Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints

8,019 consumer complaints on file.

#11713548January 27, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while there was snow on the roof of the vehicle, the windshield wipers failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer because there was space between the hood and the windshield where the snow was collected, causing the windshield wipers to fail to operate as intended. The dealer tightened the wiper blades; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 35,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713526January 27, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Front wipers of the vehicle stopped working with snow buildup. This was solved once by tightening a bolt but happened again while driving
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713279January 25, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Vehicle has now had several incidences of completing losing all acceleration power while driving at both high and low speeds, resulting in need to turn on hazards and abruptly pull to side of road. Pushing on gas pedal does nothing and vehicle will even roll backwards if I pull over on a hill and take my foot off the brake. I have to put vehicle in park and turn off. Sometimes I have to restart the vehicle a few times before it will drive forward after putting it back into drive. The vehicle does not lose electrical power and will sometimes display the master warning light on dashboard and other times have no dashboard indicator of a problem. This is an extremely dangerous situation and my VIN is not listed under safety recall 22V-746 despite exhibiting the same behavior. I have contacted my local Hyundai dealership service in past and they recommended a transmission flush which did nothing to alleviate the issue. It is now happening frequently so we are reaching out to the local Hyundai dealer service center again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713260January 25, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, WHEELS
Horn stopped working at 47,474 miles Check Tire Pressure System light is on, poor sensor at 45,650
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713196January 25, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Horns stopped working entirely. Car was crossing into my lane and I attempted to honk horn and no sound. No warning lights or messages on dash. Is available for inspection. No inspections conducted currently.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712911January 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 142,000. It was later discovered, during a VIN check, that the mileage was 223,000. The mileage was last recorded in June 2025. The local Police Department was notified of the fraud. However, due to insufficient information about the seller, no report was filed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713022January 23, 2026
AIR BAGS
The air bags sensor is on which means none of the air bags will deploy if I am in an accident. The dealership stated it is not covered by the warranty. The sensors were not tampered with but the sensor is not working
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712809January 22, 2026
ENGINE
Vehicle: 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe On June 9, 2024, when my wife started the vehicle, the engine was immediately knocking. Due to concern for safety and the risk of catastrophic engine failure, the vehicle was not driven and was towed to our home to prevent further damage. Hyundai was contacted shortly after discovery of the issue. During a phone call, we were told there were no active recalls applicable to our vehicle and no replacement engines available. Due to the lack of immediate support and the vehicle being undrivable, we were forced to send the vehicle to a third-party mechanic on June 14, 2024, to complete a necessary engine repair. On August 21, 2024, we received warranty documentation from Hyundai related to this issue. Despite providing all requested documentation and Hyundai contacting the third-party mechanic directly, the warranty claim process was repeatedly delayed. We were told multiple times that the case was in its final stage, only to later be assigned a new case manager with no knowledge of the case, requiring the process to restart. The vehicle was not returned to us until April 7, 2025, resulting in an extended loss of our primary vehicle for our family. We paid approximately $10,000 out of pocket for the engine repair while the warranty claim remained unresolved. We have since been informed that Hyundai may require the engine to be repaired or replaced again by a dealer with no reimbursement, potentially rendering the previous repair and financial loss unnecessary. This raises serious concerns regarding Hyundai’s handling of a known engine issue and their warranty process. Hyundai Case Number: XXX 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
#11712612January 22, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My Hyundai Santa Fe 2019 Limited is burning oil. It started after the Turbo broke in October 2024. The turbo began leaking oil and then died. I took it to the dealership as it is still under warranty and they replaced the turbo. As a result, I have had issues ever since and now my car burns oil at a fast rate. In between oil changes I need to put oil in the engine to avoid it being drained. I am able to go about 3k miles on Synthetic oil and by 2.5-3k it is almost empty. It has been doing this now since 2024. I just had my 90k mile check up complete and with that I got an oil change. This was done in November 2024. Syntehtic oil was used. On January 16, as I was driving my car mileage decreased, the car began to shake and the engine light came on. I was able to safely stop and have the car towed. It was found that after driving just 2k miles the oil had completely burned off. I currently have an appointment at the dealer for them to run diagnostics on why it is burning. I saw there was a class action lawsuit against other Hyundai's doing the same thing and as a result Hyundai has to replace the engine. I also have read numerous forums where everyone is reporting the same thing with this particular model of it burning oil. I wanted to report this in case there were other owners of the same car experiencing the same thing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712801January 22, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Car had an unintended acceleration. I had been stopped prior to entering my garage. I had started to slowly accelerate when the car accelerated hard. It took a lot of effort to stop the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712411January 21, 2026
