73 of the
445 complaints filed about the Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid
are about the driver-assist systems —
16% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2025.
73
Complaints
16%
Share of all complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance complaints by model year
Driving through a green light going 45 mph and my car had an episode of “phantom braking” and decided to automatically brake out of NO WHERE. Slinging me forward and scaring me. No warning signs or chimes came on before, during or after the incident. It made no sense. I’m scared to drive this car with my baby in it now in the fear of going the speed limit or driving on the freeway with it randomly auto braking out of no where and making me crash with my child in the car or something worse happening with my baby inside the vehicle. I’m very displeased and worried.
NHTSA complaint #11758488 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Driver Attention Warning system activates a "coffee break" alert repeatedly after approximately two hours of continuous driving, regardless of actual driver attentiveness. There is no way to permanently dismiss or disable this alert. When attempting to cover the cabin camera to stop the alerts, the vehicle triggers a separate "Limited Assistance" warning that is equally intrusive. There is no scenario where the driver is free from one alert or the other during extended drives. This has created dangerous situations. I drive frequently through mountain roads with sharp curves, steep grades, and limited shoulders. On multiple occasions these alerts have diverted my attention from the road at critical moments and I have nearly been involved in accidents as a direct result. A system designed for safety is actively making driving less safe by forcing interaction with dashboard warnings instead of focusing on the road. The component is available for inspection. The system is functioning as programmed, which is the core problem. It is not a mechanical failure but a design issue that creates a real safety hazard for anyone driving longer than two hours. The problem has not been taken to a dealer as it appears to be functioning as Hyundai intended. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives for this issue. No prior warning lamps or symptoms preceded this. Alerts began as soon as I started making drives exceeding two hours. The problem is fully reproducible on any drive of that length.
NHTSA complaint #11756011 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Driver Attention Warning system activates a "coffee break" alert repeatedly after approximately two hours of continuous driving, regardless of actual driver attentiveness. There is no way to permanently dismiss or disable this alert. When attempting to cover the cabin camera to stop the alerts, the vehicle triggers a separate "Limited Assistance" warning that is equally intrusive. There is no scenario where the driver is free from one alert or the other during extended drives. This has created dangerous situations. I drive frequently through mountain roads with sharp curves, steep grades, and limited shoulders. On multiple occasions these alerts have diverted my attention from the road at critical moments and I have nearly been involved in accidents as a direct result. A system designed for safety is actively making driving less safe by forcing interaction with dashboard warnings instead of focusing on the road. The component is available for inspection. The system is functioning as programmed, which is the core problem. It is not a mechanical failure but a design issue that creates a real safety hazard for anyone driving longer than two hours. The problem has not been taken to a dealer as it appears to be functioning as Hyundai intended. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives for this issue. No prior warning lamps or symptoms preceded this. Alerts began as soon as I started making drives exceeding two hours. The problem is fully reproducible on any drive of that length.
NHTSA complaint #11756011 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts to repair the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number 25V808000 (Back Over Prevention) were on backorder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was able to confirm that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.
NHTSA complaint #11754472 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Everything normal when parked in store parking lot. When vehicle was started to leave I noticed the vehicle had no sounds ... no radio sound from any source at any volume setting, no turn signal clicks, no parking proximity beeps, no navigation voice guidance, no sounds at all. All dashboard/visual displays were normal. Parked vehicle in garage when I got home and the next morning the battery was dead. Had to jump start the vehicle (the dead battery "fixed" the sound problem). An AI search shows this is a known issue for the 2024 & 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe and I found AI & You Tube fixes saying to "soft reset" the Infotainment/Sound system by turning the ignition to the "On" position (not starting the vehicle ... foot off the brake and push ignition once, then again). Use a paper clip or pen to press and hold the little dimple reset button just below the right side radio knob until the system resets, then foot on the brake and start the vehicle. If this does not work, disconnect the starting battery's Negative battery cable for 15 minutes. This is a mid level safety issue because audible warning systems will not work. Took the vehicle to the Hyundai dealer we bought it from but they didn't offer any acknowledgement that other same model vehicles have had similar problems and said they could not check or do anything since the vehicle wasn't currently having the problem. I had to argue like hell just to get them to record that the issue had occurred.
NHTSA complaint #11754202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Everything normal when parked in store parking lot. When vehicle was started to leave I noticed the vehicle had no sounds ... no radio sound from any source at any volume setting, no turn signal clicks, no parking proximity beeps, no navigation voice guidance, no sounds at all. All dashboard/visual displays were normal. Parked vehicle in garage when I got home and the next morning the battery was dead. Had to jump start the vehicle (the dead battery "fixed" the sound problem). An AI search shows this is a known issue for the 2024 & 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe and I found AI & You Tube fixes saying to "soft reset" the Infotainment/Sound system by turning the ignition to the "On" position (not starting the vehicle ... foot off the brake and push ignition once, then again). Use a paper clip or pen to press and hold the little dimple reset button just below the right side radio knob until the system resets, then foot on the brake and start the vehicle. If this does not work, disconnect the starting battery's Negative battery cable for 15 minutes. This is a mid level safety issue because audible warning systems will not work. Took the vehicle to the Hyundai dealer we bought it from but they didn't offer any acknowledgement that other same model vehicles have had similar problems and said they could not check or do anything since the vehicle wasn't currently having the problem. I had to argue like hell just to get them to record that the issue had occurred.
