Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints

8,019 consumer complaints on file.

#11658286May 1, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car horn failed to work when I went to use it around April 20, 2025. I first noticed it while stopped at a traffic light and the car in front of me failed to advance for several seconds at the green light. Then I noticed a car drifting over the line in oncoming traffic and was unable to use the horn to alert the driver. As I drive with my toddler granddaughter in the car, I needed the vehicle fixed ASAP. My independent car mechanic had to replace 2 horns (Hi tone Horn and Lo Tone Horn). Today I came to know of a Hyundai Forum and did a search on car horns. Apparently, this is a known failure for many years. Some owners have had the horn replaced as many as 3 times. I since have requested reimbursement from Hyundai, but they refused because I didn't take it to a Hyundai dealership. There were no warning lamps or messages.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11658247May 1, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:DRIVER MONITORING:CAMERA/SENSOR
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and taking her eyes off the road ahead, there was a warning chime and a red warning light illuminated, advising the driver to "Consider taking a Break". The contact stated that the safety feature is the Driver Monitoring: Camera/Sensor and the safety feature was activating while turning her head or moving her eyes from looking ahead. The contact stated that the chime was loud and was distracting while driving. The contact stated that the failure was almost constant. The contact called a local dealer and was advised that the system could not be deactivated. The dealer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the issue. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 700.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11657968April 30, 2025
ENGINE
Oil leaking from engine dripping down to floor.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11657236April 28, 2025
ENGINE
On two separate occasions, I was a stop light in high traffic. I was unable to drive my vehicle when the light turn green because of no power. A message display prompting me to "shift to P or N to start engine." Unfortunately, that didn't work. I had to sit there for a few mins, signaling other motorists to go around me. Eventually, I had to restart my vehicle. I panicked because I felt unsafe as I was blocking traffic. I took my vehicle to the dealer and was told that there were no code after the diagnostic test but yet the technician told me the door on the driver side is not aligned and I need to take it to a mechanic. I never got any alert that my door is open so that diagnosis didn't make sense. I took my vehicle le to the mechanic to check the alignment of the door who in return told me that there was no issue with my alignment. I am scared to drive my vehicle because I don't want to cause an accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11657111April 27, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car loses power. The battery and key ignition light keep coming on. A message displays auto engine off. Please shift to n or p and start engine manually. After communicating and showing video proof of the incident, the dealership replaced the alternator and battery. The issues started around 5000 miles. The infotainment system lags and the car lags. Sometimes I am left on the road because the case refuses to cut on or off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11657034April 27, 2025
ENGINE
Vehicle has about 4k miles. Received “transmission system error, check transmission oil immediately”. The vehicle barely drives. Has a hard time changing gears. Hyundai says there are no recalls and are not being helpful in getting help. They say everything is fine but it is clearly not working. Brand new vehicle and cannot get it fixed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11657018April 27, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I was driving at approximately 65 MPH using the advanced cruise control system. Randomly, the system disengaged and I started getting 2 MIL warnings on my console. MIL warning 1) was "Check Forward Safety System" and 2) warning the advanced cruise control parameters are not met due to warning 1. A few minutes later, I received a message on my Hyundai Blue Link app showing DTC C162078. After researching this DTC, I found that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other drivers that experienced this same/similar situation -- unexpected loss of advanced safety features and smart cruise control features. In fact, Hyundai published a technical bulletin for another model with the same issue. The loss of these functions places an unexpected safety risk to the driver if this issue occurs when there is other traffic present. My vehicle was involved in a frontal accident once about 1.5 years ago and this issue has never occurred. This is the first instance of this issue since I purchased the vehicle brand new from the dealer.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656970April 26, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, SERVICE BRAKES
Was at a complete stop at a light with a car in front me, I had plenty of space when I started accelerating and then suddenly the automatic system braked hard. Like there was literally NO REASON for what the car did. It took a few seconds to get out of that issue but then was able to proceed as normal. There have been at least 2 other times where a side sensor was triggered while on the freeway violently jerking me to the left, nearly putting into another lane.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656871April 25, 2025
ENGINE
Was driving down the freeway when the check engine light went on. I tried to pull over but car lost power and I heard a loud bang noise. Smoke came from the engine and the car stopped in the fast lane. Luckily i was not hit by any other cars. Once we got the car towed you can see a hole in the bottom of the engine. these 2017 hyunadi santa fe's have crankshaft failure, we even received a letter from Hyundai stating this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656747April 25, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The vehicle started to stall/drive in limp mode. I took it to the Hyundai dealership, and they quoted me $5000 for repairs. The repair recommendations were as followed: ensure connecting rod bearings are within spec, recommending performing timing job w/replacement of intake camshaft, e-cvvt motor/gear, e-cvvt cover, and other components necessary for repairs. This engine burns/consumes oil and the engine code that shows up in P00100. All of this after I paid it off. Not within warranty anymore either. $22,000 down the drain it seems... called hyundai customer service to see if there was anything that could be done but they said there is nothing they can do and I have to fix it even though it is a manufacturing issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656276April 23, 2025