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that after the completion of an unknown air bag recall repair, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the dealer determined that the front passenger's side lower seat assembly needed to be replaced due to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) failure, Part Number: B149000; however, the part was not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent automated emails advising of the estimated time of availability of the part; however, the part had not been available, and there was no further communication from the manufacturer. The dealer advised the contact to remove the vehicle from the property because of the manufacturer. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 115,305.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712497January 21, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Complaint: Safety Defect - Engine Failure Risk (Stalling/Fire) My 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe has the defective Theta II 2.0L Turbo engine (G4KH), subject of class action In re: Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation and multiple TSBs. The engine has a known manufacturing defect causing premature connecting rod bearing failure, leading to catastrophic engine seizure. SAFETY CONSEQUENCE: This defect presents a clear, unreasonable safety risk: Sudden Stalling: Engine can seize without warning while driving, causing loss of propulsion and power steering/brakes, leading to a crash. Engine Fire: Failed engines can leak oil onto hot components, causing fires. MANUFACTURER'S INADEQUATE REMEDY: Hyundai's "Knock Sensor Detection System" software update (Campaign 966) only attempts to detect failure moments before it happens. It does NOT fix the underlying mechanical defect. The engine remains a ticking time bomb. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: My vehicle has suffered multiple related failures (turbocharger, fuel injectors) costing over $5,700, confirming the powertrain's deterioration. I fear driving it, especially with my teenage daughter. The defect is well-known, yet Hyundai's settlements fail to protect subsequent owners like myself, leaving unsafe vehicles on the road. REQUEST: I urge NHTSA to investigate the ongoing safety risk these engines pose to all owners, compel Hyundai to issue a true safety recall for a permanent repair (e.g., engine long-block replacement), and mandate clear disclosure of this defect to all used car buyers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712535January 21, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Code P1C2D03 is popping up on my 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe after the dealership "fixed" the recall in 2023. My car is going into limp mode, failing while driving, and unsafe. Dealership and corporate won't help me. The transmission was never replaced with the recall and they are claiming they aren't relatable and can't do anything unless a recall is reopened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712491January 21, 2026
ENGINE
Immediately following routine maintenance performed at an authorized Hyundai dealership, my 2025 Hyundai Hybrid Santa Fe Calligraphy experienced a complete loss of engine oil, which resulted in the engine shutting down while driving on a highway. While traveling at highway speed with my minor daughter, the oil pressure and engine warning lights illuminated, followed by multiple error messages. The vehicle rapidly lost power, and I struggled to safely maneuver it onto the shoulder while high-speed traffic was passing. This created an immediate and life-threatening safety situation, with a real risk of being struck by other vehicles. We were stranded on the roadside for over three hours awaiting a tow, exposed to ongoing traffic danger. The dealership later advised that the incident was caused by a faulty Hyundai-supplied part, not driver error, misuse, or lack of maintenance. The vehicle had only approximately 4,000 miles at the time of failure. A sudden engine shutdown due to oil loss at highway speeds presents a severe risk of collision, injury, or death, especially when it occurs without warning. Given that a Hyundai component is implicated, I am concerned this may represent a broader safety defect affecting other vehicles. This incident caused extreme distress and endangered both myself and my child. I am submitting this complaint so that NHTSA may evaluate whether this issue warrants regulatory review or further investigation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712089January 20, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have had my car for less than a year. I do drive it a lot. I have about 23,000 miles on it. I have three rock chip repairs that have already been done. In addition, I have tiny dots all over my windshield where rocks have just imprinted on it. That is very abnormal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711853January 19, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle has gone into limp mode multiple times with no check engine indication displayed, causing significant safety issues in that the sudden loss of power occurred while traveling on the interstate highway. Each time, by loosing power and trying to get to the side of the road to safety was terrifying and very unsafe to us and the cars/trucks around us. The issue began on 11/5/24 and continues up through 11/12/26. Videos of vehicle performance are available upon request since they are unable to be uploaded via this form. The vehicle has been towed to three different Hyundai service departments. No diagnostic codes show up, nor have they been able to duplicate the issue. We have provided videos of the display screen and the performance of the vehicle while in limp mode. We have been told by Hyundai Service that unless a code shows up in the diagnostics, there is nothing they can do for us. At this point, since most of our driving is on the interstate, we are afraid to drive the vehicle for fear of a serious accident occurring when it loses power.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711761January 18, 2026
ENGINE
Excessive oil burn off. Oil is getting into the cylinder, causing scorching. This causing engine failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711757January 18, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
It was snowing lightly/moderately, and prior to driving, the windshield was cleared with snow and the wipers set to Low. Once driving began, the wipers stopped working on multiple occasions for a brief period each time, before resuming on their own. During the period that the wipers stopped, the snow accumulation on the windshield caused poor visibility and potential danger to our car as well as others on the road. There were no prior indications on the dashboard or otherwise that anything was wrong with the wipers prior to, during or after the incident, which causes significant concern of a potential repeat of the issue. We returned home with the children immediately and plan to call the dealer first thing in the morning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711643January 17, 2026
ENGINE, STEERING
internal mechanical failure of the piston rings and cylinder walls. Misfire on Cylinder #2. Further testing revealed that Cylinder #2 is at 80 PSI, which is significantly below the manufacturer's specification. A subsequent leak-down test showed a 90% loss of pressure with air escaping through the oil filler hole. The issue stated above can cause severe mechanical failure of piston rings and cylinder walls can absolutely lead to connecting rod bearing problems by creating excessive debris, poor lubrication, abnormal piston motion, and increased stress, causing premature wear, overheating, and eventual bearing failure, often resulting in catastrophic engine knocking and damage. Diagnostics completed by Hyundai dealer and stated an engine replacement. Vehicle became difficult to steer and then warning lamp came on. Vehicle was difficult to turn left and right and almost caused a collision.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711436January 16, 2026
STEERING, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle will suddenly shutdown in the middle of the road. This could easily have caused a crash at any time. Several batteries have been replaced due to alternator not charging the battery. Then the battery has to be jumped for emergencies. I have taken the car in for repairs of the recall twice. I was told that the front end would come off and parts would have to be replaced because of the age of my vehicle they would not fit again. I need a solution to this problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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