Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints (2023)

293 consumer complaints on file.

#11692770October 11, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicles' charging side deck will heat up any phone we put in to charge inside that slot. We brought this to the dealers attention a couple times but they stated I needed to pay a service fee to have it looked at. It began happening a few weeks after we purchased the vehicle. We have not used the port ever since.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691482October 5, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Horn No longer works in vehicle - A major safety issue
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690702October 1, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have had 6 car appointments and on my 3rd horn replacement in this car. It goes completely out and it is a safety hazard to not have any horn. It loses both the high and low pitch horn
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690291September 29, 2025
ENGINE
My 2023 Santa Fe Limited has 3,000 mils on it. At least four times it had low speed hesitation (lags then revs up for a few seconds). It’s a problem with the DCT (Dual Clutch Tranny) Hesitation pulling onto a highway poses a significant risk of a faster car colliding into my car. I called my car dealer and the service manager said they know they are having problems with this. He said they tried everything to remedy the problem but, there is no solution. They said the only way not to have the problem is to get a different car!!! Hyundai should have a recall on this hesitation matter before someone gets injured or killed. It’s a safety issue. The last time it happened will be the date of my incident report.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689850September 26, 2025
SEAT BELTS
Driver and passenger seatbelts not always latching or becoming unlached while driving
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689613September 25, 2025
ENGINE
On September 4, 2025 as I pulled on to Interstate I-70 my car suddenly lost power. Gas engine died. Loud attention sound started. Instrument cluster started flashing red with message "EV system failure, stop immediately" EV battery showed full depletion although a moment before it showed about 75% power. There was only enough propulsion to keep moving slowly. Since this was a construction zone the shoulder was blocked off and roadway was reduced to only one lane. I had no where to go. A large truck narrowly avoided rear ending me. I was scared and felt helpless. Eventually I was able to pull off and shut off the car. It was able to be re-started immediately with no warning indicators and EV battery power restored. This loss of power has happened 6 times before during the time I have owned the car. Last time was in March 2025. Each previous time it happened I was traveling at about 35 miles per hour and while annoying I did not fear for my life. On March 6, 2025 I had the dealer, McCarthy Hyundai, check out this problem. There were no detectable problems or problem codes. I was told that it might have been caused by the oil dip stick not being fully seated. It was obvious they had no clue what caused this but that I should come back if it happened again. I have reported this to Hyundai customer service who would not confirm that this was a problem encountered by many others. From looking at reports on the internet, my problem is not unique except for being life thretening. Customer service had me bring it back to dealer. Yesterday, September 24, I picked up the vehicle whohad it for a week to try to fix the problem. Once again there were no error codes. Only problem they found was an ignition coil which needed to be replaced. They could not give a convincing explaination of how a bad ignition coil could cause a complete failure of the gas motor and EV system or why if the coil was sole problem that it would only cause this failure every 3 to 6 months. Please help!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686936September 12, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
On [XXX] in Rehoboth, DE, my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe experienced a sudden and complete power failure while reversing out of a parking spot. All electrical systems shut down—including propulsion, dashboard lights, and emergency brake—causing the vehicle to roll backward into oncoming traffic. No warning lights appeared beforehand. After about an hour, power returned on its own. A passing police officer witnessed the situation and a report was filed with the Rehoboth Beach Police Department. On September 6th, Hyundai service performed a diagnostic scan of the engine and transmission systems. No fault codes were found, and the issue could not be replicated. After sitting overnight, the vehicle restarted normally and passed a road test. The dealership documented the incident but returned the vehicle without repair, stating: “Cannot duplicate concern at this time.” I was advised to tow the vehicle in if the issue recurs and, if rolling occurs again, to use a wheel chock. I purchased this vehicle new in 2023. It has only 40,000 miles and is covered under a 10-year bumper-to-bumper warranty. A failure of this magnitude—especially during a basic maneuver like reversing—poses a serious safety risk. Despite the dealership’s inability to replicate the issue, I do not feel safe operating the vehicle until the root cause is identified and resolved. I am currently in the process of escalating to Hyundai corporate for further investigation, including a buyback review, replacement evaluation, or extended diagnostic protocol. 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
#11685313September 5, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
horn has stopped working. Seems to be a systemic issue when looking online in Forums etc... I have scheduled the problem to be fixed and it is not a fuse issue. It will be a month before the dealership is able to get me in to assess the problem. This is a safety related issue and this needs to be addressed with the manufacturer.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684386September 2, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I was travelling at 50mph a car pulled in front of me and stopped unexpetedly. I braked hard. My car began to slow, but the brake pedal went to the floor and did not slow, AFter a few seconds, the brake pedal came up from the floor and braking was resumed. I held the pedal to the floor the whole time trying to stop. It was as though the braking system failed and recovered. There was no pulsing felt on the brake pedal typical of ABS working. After my car resumed braking thte collision avoidance system took over and the car stopped just inches from the stopped car in front of me. I had just taken the car in for dealer service at 24,200 and everything was supposedly checked out as required by maintenance. I have contacted Hyundai but have not gotten a response yet.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683713August 28, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
