78 of the
474 complaints filed about the Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid
are about the driver-assist systems —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2025.
78
Complaints
100%
Share of all complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance complaints by model year
"take a coffee break" warning goes on an inappropriate amount of time. When I drive straight down the highway it alarms. However, if i cross the white lines it does not alarm. Also when this alarm turns on all other sounds systems in the car go silent including the GPS/Apple Carplay. I have missed exits and turns due to this alarm going off. There is no way to turn it off or make it less sensitive. I consider this alarm to be unsafe and annoying.
NHTSA complaint #11762602 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
"take a coffee break" warning goes on an inappropriate amount of time. When I drive straight down the highway it alarms. However, if i cross the white lines it does not alarm. Also when this alarm turns on all other sounds systems in the car go silent including the GPS/Apple Carplay. I have missed exits and turns due to this alarm going off. There is no way to turn it off or make it less sensitive. I consider this alarm to be unsafe and annoying.
NHTSA complaint #11762602 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Occasionally the cruise control will go off. Sometimes it will reset itself & other times, the driver has to initiate. I reported to the Hyundai Manuf. last yr. & also had 2 separate dealers take a look & problem has not been resolved.
NHTSA complaint #11761327 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Please keep in mind that I am not a mechanic and only a consumer so my specific knowledge of vehicle systems is limited. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. On July 9, 2026 while reversing out of my sloped driveway my Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid conducted a sudden, uncommanded emergency brake stop without warning or cause. This occurred one week prior as well on an unknown date. The system appears to misinterpret the angle of the incline and encroaching tall vegetation as a solid obstacle. This uncommanded malfunction caused a rapid deceleration that directly caused and exacerbated my post concussive syndrome, cervical strain, occipital neuralgia, hyperacusis, and noxacusis, requiring treatment at an Urgent Care clinic on Saturday July 11; the unresolved defect poses an immediate crash and bodily injury hazard. I am going to also need pain management therapies. I attended an appointment at the McGrath Hyundai of Cedar Rapids on Monday July 13 for assistance with this among other things that were occurring with my vehicle. I also have been reported experiencing an interconnected systemic electrical failure, including dashboard cluster loading lag, a complete failure of the Head-Up Display (HUD) to register speed limits, and intermittent green color distortion on the blind-spot turn signal camera display, which shares the camera network used by the reversing safety systems. These issues began around the same time as the sudden emergency braking. I am unsure if they are related however it would make sense. They did not fully conduct the tests necessary to locate the problem as a simple diagnostic scan will not do that. The sensor calibration might be off among other causes. The dealership did not look at the EDR to determine the history of this emergency stop occurring. I am currently working with a Hyundai Corporate investigator whom their team agreed for my vehicle to be inspected by a field engineer. I am currently awaiting their call.
NHTSA complaint #11759180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Please keep in mind that I am not a mechanic and only a consumer so my specific knowledge of vehicle systems is limited. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. On July 9, 2026 while reversing out of my sloped driveway my Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid conducted a sudden, uncommanded emergency brake stop without warning or cause. This occurred one week prior as well on an unknown date. The system appears to misinterpret the angle of the incline and encroaching tall vegetation as a solid obstacle. This uncommanded malfunction caused a rapid deceleration that directly caused and exacerbated my post concussive syndrome, cervical strain, occipital neuralgia, hyperacusis, and noxacusis, requiring treatment at an Urgent Care clinic on Saturday July 11; the unresolved defect poses an immediate crash and bodily injury hazard. I am going to also need pain management therapies. I attended an appointment at the McGrath Hyundai of Cedar Rapids on Monday July 13 for assistance with this among other things that were occurring with my vehicle. I also have been reported experiencing an interconnected systemic electrical failure, including dashboard cluster loading lag, a complete failure of the Head-Up Display (HUD) to register speed limits, and intermittent green color distortion on the blind-spot turn signal camera display, which shares the camera network used by the reversing safety systems. These issues began around the same time as the sudden emergency braking. I am unsure if they are related however it would make sense. They did not fully conduct the tests necessary to locate the problem as a simple diagnostic scan will not do that. The sensor calibration might be off among other causes. The dealership did not look at the EDR to determine the history of this emergency stop occurring. I am currently working with a Hyundai Corporate investigator whom their team agreed for my vehicle to be inspected by a field engineer. I am currently awaiting their call.
NHTSA complaint #11759180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.