2023 Hyundai Santa FE Plug-In Hybrid problems

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The fuel range calculation is often very wrong in our plug in hybrid. This issue has been brought to the attention of the manufacturer and dealer with no results but pointing at the other organizations. With a full fuel tank the gasoline range should be about 387 miles. Often the computer will show 610 miles but sometimes has other ranges but has never been correct after the first fill up. While this normally isn't a big problem, there is a danger for some people. Say you see a sign on a curvy mountain road with no shoulders showing the next fuel is in 100 miles. If the car computer says you have a range of 150 miles, you would think you can easily make it to the next gas station. However, because of the computer error, you really only have a range of 95 miles. It is probable that you would run out of fuel, losing power steering and power brakes. Additionally you could end up stopped blocking the lane and causing a collision. This has been occurring for three years, ever since our first fill up of the gas tank.

NHTSA complaint #11757840 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 40-45 MPH, the sunroof exploded outward without warning or impact, leaving the shattered glass rattling. There were no reported injuries. A local dealer was contacted but stated that they did not perform glass replacements. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 62,800.

NHTSA complaint #11748830 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

While on the highway my car lost power, gradually slowing down to a stall. I was able to safely park on the side of the road. I got the car to a nearby dealership that kept it for 10 days. The dealership said that the problem was code P2118 (Throttle Actuator Control Motor Current Range/Performance) that the air "flap" was frozen stuck shut and the engine was disabled on the freeway in order to prevent damage. The resolution was "waited for it to thaw and cleared the code". The dealer has a service bulletin and a software update but it did not resolve the safety issue. I've noticed hesitation when accelerating the car from a dead stop as well, which started last year.

NHTSA complaint #11718953 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

While on the highway my car lost power, gradually slowing down to a stall. I was able to safely park on the side of the road. I got the car to a nearby dealership that kept it for 10 days. The dealership said that the problem was code P2118 (Throttle Actuator Control Motor Current Range/Performance) that the air "flap" was frozen stuck shut and the engine was disabled on the freeway in order to prevent damage. The resolution was "waited for it to thaw and cleared the code". The dealer has a service bulletin and a software update but it did not resolve the safety issue. I've noticed hesitation when accelerating the car from a dead stop as well, which started last year.

NHTSA complaint #11718953 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

While operating the vehicle, the cruise control turns off without any warning. The warning messages that come up only after the cruise control is turned off by the vehicle state "Smart cruise conditions not met" and "forward safety system disabled. Radar blocked". This disables the vehicle from utilizing cruise control in any manner. This happened on the highway with the cruise set at 72 mph, with a semi truck right behind my vehicle in moderate traffic! The semi slammed brakes on and after initial shock, I was able to accelerate the vehicle somewhat to avoid a collision. The dealership claims that "ALL" new vehicles do this when operated in wintery weather, snow, or mud kicked up from the road, or when sensors get iced over. They claim that there is NO reprogramming that can be done to fix this HUGE safety issue. I have NEVER heard of this or experienced this in any other vehicle other than this Hyundai Santa Fe! As a disabled veteran, this honestly scared the hell out of me and makes me very leery to operate the vehicle in the wintertime time and I am the primary driver for the family! At the time of the incident, it was not snowing, the temperature was approximately 36 degrees, and the roadways were clear of snow or ice! The only thing that could be noted was that the roadway was wet, and after stopping, there was sand or salt film in the front of the vehicle. As a disabled veteran with a lower back injury and radicular pain down both legs, I rely on a vehicle's cruise control when driving more than short distances, in order to not cause lower back or leg pain while driving! This issue with the cruise control stopping operation and not allowing the cruise to be restarted is both a HUGE safety issue for both the operator and all vehicles around/near the vehicle on/at highway speeds, and a violation of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). With no way to reprogram or reset this awful feature, the Hyundai Santa Fe is unsafe for disabled individuals.

