Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints (2025)

242 consumer complaints on file.

#11695723October 27, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The window washer fluid is does not cover the the upper areas of the window, making it difficult to see particularly in snowy or icy weather.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11695081October 22, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, POWER TRAIN
Bought this brand new Santa Fe in July 2025 and on day 5 after purchasing this vehicle, car stopped accelerating while driving on highway, which is a serious safety concern. Took the vehicle back to the dealership and turned out the issue is with failed catalytic converter and they had to replace it. Since then, the acceleration has not been that great and had continuous issues with random engine noises etc
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694551October 20, 2025
SEAT BELTS
The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact’s spouse stated that while at a stop, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle. The spouse reported that during the collision, the driver’s seat belt became inoperable and detached from the driver’s seat. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was required. The spouse also stated that the air bags did not deploy during the incident. A police report was filed, and a report number was provided to the contact. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was declared totaled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 8,500. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693461October 14, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
I just purchased a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe and the Smart Cruise Control won't work with sunglasses on. There is an Infared sensor on the steering column that has to see your eyes. Sunglasses are needed for this vehicle. If you don't wear them, the sunlight blinds you. The system will beep, display a message stating full face can't be seen, and it shuts the cruise control off and the vehicle decelerates, which is unsafe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693283October 14, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a deer jumped out in front of the contact's vehicle. The contact's vehicle crashed into the deer, where it came to a stop by the side of the roadway. The contact stated that none of the air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A Police report was filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 10,024.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692982October 12, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has experienced repeated, dangerously abrupt power loss while driving at highway speeds, causing the vehicle to go into "limp mode" without any warning or prior indication. This safety hazard occurred on three separate occasions: First Incident: 7/29/25; Mileage: 9,205. Situation: While traveling at 70 MPH on the interstate, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to 35 MPH and entered "limp mode" without any warning lights or notifications. Dealer Repair: Replaced ignition coil assembly (Parts: 27301R1H, 27301-2M417). Second Incident: 8/27/25; Mileage: 12,898 Situation: While accelerating to 65 MPH on the interstate, the same loss of power and abrupt forced deceleration occurred, again with no warning. This sudden loss of speed created a serious safety hazard for me and other drivers. Dealer Repair: Replaced fuel pump & O Ring Assy-High Pressure (Parts: 35326-2M500, 35305-2m414 LH). Third Incident: 9/25/25; Mileage: 14,830. Situation: Traveling at 70 MPH on the interstate, the car abruptly decelerated, again entering limp mode. This caused surrounding vehicles to swerve to avoid rear-ending me, putting myself and others at risk. Dealer Repair: Replaced High Pressure Sensor (3534202M400), Packing Fuel Pump (31115-0W000), and Fuel Pump and Tube Assy (31119-L1400). In all three cases, there was never any warning light, check engine notification, or app alert before the incident. Hyundai and my dealership confirmed and replicated the issue during each repair. I have reported the vehicle to the Texas DMV, Hyundai and the dealer.These recurring “limp mode” incidents have repeatedly jeopardized my safety, my family’s safety, and the safety of the public due to the sudden, unanticipated loss of power at high speeds. Since the underlying issue persists and has required three separate major repairs, I am fearful for my safety while operating this vehicle and believe it constitutes a serious safety defect needing federal investigation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692565October 10, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Went By Lee Hyundai of Fayetteville my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe [XXX] my vehicle gave a warning check transmission oil immediately vehicle was sluggish. I was told to bring it back Monday October 6th they kept it for a week pick it up today October 10th, 2025 they worked on it I had to bring it right back. Went to Sam's club up the street got ready to leave message pops up check your transmission oil immediately call dealer had me to bring it back light stayed on driving there RPM wouldn't get over 2.5 I thought I was going to get run into stopping and going back made there dealership working on it again just purchased it [XXX] little over 3,6004miles I was scared to death 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
#11692363October 9, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Wearing any kind of polarized sunglasses prevents you from seeing the Heads-Up display and will abruptly disable the adaptive cruise control. The Santa Fe forum has hundreds of complaints about this, yet Hyundai has not done anything to correct the problem. I have asked three different dealers about this problem, and they just repeat the company line (you need to find sunglasses that don't cause a problem). This situation is dangerous and unacceptable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692357October 9, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The alert, "Consider taking a break", produces visual and audible alarms. The audible alarm emits from the dash and has a similar sound to the seat belt not buckled alarm. There is no obvious event that causes the alert. Sometimes occurring minutes after starting the engine, other times randomly during several hours of driving. During normal driving conditions (low traffic, no weather problems) this alert is just annoying. However, during stressful driving with heavy traffic and or weather events, this distraction draws attention away from the task at hand, driving safely. There should be an option to turn this alert off or set the parameters for when it is triggered.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692191October 8, 2025
ENGINE
Yesterday while I was driving I almost was hit by another car in an intersection. My car did not respond fast enough, the engine did not have any stregth. I found today after I took it for service that it needs a replacement of the oil pump. My car is new it only has 4 months of usage and this type of repairs is done in vehicles with a high mileage. This is very uncommon.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691252October 3, 2025
