Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints

8,019 consumer complaints on file.

#11762232September 4, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Currently unknown on how the fire started, but something under the hood caught fire
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762257September 4, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
1. Component/System Failure & Availability: The failed component is the engine's internal Camshaft Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) phaser backing bolt within the 3.3L V6 engine assembly. An internal factory bolt unthreaded, backed out, and physically pierced directly through the upper valve cover. The vehicle and intact failed engine are currently located at an authorized Hyundai dealership service center in [XXX], and remain fully available for immediate physical inspection by federal investigators upon request. 2. Safety Risk: An internal engine bolt unthreading and puncturing through the valve cover creates an extreme safety hazard. A high-velocity metal bolt piercing the engine casing causes immediate engine seizure, sudden loss of motive power at highway speeds, loss of power steering/braking assistance, and massive pressurized oil discharge directly onto red-hot exhaust manifolds, posing a severe risk of sudden catastrophic vehicle fire and multi-vehicle highway collisions. 3. Dealer/Independent Confirmation: Yes. The failure was formally inspected, reproduced, and confirmed by an authorized Hyundai dealership service department. Dealership technicians logged official diagnostic findings under Prior Authorization Case #XXX. 4. Inspection by Manufacturer/Others: Yes. The defect was inspected and escalated directly to Hyundai Motor America (HMA) Corporate Engineering. Corporate engineering officially verified the defect and issued Techline Case #XXX, confirming that an internal factory CVVT backing bolt unthreaded and pierced the valve cover, recommending a full engine replacement. 5. Warning Lights & Prior Symptoms: There were no prior warning lamps, check engine lights, unusual sounds, or advance warning symptoms prior to the failure. The internal hardware failure occurred suddenly and without warning while operating the vehicle at standard operating parameters. 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
#11761919September 3, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the instrument panel went blank. The contact was able to pull over safely after the failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V047000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not include in the recall. The dealer was contacted by phone. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,900.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761943September 3, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The failure occurred mostly while making a left turn and while accelerating from a stop and continued for 10-seconds before self-correcting. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was almost a crash during the failure. The failure was not self-corrected after one failure. The vehicle was turned off and restarted, and the failure was then self-corrected. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failures, and there was no DTC found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 5,100.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761955September 3, 2026
ENGINE
On May 26.2026, Southern States Hyundai performed mandated Service Campaign 9C2 (Theta II Emissions Improvement). The software immediately caused drivability degradation and a catalytic converter failure, mirroring the defects Hyundai acknowledged to the NHTSA on May 18, 2026. Corporate customer care is using an unrelated oil consumption testing protocol to deflect liability and charge me $1,400 for the testing and/or $4002 for the catalytic converter out of pocket for damage caused by their own recall software. This hesitation is a severe safety risk when accelerating into traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762036September 3, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Collision warning sensor alarm randomly comes on my dash and my car slams on the breaks. Very dangerous, I’m scared to drive down the highway going 60mph. 80,109 miles 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. I have not brought it in to a Hyundai dealership because they want a diagnosis fee and everything else. Hyundai should fix it. This alarm has happened several times than it will go away and come on like 3 times in a row, usually daily when I use the car
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761505September 2, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Update Re: ODI Complaint Number: 11759237 Subsequent Actions and Manufacturer Refusal to Remediate Safety Defect: Following the [XXX], acute safety incident—where the vehicle lost motive power and entered severe limp mode on [XXX] immediately upon release from Sheehy Hyundai of Chantilly—the vehicle remained in dealer custody for 11 days (August 20–August 31, 2026). Failure to Diagnose Core Defect: Despite recurring total power loss, active diagnostic trouble code P00AF00 (Turbocharger Boost Control Module Performance), and four consecutive turbocharger destructions within 20,000 miles, the authorized dealership refused to conduct internal engine diagnostics, drop the oil pan, inspect the oil filter, or perform borescope checks. Physical Contamination Documented: On August 29, 2026, an on-site physical