NHTSA complaint #11754202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There are two main causes of concern that have occurred numerous times. The first is a driver attention alert will flash on the screen very frequently, which is very distracting to the driver. It says you should take a break but will come on very frequently right after starting driving and seems to be due to someone squinting their eyes. The second is that when sensors get blocked or dirty it will flash messages about the parking system, not being active while you were driving the vehicle, which is a huge issue and very distracting, especially considering that it’s a parking system that you are not using because you’re actively driving the vehicle. These notifications need to be able to be disabled or should be adjusted to not do this.
NHTSA complaint #11752903 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There are two main causes of concern that have occurred numerous times. The first is a driver attention alert will flash on the screen very frequently, which is very distracting to the driver. It says you should take a break but will come on very frequently right after starting driving and seems to be due to someone squinting their eyes. The second is that when sensors get blocked or dirty it will flash messages about the parking system, not being active while you were driving the vehicle, which is a huge issue and very distracting, especially considering that it’s a parking system that you are not using because you’re actively driving the vehicle. These notifications need to be able to be disabled or should be adjusted to not do this.
NHTSA complaint #11752903 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There are two main causes of concern that have occurred numerous times. The first is a driver attention alert will flash on the screen very frequently, which is very distracting to the driver. It says you should take a break but will come on very frequently right after starting driving and seems to be due to someone squinting their eyes. The second is that when sensors get blocked or dirty it will flash messages about the parking system, not being active while you were driving the vehicle, which is a huge issue and very distracting, especially considering that it’s a parking system that you are not using because you’re actively driving the vehicle. These notifications need to be able to be disabled or should be adjusted to not do this.
NHTSA complaint #11752903 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Less than 10 month old Santa Fe Calligraphy suddenly started flashing warning signs like Check Drivers Assistance System, Check Headlight LED, Check door assistance system. It comes on randomly, sometimes when the car is running, sometimes when the car is stopped. It flashes these warnings rapidly. When it is going on, the side view cameras stop working. One time when this was happening, I was at a stop light and it automatically went to park. It has happened multiple times so far. I have 2 children ages [XXX] and [XXX] that I drive around with and am concerned about safety. I have taken it to two different service centers at 2 different dealerships based on recommendation from Hyundai and they have not been able to replicate the problem hence they can't find the diagnostics of what is wrong. We have opened a case with Hyundai. The case number is XXX The case manager is [XXX] [XXX] I have taken videos of it whenever it has happened. I am not sure how to upload it as your documentations only allow photos. I am sharing the photos with you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11752261 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Less than 10 month old Santa Fe Calligraphy suddenly started flashing warning signs like Check Drivers Assistance System, Check Headlight LED, Check door assistance system. It comes on randomly, sometimes when the car is running, sometimes when the car is stopped. It flashes these warnings rapidly. When it is going on, the side view cameras stop working. One time when this was happening, I was at a stop light and it automatically went to park. It has happened multiple times so far. I have 2 children ages [XXX] and [XXX] that I drive around with and am concerned about safety. I have taken it to two different service centers at 2 different dealerships based on recommendation from Hyundai and they have not been able to replicate the problem hence they can't find the diagnostics of what is wrong. We have opened a case with Hyundai. The case number is XXX The case manager is [XXX] [XXX] I have taken videos of it whenever it has happened. I am not sure how to upload it as your documentations only allow photos. I am sharing the photos with you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11752261 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The cruise control was set at 75 mph and we were driving down the interstate when the engine suddenly lost power and shut off. This happened with no warning and no warning lights activated. Several days later, we were driving down the interstate with the cruise control set at 72 when the engine again lost power and shut off. We were able to get the car to move again both times by shutting off the cruise control. No warning or warning lights activated either time the engine lost power. We were very lucky not to get hit by oncoming traffic both times the engine shut itself down.
NHTSA complaint #11743730 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on the 202 at 80 MPH in the HOV lane and was engaging the cruise control. Pretty soon the car started beeping and it was saying something to the affect that I wasn't in control of the car. I started yelling and gently swerving not understanding what was going on to make it think I was indeed driving. It wouldnt' stop. I was in high traffic bumper to bumper than the dashboard started blinking and throwing a fit then it said it was going to shutdown the car!!! I tapped the breaks and then it stopped. Then a few months later same thing. Engage the cruise driving on the 202 roughly the same time of day- high traffic, it started again this time I started cussing, waiving my hands all around trying to get the car to know I was driving. It started saying it was going in to emergency shut down. I accidently hit my prescription glasses off my face in a panic and then it all stopped. I went home and googled what happened not understanding what this Forward system does or what it looks at. I had no idea the car was looking for my eyes. If I had been told this we would not have purchased the car in the first place. I have to wear prescription transition lens because I have chronic migraine syndrome. Light is one of many causes of my headaches and I live in the sunniest place on earth. So, I can't have this car. It is dangerous safety defect because t is issuing a false eye not detected alerts while wearing my glasses eventually leading to shutting the vehicle off. This creates a severe hazard, as the system will deactivate cruise control or initiate a sudden breaking at high speeds causing a collision or even death. I can't even drive my own car.