horn has stopped working twice. Had it replaced under warranty in January of 2024. Same incident happened where horn of vehicle does not work. Seems to be a systemic issue. This is a safety related issue and this needs to be addressed with the manufacturer.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682430August 22, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VISIBILITY/WIPER
AC evaporator drain design problem June, 2024 approx. 3500 miles under warranty, AC evaporator drain line backed up into the passenger front right. Brought it to service - they unclogged and drained the line at no charge. June 2025 approx. 12,K miles under warranty, AC drain backed up again. The excess water drained onto my feet as a passenger and collected under the front seat, saturating the rug area, potentially causing additional mildew and respiratory causing irritation. Service required an appointment. drained it charged $88. Filed a complaint incl Hyundai Motors ; was told the $88 charge was irreversible - cause was weather. The CAR HEALTH HAZARD seems to stem from a major design flaw The air intake is in the windshield wiper cowl resulting in wet tree and leaf debris , bird droppings, etc collect even when the car is not in use. Thus, when heat or air conditioning is activated, air comes in through the air intake and then through the difficult to acces filter recessed behind the glove box , then into the passenger area When the AC drain hose is plugged, it backs up through the dirty filter and then out, to accumulate under the passenger seat allowing more mildew. Re:My 2024 mile blockage, the water was drained, but the filter was not mentioned. In 2025 with the $88 bill, the water was drained no mention the filter. Draining the water does not correct the problem. It should be required at every service the l drain hose is checked, water drained. and filter changed at no charge until a design correction to cover the cowling or an interim solution is installed We lnotice that we have sporadic respiratory problems in the first of miles of riding in all the car From Hyundai Motor America - We expect reimbursement for the $88 service charge. Warranty draining the water and new filter annually. and an NHTSB approved fix of the problem and an NHTSB approved redesign of future models
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682096August 21, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
On Saturday Morning (August 9th), I was driving this car with my family on I-495 heading to the shopping mall. The SunRoof glass broke suddenly without any impact from outside. I was so alarmed and exited the road and checked it. There was a crack in the front side glass. I drove back home and found that they had exploded and scattered. I drove a car to the Hyundai Car service center to claim it, but they ignored me. I claimed this on the Hyundai America site, but the answer is that they won't fix this under the warranty. This is a panoramic sunroof, and it should support our family in the car accident. But it is easily exploded without any impact from outside. It is a safety-critical issue, but Hyundai doesn't take care of this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681061August 16, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Horn not blowing. It started giving a low sound and now it has stopped working completely. I went online and saw where this problem is wide spread.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679516August 9, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Car only has 20,000 miles and the horn already needs to be replaced
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679085August 7, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On two occasions, once at 70mph and once at 45mph vehicle suddenly lost power and displayed warning to check collision system, there were no vehicles close enough to warrant this. I had to limp the car to the side of the road as safely as possible and shut car off, wait a few minutes and restart vehicle to clear error and allow proper power/ acceleration again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678655August 6, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
From a complete stop when pressing the accelerator, the vehicle does nothing. This can last 1 second or in longer episodes it can last 4-5 seconds. No lights on the dash. It’s random and happens sporadically. But when it’s bad, you have enough lag to count to 5 and turn on the hazards
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678488August 5, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
At 22000 miles wheel speed sensor went out, all control system shut down and car became unstable. At 44000 miles fuel injector went out, was driving on freeway and car started shaking and losing power, then in parking lot would not start at all, had to be towed to dealer. This is way to many breakdowns for a car with such low mileage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11676868July 29, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
While driving to work today [XXX] on or around [XXX] on [XXX] from Riverview to downtown Tampa while doing about 68 MPH, my emergency brake deployed for about 6 seconds. The whole vehicle shook. There were no other vehicles around. Quite scary. 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
#11675461July 22, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I am reporting a serious and recurring safety defect with my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, purchased new in January 2024. The vehicle has suffered from over 30–40 sudden hybrid system failures, including loss of acceleration, “Stop Vehicle” warnings, and check engine lights. These incidents happen without warning, including while driving at legal speeds (40–70 mph), on residential streets and highways. Most recently, the car failed twice in two days, while my teenage son was driving within all road laws, including once with a friend in the car. The vehicle simply stopped accelerating in the middle of traffic, endangering them and everyone around them. These failures have happened at legal speeds ranging from 40–70 mph, on both residential roads and highways. There is no advance warning, just abrupt loss of power and sudden warning messages. We’ve taken the vehicle to the South Charlotte Hyundai dealership multiple times. Each time, they either reset the check engine light or replaced indicators: but never addressed the root hybrid system failure. We filed a lemon law case, and Hyundai responded with only a $2,000 offer including legal fees, requiring us to keep the dangerous vehicle. We rejected the offer. These failures have occurred with children and passengers in the car. We have documented as many incidents as we could, including photos, service records, and communication with Hyundai. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I no longer feel safe driving or allowing my family to drive this car. This is a critical hybrid system failure that continues to place lives at risk. I believe this may be part of a wider pattern affecting Hyundai hybrid vehicles, and I am pleading with the NHTSA to open an investigation before someone is seriously injured or worse.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675248July 22, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving the sunroof glass out of no where exploded.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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