Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints (2025)

242 consumer complaints on file.

#11707043December 25, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was stopped at a red light. When the light turned green, I proceeded to apply the gas and accelerate. I quickly noticed that the vehicle began accelerating at a faster rate than I was intending. The vehicle continued to accelerate without me applying my foot to the gas pedal. Nothing would stop the continued acceleration (application of brake). I crashed into the rear of a vehicle in my lane going approximately 50-60mph (estimate). I am unsure what the issue was that resulted in this crash. In doing some internet searching, it seems it could have something to do with the transition from electric to gas when I was stopped temporarily at the intersection. It could have been a faulty sensor (throttle position) or software glitch. These components have not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The crash resulted in the airbags being deployed, I was taken to the hospital with a likely concussion and moderate injuries to my chest and hand. The vehicle that I rear ended was a [XXX] woman with a [XXX] old in the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11706670December 22, 2025
TIRES
As I was driving I heard a pop the front driver side tire popped from side wall And the back driver side tire has a big bubble in it and I did not hit any pot holes 2 tires on the same side failed on me and my car only has around 1500 miles one pop and one has a big bubble on a new car
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705987December 18, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have had my 2025 Santa Fe since May 28, 2025. Shortly after, I was driving to the supermarket and once I found a spot, I put the car into Park. Unfortunately, I did not start recording the episodes and taking pictures until July 29, 2025. I had had my car into Hyundai of 110 two weeks prior. One of the in-take people saw the episode happen once I put the car into P. I asked him if this was normal and he told me no. He then got several of the managers and they immediately came over because this was occurring: My dashboard was literally screaming at me, the MPH and RPM were flashing and the battery warning light along with the warning light that shows the car with the hood open were flashing. The following message was displayed: Auto Stop is OFF. Shift to P or N and start engine manually. I asked this person several times if it was ok to shut off. Every time, he said yes. I asked if he wanted to take a pic or record it and he told me not to worry. He'd remember. So I shut the car off. Well, he never once spoke up while they were trying to find out what the silly female was speaking about. Since then, this has happened MULTIPLE times. I recently dropped my car off at Hyundai of 110 and they concluded that because they were unable to "replicate the problem", there was nothing wrong. I had sent them every single video or picture. Despite concluding that there was nothing wrong with my car, they will not put that in writing. Nor will they put in writing that they will accept fault for when my car stops working in the middle of nowhere and God forbid, something happens with myself and/or my passengers. My car is currently sitting at Hyundai of 110. They refuse to allow a manufacturer's technician to look at my car. All of my videos exceed 10 MB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705955December 18, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
There have been several times that I have been driving and either turning onto a 4-lane road (2 lanes going each way) or driving on the parkway, where my car has slammed on the brakes by itself. Not only was I not prepared for this to happen, but neither were the cars behind me. I tend to drive with at least 1.5 car-length space between myself and the car in front of me. Last week, I was making a right hand turn (going north) into the right lane from a residential street. The only other car near me was the one driving in the left lane (also going north). My car drove about 100 ft and maybe realized that there was a car next to me and just slammed on the brakes. I was suddenly thrown forward. My seat belt locked and I was thrown back into my seat. I had a bruise from my seat belt and came too close to slamming my head on my steering wheel. Thankfully, the car behind wasn't tailgating. About a month ago, I was driving on the parkway going east. I was originally in the right lane. I put on my blinker and when it was clear, I changed lanes to the middle lane. After I was clear and my blinker was off, my car started screaming to tell me that there was a car in my driver's blind spot (this happens EVERY time I switch lanes). I drove for maybe 1.5 - 2 miles and then suddenly, my car slammed on the brakes. Someone must be watching over me because the Escalade behind me (definitely tailgating) was somehow able to swerve into the left lane and then swerve around me to cut me off in revenge. They were screaming and honking at me, while I was screaming and yelling at my car. They could have easily have plowed into me (we were driving at least 60mph) and could have caused a horrible accident that could have killed myself or others around me. I have notified Hyundai of this issue and have read many similar complaints online. Hyundai claims they cannot "replicate the situation" and therefore, Hyundai Corp is unable to fix the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705447December 16, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Windshield has crack starting in lower left corner cracking upward to the right. 2nd cracked sine May 2025. Reported 1 crack previously
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705170December 15, 2025
TIRES:SIDEWALL
