Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints (2025)

242 consumer complaints on file.

#11749106July 8, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
WHAT FAILED: A panoramic moonroof shattered before delivery and was replaced by the dealer before sale. Despite the replacement, loose tempered-glass fragments remained inside the occupant cabin, including the front passenger compartment and the second-row floor where my two minor children ride. One glass fragment also tore the passenger-seat leather. SAFETY RISK: Loose tempered-glass fragments left in occupant areas create a foreseeable laceration hazard during normal vehicle use, particularly for small children riding in the second row. The presence of enough glass to tear the passenger-seat leather demonstrates that hazardous fragments remained in the vehicle after the moonroof replacement. CONFIRMED BY SERVICE CENTER: Yes. The selling dealer Hyundai of Kirkland was aware that the moonroof had shattered and was being replaced before delivery. The salesperson disclosed the moonroof damage and showed us the vehicle in the service area while repairs were being performed before sale. INSPECTED / REPAIRS: Loose glass fragments were discovered the day after delivery, prompting an immediate call to the dealer and a return visit for cleaning and inspection. Glass fragments continued to be found afterward, requiring additional follow-up visits, including a second unsuccessful repair request approximately one month later. The dealership was aware that loose glass had damaged the seat; on 09/08/2025, the salesperson directed me to repair the tear myself with clear nail polish rather than initiating a warranty repair. See file attached with evidence. No repair orders or service documentation were provided for these interior repairs. The dealer ultimately performed cleaning, third-party leather restoration, and replacement of the passenger-seat cover on 11/04/2025. Because loose glass continued to be discovered after the second repair attempt, I purchased a Prosidium protection plan for future glass-related damage. WARNING SYMPTOMS: None. This was a pre-delivery issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747163June 29, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On [XXX] after spending the day at Henson Creek Golf Course in Fort Washington, MD, I returned to my vehicle and discovered that it had completely lost all electrical power and would not start. The vehicle exhibited no warning signs prior to the failure. Believing the issue to be related to the battery, I contacted AAA for roadside assistance. AAA attempted to jump-start the vehicle, but the jump-start was unsuccessful. The vehicle was subsequently towed on May 18, 2026, to Pohanka Hyundai in Capitol Heights, MD for diagnosis and repair. After approximately nine days, the dealership advised that the battery terminals had been secured and that no additional problem could be identified. On [XXX], the exact same issue occurred again; however, this incident was significantly more dangerous because it occurred while the vehicle was being driven. While traveling during morning rush hour through a busy intersection in Northeast Washington, DC, the vehicle suddenly and completely lost power without warning while in traffic. The vehicle stalled in the middle of the intersection, creating an extremely hazardous situation. Fortunately, motorists traveling behind me were able to stop in time, and no collision occurred. However, this incident could easily have resulted in a serious crash involving injuries or fatalities. The vehicle was towed to Ourisman Hyundai in Bowie, MD, where it is currently undergoing additional diagnosis. I am extremely concerned that this vehicle has experienced two complete electrical failures within approximately one month, including one incident that occurred while driving in heavy traffic. Because the dealership was unable to identify the root cause after the first incident, I am concerned that a serious defect may exist involving the vehicle's electrical system, battery system, wiring, power distribution system, or another component affecting vehicle operation and safety. 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
#11746649June 26, 2026
SEAT BELTS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V218000 (Seat Belts) and 25V659000 (Electrical System); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the recall repairs were denied due to a lack of maintenance records with an authorized Hyundai Dealer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11746406June 25, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On June 24, 2026, my spouse was operating our 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe when the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic, and total electrical failure while actively on the roadway. The vehicle was stopped at a traffic light when all propulsion power was instantly lost, the engine shut down, and all electronic systems—including the center infotainment screens and instrument cluster—went completely dark. Safety Hazard & Entrapment Incident: Simultaneous with the total electrical failure, the vehicle's electronic door lock system malfunctioned. The rear passenger doors and rear liftgate locked completely and could not be disengaged or opened from the inside by the passengers. Due to this total power loss and lock failure, my young daughters were trapped in the rear seats. My spouse was forced to climb over the center console from the front seat into the rear cabin to manually extract our children through the front doors. The family had to abandon the disabled vehicle in live traffic and walk down the roadway to reach a safe location. This constitutes a severe safety hazard involving both sudden loss of motive power on a public road and occupant entrapment due to safety lock/latch failure during an electrical short. The vehicle has been towed to Pohanka Hyundai of Capitol Heights for inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11745451June 21, 2026
