2020 Hyundai Santa FE problems

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The multifunction/turn signal switch in my Hyundai has failed and causes the left turn signal to operate intermittently. While driving, I am unable to reliably activate the left turn signal when making a left turn or changing lanes. The signal may fail to engage when the turn signal lever is operated, requiring repeated attempts to activate it. College Station Hyundai inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the multifunction switch as the failed component requiring replacement. The replacement component has been identified as Hyundai part number 93400-S1750. I consider this a significant safety concern because the failure prevents me from reliably signaling my intention to turn or change lanes to other motorists. The malfunction occurs during normal operation of the vehicle and creates the risk that surrounding drivers will not know that I intend to turn or change lanes. The vehicle currently has approximately 86,611 miles. I reported the issue to Hyundai Motor America and requested assistance because this is a safety-critical component. Hyundai declined my request because the vehicle is outside the warranty period. I am submitting this complaint because I believe the premature failure of a component necessary for the reliable operation of the vehicle's turn signals may constitute a safety-related defect, and I am requesting that NHTSA document and evaluate this failure.

NHTSA complaint #11756946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The multifunction/turn signal switch in my Hyundai has failed and causes the left turn signal to operate intermittently. While driving, I am unable to reliably activate the left turn signal when making a left turn or changing lanes. The signal may fail to engage when the turn signal lever is operated, requiring repeated attempts to activate it. College Station Hyundai inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the multifunction switch as the failed component requiring replacement. The replacement component has been identified as Hyundai part number 93400-S1750. I consider this a significant safety concern because the failure prevents me from reliably signaling my intention to turn or change lanes to other motorists. The malfunction occurs during normal operation of the vehicle and creates the risk that surrounding drivers will not know that I intend to turn or change lanes. The vehicle currently has approximately 86,611 miles. I reported the issue to Hyundai Motor America and requested assistance because this is a safety-critical component. Hyundai declined my request because the vehicle is outside the warranty period. I am submitting this complaint because I believe the premature failure of a component necessary for the reliable operation of the vehicle's turn signals may constitute a safety-related defect, and I am requesting that NHTSA document and evaluate this failure.

NHTSA complaint #11756946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The multifunction/turn signal switch in my Hyundai has failed and causes the left turn signal to operate intermittently. While driving, I am unable to reliably activate the left turn signal when making a left turn or changing lanes. The signal may fail to engage when the turn signal lever is operated, requiring repeated attempts to activate it. College Station Hyundai inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the multifunction switch as the failed component requiring replacement. The replacement component has been identified as Hyundai part number 93400-S1750. I consider this a significant safety concern because the failure prevents me from reliably signaling my intention to turn or change lanes to other motorists. The malfunction occurs during normal operation of the vehicle and creates the risk that surrounding drivers will not know that I intend to turn or change lanes. The vehicle currently has approximately 86,611 miles. I reported the issue to Hyundai Motor America and requested assistance because this is a safety-critical component. Hyundai declined my request because the vehicle is outside the warranty period. I am submitting this complaint because I believe the premature failure of a component necessary for the reliable operation of the vehicle's turn signals may constitute a safety-related defect, and I am requesting that NHTSA document and evaluate this failure.

NHTSA complaint #11756946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Vehicle began running sluggish, gas smell noticed. Vehicle was due for oil change, took car in for oil change to AAA and mentioned gas smell. AAA identified gas leaking from fuel pump posing immediate safety issue that needed to be resolved.

NHTSA complaint #11756767 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Vehicle began running sluggish, gas smell noticed. Vehicle was due for oil change, took car in for oil change to AAA and mentioned gas smell. AAA identified gas leaking from fuel pump posing immediate safety issue that needed to be resolved.

NHTSA complaint #11756767 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle lunged forward. In addition, the vehicle almost stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact was informed that no fault codes were displayed. The contact was informed that the issues with the vehicle were just a case of bad luck. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the failure had occurred shortly after the vehicle was repaired under Technical Service Bulletin: 9C2, in May 2026. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 74,558.

NHTSA complaint #11756514 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

We were notified there was a recall and to schedule an appointment to get the update. We did and it was updated. It hesitated when we drove it the next day and everyday after. WE took it in a second time and was told by our dealer that following the completion of service campaign 9c2 certain vehicles may exhibit a brief hesitation or rough shifting conditions and to let it warm up for 1-3 minutes. We were told that Hyundai is working on it. It has been over a month and it still does it. I now own a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicle with less than 38,000 miles that is a lemon in my opinion. I am paying for gas to let it run for the 3 minutes and cant sell it or trade it in without a major reduction in price. I feel Hyundai is not being responsible for the damage they have caused to my vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11753119 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

I was quoted $3,000 to replace defective mat sensor in seat so that the airbag light will go off and my vehicle can be inspected. My family can’t afford this fix and I’m stressed out and do not know what to do. My vehicle was not in an accident nor was anything done that would cause damage and result in this fault. I am aware that the 2019 Santa Fe has an extended warranty for this exact defective mat sensor. My 2020 has the identical setup and failed just past the standard mileage limit. Because this is a critical SRS safety system that prevents my airbags from working properly I request help form the NHTSA. I read online a lot of owners are in my same situation.

