Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints (2023)

293 consumer complaints on file.

#11671548July 7, 2025
ENGINE
While driving the engine dropped to 10 mph and would not respond to the pedal inputs. It is available for inspection. Dropping to 10 mph in traffic on a roadway doing 70 mph or even 35 puts everyone on the roadway in danger. The problem was not reproduced but was comfirmed by the dealer who inspected and serviced it. There was no warning before it happened but the dash displayed many warnings and even sent out an email when the engine failed. This was the fifth of five times that it has happened so far.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671543July 7, 2025
ENGINE
While driving the engine dropped to 10 mph and would not respond to the pedal inputs. It is available for inspection. Dropping to 10 mph in traffic on a roadway doing 70 mph or even 35 puts everyone on the roadway in danger. The problem was not reproduced but was comfirmed by the dealer who inspected and serviced it. There was no warning before it happened but the dash displayed many warnings and even sent out an email when the engine failed. This was the fourth of five times that it has happened so far.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671530July 7, 2025
ENGINE
While driving the engine dropped to 10 mph and would not respond to the pedal inputs. It is available for inspection. Dropping to 10 mph in traffic on a roadway doing 70 mph or even 35 puts everyone on the roadway in danger. The problem was not reproduced but was comfirmed by the dealer who inspected and serviced it. There was no warning before it happened but the dash displayed many warnings and even sent out an email when the engine failed. This was the THIRD of five times that it has happened so far.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671527July 7, 2025
ENGINE
While driving the engine dropped to 10 mph and would not respond to the pedal inputs. It is available for inspection. Dropping to 10 mph in traffic on a roadway doing 70 mph or even 35 puts everyone on the roadway in danger. The problem was not reproduced but was comfirmed by the dealer who inspected and serviced it. There was no warning before it happened but the dash displayed many warnings and even sent out an email when the engine failed. This was the SECOND of five times that it has happened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671522July 7, 2025
ENGINE
While driving the engine dropped to 10 mph and would not respond to the pedal inputs. It is available for inspection. Dropping to 10 mph in traffic on a roadway doing 70 mph or even 35 puts everyone on the roadway in danger. The problem was not reproduced but was comfirmed by the dealer who inspected and serviced it. There was no warning before it happened but the dash displayed many warnings and even sent out an email when the engine failed. This was the first of five times that it has happened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671450July 6, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We were driving in Montana down [XXX] and heard a very large “pop” sound above us. Our vehicle was traveling alone in the area at the time, no other vehicles were around ours. There was no debris on the road or flying in air at the time, either. At this point the panoramic roof glass was closed but the interior cloth cover was open and there was no evidence of any damage. When we stopped for gas, the front glass panel covering behind the windshield and before the panoramic roof glass, was completely shattered. The weather was the same as it had been, 80F with minimal cloud coverage. There was no sudden change in weather/driving conditions.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671107July 3, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I purchased a brand new vehicle from Hyundai within 9 months the horn stopped working. It was replaced 10/2024 and now less than 1 year the horn has stopped working once again. Hyundai has not issued an extended warranty to the Santa Fe model when this has been a known issue with all there vehicles for this year.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668511June 23, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
Between [XXX] am on [XXX]. I powered on my vehicle and the rear trunk door simultaneously opened. As I was driving my son to school that morning, I noticed water dripping onto my foot. I continued to drive but was distracted by beeping and warning messages but because the dashboard display was constantly switching from daytime to night lighting I could not readily see the dashboard. I tried to manually adjust the light by turning the knob off "auto" and also turning lights to "off" but it would immediately switch back. I made it to the first stop light and while stopped I was able to observe water droplets on the front panel of the interior fuse box. I pulled open the panel and water dropped out onto to floor. I replaced the panel. I continued to drive but was panicked and worried that water was in the fuse panel area. I arrived at my son's school and left the car running as he was dropped off. On the drive home, the beeping continued. This time, I saw the warning message about vehicle in my blind spot but I was on the street corner about to make a right turn and there was no vehicle next to me! The lights also kept switching as before. There was rust observed in the fuse panel area. When I got home, I called the dealership to inform them what happened. They refused to give me a loaner. I told them that water intrusion should not have occurred (we had severe weather and heavy rains the day prior) and now my car was having electrical issues and I was concerned for my safety and the safety of driving my 3 young children in car seats should there be an electrical fire. I mentioned the recall on my vehicle for water accumulation in the tow hitch and risk of electrical fire. 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