inspection confirmed sparkling metallic particulate suspended in the engine oil on the dipstick and substantial oil blow-by/intrusion into the turbocharger air intake line. Formal Denial of Safety/Warranty Coverage: On August 31, 2026, dealership management and Hyundai Motor America (Consumer Affairs Case #[XXX]) formally denied warranty assistance and refused engine teardown under the Theta II Lifetime Engine Warranty Settlement. Coverage was declined citing "outside influence" due to an aftermarket turbocharger assembly, while Hyundai refused to investigate the underlying engine failure contaminating and destroying the forced-induction system. Evidence Preservation: On August 31, 2026, the vehicle was towed to an independent facility to mitigate road hazards, conduct teardown diagnostics, and preserve the engine oil/filter for ISO-accredited spectrographic laboratory analysis. The manufacturer released an unsafe vehicle into traffic on August 20, 2026, and subsequently refused to investigate or remedy a documented internal engine failure that creates sudden, recurring loss of motive power. 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
#11761572September 2, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Our vehicle has twice gone from parking to drive and moved on its own! Both times almost running over my wife
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11761734September 2, 2026
POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
While driving, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power on the highway and would not accelerate beyond approximately 20 mph despite accelerator input. There were no warning lights or check-engine light. The condition created a safety hazard because the vehicle could not maintain normal traffic speed. Hyundai dealer has been unable to determine the cause on other vehicles with the same problem, and was trying to discourage me from reporting this. They also said that they'd keep the car for 3 days, and likely return it with no diagnosis, so do I really want to go through this? They seemed unconcerned that this is a very dangerous issue in a highway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761774September 2, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
Hyundai Motor America & Wallace Hyundai of StuartVEHICLE: 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe (2.4L Theta II GDI Engine)VIN: 5NMS23AD5LH181669INCIDENT MILEAGE: 181,000 MiHYUNDAI CASE NUMBER: 42981944SECTION 1: CATASTROPHIC INTERSTATE SAFETY INCIDENTOn July 16, 2026, while navigating heavy, high-speed traffic on Interstate 95 (I-95) at approximately 80 to 85 MPH, my vehicle suffered an un-commanded, catastrophic mechanical engine seizure. The vehicle instantly dropped from highway speeds down to a 21 MPH "limp mode," creating an immediate multi-car pile-up hazard on a major interstate. Physical inspection immediately after the failure proved that the engine oil level was completely full. The internal components catastrophically failed due to a documented, systemic factory defect involving premature rod bearing failure and oil starvation mechanisms, entirely unrelated to consumer maintenance.SECTION 2: PRIOR SAFETY COMPLAINTS & DOCUMENTED TIMELINEHyundai Motor America has intentionally forced me to operate a known, life-threatening safety hazard for 17 months, during which I drove an additional 31,000 miles under extreme duress. I filed formal oil consumption complaints with Hyundai Corporate every three to four months. I was forced to manually replenish the engine oil every 1,000 miles due to excessive oil loss.Specific safety reports detailing hazardous engine behavior were formally logged with Hyundai on November 25, 2025, and again in April 2026. Rather than remediating the vehicle, Hyundai corporate claims adjusters and dealership supervisors ignored these warning tracks, effectively throwing a consumer out into active traffic in an unsafe, defective vehicle.SECTION 3: AUTOMATIC SHUTDOWN TRAUMA & ACCIDENT RISKThe manufacturing defects caused an intermittent, un-commanded automatic The manufacturing defects caused an intermittent, un-commanded automatic engine shutdown condition. On 5 to 10 separate occasions while stationary at active traffic lights, the vehicle stalled10times
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761327September 1, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Occasionally the cruise control will go off. Sometimes it will reset itself & other times, the driver has to initiate. I reported to the Hyundai Manuf. last yr. & also had 2 separate dealers take a look & problem has not been resolved.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761426September 1, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I am reporting a potential safety defect involving repeated windshield chipping and cracking on my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The vehicle was purchased new. The first incident occurred on April 15, 2025, approximately three months after I purchased the vehicle. While driving approximately 60 mph on a highway in clear, dry conditions with no gravel or unusual road conditions, a small rock struck the upper-right portion of the windshield. The windshield cracked from the impact. The windshield was subsequently replaced on June 6, 2025. In June 2026, while again driving approximately 60 mph on a highway under clear and dry conditions, a small rock struck the center of the windshield and caused a chip. In July 2026, approximately one month later, another small pebble struck