54 of the 10,385 complaints filed about the Hyundai Santa FE are about the equipment — 1% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2007.
54
Complaints
1%
Share of all complaints
5
Crashes
5
Fires
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY:WHEELCHAIR LIFT/RAMP
See attached document for complaint.
NHTSA complaint #11740595 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY:WHEELCHAIR LIFT/RAMP:CRITICAL FASTENERS
The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe equipped with a Rockland Electric Mobility Scooter Lifter, Part Number: 10101194. The contact stated that after the mobility scooter lifter was installed on the vehicle, the vehicle experienced electrical failures. The A/C became inoperable, and the hatch opened intermittently. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked approximately a month after the lifter installation, the alarm sounded intermittently during the day. The contact observed the vehicle from the residence, but did not notice any abnormality. The contact installed the mobility scooter on the vehicle in the evening. The contact stated that the vehicle alarm sounded at night, and the contact noticed that the vehicle had caught on fire and there were flames coming from underneath the hood by the engine and firewall location. The vehicle was significantly burned from the front end to the trunk. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. A fire department report and a police report were filed. There was no property damage. There was no physical injury sustained. The contact sustained mental trauma, causing headaches and the right side of the lip to quiver. The contact had called Gregory Fox, an investigative reporter and anchor at WESH 2 News(NBC), who notified the manufacturer of the failure. The manufacturer followed up with the contact and informed the contact that a third-party investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the fire incident. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard, where a third-party investigation was conducted, and the manufacturer informed the contact that the fire was caused by the Rockland Electric Mobility Scooter Lifter. The vehicle was totaled. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
NHTSA complaint #11729701 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to immediately start, but started after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the starter, oil filter, and engine filter, and changed the oil. On a hot day, there was a loud sound coming from the vehicle, and it was noticed that the unoccupied vehicle was attempting to start independently. The contact unlocked the vehicle and opened the vehicle door, put the keys in the ignition, and continued to crank for approximately four minutes. The accelerator pedal was pumped, and the vehicle stopped. There was smoke coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle eventually stopped. There were flames coming from the vehicle. The contact called 911, an independent mechanic, her father, and the fire department. The Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire and disconnect the battery. The mechanic determined that the engine cover was burned. There were no reported injuries. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact indicated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 11E040000 (Equipment). The insurance company referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
NHTSA complaint #11727026 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TRAILER HITCHES
The contact owned a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH onto the ramp, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle stalled and shut off, and the contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact was calling for Roadside Assistance and noticed white smoke coming from under the hood. The stated that the smoke then turned dark brown and then black, and then flames appeared under the hood. The contact grabbed several things of value and exited the vehicle and started running. The vehicle was engulfed in flames, and the EDR was destroyed. The contact sustained minor scratches after falling while running away from the vehicle. No medical attention was sought. The Police and Fire Department were called to the scene. The contact stated that a Police report was not filed due to the incident not being related to a crash. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The local dealer where the vehicle was purchased was contacted; however, no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle had been purchased two months prior to catching on fire. The vehicle was inspected by the Insurance provider and declared a total loss. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V181000 (TRAILER HITCHES); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 94,400.
NHTSA complaint #11701574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa FE. The contact stated that while parked and seated in the vehicle, the instrument panel was blinking on and off several times before going dark. The contact stated that the infotainment system also displayed a blank screen. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a recall repair, and the contact was informed that there was no failure with the instrument panel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 6,000.