NHTSA complaint #11699000 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

While operating the vehicle, the cruise control turns off without any warning. The warning messages that come up only after the cruise control is turned off by the vehicle state "Smart cruise conditions not met" and "forward safety system disabled. Radar blocked". This disables the vehicle from utilizing cruise control in any manner. This happened on the highway with the cruise set at 72 mph, with a semi truck right behind my vehicle in moderate traffic! The semi slammed brakes on and after initial shock, I was able to accelerate the vehicle somewhat to avoid a collision. The dealership claims that "ALL" new vehicles do this when operated in wintery weather, snow, or mud kicked up from the road, or when sensors get iced over. They claim that there is NO reprogramming that can be done to fix this HUGE safety issue. I have NEVER heard of this or experienced this in any other vehicle other than this Hyundai Santa Fe! As a disabled veteran, this honestly scared the hell out of me and makes me very leery to operate the vehicle in the wintertime time and I am the primary driver for the family! At the time of the incident, it was not snowing, the temperature was approximately 36 degrees, and the roadways were clear of snow or ice! The only thing that could be noted was that the roadway was wet, and after stopping, there was sand or salt film in the front of the vehicle. As a disabled veteran with a lower back injury and radicular pain down both legs, I rely on a vehicle's cruise control when driving more than short distances, in order to not cause lower back or leg pain while driving! This issue with the cruise control stopping operation and not allowing the cruise to be restarted is both a HUGE safety issue for both the operator and all vehicles around/near the vehicle on/at highway speeds, and a violation of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). With no way to reprogram or reset this awful feature, the Hyundai Santa Fe is unsafe for disabled individuals.

NHTSA complaint #11699000 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

While operating the vehicle, the cruise control turns off without any warning. The warning messages that come up only after the cruise control is turned off by the vehicle state "Smart cruise conditions not met" and "forward safety system disabled. Radar blocked". This disables the vehicle from utilizing cruise control in any manner. This happened on the highway with the cruise set at 72 mph, with a semi truck right behind my vehicle in moderate traffic! The semi slammed brakes on and after initial shock, I was able to accelerate the vehicle somewhat to avoid a collision. The dealership claims that "ALL" new vehicles do this when operated in wintery weather, snow, or mud kicked up from the road, or when sensors get iced over. They claim that there is NO reprogramming that can be done to fix this HUGE safety issue. I have NEVER heard of this or experienced this in any other vehicle other than this Hyundai Santa Fe! As a disabled veteran, this honestly scared the hell out of me and makes me very leery to operate the vehicle in the wintertime time and I am the primary driver for the family! At the time of the incident, it was not snowing, the temperature was approximately 36 degrees, and the roadways were clear of snow or ice! The only thing that could be noted was that the roadway was wet, and after stopping, there was sand or salt film in the front of the vehicle. As a disabled veteran with a lower back injury and radicular pain down both legs, I rely on a vehicle's cruise control when driving more than short distances, in order to not cause lower back or leg pain while driving! This issue with the cruise control stopping operation and not allowing the cruise to be restarted is both a HUGE safety issue for both the operator and all vehicles around/near the vehicle on/at highway speeds, and a violation of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). With no way to reprogram or reset this awful feature, the Hyundai Santa Fe is unsafe for disabled individuals.

NHTSA complaint #11699000 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Two issues with powertrain/transmission: 1- The powertrain/transmission fails intermittently- vehicle RPM goes sky high but vehicle receives no power, seems to fail/lose power. Has happened in very dangerous road conditions where unexpectedly was struggling to get the motor to engage/get power to the vehicle. Check engine and check hybrid system lights accompanies the problem. 2- The car should be driveable in electric only mode without use of gasoline. The powertrain/transmission seems to struggle to shift between electric and gas motors. HYUNDAI cannot seem to correctly diagnose or fix the issue. Does not seem they have proper diagnostic process included on the car- despite finding error messages stored in computer, they initially said they could not recreate the problem and therefore could not fix. 3 different trips to Hyundai dealership repair center, in total they have had my car for 10 weeks. They have replaced the transaxle and sent the car home, but that did not cure the issue. They now have my car again. It just does not seem they know how to identify or fix the issue. From online forums, I have learned MANY owners are experiencing the same problem and the same challenge to diagnose.