#11667049June 15, 2025
POWER TRAIN
There was a recall on the 21-22 santa fe for a issue with the transmission oil pump failure. I have a 23 which is not part of the recall but this is exactly what happened to me and now the transmission has failed completely with 68,000 miles
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
#11664508June 3, 2025
ENGINE
Engine died suddenly at various speeds and a beeping alarm was activated along with the Malfunction Indicator (Check Engine), Engine Oil Pressure, and Charging System warning lights on the instrument panel. The instrument panel also read, "Engine off! Shift to N, then start engine”. The car must then be coasted off the road to safety. When the car was brought to a stop, the Parking Brake and Brake Fluid warning light was illuminated alongside the other warning lights on the instrument panel. The instrument panel also showed that the car was in Neutral; none of the gear shift buttons were operable. Pressing the start/stop engine button restarted the car, removed all alarms and warning lights, and the car operated normally until the next occurrence. This scenario occurred five times: 4.05.25, 4.15.25 (twice), 4.22.25, and 5.28.25. The odometer readings were 12,250, 12421 and 12,425, 12,454, and 12,976, respectively. I have videos or photos of the instrument panel for all events but the first one, frightened as I was by that initial experience. The car was taken to Hyundai of North Charleston (HONC) for analysis 3 times: 4.16.25, 04.22.25, and 5.29.25. On 4.16.2025 the service advisor told me that they found 2 diagnostic codes, one of which related to the front radar, so it was replaced. I picked the car up on 4.22.25 and drove less than 3 miles when the problem recurred. I immediately returned to HONC. On this visit the front upper camera was replaced. My car was at HONC for 3 weeks waiting on the part and completing the installation. The problem reoccurred on 5.28.25 and the car was taken to HONC on 5.29.25 for inspection. On 5.30.25 the service advisor told me they didn't find any diagnostic codes and could not replicate the problem. The advisor said I could leave the car at HONC or they could "release" to me. I picked the car up on 5.31.25. Afraid to drive the car now, its use has been limited to necessary local trips on roads that have pullover access.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663585May 29, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On May 15th, I was involved in a serious accident caused by a malfunction in a rental vehicle provided by Enterprise a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. After reversing into a parking spot, I placed the vehicle in “Park” and exited the car to retrieve belongings from the trunk. My young son remained in the back seat. To my shock, the vehicle suddenly began to move on its own despite being in “Park.” I immediately ran to the driver’s side and jumped back into the vehicle in an attempt to stop it. I pressed the brake pedal multiple times, but the car would not respond. I also pressed the “Park” button repeatedly, yet the vehicle continued to move uncontrollably. The steering wheel was unresponsive, and I was unable to redirect the vehicle or bring it to a stop. The car ultimately crashed into two other vehicles. During the collision, one of the vehicles pinned my left leg in its door, causing physical injury. I am now dealing with both physical and emotional trauma as a result. To be clear, this incident occurred on a flat surface. No airbag deployed upon impact, and there were no warning signs or alerts from the vehicle beforehand which is highly concerning, especially for a modern electric/hybrid vehicle. This car presents a major safety hazard and, in my opinion, should be recalled and removed from service immediately before it causes a fatality. I have contacted Enterprise multiple times to report this issue and urge them not to rent this vehicle to anyone else.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11662783May 23, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE
On [XXX] I was on [XXX] in Houston, TX southbound in the Woodlands area when my vehicle warning light for overheating went on. I pulled over on [XXX] and contacted Vehicle Assistance and the vehicle was towed to my dealer, Northwest Houston Hyundai. There was damage to a tube in front of the radiator and a/c condenser. The damage to the tube was approximately 1/16 of an inch in diameter and supposedly was caused by debris entering through the front grille which is designed like a large egg carton. The dealer spokesperson informed me that they had seen many vehicles like mine (2023 Santa Fe) with the same type of damage. I have been trying to settle this with Hyundai but they feel it is normal road damage and that the wide open grille design that allows it is not their problem. I can't even get them to approve a third party screen to protect the engine radiator from further design. They will not answer the question as to whether or not installing this item will void the warranty or not. It's dangerous to break down on a manor highway in a manor city particularly for us senior citizens. 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
