44 of the
445 complaints filed about the Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid
are about the other systems —
10% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2023.
Component Failure I was driving on [XXX] in [XXX] at 70 miles per hour. My red oil indicator light came on, and within seconds the vehicle suffered a catastrophic power loss. I had zero control of the propulsion. I was in the right lane and managed to steer to the shoulder. I contacted Hyundai Roadside assistance/Hyundai care. They sent a wrecker in about an 45-1 hour as I sat on the side of the highway. I was then put into a wrecker and my car was loaded on a flatbed truck and we then took a 45 minute drive to [XXX] to Weisner Hyundai where the vehicle was left for diagnostic testing. Safety My safety was undeniably at risk due to going the speed limit to zero in seconds. It put me in harms was due to other drivers on the road not expecting a car to stop at those speeds, unable to react in time without causing a collision which could have resulted in significant bodily injury or death for myself, my passenger and possible many others on the road that were around me. I was afraid, not sure what had happened, very distraught and traumatized. I fear for my safety in this vehicle. Service Center The car was taken to Weisner Hyundai at this time they have been unable to replicate or discover any code. They have seen the oil light come on. They have had my vehicle since XXX until today XXX when they were going to send it to [XXX] Hyundai where I purchased the vehicle. Inspections I am not sure about who all has looked at it within the dealership. Warnings The only warning I had was a red oil lamp that appeared on the dash seconds before the catastrophic loss of power. Special Note, I just found out that my vehicle originally had repairs done as it came from transport to the engine/oil components which were not disclosed to me by the dealership prior to me purchasing the vehicle "new" at full price. The dealership had knowledge that the vehicle already had issues that cause the malfunction and sold it knowing the dangers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11758112 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1.Fuel did not activate on this hybrid while in stop and go traffic when apparently the battery died. There was plenty of gas in this brand new car. The entire car died, gas pedal inactive, on the freeway just when traffic opened up with red car/exclamation point indicator on dash. After power cycle car Its message said something like “pull over and charge car in park”. We were close to shoulder so were able to do as instructed. 2. Car died suddenly in freeway traffic w 4 passengers inside. Could have been rear ended. There was no information in manual, on line or through BlueLink app on the battery function, this particular message or the problem. Or criteria that causes car to fail without switching to fuel. 3. Days later when I could get an appointment, The Escondido Dealer did diagnostics, visual and test drive and found nothing. Dealer had no means to look back at history to ID fault codes at time of event. I had exact time/miles. They did not check battery as the diagnostics were clean. Complaint made w Hyundai consumer affairs. [XXX]. Case XXX. They could not tell me criteria or specifications for message to pull over. They could not direct me to battery or “switch to fuel” criteria. They are working on case. I fear a software bug or engineering issue. A non plug in hybrid should function on gas if battery cannot work. 4. No insurance claim or police notified 5. There were NO warnings prior to the car dying. The Car died w red exclamation in red car indicating service right away. We put on flashers & We power cycled and words came up on dash stating something like “pull over and charge car in park” Engine temp was good as we watched it. We pulled over and car was functional within 10 min. We drove home without any further issues. Car had 1345 miles total at incident. Brand new car. Less than 2 mos old and we started trip w ~297miles. I was unable to get photo of warnings as they happened. Just after while sitting in traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.
NHTSA complaint #11754480 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The rear power liftgate on my 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid (VIN [XXX]) repeatedly opened and closed on its own, without any command from the key fob, interior button, or any occupant. This occurred over a period of several months. It happened while the vehicle was parked and, more dangerously, while the vehicle was in motion at normal driving speeds. An un-commanded liftgate opening while driving creates a serious safety hazard: loss of rear visibility, the risk of unsecured cargo being ejected onto the roadway, and the gate striking a person or object when it deploys unexpectedly. The overnight, un-commanded cycling while parked is extensively documented on my home security cameras, which recorded the gate opening and closing repeatedly throughout the night. The dealer (Williams Hyundai, Lansing, MI) diagnosed the cause as a faulty resistance fault in the rear hatch wiring harness assembly, which sent false signal inputs to the vehicle and triggered the motorized latch and actuators. The repair was completed under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. A secondary effect of the continuous overnight cycling was repeated deep-discharge of the 12V battery, leaving the vehicle dead on multiple mornings. I am reporting this because the un-commanded operation of a motorized liftgate — particularly while the vehicle is moving — is a safety defect that may not be isolated to my vehicle. I have retained service records, the dealer's diagnostic notes, and the home security footage, and can provide them on request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11747271 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There is a severe and dangerous lag in acceleration when trying to merge into traffic. Praying the accelerator all the way down often result in the car not responding for a second or two before kicking into gear. This is significant when trying to merge onto a highway or onto a cross street with incoming traffic.