NHTSA complaint #11643753 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Two issues with powertrain/transmission: 1- The powertrain/transmission fails intermittently- vehicle RPM goes sky high but vehicle receives no power, seems to fail/lose power. Has happened in very dangerous road conditions where unexpectedly was struggling to get the motor to engage/get power to the vehicle. Check engine and check hybrid system lights accompanies the problem. 2- The car should be driveable in electric only mode without use of gasoline. The powertrain/transmission seems to struggle to shift between electric and gas motors. HYUNDAI cannot seem to correctly diagnose or fix the issue. Does not seem they have proper diagnostic process included on the car- despite finding error messages stored in computer, they initially said they could not recreate the problem and therefore could not fix. 3 different trips to Hyundai dealership repair center, in total they have had my car for 10 weeks. They have replaced the transaxle and sent the car home, but that did not cure the issue. They now have my car again. It just does not seem they know how to identify or fix the issue. From online forums, I have learned MANY owners are experiencing the same problem and the same challenge to diagnose.

NHTSA complaint #11643753 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Two issues with powertrain/transmission: 1- The powertrain/transmission fails intermittently- vehicle RPM goes sky high but vehicle receives no power, seems to fail/lose power. Has happened in very dangerous road conditions where unexpectedly was struggling to get the motor to engage/get power to the vehicle. Check engine and check hybrid system lights accompanies the problem. 2- The car should be driveable in electric only mode without use of gasoline. The powertrain/transmission seems to struggle to shift between electric and gas motors. HYUNDAI cannot seem to correctly diagnose or fix the issue. Does not seem they have proper diagnostic process included on the car- despite finding error messages stored in computer, they initially said they could not recreate the problem and therefore could not fix. 3 different trips to Hyundai dealership repair center, in total they have had my car for 10 weeks. They have replaced the transaxle and sent the car home, but that did not cure the issue. They now have my car again. It just does not seem they know how to identify or fix the issue. From online forums, I have learned MANY owners are experiencing the same problem and the same challenge to diagnose.

NHTSA complaint #11643753 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

>>>>What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? According to the Hyundai Bluelink app, the problem is caused by the battery management system, producing error code P0AA600. The result is that the vehicle does not get power to the wheels for a few seconds after giving it gas. It looks like the car is not moving, then it very slowly gains speed, followed by sudden acceleration. It is available for inspection upon request. >>>>How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? It is a safety issue because other vehicles on the road may not be able to stop in time when the car pauses unexpectedly. Also the driver cannot predict when the car will surge forward. Merging or crossing traffic is very dangerous. >>>>Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The vehicle has been to the dealership two times to be inspected for this problem. They state that they cannot duplicate the issue but of course they can see the error code in the vehicle history. It is an issue that occurs at random; not every time the car is driven. It has occurred a total of 9 times during the 2,872 miles we have driven since we purchased it. >>>>Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Only the dealer has inspected the vehicle. Police, insurance, or others have not been involved. >>>>Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There is no warning that the error is going to occur. There is a warning when it is occurring, and the check engine light comes on. We purchased the car as new when it had 6,934 miles on it. It had been used as a demonstration car for the dealership. The error first occurred at about 7500 miles.

NHTSA complaint #11641064 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Horn will not work. This occured on [XXX]. Appointment made with dealer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11640341 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Horns stopped working. Consider this to be a safety issue for obvious reasons. Checked horn fuse and it was not blown. Contacted local dealer to have it repaired. Awaiting an appointment

NHTSA complaint #11633621 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

"check turn signal error". This message pops up at random times. When this error does pop up, the rear turn signal ceases to operate until the error message clears itself. Dealership "cannot duplicate". I have photographed the warning many times. Hyundai corporate is of no help. Check LED headlamp error issue as well.

