Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints

8,019 consumer complaints on file.

#11758484August 21, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Directly after the dealer, Johnson Hyundai of Apex, completed Service Campaign 9C2 on 4/28/26, my vehicle began sticking, surging, and harshly changing gears. I have followed up with the dealer multiple times. They said they are not getting back any diagnostic error codes (outside mechanic shop also confirmed they're also not seeing error codes), but went ahead and recalibrated the ECM. They told me to drive for 200 miles and the issue should be resolved. I have now driven 1,500 miles and the issue persists. I'm now seeing Hyundai put out a 'Driveability Communication" about this issue, but there is no proposed fix/recall. This issue did not exist before this service campaign was performed by the dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758488August 21, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Driving through a green light going 45 mph and my car had an episode of “phantom braking” and decided to automatically brake out of NO WHERE. Slinging me forward and scaring me. No warning signs or chimes came on before, during or after the incident. It made no sense. I’m scared to drive this car with my baby in it now in the fear of going the speed limit or driving on the freeway with it randomly auto braking out of no where and making me crash with my child in the car or something worse happening with my baby inside the vehicle. I’m very displeased and worried.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758504August 21, 2026
ENGINE
After the update earlier this summer for an emissions issue, my car, a 2017 Hyundi Santa Fe Sport, has not run right. When it is cold, the first trip on the day, it hesitates and sputters to an extent that it is not safe on the nearest highway where the speed limit is 35. We have been compensating by driving slowly around the neighborhood for a few minutes, and then it's fine. It has been happening since the update of service campaign 9C2, the "Theta II Emissions Logic Improvement" recall. The local Hyundai dealer has been unable to provide a fix. We just picked it back up today, 8/21/26, after deciding against their latest idea, a fuel injector treatment for $200. Based on other examples I've read with similar or identical issues after the recall software update, I have concluded this is a safety issue that Hyundai must resolve.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758520August 21, 2026
ENGINE
There is a class action lawsuit for the Theta Engine in some Kia and Hyundai vehicles and my type of vehicle falls into this lawsuit category. I drive a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and what the lawsuit described what happened to my vehicle, it seized up and you’re supposed to have a lifetime warranty for this problem. I submitted all the paperwork and Norman Hyundai sent videos it was seized up but denied my claim so I have a car that no longer drives with a car loan still so can’t buy a new vehicle. I was told they didn’t see oil additive anytime but their own business this in March ‘26 and May ‘26. It states on the lawsuit if anyone’s in the class action lawsuit they are covered if this happens to your vehicle. Also, part of the lawsuit is the oil consumption and how much it’s eating gas and then it seizes possibly or catch fire and my car was barely getting a 1,000 miles and it would be empty so couldn’t keep up always checking it and the car seized up due to what’s supposed to be covered.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758435August 21, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked or hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after two separate warranty repairs of the fuel injector, the failure persisted. In addition, the contact stated that the rear-view camera intermittently displayed a distorted or blank image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V879000 (Back Over Prevention); and was informed by the dealer that the vehicle was not covered under the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was issued a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758162August 20, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
sudden loss of propulsion / limp mode, particularly under load or at highway speeds.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758334August 20, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
See attached document for complaint
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758112August 19, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Component Failure I was driving on [XXX] in [XXX] at 70 miles per hour. My red oil indicator light came on, and within seconds the vehicle suffered a catastrophic power loss. I had zero control of the propulsion. I was in the right lane and managed to steer to the shoulder. I contacted Hyundai Roadside assistance/Hyundai care. They sent a wrecker in about an 45-1 hour as I sat on the side of the highway. I was then put into a wrecker and my car was loaded on a flatbed truck and we then took a 45 minute drive to [XXX] to Weisner Hyundai where the vehicle was left for diagnostic testing. Safety My safety was undeniably at risk due to going the speed limit to zero in seconds. It put me in harms was due to other drivers on the road not expecting a car to stop at those speeds, unable to react in time without causing a collision which could have resulted in significant bodily injury or death for myself, my passenger and possible many others on the road that were around me. I was afraid, not sure what had happened, very distraught and traumatized. I fear for my safety in this vehicle. Service Center The car was taken to Weisner Hyundai at this time they have been unable to replicate or discover any code. They have seen the oil light come on. They have had my vehicle since XXX until today XXX when they were going to send it to [XXX] Hyundai where I purchased the vehicle. Inspections I am not sure about who all has looked at it within the dealership. Warnings The only warning I had was a red oil lamp that appeared on the dash seconds before the catastrophic loss of power. Special Note, I just found out that my vehicle originally had repairs done as it came from transport to the engine/oil components which were not disclosed to me by the dealership prior to me purchasing the vehicle "new" at full price. The dealership had knowledge that the vehicle already had issues that cause the malfunction and sold it knowing the dangers. 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