NHTSA complaint #11751706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I am currently burning through 2.5 quarts of oil approximately every 800 miles.

NHTSA complaint #11751503 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I am currently burning through 2.5 quarts of oil approximately every 800 miles.

NHTSA complaint #11751503 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00M000 (Visibility); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA complaint #11751040 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

I am reporting severe safety risks and inspection fraud on my AWD 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe (VIN: [XXX]) caused by Universal Hyundai in Orlando. Inspection Fraud: The dealer falsified safety metrics, marking my brakes as a failing 4mm to push a $659.90 repair (RO# XXX), then passed those exact brakes at 5mm eleven days later (RO# XXX). Tire Malpractice: Mechanics over-inflated my tires to a dangerous 39 PSI and botched the alignment. This caused structural tire belt separation and severe sidewall bulges. The rear tire has suffered rapid, catastrophic deflation, dropping flat to 14.5 PSI and down to an empty 5.5 PSI. Crash & Drivetrain Risk: Operating an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicle with a rapidly collapsing tire and asymmetric alignment forces the wheels to spin at mismatched speeds, creating severe friction that is destroying the internal powertrain transfer case and causing an immediate highway blowout crash risk. The service manager admitted "human error" and issued a full refund but banned my vehicle to avoid an audit. Hyundai Corporate has been notified under Case #XXX but has delayed resolution. Active consumer fraud file logged with the State of Florida under Case XXX. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11749944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

I am reporting severe safety risks and inspection fraud on my AWD 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe (VIN: [XXX]) caused by Universal Hyundai in Orlando. Inspection Fraud: The dealer falsified safety metrics, marking my brakes as a failing 4mm to push a $659.90 repair (RO# XXX), then passed those exact brakes at 5mm eleven days later (RO# XXX). Tire Malpractice: Mechanics over-inflated my tires to a dangerous 39 PSI and botched the alignment. This caused structural tire belt separation and severe sidewall bulges. The rear tire has suffered rapid, catastrophic deflation, dropping flat to 14.5 PSI and down to an empty 5.5 PSI. Crash & Drivetrain Risk: Operating an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicle with a rapidly collapsing tire and asymmetric alignment forces the wheels to spin at mismatched speeds, creating severe friction that is destroying the internal powertrain transfer case and causing an immediate highway blowout crash risk. The service manager admitted "human error" and issued a full refund but banned my vehicle to avoid an audit. Hyundai Corporate has been notified under Case #XXX but has delayed resolution. Active consumer fraud file logged with the State of Florida under Case XXX. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11749944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

I am reporting severe safety risks and inspection fraud on my AWD 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe (VIN: [XXX]) caused by Universal Hyundai in Orlando. Inspection Fraud: The dealer falsified safety metrics, marking my brakes as a failing 4mm to push a $659.90 repair (RO# XXX), then passed those exact brakes at 5mm eleven days later (RO# XXX). Tire Malpractice: Mechanics over-inflated my tires to a dangerous 39 PSI and botched the alignment. This caused structural tire belt separation and severe sidewall bulges. The rear tire has suffered rapid, catastrophic deflation, dropping flat to 14.5 PSI and down to an empty 5.5 PSI. Crash & Drivetrain Risk: Operating an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicle with a rapidly collapsing tire and asymmetric alignment forces the wheels to spin at mismatched speeds, creating severe friction that is destroying the internal powertrain transfer case and causing an immediate highway blowout crash risk. The service manager admitted "human error" and issued a full refund but banned my vehicle to avoid an audit. Hyundai Corporate has been notified under Case #XXX but has delayed resolution. Active consumer fraud file logged with the State of Florida under Case XXX. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11749944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact's daughter owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received a notification for an unknown emissions recall. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it remained for three weeks, and an ECU software update was completed. The vehicle was then driven to the contact's residence. Upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle jerked and chugged while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

NHTSA complaint #11749004 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Unknown

NHTSA complaint #11745371 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited. The panoramic sunroof glass suddenly shattered/exploded without a collision and without any known impact. Glass shattered completely and created a safety hazard to occupants and traffic. Vehicle was purchased as Hyundai Certified Pre-Owned in 2021. Hyundai corporate case has been opened and advised dealer inspection. Dealer inspection is pending. Photos are available. Request that this be logged as a potential safety issue involving panoramic sunroof glass failure.

NHTSA complaint #11744729 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited. The panoramic sunroof glass suddenly shattered/exploded without a collision and without any known impact. Glass shattered completely and created a safety hazard to occupants and traffic. Vehicle was purchased as Hyundai Certified Pre-Owned in 2021. Hyundai corporate case has been opened and advised dealer inspection. Dealer inspection is pending. Photos are available. Request that this be logged as a potential safety issue involving panoramic sunroof glass failure.