Pirelli Scorpion MS 255/45 R20 105V M+S A large bulge was found on the inside sidewall of the tire immediately adjacent to the tread. We had it inspected due to a slight shimmy in the nearly new (<3000 miles) vehicle, which had been present since delivery when traveling at highway speeds. We were told that the car was unsafe to drive but neither the dealership where we bought the vehicle and the dealership where we were having it serviced were willing to provide any relief (loaner, warrantee or discounted tire(s), etc.) Pirelli indicated that they may cover it under warrantee but that the tire would need to be shipped to them for inspection to determine if the condition was due to a defect. We drove it slowly home and after a few days of not driving it while trying to get some assistance, we purchased 4 new tires. We were able to find approximately a dozen other similar reports for 2025 Santa Fes with the same tires that had experienced the same issue; one such report indicated that 3 out of the 4 original tires all developed a bulge on the sidewall. When I first attempted to purchase new tires at Costco, the manager "refused" to sell me tires because he insisted that it was a defect and that the dealership should replace it but they did sell them to me after the dealership again refused to do so. We did not retain the tire and the only people to inspect it were the technician at the dealership where we had it serviced and the manager of the Costco tire center. There were no warning lights, but there was a slight shimmy at highway speed (~70 mph) from the time we took delivery until we replaced the tires. The defect was on the inside sidewall and was not readily visible when the tire was installed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703909December 9, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On more than 10 occasions the SUV gets stuck in neutral upon starting the car. You can only switch between Park and neutral and are unable to drive the car. It will not go into drive or reverse. Sometimes this problem lasts for 10 minutes. The car will not shut off during that time even when you press the stop button the screen just resets. The only solution is to wait or to press the hard reset button on the computer screen. It is a dangerous situation because if you need to go somewhere, you physically cannot drive the car. I took it to the car dealership when the car was almost brand new and they had it for eight days and they did a software update but I don’t think they found the problem. this problem is now having more and more frequently.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703527December 7, 2025
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Description of the Problem: I own a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Limited with approximately 3 months of use. While driving on highway, the vehicle suddenly stalled displaying “Hybrid System Failure-Stop by side”. I had to stop on shoulder and restart, drove it couple of days and it happened again. Engine would not start, leaving the vehicle stuck in EV mode only with no ability to accelerate properly, Vehicle wouldnt go beyond 35mph. The vehicle then stalled and became unsafe to operate on a public road. After restarting, the vehicle displayed a Check Engine Light. Tookk it to the dealer and the dealer reported DTC P1122000, but did not provide clear evidence of an internal system fault. The dealer claimed the event was caused by “20% ethanol in the fuel,” which is inconsistent with U.S. pump labeling laws. When I checked my credit card entries around the time for refuel, all of them are reputed gas stations with nothing lower than "87" gas which is in alignment with car manufacturer's recommendation. This sudden stall created a serious safety hazard, and I am concerned this may be a broader issue with the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid drivetrain, fuel system sensors, or hybrid control module. I am requesting NHTSA to look into whether similar complaints exist, as this failure mode can result in loss of propulsion at speed, putting occupants at risk.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703429December 6, 2025
SUSPENSION, WHEELS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Intermittent and variable vibration/shaking at all speeds ranging from mild to severe. Worse when cold. TSB 25-SS-002H-1. Despite multiple balancing attempts (hunter road force balancer) and complete set of tire swap there was no resolution. TSB indicates this is a known abnormality/issue and present across all models. Vehicle inspected by 2 different hyundai dealerships and independent dealership without resolution. Began at 7500 miles and has persisted.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702663December 3, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The adaptive cruise control does not allow the use of sunglasses to be worn while the cruise control is engaged. The cruise control will immediately shut off when sunglasses, and some prescription glasses are worn. This is a safety issue as you are not allowed to wear sunglasses on a sunny day or when the sun is low in the sky and it is below the car's sun visor. The same camera that is looking at the drivers eyes also controls other safety features and disables them when the driver is wearing their sunglasses, and some prescription glasses as well
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702105November 30, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was trying to merge with 70 mph traffic and could not accelerate last 35 mph. Apparently a speed limiting feature came on that has never came on before decided to engage. My daughter and I were terrified and pulled over and googled what the heck had happened. We went into the settings and this feature was not selected at all so I have no idea why it decided to engage itself.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702075November 30, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid with 1724 miles was unresponsive in the garage. Not able to get in the car because the 12v battery was completely drained. Hyundai dispatched a tow truck to take it to the local Hyundai dealership. A service provider did call me to let me know the car was there. He also told me that apparently this problem I had was a known issue with the 2025 Santa Fe Hybrids. I had no advance warning of any imminent problems with the battery.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701815November 27, 2025
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Consistently after 10-20 minutes of driving with steering assist or immediately upon driving on cold days (under 50F), the steering wheel generates loud squeaking noises with the steering wheel stiffening and becoming harder to turn, creating a potential safety issue. The change is gradual but required a full stop of the car, shutdown, and restart to remedy. This issue has persisted for months and other Hyundai owners have shared the issue on various forums with Hyundai’s solution to replace the full steering column in some instances. Many owners seem to not be able to get help as dealers are not able to easily replicate this issue without lengthy drives.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701696November 26, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
