Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints

8,019 consumer complaints on file.

#11738896May 19, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I am submitting a complaint regarding a turbocharger failure on my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe VIN [XXX] . The vehicle experienced turbocharger-related failure symptoms including loss of power and drivability concerns. This created a potentially dangerous situation because the vehicle was unable to accelerate normally and could have caused difficulty merging into traffic or maintaining safe roadway speeds. I contacted Hyundai Motor America requesting assistance with repair coverage. Hyundai denied assistance solely because the vehicle was outside the warranty period by time and mileage, despite the seriousness of the failure. I am concerned this issue may be related to broader engine or oil-related defects reported in Hyundai vehicles, including possible oil starvation, excessive oil consumption, or internal engine contamination that could contribute to turbocharger damage or failure. I believe this condition may represent a safety-related defect because sudden power loss during operation increases the risk of a crash. I request that NHTSA review this issue and investigate whether similar turbocharger or related engine failures are occurring in 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. 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
#11738780May 19, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER
I was trying to back up a few times and not being able to see some objects behind while looking at the rear view camera on my Hyundai Santa Fe 2024.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738413May 17, 2026
ENGINE
The engine failed due to complete and sudden oil loss. The vehicle is currently at Fremont Hyundai and available for inspection. Safety risk: the engine failed while driving on the highway with children in the vehicle. A check engine light appeared with no prior warning, the vehicle immediately lost power and stalled, requiring an emergency exit and tow. This is a direct collision risk at highway speed. The failure was confirmed by an independent mechanic who found zero oil in the engine and identified it as a known Hyundai defect. The vehicle was then towed to Fremont Hyundai, which is currently conducting diagnostics. The vehicle has been inspected by an independent mechanic and by Fremont Hyundai [XXX] ). No police or insurance involvement. There were NO warning lights, oil pressure alerts, or symptoms of any kind prior to failure. I purchased the vehicle in 2024 and maintained regular oil changes and checkups with receipts. The last oil change was performed a few months before the failure. No mechanic ever flagged low oil. The only warning was a check engine light that appeared seconds before the engine stalled. I have incurred $900 in towing costs as a direct result of this failure. Fremont Hyundai is now requiring me to pay $280 for a diagnostic, followed by $890 for a two-week oil consumption test. They have also stated that if the engine does not pass the initial diagnostic, they cannot help me at all. Given that the engine ran completely dry of oil, it is highly unlikely to pass. This means I am being asked to pay fees for a process the dealership already expects to fail, leaving me with no path to resolution and a car I cannot drive. The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe is included in a class action lawsuit (Cho et al. v. Hyundai Motor Company) over this exact defect. 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
#11738291May 16, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
This vehicle has experienced: • Multiple roadside breakdowns • Three fuel injector system failures • 2 complete transmission failures and replacements • Loss of propulsion • Fuel and chemical odor safety risks • A cumulative total of over 60 days out of service, currently at dealer since 4-15-26. SUMMARY OF SAFETY-RELATED FAILURES AND REPAIR HISTORY Incident #1 — May 20, 2022 (Mileage In: 4,899 | Mileage Out: 4,909) Vehicle broke down roadside in an unsafe, unlit area, requiring towing. Failure attributed to fuel injector defect. Vehicle remained in repair until May 24, 2022. Incident #2 — July 19, 2022 (Mileage In: 9,316 | Mileage Out: 9,321) Vehicle emitted strong gasoline odor, creating a potential fire and safety hazard. Vehicle was not drivable and required towing. Released July 26, 2022. During a recorded phone call, Hyundai Case Manager provided a verbal assurance that this failure would not recur. Incident #3 — September 9, 2025 (Mileage In/Out: 65,232) Vehicle exhibited engine shuddering, suspected fuel injector failure, and transmission shifting defects. Dealer released vehicle without resolving the defect on September 9, 2025. Incident #4 — January 13, 2026 (Mileage In: 72,089 | Mileage Out: 72,098) Vehicle lost power and broke down, requiring towing. Dealer determined full transmission replacement was required. All four fuel injectors were replaced again, marking the third injector-related failure. Released January 23, 2026. Incident #5 — January 30, 2026 (Mileage In: 72,467 | Mileage Out: 72,487) Vehicle overheated, lost power, and emitted chemical odors, requiring towing. Dealer confirmed cooler hose failure and fluid leakage. Released February 5, 2026. Incident #6: 4-15-26 - Sent back to dealer. Dealer still has car in shop. Advising needing new transmission. Still no confirmation as of 5-16-26 if car is repairable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737216May 12, 2026
POWER TRAIN