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The car went from 70 miles an hour to 25 miles an hour all of a sudden on the highway and then would not allow to accelerate afterwards. Battery stopped charging and we had to stop it multiple times to get it to continue to drive no faults or issue on the dashboard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11745481June 21, 2026
SEAT BELTS
The middle row left side seat belt does not buckle. We made sure everything is clear in it, it is not dirty. We have had issues with it clicking to lock since we purchased the car last March 2025. It does not work at all now.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11745352June 20, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There is a severe and dangerous lag in acceleration when trying to merge into traffic. Praying the accelerator all the way down often result in the car not responding for a second or two before kicking into gear. This is significant when trying to merge onto a highway or onto a cross street with incoming traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11745009June 18, 2026
SEAT BELTS
The dealer is unable to remedy the defect within a reasonable time. It’s been two months with no fix and my family’s safety is in jeopardy.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11744397June 16, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT, EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the Apple CarPlay system unexpectedly interrupted the operation of the vehicle and initiated a live software update. The navigation system, infotainment system, and other vehicle functions became inoperable. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated and continuously cycled on the instrument panel. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 2,774.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742638June 8, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On 6/6/2026, my husband and I were driving on I70 west bound near the Golden CO exit. Out of nowhere, we heard a very loud pop sound and then heard wind over our head. The front sunroof spontaneously shattered. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? FRONT SUNROOF How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? YES! Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? NO Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO! NOT A SINGLE WARNING, NOTHING!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742527June 7, 2026
TIRES
Component: TIRES Tire Brand: Pirelli Model: Scorpion (255/45R20) Vehicle: 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Complaint Description: I have experienced two separate failures of the right‑rear Pirelli Scorpion 20" tire on my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy within a four‑week period. Both failures occurred during normal driving on paved roads with no significant impact event. The first failure was a loss of air due to a puncture in the sidewall area. I was able to use the on board sealant kit to sufficiently repair the tire and get it to Belle Tire. The tire was replaced as the damage was on the sidewall on May 5, 2026. On June 6, 2026 while driving on HWY 75 in Ohio, the replacement tire on the same right‑rear corner also failed, again losing air rapidly and causing us to pull over to the side of the highway. Both failures occurred at low mileage and under normal driving conditions with no impact. This pattern suggests a potential safety‑related defect involving the OEM Pirelli Scorpion 255/45R20 tires used on the Santa Fe Calligraphy. I have since learned that many other owners of 2024–2025 Hyundai Santa Fe models equipped with these same 20" Pirelli Scorpion tires are reporting sidewall punctures, bulges, and repeated failures, often on the passenger‑side tires. Repeated tire failures on the same wheel position pose a serious safety risk, including the possibility of sudden blowouts at highway speeds. I am reporting this so NHTSA can investigate whether these tires or their application on this vehicle are defective.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742243June 5, 2026
SEAT BELTS, BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V808000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION) and 26V218000 (SEAT BELTS). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions, and the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue, but no assistance was provided. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741876June 3, 2026
ENGINE
The vehicle has gone into a limp mode unexpectedly while driving on the highway at 60+ mph. The first issue was on May 13, 2026. The car immediately stopped driving and went into limp mode and cannot go over 30 mph. It was taken to a service dealer. They could not replicate the problem, therefore the vehicle was given back as undiagnosed. This next incident occurred and almost caused an accident, and that was on June 3, 2026, again driving on the beltway around Maryland. The car went from 70 mph to 30 mph. The vehicle stayed at 25 to 30 mph the entire time. Could not get it to do anything else. Drove cautiously on the side of the road and got to the dealership after driving 30 minutes at 25 mph.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741466June 2, 2026