SEAT BELTS, STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the driver's front door was making an abnormal creaking sound. The contact stated that while driving, but at a standstill, a 2008 Toyota Camry rear-ended the vehicle. There was significant damage on the driver's side of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The alert was making the normal dinging sound for the approaching vehicle. The driver sustained a concussion. The passenger sustained injuries to her hip, back, pelvis, and orthopedic system, and medical attention was provided. The contact's daughter was occupying the passenger-side seat, and the seat belt dislodged near her waist from the outside near the door (the seat belt retractor connected to the vehicle's structure). A police report was filed. There was no fire or airbag deployment. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired, as they were having mechanical issues at the time. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The Hyundai inspector was able to inspect the vehicle, but the findings were unknown. The vehicle was taken to a collision center, and the vehicle was deemed a total loss. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11691077October 2, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
The driver assistance warning system continuosly goes into shutdown mode. Eye monitoring system always states that you are not keeping your eyes on the road. I have tried using different glasses or no glasses. Changing the steering wheel settings also seem to have no effect. This is very dangerous as it will start decelerating and stopping in the middle of a freeway in heavy traffic when this warning is activated. This only happens with the lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control are on. Hyundai issued Technical service bulletin 25-GI-001H, but they did not solve the problem
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689156September 23, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Vehicle was in driveway for 3 days. When I got into vehicle to drive I saw the windshield had a large crack on driver’s side approximately 16” long. No vandalism or rock damage caused this problem. Has to be a stress fracture.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688197September 18, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Driver attention warning system constantly gives aggravating notices of "suggest take a break" with chiming sound when driving with or without sunglasses or other glasses. I cannot use cruise control. I have tried several different sunglass types with no success. After first warning, goes off every 4 minutes, either cancelling cruise control when I am using it or just causing annoying aggravation which takes my attention off the road. I cannot turn this feature off. It is so aggravating that it draws my attention from the road ahead and impacts my patience while driving. Due to eye condition, I must use sunglasses while driving in sun. Hyundai did not make this limitation clear when I was buying the vehicle, and they refuse to do anything about it now.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687443September 15, 2025
POWER TRAIN
We have experienced sluggish/poor acceleration response, scary hesitation at take off regardless of how hard you depress the gas pedal and when driving and are at a speed approx.45-55 mph and press the gas pedal as much 75% and there is no acceleration. I have had the vehicle at an authorized Hyundai Dealer repair shop 3 times and have filed a formal complaint with Hyundai. Hyundai states that this problem ridden transmission is operating as designed but not admitting that the design is badly flawed, to the point where Hyundai have discontinued this transmission in the 2026 version of this vehicle. This is not a complaint based on personal preference or likes, yet it is totally based on the fact that this is drivetrain is very unreliable and unsafe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686958September 12, 2025
AIR BAGS, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
My wife was parking our vehicle near the front of our home, simply rolling forward toward the car in front of her to complete parking on the left side of the street when the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated on its own. The vehicle turned hard to the right, struck the bumper of the parked car she was pulling up behind, continued right across the traffic lane where it hit two parked cars on the other side of the street with significant impact, lifting and turning one onto the sidewalk, at which point our vehicle went across the sidewalk and stopped after hitting a fence. The forward collision avoidance that we have experienced engaging previously, never engaged, despite hitting multiple vehicles on the lefft side and then right side of the street. The collision avaoidance alarms that we have experienced sounding previously, also never went off. The airbags never deployed, despite hitting 3 cars at two different sides of the street, as well as an iron fence that never moved. The vehicle went from traveling less than 5 mph while completing the last few feet of parking to a high rate of acceleration within a path of less than 40 feet, as evidenced by the significant damage it left. Had my wife not come to a stop as quickly as she did, she could have been seriously injured. If anyone had been on the sidewalk - there are 3 shcools on this block that children are often present - someone could have been killed. The vehicle is currently at a body shop being evaluated by insurance adjuster and likely a total loss. We reported tot the manufacturer and they intend to repsond to us by 9/16 and inspect the vehicle in its current state.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686422September 10, 2025
STEERING, SUSPENSION
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while stopped and making a left turn from a cross street, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and traffic allowed the contact to make the turn; however, the steering wheel jerked to the right, and the vehicle jumped over a median strip. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the right front passenger’s side tire rolled over the median strip, and then the rear passenger’s side tire next. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle stopped in a parking spot on the side of the street. The contact shifted the vehicle to park(P) and turned off the vehicle. The contact observed that the right front passenger’s side tire was flat. The contact called Roadside Assistance, and the technician informed the contact that there was a cut on the inside side wall of the front passenger’s tire. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the passenger’s side front suspension arms and other parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle was difficult to steer while the steering wheel was vibrating. The contact took the vehicle back to the same dealer, who removed the aftermarket parts and replaced the parts with OEM steering and suspension parts; however, there was still a vibration in the steering wheel. The contact stated that several times, while turning to the left, the vehicle would turn to the right instead. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686049September 9, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: LANE KEEP: AUTOMATIC STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) system activated. Shortly afterward, the message "System Shutting Off" was displayed, and the Automatic Emergency Braking System briefly engaged, jerking the vehicle and dramatically reducing its speed of the vehicle but not to a complete stop. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the vehicle was functioning as designed but informed the contact that his wife's glasses may be interfering with the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) system's eye detection ability to monitor her eyes. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 13,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681474August 18, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The “consider taking a break” warning comes on far too much and has almost made me wreck twice due to being startled.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681094August 16, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Vehicle unable to recognize face when wearing sunglasses and disables all driver assist aids, including turning off the cruise control
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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