage about 51000. Was traveling near Haymarket, VA. Engine started to miss, decrease in power, check engine light came on. Vehicle was towed to dealer. Inspection of the engine revealed injector #3 was malfunctioning and they needed to replace it but could not get the injector for it from Hyundai. The vehicle has been setting at the dealer since then with no idea when it will be repaired. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664900June 4, 2025
ENGINE
While driving to work the gas pedal suddenly would not make the vehicle Excellerate and i was barely able to get the car on the side of the road, when i stopped and turned it off it would not start again. I had it towed to the mechanic and they have let us know it was total engine failure, and they would be attempting to get ahold of the manufacture.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664854June 4, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The Adaptive Cruise control cannot be used while wearing certain sunglasses. The car has a Driver Awareness Warning that is supposed to warn the driver if eyes are not on the road. It does not work with certain glasses. While driving at interstate speeds, I engaged the Adaptive Cruise control only to have it shut off and quickly slow down. After fumbling with different glasses while driving, I found a pair that will work with the Adaptive Cruise control. In the display, there is a toggle to turn off the Driver Awareness option, but as soon as you turn on the Adaptive Cruise, the Driver Awareness turns on again. If the Driver Awareness function cannot be turned off it is a safety issue. My favorite driving glasses cannot be used and I think this issue will cause accidents with the quick slowing on the highway. There should be a way to turn off the Driver awareness so I can use the adaptive cruise with my sunglasses.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664480June 3, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
I was on a semi residential-commercial street that turns on to a freeway entrance. I was turning right and unavoidably entered the freeway when the sudden loss of power occurred. The car slowed down to about 20 mph and pressing on the gas medal didn't yield any more power. I immediately pulled over to the emergency lane upon entering freeway to let fast moving vehicles pass me on the left side. I turned off the vehicle and turned it back on. It seemed to turn on as normal so I proceeded to drive home slowly, staying on the slow right lane of the freeway driving under the speed limit until I took my exit to get to my home. All seemed ok until I turned onto residential street near my home. Again the car slowed down suddenly to 20mph and giving it more gas did not make a difference. The time difference between the first and second (recorded) incident was 25 minutes apart, having driven the vehicle only 140 total miles. The dashboard flashed a 20mph speed limit even though I never set those parameters, didn't set cruise control, and I didn't have auto stop or hold buttons engaged. The car simply slowed down to a 20mph speed limit without my input to the vehicle settings.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664647June 3, 2025
POWER TRAIN
All of the bolts that hold the CVVT assembly backed out and one came completely out. It punctured a hole in my valve cover. Oil sprayed all underneath my hood and leaked out on the road. The car went into limp mode while I was driving, and had I not already pulled off the street, this would have caused a multiple vehicle accident. I had the vehicle towed to the manufacturer dealer and they confirmed the issue. The only warning lamp that came on was the check engine, and that didn't happen until i had already pulled over. Thus all happened within a matter of 10 minutes of driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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