NHTSA complaint #11745352 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 2024 & 2025 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 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 to turn off this feature. Currently, there is no way to disable or temporarily disable this feature.
NHTSA complaint #11744948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving, the vehicle will suddenly fail to accelerate beyond approximately 45 mph, even with the accelerator fully depressed. During these events, the engines RPMs increase significantly without a corresponding increase in vehicle speed. When this occurs, the hybrid battery fails to hold or maintain a charge, and the vehicle appears to enter a reduced-power or limp mode condition. This condition makes the vehicle unsafe to operate, particularly in traffic, on highways, or when merging or passing is required. This issue has occurred multiple times and is ongoing. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership 5 separate times (currently in there now for the 5th time) for the same issue. Despite repeated repair attempts, the dealership has been unable to identify or permanently correct the problem, and the condition continues to occur. The safety impacts are as follows: -Vehicle cannot maintain normal traffic speeds -Sudden loss of acceleration -High RPMs without propulsion -Inability to safely merge or respond to traffic. This defect substantially impairs the use and safety of the vehicle. Yes, the problem has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealership on each occasion and the issue continues even after several repair attempts. No warning lights have ever been displayed. The first time in the dealership was 5/10/25 No injuries/accidents (the issue is still safety-critical even without a crash)
NHTSA complaint #11715021 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle has gone into limp mode multiple times with no check engine indication displayed, causing significant safety issues in that the sudden loss of power occurred while traveling on the interstate highway. Each time, by loosing power and trying to get to the side of the road to safety was terrifying and very unsafe to us and the cars/trucks around us. The issue began on 11/5/24 and continues up through 11/12/26. Videos of vehicle performance are available upon request since they are unable to be uploaded via this form. The vehicle has been towed to three different Hyundai service departments. No diagnostic codes show up, nor have they been able to duplicate the issue. We have provided videos of the display screen and the performance of the vehicle while in limp mode. We have been told by Hyundai Service that unless a code shows up in the diagnostics, there is nothing they can do for us. At this point, since most of our driving is on the interstate, we are afraid to drive the vehicle for fear of a serious accident occurring when it loses power.
NHTSA complaint #11711853 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sitting at stoplight and attempted to go. Car wouldn’t go above 10mph even with pedal all the way down. Drove for a bit trying to figure out what was wrong. Then flashing red lights and beeping telling me to pull over safely. Pulled over and turned the car off. Restarted and car said charge battery. Apparently this is called “limp mode” and happens when there is something seriously wrong with the car in order to prevent further damage. Very dangerous to not be able to go about 10mph on the highway. Took to dealership. Vehicle isn’t throwing any codes and blue link shows nothing of the incident. Dealership supposedly checked battery and connections. Nothing done
NHTSA complaint #11709080 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While accelerating at a light, the accelerator became unresponsive, only propelling the vehicle a couple miles per hour. I was not able to pull over, as I was in the left lane of a very busy road. After about 15 seconds of lack of acceleration, the accelerator responded enough for me to pull over. I’m glad this incident did not occur on a highway, during a turn, or other hazardous situations. Dash displayed, “Check hybrid system. Pull over safely”. There was no indication or issue with the vehicle prior to this. I haven’t had any issues since I bought it several months ago. I’ve read reports of this same issue happening with this same model. I have a scheduled date for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11708867 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Supplemental Update – Ongoing Safety Concerns and Extended Loss of Use Since submitting my initial complaint, my leased Hyundai vehicle (VIN [XXX] ) has now been presented for service for the third time for the same unresolved safety-related issues. The vehicle has been held by the dealership for eight (8) consecutive days during this service visit with no resolution and no clear timeline for return. Safety concerns remain unresolved, including: Persistent toxic/chemical odor inside the cabin Random rear hatch opening while vehicle is parked and locked Repeated false “windows open” alerts Electrical/body control system irregularities To date, I have not been provided with documentation confirming that cabin air quality testing, exhaust intrusion testing, or comprehensive electrical diagnostics have been performed. These unresolved conditions present ongoing safety risks and loss of use. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11708797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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)