the upper-middle portion of the windshield and caused another chip. There were no crashes, sudden braking, turning maneuvers, or unusual driving conditions involved in these incidents. I am concerned because the windshield has repeatedly chipped or cracked from relatively small rocks or pebbles. I have owned and driven other vehicles for many years and have never experienced this level of repeated windshield damage from minor road debris. The windshield was supplied by Hyundai. I believe the repeated failures warrant investigation into the quality, durability, material, manufacturing, or specifications of the windshield glass used in this vehicle. The windshield is an important safety component, and a chip can potentially develop into a larger crack and impair the windshield's integrity while the vehicle is being driven. I have photographs of the most recent chip and an invoice documenting the windshield replacement performed on June 6, 2025. I am requesting that NHTSA review this complaint and determine whether similar complaints exist and whether a safety-related defect or trend may be present in the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760870August 31, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I've had this vehicle for 13 months, and it has roughly 13K miles on it. Since 7/3/26, it has been in the service department at Hyundai of Noblesville on three separate occasions. This all started on 7/3/26 when we were driving on the interstate and out of nowhere the vehicle lost critical power and would not go more than 20 MPH. There was some kind of warning message that momentarily popped up but then disappeared. We were so rattled, we didn't get a chance to take notice of what it said. It was towed to the dealership and they said they cleared the codes and drove it a little and the problem was resolved. It was driving OK and then on 7/15/26, we had just got onto the interstate and there was a sudden loss of power AGAIN. We had it towed to the dealership. They replaced the high pressure fuel pump and assured us that the problem was resolved. Then on 8/29/26, the same thing happened again on the interstate--critical loss of power. Had it towed to the dealership again. This morning, they say that it is the fuel pump railings that are the issue. I have placed a formal Hyundai Corporate Case and I am notifying you of this safety issue which presents major risk to the safety of anyone in the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760878August 31, 2026
ENGINE, SUSPENSION, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My truck began emitting a strong oil odor on XXX. I took it to Amato in [XXX], where I was told the oil pan was leaking. They replaced the oil pan, and I paid for the inspection as well. About an hour after picking up my truck, the check‑engine light came on. I returned to the dealership, and they then said additional repairs were needed, even though I had already paid $2,211.57 for the work they claimed was necessary. At that time, my truck had 145,776 miles on it. Because the manager at [XXX] refused to address my concerns, I was told to go to another Amato location, and I was effectively blacklisted from the first dealership. I went to Amato Glendale, where I experienced the same issues. They fixed only one of the problems, and that was only after I contacted Hyundai corporate. My truck continued to have oil‑consumption issues. Amato required me to complete a three‑month, 1,000‑mile oil consumption test before they would consider providing assistance. I completed the test as instructed. Now, however, they are saying that due to the age and mileage of my truck, they will not cover the engine replacement — even though the problems began at 145,000 miles, not 156,000. Other drivers have reported that Hyundai delays necessary repairs until major engine damage occurs, and I believe that is exactly what has happened in my case. There was also a suspension recall that applied to the 2018 model but not the 2017. Amato Hyundai covered part of that repair only because I contacted corporate again. My current complaint is about the failing engine and Amato Hyundai’s lack of responsibility in properly diagnosing and repairing my truck. 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
#11760934August 31, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Cold-Start Hesitation & Rough Shifting: Following the 9C2 ECU update, my vehicle is experiencing a brief period of throttle hesitation, rough shifting, or jerky transmission behavior specifically during cold-start operations.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760974August 31, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
My car is consuming an immense amount of oil, the manufacturer recommends oil changes every 7,500 miles, I get an oil change less than 3,000 miles and on my last oil change i was told that there are oil shavings in my oil filter. I just got the SC9C2 update and now my engine is knocking. Car drives super rough and has signs of rod bearing failure. My engine is the Theta II 2.4GDI, a class action lawsuit was filed against Hyundai but my car wasn't included. I don't understand how Hyundai can know about this issue with this engine and not cover replacement. A car should at the very least last for the life of the loan, I am going to end up with no car and still making payments.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760551August 29, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Oil light comes on and beeps when putting on brakes suddenly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760554August 29, 2026
