856 of the
10,463 complaints filed about the Hyundai Santa FE
are about the electrical system —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2007.
ON 3 separate occasions the vehicle has suddenly quit going.twice going through an intersection after taking off. the third time going up hill near my house. the car would only go 10 mph. A message would come up on the dash that reads " transmission system error, Check transmission oil immediately. That was not the problem. The Hyundai dealership performed a recall update on the computer the first time.but that didn't solve the problem as a week later the same thing happened .Again the car was towed to the dealership. this time another transmission service was performed according to a tech line information. after retrieving my car from the dealership I drove it for less than a week and the same thing happened. The car was towed back to the dealership again.Now the dealership says they can't do any repairs as the computer will not store any malfunction codes so they will know what to repair. I have been in contact with Hyundai Motor America and a case file has been established. " 43176412 ". Hyundai will not accept any responsibility for placing a computer in a car that will not retain a MIL code. Hyundai now tells me they have done all they can and for me to get my car from the dealership and drive it. That is ridiculous. Hyundai wants me to put myself in danger of having a wreck because the car loses power in front of traffic behind me. People start slamming on brakes to keep from hitting me and blowing their horns.I'm also afraid of some loose cannon out there having road rage at me because I can't get out of the way. As for the car and Hyundai , no mention of the shortcomings of the computer was mentioned until the 3rd time the car was towed back to the dealership. Also, there is some type of serious problem with the transmission which Hyundai is failing to be concerned with . This is a dangerous situation. do I need to be seriously injured or worse before Hyundai addresses this issue ?
NHTSA complaint #11764017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Collision warning sensor alarm randomly comes on my dash and my car slams on the breaks. Very dangerous, I’m scared to drive down the highway going 60mph. 80,109 miles 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. I have not brought it in to a Hyundai dealership because they want a diagnosis fee and everything else. Hyundai should fix it. This alarm has happened several times than it will go away and come on like 3 times in a row, usually daily when I use the car
NHTSA complaint #11762036 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cold-Start Hesitation & Rough Shifting: Following the 9C2 ECU update, my vehicle is experiencing a brief period of throttle hesitation, rough shifting, or jerky transmission behavior specifically during cold-start operations.
NHTSA complaint #11760934 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe VIN [XXX], June 2024 build, 62k miles. Vehicle experienced total loss of power and drive, matching NHTSA recall 24V-529 / 263 for DCT failure. Dealer is refusing to perform recall, refusing to provide diagnostic codes via email, and demanding title and all service records before any work. Dealer claims new engine needed but won’t provide proof. This is a safety defect and dealer is violating recall law." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11759442 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe gasoline model. My VIN was included in Hyundai Safety Recall 263 / NHTSA Recall 24V-529 involving the Transmission Control Unit and potential damage to the dual-clutch transmission. On September 25, 2024, at fewer than 5,000 miles, the transmission failed and the vehicle was taken to a Hyundai dealership. The transmission repair/replacement was approved and the vehicle remained out of service until October 21, 2024. On June 5, 2026, the vehicle would not start and required towing to an authorized Hyundai dealership. The vehicle has remained at the dealership continuously since June 5 and has not been returned to me. The dealer has undertaken multiple unsuccessful repair/diagnostic efforts during the current visit. I am currently being told that the condition involves the engine/powertrain. Hyundai is now sending an engineer to the dealership because the condition remains unresolved. I am reporting this history because this vehicle experienced a transmission failure shortly after being subject to a federal transmission-related safety recall and has now developed another major engine/powertrain condition while still relatively new.
NHTSA complaint #11759564 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe, purchased new from Lynnes Hyundai in February 2017, has approximately 93,000 miles. The vehicle previously developed a significant oil-consumption/engine problem that was diagnosed by Hyundai, and Hyundai replaced the engine with a remanufactured engine. Approximately two weeks after the engine replacement, the check-engine light illuminated and DTC P1326 was identified. The dealership replaced the knock sensor. Approximately two weeks later, the check-engine light illuminated again with a recurring P1326 condition. The vehicle is currently at Lynnes Hyundai and has been there approximately three weeks while they attempt to determine the cause. Hyundai Techline is involved. Prior to the current repair visit, while traveling approximately 60 mph, the vehicle experienced a very forceful hesitation that jerked the vehicle. I immediately slowed down and pulled onto the shoulder. The vehicle continued to hesitate intermittently while I drove slowly to safety. I was concerned that the vehicle could lose power or shut down while I was driving at highway speed, creating a risk of a crash. The recurring P1326 condition has been confirmed by the Hyundai dealership. The vehicle and engine have been inspected by Hyundai/Lynnes Hyundai multiple times, including after the engine replacement. The current recurring condition has not been resolved. The check-engine light is the warning lamp associated with the current condition. I do not know the underlying cause of the recurring P1326 condition; Hyundai is currently attempting to diagnose it. The vehicle is currently available for inspection at Lynnes Hyundai.