NHTSA complaint #11697930 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TRAILER HITCHES
2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE- Consumer states: I saw the notice on TV regarding a recall on my specific vehicle for the trailer hitch issue. I immediately contacted my local Hyundai dealership and scheduled an appointment. The Service Department concluded that my vehicle was included in the recall, I was told that they had not yet received a recommendation from Hyundai on a remedy for this fire hazard. My invoice indicates "your vehicle does have a Genuine Hyundai Towing hitch and 4-pin harness installed, there is currently no remedy available however you can continue driving the vehicle, but it is recommended that you park the vehicle outside until a remedy has been performed.April, 2023, I called the Hyundai Corporate Office and was assigned a case manager, Rohan. I suggested that Hyundai buy back the vehicle, with 5000 miles on it, because if I cannot tow my boat, it's useless to me, and also because I cannot park the vehicle in my heated 3 car attached garage. Rohan said he would try to find a local business to install a new hitch. I would have pay for it and submit the bill to Hyundai for reimbursement. The next time I heard from Rohan, he instructed me to find a local business to install the hitch. I did contact a couple local businesses and they all indicated that they wanted nothing to do with the Hyundai recall. My question to Rohan was, if he thought a private business could do the fix, why hadn't Hyundai come up with a timely fix, given the potential devastation that the outcome could have if a fire did occur. At the end of April, 2023, Rohan stopped accepting and responding to my calls. I believe that Hyundai has failed to timely remedy the towing hitch issue which, according to Hyundai, may ignite a fire even with the ignition turned off. Hyundai has known that these issues existed well before it was announced on TV in March, 2023 but did not officially notify the owners of the vehicles until the end of May, 2023. It is very unnerving driving this vehicle knowing this is the one that could catch fire anywhe
NHTSA complaint #11528825 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TRAILER HITCHES
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V181000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
NHTSA complaint #11526591 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TRAILER HITCHES
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number:23V181000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11525587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TRAILER HITCHES
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary at a traffic light, the vehicle turned off and on intermittently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the key out of the ignition to completely turn off the vehicle. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive to her destination. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V181000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact associated the failure with the recall. The local dealer was not contacted regarding the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
NHTSA complaint #11525574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TRAILER HITCHES
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while they were driving on the street. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The fire department was on the scene and filed a report. The husband had extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V181000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact had taken the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it had not been diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. VIN tool confirms parts not yet available.
NHTSA complaint #11519819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TRAILER HITCHES
I HAVE A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE THAT HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED YET ON THE TRAILER HITCH, AND SINCE I HAD THE VEHICLE AND STARTED DRIVING IT I HAVE TOLD THE CAR DEALER SEVERAL TIMES THAT THE TPMS THAT THE ICON HAS BEEN ON AND EVEN HAVING IT LOOKED AT SEVERAL TIMES IT WON?T STAY OFF WHEN I DRIVE I GET WEIRD PULLING EVEN AFTER HAVING AN ALIGNMENT DONE. I TRAVEL FREQUENTLY AND NEED TO KNOW IS THIS SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT! I DID CHECK THE VIN IT ONLY SHOWS THE RECALL FOR THE RECALL INCOMPLETE FOR THE TRAILER HITCH WIRING RECALL NUMBER 085 NHTSA NUMBER 08E055000, VIN NUMBER [XXX]! CAN SOMEONE PLEASE CONTACT ME ON WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS AT [XXX] I LEASED THIS VEHICLE IN FEBRUARY THEY DIDN'T LET ME KNOW ABOUT THE RECALL BUT SINCE THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY DAUGHTER VEHICLE WHEN SHE CHECKED I CHECK FOR MINE AS WELL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #11154653 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
2016 HYUNDAI SANTE FE INVOLVED IN A NEAR HEAD ON COLLISION. COMBINED TOTAL SPEED OF IMPACT APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH. TWO OCCUPANTS BOTH WEARING SEATBELTS AT TIME OF CRASH. DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING CRASH. PASSENGER SHOULDER HARNESS FAILED (LOCKING MECHANISM DID NOT LOCK) RESULTING IN PASSENGER HEAD IMPACT WITH WIND SHIELD CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DEFORMATION OF WIND SHIELD AND HEAD INJURY TO THE PASSENGER. LAP BELT RESTRAINT PREVENTED PASSENGER FROM SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE INJURY. PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #10904763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 75 MILES PER HOUR ON A SUNNY DAY, AND I SUDDENLY HEARD THIS HUGE "POP" LIKE SOMEONE HAD JUST SHOT MY WINDOW OUT WITH A GUN. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I BLEW OUT A TIRE BUT GOT OUT AND CHECKED AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE THERE. I KEPT HEARING WIND WHOOSHING THROUGH THE CABIN OF MY CAR, AND FINALLY I OPENED UP THE FABRIC COVER OF MY SUNROOF AND MY SUNROOF WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN OUT! THERE WERE NO TRUCKS WITH ROCKS OR ANY OTHER MEANS BY WHICH THIS SUNROOF COULD HAVE SHATTERED LIKE THAT. IT JUST PLAIN BLEW OUT ON ITS OWN. I GOT HOME AND CHECKED ON MY COMPUTER AND SURE ENOUGH, THERE WERE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT HYUNDAIS THAT HAD DEFECTIVE SUNROOFS THAT JUST BLEW OUT FOR NO REASON.