NHTSA complaint #11633024 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

"check turn signal error". This message pops up at random times. When this error does pop up, the rear turn signal ceases to operate until the error message clears itself. Dealership "cannot duplicate". I have photographed the warning many times. Hyundai corporate is of no help. Check LED headlamp error issue as well.

NHTSA complaint #11633024 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Windshield wiper in auto mode. Sometimes wipers turn on automatically in bright sunny days with nothing on windshield. When it rains, sometimes automatic wipers will not activate until windshield is completely covered with rain, and visibility is greatly reduced. Sensitivity adjustment has zero effect.

NHTSA complaint #11633025 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Windshield wiper in auto mode. Sometimes wipers turn on automatically in bright sunny days with nothing on windshield. When it rains, sometimes automatic wipers will not activate until windshield is completely covered with rain, and visibility is greatly reduced. Sensitivity adjustment has zero effect.

NHTSA complaint #11633025 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The rear section of panoramic sunroof exploded. We were traveling approximately 60 MPH on HWY 395 crossing the bridge on the Columbia River between WA and OR. Suddenly we heard a very loud explosion. When we stopped to investigate we found a hole in the sunroof. It exploded up and outward. There were very few glass shards inside the vehicle and no debris or evidence of anything that could have caused the breakage. The Hyundai dealer was unwilling to repair it as a warranty item. We paid a glass company through our insurance company to replace the glass. I’m aware that there were problems a few years ago with the Hyundai sunroofs and was advised to file this incident report. It was extremely scary to experience the noise.

NHTSA complaint #11625631 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN

Well i have this a year and the horn went a month ago. I also have a hyundai Kona 2022 and it has had the horn replaced twice. Its a common issue with hyundai and safety issue especially where we drive in a city full of new college students from out of town snd people make erratic moves and safety concerns. It is a required part on a car and now this will be the 3rd time i need to replace it

NHTSA complaint #11615108 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated after starting the vehicle, the transmission would only shift into neutral and would not shift into any other gear. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle failed to turn off as needed. The contact activated the parking brake to exit the vehicle safely. The contact stated prior to the failure, the vehicle had failed to shift into reverse; however, the failure was self-corrected. The contact stated several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated an independent mechanic was able to release the emergency hatch and disconnect the battery to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was temporarily repaired. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for additional diagnostic tests. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

NHTSA complaint #11603359 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

on the freeway and along side another car and "emergency breaking activation" warning. Happened 2 times in a month. Car swerved but I was able to control it. I was doing about 65 mph in each case.

NHTSA complaint #11589599 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

on the freeway and along side another car and "emergency breaking activation" warning. Happened 2 times in a month. Car swerved but I was able to control it. I was doing about 65 mph in each case.

NHTSA complaint #11589599 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

on the freeway and along side another car and "emergency breaking activation" warning. Happened 2 times in a month. Car swerved but I was able to control it. I was doing about 65 mph in each case.

NHTSA complaint #11589599 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Rear passenger door cannot be opened from the inside. Lock operates remotely and manually and door can be opened from the outside. This is a safety issue. The door cannot be opened from the inside in an emergency. The door has not been assessed by a dealer tech. I have an appointment at the dealer to repair. There were no warning lights, messages or warning tones.

NHTSA complaint #11575928 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

On the afternoon of 2 Mar 2024, the front panel of my sunroof exploded suddenly while driving at freeway speed, without warning or provocation. No one was injured. After the initial shock, I pulled over and inspected the damage. Fortunately, the inner upholstery was intact and kept all of the shattered glass out of the passenger areas. I had to drive almost 30 miles to the nearest gas station / auto parts store in order to perform makeshift repairs with duct tape and plastic. I took digital pictures of the exploded sunroof. I contacted my Hyundai dealership and have plans to take the car in for inspection and repairs this coming week.

NHTSA complaint #11575162 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.