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced, the mechanic informed the contact that the underbody of the vehicle was corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the undercarriage was corroded. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the dealer refused to repair the vehicle, due to the age of the vehicle. The vehicle remained with the dealer. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 947. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656387April 23, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Vehicle is shuddering/jerking upon acceleration due to a defect in the 8 speed automatic transmission. This condition was reproduced by Hyundai of Plymouth, MA and documented on the repair order. Dealer states that a new transmission is required to fix this problem. Safety is at risk due to shuddering upon acceleration which causes hesitation in acceleration. My Hyundai Santa Fe is available for inspection. There should be a recall on this vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656401April 23, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Engine burned 3-4quarts of oil within 3,000 miles. Can result in vehicle failure while driving in city or highway. Vehicle has had all manufacture recommended service and issue started under warranty, but manufacturer has declined to repair issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656285April 23, 2025
POWER TRAIN
When accelerating from a stop, my car will not go over 20 mph. It just revs up like it’s not changing gears . I have to pull over and park it. It runs fine afterwards. This does not happen all the time. Usually it happens once a month. It’s been to the dealership 3 times. They drive it around the block and tell us that they can’t replicate the problem. Therefore, they don’t troubleshoot anything and return the car to me. I’m truly scared to drive it. I wrecked twice at a red light intersection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656192April 22, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Ever since new this suv will periodically hesitate when trying to accelerate. I have almost been rearended numerous times over the last few years do to this issue. I have had the SUV into the dealer and complained about this issue every time and they cannot seem to do anything about the issue. The have update software (or at least said they have) and done other things and it has made NO difference. This issue almost caused a serious accident just this week when I was trying to merge into traffic on I5.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655647April 19, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I’m writing to report a recurring issue with the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) system in my 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The system frequently triggers warnings even when I am fully attentive and driving safely. These alerts are not only distracting, but they also reduce my confidence in the vehicle’s safety systems overall. I have reviewed the settings and attempted to adjust or disable the FAW feature, but it either cannot be turned off entirely or continues to act erratically despite adjustments. I’ve also verified that the cabin camera is clean and unobstructed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655464April 18, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing difficulty charging. The contact stated that while driving 50-60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times while driving on the highway. The vehicle was able to be jump-started. The contact stated that a mobile mechanic had inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that there was oil leaking onto the spark plugs. The contact stated that the vehicle was chugging while driving. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in Hyundai Campaign Number: 976. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair. The dealer diagnosed that the valve cover gasket was leaking onto the alternator and onto other unknown parts. The dealer replaced the valve cover gasket and the alternator under Hyundai Campaign Number: 976. The contact stated after driving 7-8 minutes after picking up the vehicle from the dealer, the contact noticed an abnormal odor and smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact pulled into a gas station and parked the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle back to the dealer. The contact stated she drove to the nearby residence of a friend instead because she needed to report to work. The contact stated upon opening the hood and starting the vehicle the following day, the contact noticed flames in the engine compartment. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. No police report was filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the fire had occurred due to an old oil leak; however, the contact stated there was also a noticeable new oil leak under the hood. The dealer later informed the contact that the starter had failed, and that the fire had not caused any further damage to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655514April 18, 2025
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while stopped and making a left turn with the A/C unit activated, the rear windshield exploded inadvertently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,572.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655296April 17, 2025
ENGINE
In 2023 my vehicle’s engine seized without warning. I had brought it to the dealership in Jan 2023 to replace a recalled issue. After that my vehicle had started acting strange, prompting us to bring it in where they noticed it was extremely low on oil and “dirty” where it shouldnt be. They performed tests and required us to drive 1k miles to see how low the oil would be once brought back in, it did not make it back to the service department by the 1k miles as it completely failed beforehand with no warning light.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655168April 17, 2025
POWER TRAIN
When shifting gears whether from parking to drive or from drive to park, the vehicle lags and makes a juttering noise. I am unable to move from the gear it is juttering in unless i turn the car off or hope that pushing the button turns it off. Whist it is juttering, it sounds as if the car is turning on and off repeatedly. This also has happened from the auto stop when trying to accelerate after stopping at a light and it get stuck and unable to move without me turning the car off and turning it back on. This is a safety issue since I was in the middle of a road, and I essentially have no control over what my car does. I have taken my car to Patrick Hyundai in Schaumburg, IL multiple times and they do nothing about it since they "don't see it happening whilst it is there". I have videos of it and they still do nothing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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