NHTSA complaint #11759120 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This vehicle constantly pops up an alert to "consider taking a break" on the dash. It mutes everything else and causes a distraction. This vehicle was operated at normal highway driving conditions. THERE IS NO WAY TO DIABLE THIS. After looking online there is a reddit post from 2 years ago where this first came into effect and people have been complaining about it constantly. This is a genuine safety concern as any unexpected change or alert causes the driver to look away from the road to see "whats wrong" and for this incident NOTHING IS WRONG. An hour long commute should not pop up 15 alerts because the road has ruts or its mildly windy or the driver is wearing sunglasses or any number of minor things the vehicle doesnt like.
NHTSA complaint #11757081 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
I went to the store, came home , parked and turned off the car. Went to go outside about 10 minutes ,maybe. Black smoke coming from right front. By the time i grabbed the keys and fire extinguisher there were flames coming from the engine compartment
NHTSA complaint #11756416 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The horn has now stopped working in my vehicle twice. It was replaced 01/27/2023, and is now non-functional again. I believe this to be a safety issue as I have no way to warn other drivers or pedestrians of my presence, if necessary. One example of this, was that a vehicle was proceeding into my lane on the interstate yesterday afternoon and I had to avoid them hitting my vehicle by driving onto the shoulder of the road, as I could not use my horn to let them know they were coming into my lane while I was on the side of them.
NHTSA complaint #11756159 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid 2025 has a bad factory seal on the high voltage harness - hybrid battery connector that causes water to intrude the connector under normal conditions which can short the battery and pose a major safety issue. Hyundai is refusing warranty coverage of my shorted hybrid battery on my brand new 2025 Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid stating “Flood” with no evidence of flood damage. My car experienced multiple P engine hybrid system faults on XXX and would not drive. I had it towed the Van Hyundai Carrollton on that date. They did not look at the car for over a week and it sat on their lot the entire time. On XXX they finally inspected it and claimed the car had been “flooded” and shorted the hybrid battery. The only evidence they provided was moisture in the high voltage harness. There were no water/silt lines, any other damage to any other components, and no evidence of any water anywhere else on the vehicle. The video they showed of the undercarriage only showed normal splash marks from driving. The car was never flooded/submerged. Any water/moisture found in the harness would have been due to a faulty/defective factory seal that should be impervious to water under normal operating conditions. No water/flooding/submersion damage would have been obvious of this. The dealership refused to provide any evidence and had no follow-up. One key aspect they refused to acknowledge was there was a massive rainstorm in [XXX] onXXX which was also the only rainstorm in the area in the previous 1-2 months. This happened while the car was on the dealer’s lot. The car had no issues with any water prior to being at Van Hyundai. A case was opened with Hyundai Corporate and the Dealship also lied stating the car wasn’t in their system until XXX, which is false as I have phone records, tow records, and appointments showing the 7/10 date, so corporate overlooked that. I disagreed with the dealerships diagnosis as it was a scapegoat finding putting all blame o INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
NHTSA complaint #11755330 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle suffers from an intermittent, total engine stalling and propulsion failure. Without warning, the engine completely shuts down while driving and automatically drops the vehicle into "Accessory (ACC) Mode". The vehicle is fully intact, operational when it restarts, and is available for immediate inspection upon request How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This issue has occurred five total times in live traffic, severely risking the safety of the vehicle's occupants and surrounding drivers. The most recent and dangerous incident occurred on the freeway in heavy, stop-and-go traffic. A sudden, complete loss of power on a high-speed freeway leaves the vehicle entirely vulnerable to rear-end collisions, as it leaves no room or momentum to safely coast to the shoulder. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. The vehicle has been brought to an authorized Hyundai dealership five separate times specifically to diagnose this exact stalling issue. Because the failure is intermittent, dealership service technicians have been unable to replicate the problem during their test drives or resolve the root cause. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle has been inspected five separate times by authorized Hyundai dealership technicians during the service appointments mentioned above. No police, insurance, or independent manufacturer representatives have inspected the vehicle yet, as the stalling has not yet resulted in a physical crash. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?There are absolutely no dashboard warning lights, check engine indicators, error messages, or mechanical symptoms prior to the failures. The engine shuts down instant
NHTSA complaint #11755009 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
With my 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL, at Cold start the coolant gage on the digital cluster always shows 2-3 bars on the gauge and once the vehicle is put into drive (at least 30-45 seconds start up), the coolant gauze immediately increases in temperature reading without full drive (15 feet after gear placed in Drive). This may be improperly reading the coolant temperature and the OEM thermostat may be defective from manufacturer build. This can cause improper cooling and increase engine failure due to overheating.
