Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints (2024)

192 consumer complaints on file.

#11673396July 14, 2025
POWER TRAIN
I was driving and the car started to loose power and then the engine light came on and the car would not go. Everything happened at one time. The wrecker took the car to the dealer and the dealer confirmed the transmission went out. It is very dangerous for a new car to have the transmission fail while driving. This is a new car. The transmission failed and it is available for inspection at the dealer. The car is currently at the dealer and I am waiting to find out how long it will take to get a new power train.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673029July 12, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Windshield washer nozzles spray so low on the windshield that the center and top won’t clean which makes driving unsafe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673031July 12, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
System keeps saying that I am not watching the road, which I am. No eye glasses or sunglasses on. This causes the cruise control to suddenly disengage creating a safety hazard. SUV is up to date on software/firmware.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673090July 12, 2025
STEERING
I was driving on the freeway at 70MPH it was dusk. The traffic was light and I was exiting the freeway. Two lanes exit and then split each direction. There is a car next to me but is not coming into my lane and nobody in front of me. Suddenly a collision alarm starts going off the vehicle brakes and the emergency steering notification lights up on the dash and the vehicle swerves to the left almost hitting the median. After this occurred the transmission started having issues at speeds under 15mph with shifting. It would rev up to about 3500rpms then lunge.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673035July 12, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I tried to open the doors of my locked vehicle with the key fob and there was no response. I tried several times and nothing happened. I called AAA and they opened the door with my valet key and was able to pop the trunk. He checked the battery and it was working fine. He then noticed that the wire connecting the battery to the fuse box has melted at the point of contract with the fuse box and actually melted part of the plastic fuse box. There was nothing he could do, so I had to have the car towed to the dealer. I was lucky that the total meltdown of the electrical system did not occur when I was driving or I would not have been able to see any of the controls on the inside of the auto and not be able to use the gear shift to put the car in park.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669192June 25, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Have a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid with a Drivers Attention Warning problem. The warning turns on frequently when using cruise control. When the warning beeps a few times in quick succession it actually shuts down the system, reduces speed to a crawl, and turns off the engine. This only happens while using cruise control, no issue with DAW when cruise control is off. So can't use cruise control on the highway/interstate. Dealer is no help. This is obviously a safety issue when the engine turns off while driving on an interstate. Thanks
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668224June 20, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Forward attention assist keeps going off. For no reason. Eyes are on the road and head is forward
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665617June 8, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The glass on the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe seems to be incredibly unsafe. 2 weeks after purchasing the vehicle, while driving on [XXX], something kicked up into the windshield and cracked it. The crack was about 12 inches long. Overnight, the crack doubled in length. The replacement glass that was ordered to Safelite was broken upon delivery. While waiting for a new windshield, something else hit the windshield on the interstate and there was another chip. 2 weeks after my windshield was finally replaced, I found that the passenger front window was cracked in the top corner and had no idea why. Within 2 days, the window was cracked all the way from the top to the bottom. This weekend, something hit the windshield on the interstate again, and the windshield is once again cracked/chipped. I have owned 11 cars in 16 years and none of them have ever had windshield damage, despite spending my entire driving life in the same area. Now, a new car that I purchased for the purpose of avoiding maintenance costs has had 3 cracked/broken windows in 12 months, and I've spent $1000 on glass and will now have to spend another $100-$500 more to fix this one. Hyundai warranty does not cover it. Glass coverage is not an option for insurance in North Carolina. I believe that the glass on newer Hyundai vehicles is very cheap, defective, and unsafe. 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
#11664854June 4, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The Adaptive Cruise control cannot be used while wearing certain sunglasses. The car has a Driver Awareness Warning that is supposed to warn the driver if eyes are not on the road. It does not work with certain glasses. While driving at interstate speeds, I engaged the Adaptive Cruise control only to have it shut off and quickly slow down. After fumbling with different glasses while driving, I found a pair that will work with the Adaptive Cruise control. In the display, there is a toggle to turn off the Driver Awareness option, but as soon as you turn on the Adaptive Cruise, the Driver Awareness turns on again. If the Driver Awareness function cannot be turned off it is a safety issue. My favorite driving glasses cannot be used and I think this issue will cause accidents with the quick slowing on the highway. There should be a way to turn off the Driver awareness so I can use the adaptive cruise with my sunglasses.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664524June 3, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
this truck has repeatedly gone in for service over 6 times for multiple issues. The worst issue which they cannot fix is the vehicle going into limp mode while driving . Loosing all acceleration then racing on its own . This is a very dangerous problem when on the highway.hyundai service keeps telling me that the diagnostic is not showing a problem. This can be caused due to many things including transmission electrical or computer problems. I have reported to the office of consumer affairs and they claim hyundai dealership in myrtle beach has not responded to them. meanwhile i am driving in a very scary situation not knowing when this will occur. This happens at random times with no warning. This has happened at least 10 times in the last few months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659658May 8, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