Battery/Electrical: 3 separate occasions the battery drained completely overnight, requiring mechanical key to open and jumpstart services from AAA (covered under Hyundai services). Risk of leaving me stranded on isolated areas. Problem confirmed via 3 requests for AAA to jumpstart my vehicle. Hyundai service dept inspected vehicle, confirmed low battery levels, unable to reproduce issues overnight, reported no electrical or mechanical issues that would cause battery drain. No warning messages, lamps, or symptoms prior to each failure. Steering wheel column has friction squeak when using driver assist and adjusting direction. No issues at this time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700098November 18, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On August 8, I was traveling to work on the interstate. The car started losing speed even though my foot was on the accelerator. I was unable to get the car above 30 mph despite having my foot on the accelerator. I exited the interstate to try and find a safe place to pull over. I parked the car, turned it off, restarted it and attempted to drive it. The problem continued. There were no icons or alerts showing up on the dashboard of the car to alert me that there was an issue. The vehicle has been at the dealership for repair for over 100 days. They will not communicate with me about the issue or provide updates.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11699299November 13, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
1. [XXX] – I went to get into the Satna FE, the lights blinked and mirrors moved into the unlock position, but doors would not open. I had to use my husbands car since he was out of town to get to work. I came home at lunch after calling my husband and my salesperson , Paula and used the valet key and was able to unlock and get into the vehicle. I then started the Santa FE and this is when the safety warning message appeared. I felt unsafe and Paula had the Hyundai of Statesboro tow the vehicle from my home, retained it for approximately three days, and reported the issue resolved after clearing diagnostic messages and conducting a 50-mile road test. Vaden of Statesboro contacted me on October 17th stating it was ready for pickup and all the codes were cleared. I picked it up on October 18th. 2. [XXX] – The same issued with the doors not opening and had to use the valet key again, the safety warning reappeared around midday while driving, accompanied by a hard shift / drivetrain shock. The vehicle was returned to Hyundai of Statesboro at approximately 5 p.m. The dealer acknowledged the repeated issue and provided a rental vehicle for me ([XXX]), while repairs continue. 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
#11698442November 9, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
We purchased a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Caligraphy Vin [XXX] in July 2025. During a road trip the following week when we got on the interstate and my wife turned on Cruise Control she began getting notifications on the front panel telling her to keep her eyes on the road and drive safely. These notifications were showing up during the entire trip (300 miles) every 2-5 minutes. We contacted the dealer and have had it in the shop five times now for them to trouble shoot and try to determine the issue. We also opened a case with Hyundai Corporate which they closed indicating they could not find a problem. I have spent multiple hours riding with my wife, reviewing the owners manual, and researching online in a attempt to resolve this issue. During driving test we have experienced a situation where the Message “Take Control of the car the system is shutting down. Shortly afterwards the Cruise Control shuts down and the driver briefly looses control of steering and acceleration. This is a very dangerous situation at 70 MPH. During my trouble shooting I feel I have narrowed down to issue to the Driver Assist System and the Forward Attention Warning system on our Hyundai. Online research (Reddit) indicates numerous other users are experiencing the same issue across multiple Hyundai models. It’s my opinion that this is a Safety issue since the driver can momentarily loose vehicle control. 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
#11697930November 6, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL, EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa FE. The contact stated that while parked and seated in the vehicle, the instrument panel was blinking on and off several times before going dark. The contact stated that the infotainment system also displayed a blank screen. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a recall repair, and the contact was informed that there was no failure with the instrument panel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 6,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697767November 5, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
SantaFe Hybrid Calligraphy 2025 with about 9000 miles purchased new from Hyundai dealer. Several times and unpredictably, the vehicle loses power while driving mostly on highway 60-70 mph. operator can push the gas pedal to the floor and the car does not accelerate more than about 25 mph. My wife was on an off ramp with no shoulder to pull off. Very dangerous situation. A message on the dash states to "park and let battery charge". The battery is suppose to charge itself while the gasoline engine is operating.A search engine query reveals many folks are experiencing this same situation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11696244October 29, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I’ve had several instances where putting the vehicle into park the system doesn’t register the shifter button being pressed and continues to be in the current gear. IThis seems to be a safety issue since it has happened multiple times ever since I bought the vehicle. I made sure to fully press the Park button but it continues to stay in the drive or reverse gear The first time it happened I did not notice the vehicle did not register the gear change and the car started to roll forward towards a building.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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