NHTSA complaint #11707043 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11700098 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle Information: 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybird SEL VIN: [XXX] Purchased date: [XXX] (Less than one year) Mileage at incident: 12,753 Incident date: [XXX] Dealer: Kengarff Downtown Hyundai Summary of Problem: I am filing this complaint because of a serious safety concern caused by clear dealership negligence and potential engine failure. During a routine service, the dealership failed to add engine oil, but recorded in the service invoice that it was added. I unknowingly drove the vehicle 3–5 miles without oil, and multiple DTC error codes (P052400, P001100, P001400) appeared. The oil warning light, which should have alerted me, did not activate. Although a later borescope inspection stated there was “no immediate damage,” since then, the vehicle has shown: Significant loss of power and acceleration Abnormally high RPMs, even when the car is stopped Louder engine noises RPM is increasing suddenly while driving downhill without acceleration This vehicle is less than one year old and costs over $40,000. I should not be forced to drive a new car that may have hidden or delayed engine damage. Safety Concern: I have a [XXX], and I cannot risk sudden engine failure, stalling, or fire while driving. This is not only a reliability issue, but a serious safety hazard for my family and others on the road. Attempts to Resolve: Reported to Hyundai corporate, case opened. The dealership admitted the mistake but denied responsibility after the inspection. Hyundai corporate stated “no action until further inspection,” despite clear evidence of negligence. I continue to experience performance and safety issues. Requested Action: I urge NHTSA to investigate this incident and hold Hyundai accountable for both the dealership’s negligence and the potential safety defects (oil light failure, possible hidden engine damage). Consumers should not be left to drive unsafe vehicles, especially when children’s safety is at stake. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11686430 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Everytime with Acc active it activates the Driver attention camera system which never works in sunlight camera reads wrong and disable Acc while driving on freeway all the time due to sun reflection cant even wear polairized glasses Acc never works.
NHTSA complaint #11682031 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Driver Assistant cruise and steering components relating to the warning system. The system notification is turned off in the settings; however, the issue overrides the setting. Cruise control and steering assist shuts off after brief but consistant warning to keep my eyes on the road. My eyes are on the road. I can do nothing to stop it from warning. It may happen up to 20 times in a distance of 9-20 miles. This has occured since purchase and occurs everytime the car is driven. While passing on interstate highways the system may shut off. Acceleration stops, steering assist shuts off. Four dealerships have seen the vehicle and a claim was issued by Hyundai America. A Service manager finally, after many request, rode with me after a year of many service appointment resulting in a change of passenger facing camera. No change occurred in the system, it continues to behavior the same a prior to the camera change.
NHTSA complaint #11681828 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Stopped for gas, vehicle started but would not go into gear, engine lights indicated 'Check hybrid system', warning lights shown. 1/2 hr on the phone with dealership to assist. No problem detected when returning to home dealer. Second episode occurred, vehicle at dealer for the past 4 weeks. Episode repeated at dealership yet "no abnormalities are detected with diagnostics ".
NHTSA complaint #11674691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We were driving in Montana down [XXX] and heard a very large “pop” sound above us. Our vehicle was traveling alone in the area at the time, no other vehicles were around ours. There was no debris on the road or flying in air at the time, either. At this point the panoramic roof glass was closed but the interior cloth cover was open and there was no evidence of any damage. When we stopped for gas, the front glass panel covering behind the windshield and before the panoramic roof glass, was completely shattered. The weather was the same as it had been, 80F with minimal cloud coverage. There was no sudden change in weather/driving conditions.
NHTSA complaint #11671450 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
vehicle will not change out of EV electric mode and return to gas power causing hybrid battery drains to zero, vehicle loses acceleration, you can push the gas pedal to the floor and you have no acceleration, very UNSAFE when you are in traffic, no power to maneuver or avoid other vehicles quickly if needed, potential for accidents, hybrid system warning lights and alarms go on, have to try and pull over safely, battery will not recharge or takes a very long time to do so, only recourse is to shut vehicle off and restart which seems to reset vehicle, which in turn does not leave any warning lights other than codes on to show dealer, very dangerous to lose all acceleration capacity while in traffic, this has happened multiple times with the latest being today 3/23/25, vehicle is available for you to inspect, have had other powertrain codes issues as well, dealer has replaced fuel pump and erg valve but it does not resolve this hybrid issue, this battery drain issue has occurred multiple times but no resolution, help!
NHTSA complaint #11650017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Forward attention warning system sounds when driver is facing forward, eyes open, hands not blocking camera. Very distracting for driver and can lead to car decelerating itself.
NHTSA complaint #11648346 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THERE IS NO OPTION TO TURN OFF THE "CONSIDER TAKING A BREAK" WARNING. IT GOES OFF SEVERAL TIMES IN LONG ROADTRIPS. REQUESTING AN UPDATE SO WE CAN TURN THAT OFF BECAUSE ITS REALLY DISTRACTING TO HAVE IT POP EVERY 10 MIN!!!!
NHTSA complaint #11640006 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.