NHTSA complaint #11744729 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Vehicle experiences severe, intermittent, un-commanded steering inputs from the Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) system at highway speeds (55-70 MPH). The steering wheel violently jerks toward adjacent traffic lanes/shoulders without operator input, lane drift, or warning, requiring immediate high-force manual intervention to overpower mechanical torque and prevent a collision or roadway departure. Chronology of manufacturer notice: - Oct 2024: Initial consumer dispute logs flagged steering safety concerns and unresolved campaign items. - Dec 2024: Opened Corporate Case 24164934, formally alerting consumer affairs to dangerous steering wheel jerking. - Jan 2025: Presented to an authorized dealer; an OTA software update was deployed, but intermittent tracking failures persisted, including failure to recognize lanes at night. - June 2026: Under Case 42680760, the system failed acutely on the interstate, jerking the vehicle out of painted lanes. The malfunction originates in the LKA steering control module and camera hardware, which are intact and available for inspection. Dealerships have not replicated the defect during brief diagnostic windows due to its intermittent nature. The manufacturer has deflected these notifications and refused a forensic diagnostic sweep or mechanical remediation. Instead, case managers attempted to close the file by offering partial financial goodwill for an unrelated cosmetic paint delamination defect on the same vehicle. No warning lamps or error messages precede these events; the system executes aggressive mechanical intervention with zero notice. This system error bypasses driver override thresholds, conflicting with vehicle crash avoidance frameworks. Because the computer fails to log diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) during these steering drops, the manufacturer exploits this data vacuum to deny structural remediation, creating severe multi-vehicle side-impact and rollover risks.

NHTSA complaint #11743968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle experiences severe, intermittent, un-commanded steering inputs from the Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) system at highway speeds (55-70 MPH). The steering wheel violently jerks toward adjacent traffic lanes/shoulders without operator input, lane drift, or warning, requiring immediate high-force manual intervention to overpower mechanical torque and prevent a collision or roadway departure. Chronology of manufacturer notice: - Oct 2024: Initial consumer dispute logs flagged steering safety concerns and unresolved campaign items. - Dec 2024: Opened Corporate Case 24164934, formally alerting consumer affairs to dangerous steering wheel jerking. - Jan 2025: Presented to an authorized dealer; an OTA software update was deployed, but intermittent tracking failures persisted, including failure to recognize lanes at night. - June 2026: Under Case 42680760, the system failed acutely on the interstate, jerking the vehicle out of painted lanes. The malfunction originates in the LKA steering control module and camera hardware, which are intact and available for inspection. Dealerships have not replicated the defect during brief diagnostic windows due to its intermittent nature. The manufacturer has deflected these notifications and refused a forensic diagnostic sweep or mechanical remediation. Instead, case managers attempted to close the file by offering partial financial goodwill for an unrelated cosmetic paint delamination defect on the same vehicle. No warning lamps or error messages precede these events; the system executes aggressive mechanical intervention with zero notice. This system error bypasses driver override thresholds, conflicting with vehicle crash avoidance frameworks. Because the computer fails to log diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) during these steering drops, the manufacturer exploits this data vacuum to deny structural remediation, creating severe multi-vehicle side-impact and rollover risks.

NHTSA complaint #11743968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

Vehicle experiences severe, intermittent, un-commanded steering inputs from the Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) system at highway speeds (55-70 MPH). The steering wheel violently jerks toward adjacent traffic lanes/shoulders without operator input, lane drift, or warning, requiring immediate high-force manual intervention to overpower mechanical torque and prevent a collision or roadway departure. Chronology of manufacturer notice: - Oct 2024: Initial consumer dispute logs flagged steering safety concerns and unresolved campaign items. - Dec 2024: Opened Corporate Case 24164934, formally alerting consumer affairs to dangerous steering wheel jerking. - Jan 2025: Presented to an authorized dealer; an OTA software update was deployed, but intermittent tracking failures persisted, including failure to recognize lanes at night. - June 2026: Under Case 42680760, the system failed acutely on the interstate, jerking the vehicle out of painted lanes. The malfunction originates in the LKA steering control module and camera hardware, which are intact and available for inspection. Dealerships have not replicated the defect during brief diagnostic windows due to its intermittent nature. The manufacturer has deflected these notifications and refused a forensic diagnostic sweep or mechanical remediation. Instead, case managers attempted to close the file by offering partial financial goodwill for an unrelated cosmetic paint delamination defect on the same vehicle. No warning lamps or error messages precede these events; the system executes aggressive mechanical intervention with zero notice. This system error bypasses driver override thresholds, conflicting with vehicle crash avoidance frameworks. Because the computer fails to log diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) during these steering drops, the manufacturer exploits this data vacuum to deny structural remediation, creating severe multi-vehicle side-impact and rollover risks.

NHTSA complaint #11743968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I took it to Hyundai Dealership in November 2025 and did the Service Campaign 9C2 and TSB 25-01-087H software update. Since that happened my engine is jumpy and I have taken it back to dealer and they can't find anything. Several people with this issue have been found since on several forums after having the update. One said the dealer knows about the issue and so does Hyundai, but when I ask they know nothing.

NHTSA complaint #11743466 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.