NHTSA complaint #10725834 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
THE FIRST TIME I CAME OUT TO START MY CAR AND LOOKED UP, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND WOULDN'T START. I HAD IT TOWED. I WAS INFORMED IT WAS THE STARTER. THE STARTER WAS REPLACED AND APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS LATER, I NOTICED A BRUSHING SOUND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. OVER TIME IT BECAME MORE OFTEN. I RETURNED THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES TO THE INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP. THEY COULDN'T FIND OUT THE NOISE. IN THE MEAN TIME I TOOK TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE STARTER AND TO TAKE IT BACK AND HAVE IT REPLACED. I RETURNED TO THE INDEPENDENT DEALER AND THEY REPLACED, IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. AT THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD IT WASN'T CATCHING. TWO WEEKS LATER IT STARTED THE SAME BRUSHING SOUND WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A DEALERSHIP TO INSPECT AND IN THE MEAN TIME THE CAR WHILE WARMING UP HAD A BURNT SMELL. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND IT WOULD NOT START. HAD IT TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP PUT THE CAR ON A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND PUT A NEW STARTER IN. MY CAR WAS HELD FOR 5 DAYS. THEY TOLD ME OIL HAD LEAKED FROM THE STARTER AND THAT WAS WHERE THE SMOKE CAME FROM AND THE BRUNT SMELL. WITHIN A WEEK THE CAR WHEN STARTED HAD THE BRUSHING SOUND AGAIN. I TRIED TO RECORD THE SOUND AND AFTER I STARTED 4 TIMES IT STARTED TO SMOKE AND WOULDN'T START. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AGAIN. IT IS NOW AT THE DEALERSHIP WAITING FOR A DIAGNOSTIC.
NHTSA complaint #10678753 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ACTIVATED AND FAILED UNEXPECTEDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.
NHTSA complaint #10593180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)
WE WERE ON A AN EXTENDED TRIP AND HAD PROGRAMMED THE GPS TO TAKE US TO A REMOTE POINT WE HAD NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE. SUDDENLY THE GPS SCREEN WENT BLANK, EXCEPT FOR THE VEHICLE MARKER ICON - THIS LASTED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. IT THEN FLASHED MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE TURNS (WHICH WERE INCORRECT), IT WENT BLANK AGAIN, AND THEN REFLASHED OTHER MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE TERMS. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. ULTIMATELY, THE GPS SAID WE HAD ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION, BUT WE WERE AT LEAST 30 MILES FROM ONE OF THE POINTS ALONG THE WAY TO WHERE WE WERE GOING. HAD I NOT KNOWN GENERALLY WHERE TO GO, I WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST IN A REMOTE AREA WITH LITTLE OR NO OTHER PEOPLE ON THE HIGHWAY TO HELP.