#11662286May 21, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
I am reporting an URGENT REQUEST IMMEDIATE ACTION REGARDING A SERIOUS UNRESOLVED, RECURRING PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE. IT IS POTENTIALLY THE FAULT OF ALEXANDRIA HYUNDAI'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT (in Alexandria, VA) WHO HAD JUST SERVICED MY VEHICLE FOR WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A ROUTINE SERVICING (on May 7). My car had a catastrophic and complete failure on a high speed highway (the car quickly decelerated) which represented an incredibly danger situation for myself and other drivers on the road. My car was purchased in 2023 and has 15,241 miles. It has been perfectly maintained. On [XXX], I was returning to my home in Virginia from Maryland on an 8 lane highway with a 55mph speed limit when I had a very dangerous complete failure of my car. Simultaneously, the car started bucking back, the speed was decelerating regardless of my pressing the accelerator to keep my speed the same as traffic, and I received a flashing large red message that said "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM - STOP SAFELY." Fortunately I was in the far right lane and was able to veer it over to a narrow shoulder. It was 8pm and getting dark. After a short while, the car lost all power so I was on a narrow shoulder with no lights flashing anymore. I was in this dark car with a lot of traffic speeding my with my 2 dogs. I became incredibly stressed about how we were going to get home. I contacted AAA, a police officer and Uber Pet who worked together in this unsafe situation on the side of the highway to get myself and my dogs home into the Uber vehicle with only the front door opening (no power). It was over 2 hours before I was home safely It was incredibly stressful situation. The car was towed to Alexandria Hyundai and they dismissed the issue and fixed nothing. I contacted Hyundai customer service and asked for escalation and they have done nothing. I am restricted in my driving because of the severe safety risk but had to drive again on [XXX] and it occurred again on a highway INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661979May 19, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The windshield showed a semi circular crack on the upper center directly below the rear view mirror cluster. It happened during a day of exceptional heat there is no indication of impact and the crack is symmetrical.The plastic cover of the rear view mirror broke simultaneously with the appearance of the windshield crack.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661942May 19, 2025
POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Early March 2025 the vehicle was put car in park, got out of car to close yard gate, turned around to walk back to car but car was rolling forward and hit the flat bed trailer causing approximately $5000 in damage. It was put in park before getting out but jumped gear before getting back in. Another common problem is slamming the emergency brake on when attempting to drive. Was at a red lite left turn stop sign with foot on the brake. When the light turned green took foot off brake & put foot on accelerator to go forward, the car slammed the emergency brake on. This has happened approx 6 times in the 1-1/2 years of ownership.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661759May 19, 2025
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES
Front brake failure at 3k miles. Rotors warped so badly they failed to properly stop the vehicle. Vehicle shaking immensely Transmission failure at 11k miles. While vehicle is in Drive mode the transmission is stuck in first gear and will not shift. The tachometer was redlining at 6k I had to use the paddle shifters to get the transmission to shift. I was driving the vehicle as a manual transmission when I own an automatic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659653May 8, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On [XXX], a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL (VIN: [XXX] ) spontaneously caught fire ~8 hours after parking, per fire report (Walla Walla Fire Dept.). The fire destroyed the hyundai santa fe sel engine compartment and totaled 5 vehicles with a total value of over $400,000 not including personal property to the parties involved. I was not the Hyundai’s renter/operator; the vehicle was rented by a third party from Enterprise. Despite no active recall for this VIN, the vehicle contained: Mando ABS module, Mando EPS module similar to known defective parts of the same year, and Hyundai Mobis tow hitch harness, all of which have known defect/recall history in similar make/Model equivalent vehicles. This case may involve VIN exclusion errors or latent product defects similar to recent defects INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659118May 5, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Transmission caused vehicle to loose speed on grade posted speed 70mph I could not get over 35 Transmission stuck in 3 gear or would stay in 8th gear unable to gain speed almost got rear-ended vehicle has a 8 speed automatic transmission it will not shift properly loss of power account improper gear for speed
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

← Back to Hyundai Santa Fe