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
On June 20 2026 at 2:07pm Central Time there was a check engine light displayed on the dash of my vehicle 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy, while it was parked in the garage of my home and was just powered up. I had then performed the vehicle diagnostics test (pictures attached) that showed that there was an issue with the 'Transmission Control System' with detail that a full system check is recommended and to schedule an appointment with a dealer. I had later proceeded to contact local dealer 'Huffines Hyundai McKinney' for service as I was due for an oil change anyway. As I was driving the vehicle from my home which was about 13 miles away from the dealership, I noticed that the vehicle had great trouble shifting from 1st gear to higher gears, that the speed would be 20mph or lower no matter how much the accelerator was pushed and I had to drive very carefully in traffic due to the low speeds. I was told at the dealership by 3pm that day that there were no active recalls on my vehicle, that the transmission related recall that was showing up on google search for that DCT code wasn't specific enough to my vehicle and to book an appointment for vehicle diagnostics and transmission repair/replacement at full cost to myself. The multi-point inspection report after oil change showed nothing about the check engine light issue or that the issue was even diagnosed by the dealership. From that day until today Aug 29 2026, I've noticed that the vehicle still has trouble shifting from the 1st gear, that the vehicle drives normally when increased time is allowed between power up and start of drive (~2min of engine running idle) and that the check engine light reappears after a trip of quick power up and drive. There was atleast one instance where I had to pullover onto the shoulder to avoid high speed traffic while driving in the right lane.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760193August 28, 2026
ENGINE
2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SEL WITH 2.4L THETA II ENGINE EXPERIENCES SEVERE OIL CONSUMPTION AND REPEATED ENGINE STALLING DURING NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE HAS A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF REPEATED LOW-OIL CONDITIONS DESPITE REGULAR OIL SERVICE. THE PROBLEM PROGRESSED TO THE ENGINE REPEATEDLY STALLING WHEN RETURNING TO IDLE. WHEN BRAKING TO A STOP OR WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, THE ENGINE MAY STALL UNLESS THE DRIVER MAINTAINS ADDITIONAL THROTTLE. THIS CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE THE ENGINE CAN SHUT OFF DURING NORMAL TRAFFIC OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS PRESENTED TO CENTEREACH HYUNDAI FOR DIAGNOSIS. ACCORDING TO THE HYUNDAI SERVICE ADVISOR, THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THE ENGINE WITH VERY LITTLE/NEARLY NO ENGINE OIL DESPITE THE VEHICLE HAVING TRAVELED LESS THAN APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES SINCE ITS MOST RECENT OIL SERVICE/TOP-OFF. THE HYUNDAI TECHNICIAN REPORTEDLY SUSPECTS THAT THE ENGINE TIMING MAY HAVE JUMPED AND THAT THIS CONDITION MAY BE RELATED TO THE LOW-OIL CONDITION AND MAY EXPLAIN THE ENGINE STALLING. HYUNDAI HAS DIRECTED THAT AN OIL-CONSUMPTION TEST BE PERFORMED. THE INITIAL OIL SERVICE/ENGINE-FLUSH PROCEDURE HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE OWNER AT APPROXIMATELY $400. THE PROCEDURE THEN CONTEMPLATES APPROXIMATELY 1,000 MILES OF ADDITIONAL VEHICLE OPERATION TO MEASURE OIL CONSUMPTION. THIS CREATES AN ADDITIONAL SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE THE VEHICLE BEING REQUIRED TO ACCUMULATE APPROXIMATELY 1,000 MILES IS THE SAME VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO REPEATEDLY STALL AT IDLE AND FOR WHICH THE HYUNDAI TECHNICIAN REPORTEDLY SUSPECTS A TIMING PROBLEM. THE OWNER HAS REQUESTED THAT HYUNDAI DOCUMENT WHETHER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN EVALUATED FOR THE STALLING CONDITION AND WHETHER HYUNDAI CONSIDERS IT APPROPRIATE TO OPERATE FOR THE REQUIRED MILEAGE-ACCUMULATION TEST. HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA CASE NUMBER: 43164946. VIN: 5NMS3CAD4LH173916.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760351August 28, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
When traveling home from work 8/27/26, my cruise control shut off and my car immediately went into “limp” mode. This almost caused me to get into an accident with a tractor trailer, in which, I may not have survived. Immediately pulled over and tried to find out what had caused this and how to get it fixed. Nothing worked to get it out of “limp” mode. There were no warning lights or messages, except LV3. Which was a completely different issue. This issue I was able to correct. Tried fixing the “limp” mode issue by doing as told by Google AI, turn car off, lock door with key fob, waiting 10-15 minutes for computer to reset. NOTHING. Also tried checking to see if there was a battery dump, in which this case would have been the fuel system not communicating with the hybrid battery system, NOTHING. I do have an appt with the dealership on 9/2/26 to have this looked at and inspected. I have not tried to start and or drive the car again, since. Do not want to be blamed by the dealership or manufacturer, that I did something wrong or caused more issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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