NHTSA complaint #11741371 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Incident Description: I am reporting a recurring and dangerous safety defect involving the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) on my 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. On multiple occasions, the vehicle has exhibited uncommanded steering input. Even when the Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) system is manually disabled by the driver, the vehicle software overrides this command and re-activates the system without driver input, causing unpredictable steering behavior. System Failures & Error Codes: The vehicle intermittently displays a "Check Forward Attention Warning System" failure. Dealership diagnostics have confirmed the following historical fault codes related to module communication: •C164286, C168886, C16B902, C28B981 Related Safety Recalls: This vehicle is currently subject to Recall 265 (NHTSA 24V561000) for main floor wiring harness chafing and Recall 288 (NHTSA 25V808000) for rearview camera wiring tension. I believe the uncommanded steering and camera failures are direct results of the electrical interference or harness damage described in these active safety recalls. Safety Risk: The uncommanded steering override creates an immediate risk of a crash, especially in high-speed highway conditions where the vehicle may unexpectedly pull against the driver's intent.
NHTSA complaint #11718119 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The driver assistance warning system continuosly goes into shutdown mode. Eye monitoring system always states that you are not keeping your eyes on the road. I have tried using different glasses or no glasses. Changing the steering wheel settings also seem to have no effect. This is very dangerous as it will start decelerating and stopping in the middle of a freeway in heavy traffic when this warning is activated. This only happens with the lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control are on. Hyundai issued Technical service bulletin 25-GI-001H, but they did not solve the problem
NHTSA complaint #11691077 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The driver assistance warning system continuosly goes into shutdown mode. Eye monitoring system always states that you are not keeping your eyes on the road. I have tried using different glasses or no glasses. Changing the steering wheel settings also seem to have no effect. This is very dangerous as it will start decelerating and stopping in the middle of a freeway in heavy traffic when this warning is activated. This only happens with the lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control are on. Hyundai issued Technical service bulletin 25-GI-001H, but they did not solve the problem
NHTSA complaint #11691077 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The driver assistance warning system continuosly goes into shutdown mode. Eye monitoring system always states that you are not keeping your eyes on the road. I have tried using different glasses or no glasses. Changing the steering wheel settings also seem to have no effect. This is very dangerous as it will start decelerating and stopping in the middle of a freeway in heavy traffic when this warning is activated. This only happens with the lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control are on. Hyundai issued Technical service bulletin 25-GI-001H, but they did not solve the problem
NHTSA complaint #11691077 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Driver attention warning system constantly gives aggravating notices of "suggest take a break" with chiming sound when driving with or without sunglasses or other glasses. I cannot use cruise control. I have tried several different sunglass types with no success. After first warning, goes off every 4 minutes, either cancelling cruise control when I am using it or just causing annoying aggravation which takes my attention off the road. I cannot turn this feature off. It is so aggravating that it draws my attention from the road ahead and impacts my patience while driving. Due to eye condition, I must use sunglasses while driving in sun. Hyundai did not make this limitation clear when I was buying the vehicle, and they refuse to do anything about it now.
NHTSA complaint #11688197 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My wife was parking our vehicle near the front of our home, simply rolling forward toward the car in front of her to complete parking on the left side of the street when the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated on its own. The vehicle turned hard to the right, struck the bumper of the parked car she was pulling up behind, continued right across the traffic lane where it hit two parked cars on the other side of the street with significant impact, lifting and turning one onto the sidewalk, at which point our vehicle went across the sidewalk and stopped after hitting a fence. The forward collision avoidance that we have experienced engaging previously, never engaged, despite hitting multiple vehicles on the lefft side and then right side of the street. The collision avaoidance alarms that we have experienced sounding previously, also never went off. The airbags never deployed, despite hitting 3 cars at two different sides of the street, as well as an iron fence that never moved. The vehicle went from traveling less than 5 mph while completing the last few feet of parking to a high rate of acceleration within a path of less than 40 feet, as evidenced by the significant damage it left. Had my wife not come to a stop as quickly as she did, she could have been seriously injured. If anyone had been on the sidewalk - there are 3 shcools on this block that children are often present - someone could have been killed. The vehicle is currently at a body shop being evaluated by insurance adjuster and likely a total loss. We reported tot the manufacturer and they intend to repsond to us by 9/16 and inspect the vehicle in its current state.
NHTSA complaint #11686958 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) system activated. Shortly afterward, the message "System Shutting Off" was displayed, and the Automatic Emergency Braking System briefly engaged, jerking the vehicle and dramatically reducing its speed of the vehicle but not to a complete stop. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the vehicle was functioning as designed but informed the contact that his wife's glasses may be interfering with the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) system's eye detection ability to monitor her eyes. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 13,000.
NHTSA complaint #11686049 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.