#11757840August 19, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The fuel range calculation is often very wrong in our plug in hybrid. This issue has been brought to the attention of the manufacturer and dealer with no results but pointing at the other organizations. With a full fuel tank the gasoline range should be about 387 miles. Often the computer will show 610 miles but sometimes has other ranges but has never been correct after the first fill up. While this normally isn't a big problem, there is a danger for some people. Say you see a sign on a curvy mountain road with no shoulders showing the next fuel is in 100 miles. If the car computer says you have a range of 150 miles, you would think you can easily make it to the next gas station. However, because of the computer error, you really only have a range of 95 miles. It is probable that you would run out of fuel, losing power steering and power brakes. Additionally you could end up stopped blocking the lane and causing a collision. This has been occurring for three years, ever since our first fill up of the gas tank.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758055August 19, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
TAKE A BREAK" - the feature prompts the driver to “Take a Break” with that text and a‘Coffee Cup” logo after a certain period of continuous driving. There are instances when turning it off is necessary and Hyundai has removed that option - high distracting false alarm rate. The alert, visual and auditory are intrusive, unnecessary, demonstrate a high false alarm rate leading to frustration and distraction. While designed as a safety feature, it has the opposite effect. The system inaccurately interprets the driver’s behavior as signs of fatigue with alerts popping up at an alarming rate. Perfectly normal and safe driving behaviors see the alert popping up again and again. Further there are environmental interferences - bright sunlight, reflections off glasses, bumpy roads requiring frequent corrections - system interprets these as driver inattention and cannot tell the difference between drowsy driving and navigating a poorly maintained highway. New Hyundai models do not allow the driver to disable the Take a Break alert. “You’re cruising down the highway, minding your own business, alert and focused, when your Hyundai flashes a coffee cup icon and tells you to take a break. Again - this for the third or fourth time in 20 minutes. You’re not tired, not swerving, and frankly, you’re getting annoyed”. The system is disruptive and unsafe as it disrupts the driver activating when the system detects inattentive driving, suggesting breaks even if the driver does not feel fatigued. The alert can illuminate even during short drives of less than 30 minutes. The alert can occur extremely frequently, especially during long drives, which is extremely annoying. The warning can appear shortly after starting a trip and may repeat every few minutes, which is extremely frustrating. It is far more disruptive than safe and helpful.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757825August 18, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Auto had a very strong gas smell after arriving at work. Check the engine and underneath the car for leaks but no fluids on the ground or my garage. Smell persisted while out of town and made appointment for inspection. The dealer service man said it was suffering numerous leaks and we’re awaiting parts. Latest info was still leaks present and would advise after making certain no leaks persist.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757804August 18, 2026
TIRES:SIDEWALL
FORMAL SAFETY COMPLAINT – REPEATED SIDEWALL BUBBLES IN PIRELLI SCORPION MS TIRES Vehicle: 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Tires: Pirelli Scorpion MS Size: 255/45 R20 I am submitting this complaint because I am extremely concerned about a recurring and potentially dangerous tire problem involving my nearly new 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy. The vehicle is equipped with Pirelli Scorpion MS 255/45 R20 tires. Within only four months of ownership, the first tire developed a significant sidewall bubble on the right rear tire. The vehicle had approximately 816 miles at that time. What is particularly troubling is what the dealer told me when addressing that first tire: the first replacement tire they received also had a sidewall bubble, and the dealer had to obtain another tire. In other words, a replacement tire supplied for my vehicle reportedly arrived with the same type of defect before it could even be installed. At approximately 10 months and 7,425 miles, another tire — the left rear tire — developed a sidewall bubble the same as the prior tire In total, two tires have developed sidewall bubbles during the first ten months of ownership of this car plus the ‘replacement’ tire. There have been no known impacts, pothole strikes, collisions, or other events that would explain these repeated sidewall failures. There have been no blowouts, and fortunately no one has been injured and the vehicle has sustained no damage. However, I consider myself fortunate that these problems have been discovered before a catastrophic failure occurred. The most recent tire was replaced by Oxendale Hyundai in Flagstaff. The dealer submitted the tire to Pirelli for warranty consideration and mentioned the bubbles in the other tires. Pirelli’s response was simply: “REJECTED.” There was no explanation, no apparent investigation, no request for additional information, and no discussion of the fact that multiple tires on the same nearly new vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757711August 18, 2026