On a bright sunny day, the Hyundai Forward Attention Warning (FAW) SHUT OFF my adaptive cruise control while doing 70 mph, indicating that I was not focused on the road. I was looking straight ahead at the road the whole time. I later determined that the system was reacting to glare on my glasses (not sunglasses, no tint whatsoever, just glass). This led to a very dangerous condition because I was fighting with the car to determine what had happened (at 70 miles per hour), not focused on the road as I just had been prior. The system is checked as OFF in setup (as described in the manual) but clearly that was not the case. The driver CAN NOT shut the system like the manual says. I actually love the car, EXCEPT for that "feature". This subsystem should never have been permitted into a production vehicle and, had I known, I would never have purchased. It's that big of a problem. The system appears to be very dependent upon ambient light because I never have this issue when it's cloudy, raining, or at dawn or dusk. I have complained at 2 Hyundai dealerships here in the Chicago area, to a total of 4 Hyundai personnel, even sent a video my daughter recorded of me driving and exhibiting the issue. In 3 of the 4 cases, they replied the "system was performing as designed". That appears to be their mantra. The one service person replied that they had never heard that before. I guess they don't ever check Reddit or write down my many complaints. I think it's clear Hyundai, as a service organization does not intend to do anything about this and, perhaps worse, the company at large has no intention of doing anything as this same subsystem is part of an extensive line of their 2025 models as well.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11657034April 27, 2025
ENGINE
Vehicle has about 4k miles. Received “transmission system error, check transmission oil immediately”. The vehicle barely drives. Has a hard time changing gears. Hyundai says there are no recalls and are not being helpful in getting help. They say everything is fine but it is clearly not working. Brand new vehicle and cannot get it fixed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655647April 19, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I’m writing to report a recurring issue with the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) system in my 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The system frequently triggers warnings even when I am fully attentive and driving safely. These alerts are not only distracting, but they also reduce my confidence in the vehicle’s safety systems overall. I have reviewed the settings and attempted to adjust or disable the FAW feature, but it either cannot be turned off entirely or continues to act erratically despite adjustments. I’ve also verified that the cabin camera is clean and unobstructed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11655514April 18, 2025
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while stopped and making a left turn with the A/C unit activated, the rear windshield exploded inadvertently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,572.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654399April 14, 2025
POWER TRAIN, SEATS
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at the dealer, the transmission became inoperable. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that there was a hole in the front driver's seat. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the dealer declined to service the vehicle or honor the service plan. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 2,600.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651148March 27, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:DRIVER MONITORING:CAMERA/SENSOR
The Forward Attention Warning device located on the steering column (camera) cannot be disengaged. This device does not allow me to wear dark or polarized sunglasses, which I need since I have eye issues. This is a safety issue for me and others, especially since I am [XXX] [XXX] and there are times when the visor doesn't cover the sun. You can 'disengage' it in the Driver Assistance settings but it does not stop the warnings nor does it stop it from disengaging your cruise control. If you look to the side of the vehicle, look up to pull the visor down, or wear polarized or dark sunglasses, it will also shut off your cruise control. I have taken the vehicle in to the Gainesville GA Hyundai and told them about this issue but they have said that there is no fix for this. BTW -- there are a bunch of posts on Reddit about this issue. This problem isn't a failure of the system, it is a design flaw. I noticed it on the day I bought the vehicle. Now, it is an annoyance to the point that I am looking at buying a new vehicle. I have only had the vehicle a year....not happy. 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
#11649820March 21, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Since buying this vehicle I have had problems with shaking while braking… specifically while going at a higher speed downhills. At 3000 miles I took it in and they shaved down my rotors and stated it would need to be replaced if it didn’t fix it. The problem continued, when I would bring it to the dealership they would deny being able to replicate the problem. Upon searching on Reddit I saw that others are having problems with their rotors on their Santa Fe prematurely needing replacement. This has been a problem since I bought the car and I feel like it’s a significant safety problem that Hyundai will not cover under warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11647221March 9, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Upon first start up of the day, dashboard notification states “Transmission system error! Check transmission oil immediately”, vehicle will not accelerate over 10mph with this error. After turning vehicle off, error is gone and vehicle operates as normal. Dealership is aware of this notification but states they could not duplicate it & found no issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11646960March 7, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The forward attention camera won’t turn off even when selected off in settings… I’m unable to drive comfortably with one hand at 12 o clock without constant beeps and warnings. its MADDENING.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11642945February 15, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Transmission. Less than 6 months of buying the vehicle, Hyundai replaced the transmission and now I’m still having problems..it revved up to 2.3 rpms but didn’t change gears then jerks into gear..not everyday but atleast once a week. I’m waiting now on the dealership to look at my car now..but they’re dragging their feet.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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