NHTSA complaint #11752272 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving on the on ramp to [XXX] the car completely stopped and all systems shut off. There were two dash lights that flashed quickly with one being the check engine light but I did not see the other long enough to identify it. The dealership could not reproduce the issue but has the car now and is doing a more thorough evaluation. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine stopped. Yes it is available How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Extremely dangerous as it came to a stop in the middle of the road. It was late at night so at that moment no one was behind me. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? no Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no, the warning lights flashed on as the car died but disappeared once off. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11749471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I did a navigation update as requested by the infotainment system on the Hyundai. After the update, the air conditioner would not turn on when the ac button was depressed . I took the vehicle to my local Hyundai dealer and they found the ac blower and ac button working intermittently. After further inspection, the mechanic found the multi fuses that sit on the PCB bloc had one burnt fuse that did not blow and was still hot and the PCB block had melted around where the fuse connected to it. ( Hyundai stated that they required the damaged PCB fuse, the PCB block and the harness). I'm concerned that the electrical short discovered by the Hyundai mechanic could have progress and burnt my car or my house since I keep my car in the garage. The Mechanic working for the Hyundai dealer found the burnt fuses and PCB block and kept them after replacing them with new parts. The ac was working fine until I did the navigation update and there were no warnings whatsoever.
NHTSA complaint #11749431 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have had the vehicle in 4 times for check forward attendition warning system light keeps coming on. The first time they replaced the front camera. The situation came back after I was using the cruise control on a express way. Did not do it do it on the road but as soon as you stopped and turned the vehicle off the vehicle check forward attention warning system would come on and off and the only way to shut it off was to stop from more than 20 minutes and it would reset. Took the vehicle back 3 times and they could replicate so there was nothing they could do. The issue came back today. The check forward attention warning system light keeps going on and off. We stopped and let the vehicle sit and upon restarting the check forward attention did not reset . This time the vehicle lost all volume from the dash board. You could recieve phone but no volume. No radio volume. All the safety features that Bing are not working. Check the set up and the volume had a red 🔺️ next to the volume. 4 times into the shop for the same issur
NHTSA complaint #11748853 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Airbag light on. La Quinta Hyundai verified light on scanned codes found active b134800 Driver airbag resistance circuit short to ground 1st stage. Testing found clock spring issue internal fault. Since this clock spring is related to driver airbag, & horn, it would seem that this would be a safety hazard that would be under warranty. The extended warranty (Z01) that I received from Hyundai doesn’t cover my problem.
NHTSA complaint #11748248 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On [XXX] after spending the day at Henson Creek Golf Course in Fort Washington, MD, I returned to my vehicle and discovered that it had completely lost all electrical power and would not start. The vehicle exhibited no warning signs prior to the failure. Believing the issue to be related to the battery, I contacted AAA for roadside assistance. AAA attempted to jump-start the vehicle, but the jump-start was unsuccessful. The vehicle was subsequently towed on May 18, 2026, to Pohanka Hyundai in Capitol Heights, MD for diagnosis and repair. After approximately nine days, the dealership advised that the battery terminals had been secured and that no additional problem could be identified. On [XXX], the exact same issue occurred again; however, this incident was significantly more dangerous because it occurred while the vehicle was being driven. While traveling during morning rush hour through a busy intersection in Northeast Washington, DC, the vehicle suddenly and completely lost power without warning while in traffic. The vehicle stalled in the middle of the intersection, creating an extremely hazardous situation. Fortunately, motorists traveling behind me were able to stop in time, and no collision occurred. However, this incident could easily have resulted in a serious crash involving injuries or fatalities. The vehicle was towed to Ourisman Hyundai in Bowie, MD, where it is currently undergoing additional diagnosis. I am extremely concerned that this vehicle has experienced two complete electrical failures within approximately one month, including one incident that occurred while driving in heavy traffic. Because the dealership was unable to identify the root cause after the first incident, I am concerned that a serious defect may exist involving the vehicle's electrical system, battery system, wiring, power distribution system, or another component affecting vehicle operation and safety. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11747163 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.