ENGINE
Sudden loss of power while driving on the interstate (65 MPH) , car would no longer accelerate and slowed down to ~10 MPH. Had to merge onto emergency lane, car struggled to power over 30 MPH. Warning light came up to "Park with engine On to charge battery". Parked car and restarted car and still did not resolve issue. Had to switch the car into "Sport" mode to drive home.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741374June 1, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving on the freeway at approx 65mph, the car suddenly starting de-celerating and forced me to pull over to emergency shoulder/lane and try to determine the cause. The car is a "Hybrid" and the dashboard stated to put car in Park and Idle the Engine over 2000rpm to charge up the Battery. ( i still don't know which Battery they were speaking of...Engine Battery or Hybrid Battery) I sat there Idling the Engine for 15 minutes and slowly proceeded to get off the freeway and limped the car back to my home. I then called my selling Hyundai Dealer, as the car was still in warranty, and told them of my sudden problem and asking them what could it be??? They said they did not know until they saw the car and tested it with their computer equipment...please have it towed into their shop. So i did and 2 days later they called to say..NO Computer Codes showed any problem. They could not duplicate problem. I said ..."look on the internet...many people have reported sudden lack of power and limp mode activation....all pointing to the High Pressure GDI Fuel Pump Assy failure". Dealer said ..Oh..thanks we will look into that. 5 hours later Dealer called and said I was right, we replaced the Fuel Pump and come pick up the car. 4 months later and 6,000 miles later car is performing normally. I felt compelled to come forward to discuss this part failure as this incident on the freeway could have turned into a tragedy. Thank you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740722May 28, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
Engine Hood getting so hot it is bending or causing metal to bend , like someone sat on middle of hood. Popped it out and keeps forming a bend after driving. Not instelly but keeps coming back
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740391May 27, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The engine has 1205 miles on it and seized up. Autofair hyundia of Manchester denied us. We did get a warning light a couple days before. But to late just the dealer inspected it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740281May 27, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
My 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid AWD was serviced under warranty on 4/22/2026 for a driveability concern after experiencing a loss of power while driving. The service history shows part HY35326-2M500 was replaced. On or about 5/25/2026, the same issue occurred again while driving at highway speed. The vehicle suddenly lost motive power and dropped from approximately 70 mph to approximately 30 to 40 mph, creating a serious safety risk because the vehicle could not maintain speed with surrounding highway traffic. No warning lamps, dashboard messages, or diagnostic codes appeared during the failure. The vehicle is currently at a Hyundai dealership for inspection and repair for the repeat issue and should be available for inspection upon request. The prior dealer record appears to describe the issue generally as a “driveability concern,” but the current repair diagnosis and full repair notes are still pending. It is unknown whether the dealer has reproduced or confirmed the failure during the current visit. I am reporting this as a sudden loss of motive power at highway speed involving the fuel/propulsion system, engine, and/or powertrain.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740131May 26, 2026
TIRES
The contact stated that while driving, a slow leak on the inside side wall right rear passenger side. The vehicle was taken when taken to the dealer to replace. Left front driver side, had a bubble in the side wall. The tire was replaced. In another occurrence, was noticed on the The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with front right and back right bubbles on the outside wall of the tire. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 7,000. The
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740209May 26, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
"My 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has experienced repeated parasitic battery drain. Dealer diagnostic reports dated 5/12/26 and 5/14/26 document 'Excessive dark current draw condition identified' with dark current spikes well above the normal threshold of 50mA. Vehicle was at Kelly Hyundai of Stroudsburg PA for approximately two weeks. Dealer replaced fingerprint sensor module as best guess repair but could not confirm it was the definitive cause. Battery replacement was denied as battery did not meet Hyundai's replacement threshold despite documented drain. Service technician verbally acknowledged this is a known issue across 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. DTCs C173300 Undervoltage Detected were found on both front door handle sensor modules. Concerned about long term battery health and potential for repeated drain leaving vehicle inoperable."
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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