NHTSA complaint #10537177 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
6/25/13 MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 45MPH ON A 95 DEGREE DAY (FLORIDA) WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER BRIEFLY BLEW HOT AIR THEN STOP PRODUCING ANY AIR PERIOD. THE A/C LIGHT TURNED OFF AND NONE OF THE OTHER BUTTONS WOULD WORK. SHE TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY KEPT IT FOR THE DAY. SHE WAS ADVISED THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE INCIDENT, THE VEHICLES COMPUTER DID NOT SHOW ANY ERRORS, AND THE AIR PERFORMED PROPERLY FOR THEM. 7/10/13 MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 70MPH AND THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPPED BLOWING AGAIN. THE A/C LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED AND THE AIR FLOW DIAL WOULD NOT RESPOND. SHE TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AGAIN AND KEPT THE VEHICLE RUNNING FOR THE SERVICE TECH TO VIEW. THE SERVICE TECH WAS DUMBFOUNDED BY THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED AND THE AIR BEGAN TO BLOW WITHOUT ISSUE. WE HAVE NOT PICKED UP THE VEHICLE YET BUT WILL UPDATE WHEN ITS RETURNED.
NHTSA complaint #10524267 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
IN AN EMAILED RESPONSE, THE HYUNDAI MOTOR CORPORATION IS DEFLECTING A MALFUNCTION AND POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUE WITH ITS REDESIGNED 2013 MODEL VEHICLES? BLUETOOTH FUNCTIONALITY TO WIRELESS CARRIERS AND/OR PHONE MANUFACTURES? EQUIPMENT WHEN IT IS EVIDENT THAT THE ISSUE IS WITH THEIR COMPONENT(S). ISSUE: - AT APPROXIMATELY THE 14:45 TO 15:00 MINUTE CALL DURATION, THE VEHICLE'S BLUETOOTH MUTES THE DRIVERS? COMMUNICATION. THIS CAUSES AN UNDUE NECESSITY FOR THE DRIVERS TO MANUALLY MANIPULATE THE VEHICLE?S COMPONENTS OR THE DRIVERS? PERSONAL HANDSET, TO CONTINUE THE COMMUNICATION. THE TYPE OF PHONE AND CARRIER DETERMINES THE EXTENT OF THE DRIVERS? UNNECESSARY ACTION. THIS DISTRACTION UNDERMINES THE SAFETY BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH BLUETOOTH HANDS-FREE MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATION. EVIDENCE: - VARIOUS PHONE MANUFACTURERS? HANDSETS (THRU MULTIPLE CARRIERS) EXHIBIT THE SAME ISSUE. FURTHERMORE, INTERNET RESEARCH FINDS THE SAME PROBLEM BEING REPORTED BY DIFFERENT 2013 HYUNDAI VEHICLE OWNERS. HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F202DB3 CONSIDERING THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISTRACTED MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATION THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE NHTSA FOR FURTHER REVIEW.
NHTSA complaint #10505980 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
FAN KEEPS GOING ON AND OFF. DEALER SAID THERE IS A "SHORT IN THE A/C CONTROL HEAD".
NHTSA complaint #10494735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
THE ARE THREE LAYERS OF FLOOR COVERING ON THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST IS THE WALL TO WALL CARPET. THE SECOND IS A FLOOR MAT, MADE OF CARPET MATERIAL WHICH IS SECURELY ANCHORED TO THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE THIRD LAYER OF FLOOR COVERING IS A THICK RUBBER MAT. THE RUBBER MAT RESTS ATOP THE CARPETED FLOOR MAT UNANCHORED. IT SLIDES AROUND ON TOP OF THE CARPETED FLOOR MAT AND PREVENTS A SEVERE HAZARD BECAUSE IT OCCASIONALLY LODGES ITSELF UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, CAUSING THE PEDAL TO JAM. THIS DANGER CAN BE EXTREME BECAUSE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL JAMS IN AN INTERMEDIATE THROTTLE SETTING, IT LENGTHENS THE STOPPING DISTANCE AND HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.
NHTSA complaint #10482084 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.