When starting the vehicle, a transmission system error occurs because goes away when the car is shut off then restarted. When the error occurs the vehicle does not accelerate properly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736987May 11, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was using an excessive amount of oil. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was no indication of a leak. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact the failure was related to combustion chamber cleaning. The manufacturer was contacted, who informed the diagnostic fees were at her expense and there was no coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 94,700.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737086May 11, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Hyundai recently had a service campaign that was issued to address an emissions related issue in CA. The service campaign was 9C2 and the TSB was 25-01-087H. After this software update was applied to my vehicle the engine is now sluggish on a cold start and the transmission is shifting differently at low speeds and low gears. It appears that the performance of my vehicle has been compromised. There is a Hyundai forum where many Santa Fe owners are experiencing the same issues after the software update. I have notified the service advisor at my local Hyundai dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737143May 11, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
The contact purchased a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 71,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage on the title 43,655 and the DMV informed her after their research was tempered with and they stated the mileage should be 143,655.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737161May 11, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
After conducting Hyundai Service Campaign 9C2 for an emission update, vehicle now lunges and lags when accelerator is depressed. Symptoms tend to be more present soon after vehicle is started and reappear less often after the vehicle engine is at optimal temperature. This problem was not at all present prior to the service campaign update. The vehicle had no warning lights prior to the service update. This problem causes a safety issue when acceleration is not consistently present in a time of lane merging and turning onto higher speed roads. There are no warning lamps on the vehicle currently. Hyundai customer service was contacted about problem and I requested to remove the campaign update as this safety problem was not present prior to the update. Hyundai would not attempt to do this and required me to pay a diagnostic fee of several hundred dollar to troubleshoot the source of the problem. I declined.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737176May 11, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Hyundai - DAW - Driver Attention Warning / Forward Attention Warning System This issue warrants immediate consideration for a recall. Despite wearing glasses, sunglasses, or no glasses, the problem persists. I occasional do remove my glasses while driving, and the warning continues to sound. This occurs regardless of the time of day, weather conditions, or whether I am sitting upright or reclining. The warning randomly activates and deactivates, sometimes without any intervention. Occasionally, I simply allow the warning to sound without taking any action, and it remains active for a few seconds or until it triggers a warning that the system will be turned off, at which point it deactivates. I have attempted various troubleshooting methods, such as keeping my eyes open, adjusting my seating position, wearing and removing my glasses, and tilting them to minimize glare. None of these methods have proven effective in preventing the warning from activating or in making it deactivate. This is a persistent problem. Hyundai dealerships initially informed me that the warning might be an annoyance and their response was to simply refrain from using it. However, if a basic feature like cruise control in a 2026 model is rendered unusable due to a design flaw (which this certainly is), it constitutes a clear violation of safety standards and should be addressed through a recall. The incessant alerts are highly disruptive and can be quite frustrating. For instance, driving with an arm in the 12 o’clock position triggers a warning, while wearing polarized sunglasses also results in an alert. The presence of a setting to disable the warning is a welcome feature but doesn't exist, and the system’s persistent alerts can be overwhelming. The alerts continue even after taking a break. It is distracting and a safety hazard. Drivers should be able to adjust the sensitivity of the feature turn off this feature. Currently, there is no way to disable or temporarily disable this feature.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737167May 11, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
While driving on the interstate, while using cruise control, my vehicle braked and decelerated, uncontrollably. The collision alert alarm went off. I forced the vehicle to accelerate and it stopped the braking and the collision alarm ceased. I took the car to the dealer and they spend the day checking it over. They said they couldn’t get the same reaction I reported, but reset the cruise control. On my way back home on, again on the interstate, and with the cruise control activated, it again had the same failures. I called the dealer and told them. They asked if I had recently mounted any new equipment on the windshield. I said I had Velcro attached and EZPASS toll reader. They asked me to remove it, because might be interfering with the cruise sensor. After I removed it, and while continuing on the interstate, with cruise activated, it again repeated the same failures. The dealer arranged to have my vehicle towed to their shop.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737038May 11, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I bought the 2024 Santa Fe XRT Pro new off the lot Sept. 2024. Brought it in for 3 different recalls but the electronic system panel is new: The panel lit up with every warning sign it can convey: from the engine light to the coffee break, to the emergency warnings. This has happened twice; once a few weeks ago and again a few days ago. My car is back at the dealership for repair to the electronic panel. The first time, the dealership replaced the entire panel as it is still under warranty. It's at the shop again and I don't know what they will do this time. I would trade it in, but the trade-in value sucks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737020May 11, 2026
SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V218000 (Seat Belts) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Th vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. 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
#11737002May 11, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe (VIN [XXX] ) is experiencing severe engine instability, including rough idling, hesitation upon acceleration, and intermittent stalling. These symptoms align with TSB 26-FL-001H regarding defective GDI fuel injectors. The vehicle has stalled in traffic, creating an immediate risk of a rear-end collision. Despite being within the 100,000-mile Powertrain Warranty, the manufacturer is refusing to perform the required diagnostic tests (GDS Fuel Pressure Drop Test) to identify the leaking injectors. This failure to diagnose a known fuel system defect poses a significant safety risk to the driver and other motorists. The primary safety risk is unexpected engine stalling while the vehicle is in motion or stopped at intersections. Additionally, the loss of power during acceleration prevents the vehicle from safely merging into high-speed traffic, significantly increasing the likelihood of a collision. 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
#11736997May 11, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Spontaneous windshield crack
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736908May 10, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Driving home from church this morning, the vehicle experiences a sudden loss of power and the car went into “limp mode”. Even the pedal floored and the engine rpms high, the car would barely go about 25 or 30 mph. A message from the dash board told me to pull over and leave the engine running to charge the EV batteries. The batteries would charge enough for what I thought would get me home but quickly drained leaving repeat the action until I could limp the six miles home with flashers on and cars passing me to get around. No warning lights and no indication there was a problem until it happened leaving me baffled and frustrated. I was just thankful that I wasn’t going faster when it happened. If I had been going faster when this happened, it could have created a major accident. Dangerous! Since this happened on Sunday, the dealer wasn’t open. I hope to get it to the dealer tomorrow to find out what is going on and how to fix it. The car has only 14850 miles on it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736861May 10, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
3 times now, I am driving and the vehicle goes into limp mode, the "D" on the dash is flashing but the vehicle sends no codes. The tech said the vehicle can immediately delete the code and they can't fix it if they can't duplicate it. It also hesitates when accelerating and is dangerous to myself, my 4 children and anyone driving around me when it goes into limp mode. There is no code, therefore they say they can't do anything about it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736814May 9, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES
2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited, 3.3L Lambda II GDI V6, ~102,000 miles. In December 2022, an authorized Hyundai dealer replaced three specific parts under a Hyundai recall/campaign (records requested). On Sunday [DATE] at approximately [TIME] PM, I was driving on [FREEWAY], [STATE], at 55–70 mph at night. With NO prior warning — no warning lights, no chimes, no loss of power buildup, no knocking, no engine protection mode — the engine suddenly and completely died. The failure was instantaneous. There was no limp-home mode and no opportunity to reach the shoulder under engine power. The vehicle lost forward momentum and rolled backward in a live highway travel lane, where it remained stranded until a tow truck recovered it. No injuries. The 12V battery and electrical system remained fully active throughout. The instrument cluster was operational and capable of displaying warnings before the failure. None were displayed. Dashboard warning lights illuminated only seconds AFTER the engine had already died — a post-failure consequence of engine shutdown, not a pre-failure warning. An independent mechanic diagnosed a seized engine due to loss of oil flow. No oil pressure or low-oil light had ever illuminated. The vehicle was then transported to the Hyundai dealer that performed the 2022 service; they promised a diagnostic call and have not provided one or any written diagnostic. This failure mode matches Hyundai TSB 24-EM-003H (15yr/150k extended warranty for 3.3L Lambda II engines in 2013–2019 Santa Fe), NHTSA Recall 21V-727 (acknowledging stall risk at highway speed), and the active class action Burns v. Hyundai Motor Company (C.D. Cal. 2025). Hyundai's KSDS is documented to trigger a blinking MIL, audible chime, and reduced-power Engine Protection Mode upon bearing wear. None of these protective behaviors occurred.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736577May 8, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
OVER THE LAST 4 WEEKS (NOTICED APRIL 15 AROUND 6PM GOING TO CHURCH) THE PASSENGER FRONT DOOR OPENS AUTOMATIOCALLY WITHOUT ANYONE OPENING IT. THE DOOR IS LITTERALLY LOCKED AND SFERT DRIVEING THE DOOR JUST OPENS. FROM 4/15/26 UNITL 5/7/2026 THIS HAS HAPPENDED 5 TIMES.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736653May 8, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The back windshield of my 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe just exploded outwards. The vehicle hasn't been moved or driven today. The glass exploded out the back and shot over 18 ft away. There has been no change in temperature it is 70°. It was terrifying and came out of nowhere there were no cracks or chips in the back windshield. I'm so glad we were off to the side when this happened or it would have caused serious injuries.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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