STEERING
Multiple occasions of the ADAS lane centering system operating unsafely. The worst one was on a gentle left-hand curve on a concrete surfaced bridge at night. The system allowed the vehicle to slowly drift to the outside of the lane. When it was fairly close to the white line, it jerked the wheel back to the left and then released the steering to my control while pointed hard into the oncoming lane. It will do similarly during the day when approaching a center turn lane on the highway. Sometimes it will decide that it should be in the turn lane, will make a rapid input, and then return control to me, now pointed at the oncoming lane. When the vehicle returns control to me, it indicates it by making the steering wheel and lines in the HUD grey, no chime, no warning icon, just green to grey and release the wheel in whatever direction it's pointing. It also sometimes slows drastically for vehicles that have exited the highway when on cruise control or applies hard braking for vehicles in the other lane while in a curve on a hill. There are no lights or malfunction warnings and the vehicle self-diagnostic says everything is operating correctly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757437August 17, 2026
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the underbody of the vehicle was rusted from living in an area where anti-icing agents were heavily used. The contact associated the failure with Hyundai Service Campaign 947. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under Hyundai Service Campaign 947 in 2017. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757507August 17, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Gas needle not going down took and dropped off at Lee Hyundai of Fayetteville North Carolina 28309 8/15/2026 picked it up 08/17/2026 They claim they drove it six miles but they didn’t told it was supposed to be that way sold we filled up when we left the dealer ship drove 78 miles needle still not moving
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757403August 17, 2026
POWER TRAIN
While accelerating, the 8-speed transmission sporadically hangs in 1st gear and will not change to 2nd. The motor revs to about 4000 rpm and will only travel at about 15 mph. This causes a safety hazard when attempting to enter fast moving traffic. After several attempts, the Dealer has said that they cannot duplicate this issue in their shop and has not made necessary warranty repairs to fix this vehicle. Hyundai assigned a case manager who says that since the diagnostic did not pull any codes and they could not replicate the problem, they would not make any repairs. There is about 5000 miles left on the factory warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757272August 16, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
The car was shaking alot but the engine light was off. Started it the next dat and the check engine light came on. Went to auto zone to see what the codes were. The 1st and 3rd cylinder are misfiring. The car was just serviced for the 60,000 mile tune up in june 2026. This problem started August 14, 2026. The dealership is stating that the spark coils or cylinders are not under warranty even though it was just serviced
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757304August 16, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
I was driving my car and my “open” door light came on out of nowhere. When I stopped I got out and closed my door the light turned off. When I was driving again the light came on and when I tried to open my door, it got stuck. I had someone try to open it from the outside and it sounded like it unlatched but wouldn’t open. Now I have to hold the door when I’m driving because it sounds like the door is not shut all way even though it won’t open at all.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757175August 15, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The vehicle’s transmission slips while driving on the highway at approximately 65–75 mph. The slipping occurs at highway speeds and appears to affect the vehicle’s ability to maintain consistent power and acceleration. Problem The vehicle’s transmission slips while driving on the highway at approximately 65–75 mph. The slipping occurs at highway speeds and appears to affect the vehicle’s ability to maintain consistent power and acceleration. Safety Concerns This creates a safety concern because unexpected transmission slipping at highway speeds could result in a sudden loss or interruption of power. This may make it difficult to maintain speed, merge, pass, or respond safely to changing traffic conditions. The issue could increase the risk of an accident, particularly in heavy or fast-moving traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757081August 15, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This vehicle constantly pops up an alert to "consider taking a break" on the dash. It mutes everything else and causes a distraction. This vehicle was operated at normal highway driving conditions. THERE IS NO WAY TO DIABLE THIS. After looking online there is a reddit post from 2 years ago where this first came into effect and people have been complaining about it constantly. This is a genuine safety concern as any unexpected change or alert causes the driver to look away from the road to see "whats wrong" and for this incident NOTHING IS WRONG. An hour long commute should not pop up 15 alerts because the road has ruts or its mildly windy or the driver is wearing sunglasses or any number of minor things the vehicle doesnt like.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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