2023 Hyundai Santa FE HEV

These are unverified consumer reports filed with NHTSA, shown as submitted.

• 12/21/2025· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  One two separate occasions while driving the car has lost the ability to accelerate. There is no acceleration power even when completely flooring the gas pedal. The dash displays a red circle warming that states "Check Hybrid system. Stop Safely". I have had to coast to the side of the road and then the car shuts off. It has taken several minutes before it can start again, and then displays a warning "Park with engine On to charge battery" before being able to shift the car into drive. I immediately took the vehicle to the dealership at which I had purchased the car. They have run a diagnostic on it and did not find any error codes stored in the computer. I picked up the vehicle from them and immediately upon pulling out of their lot it happened again. After losing power, coasting to the side of the road, and waiting for the engine to be able to restart I took it immediately back to the dealership. They have had my car for 5 weeks and cannot diagnose the problem or offer any recommendations for repairs.

• 12/14/2025· FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  The vehicle will not accelerate and comes to a complete stop while driving. Within days, it displayed ‘Check Hybrid System. Stop safely’ and lost propulsion while driving.

• 12/14/2023· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

  Bought the car in July 2023. Nov 23: I had a check hybrid system followed by check engine + red battery warning while driving in the interstate. The car lost power abruptly. Coasted out of the interstate, took the exit, and turned it off. Restarted after 15 mins. Only the check engine light came back on. We drove it back home. Just as we were entering the garage, the sequence happened again: Check Hybrid System warning followed by Red battery warning followed by car losing power. We had to push it back into the garage. Started it two days later and the check engine light was on. Check Hybrid System and red battery warnings did not come back on. Nearby Hyundai dealer's service said that they are not certified to work on Hybrid cars. Hyundai roadside assistance refused to tow it to the dealership that I brought from. So, I had to drive it to the next nearby Hyundai dealer service center who is one hour away. There, the technician ran diagnostics for the check engine light and got an error code: P01E0100. He said that Hyundai's website for running error codes is down. He reset the check engine light and no warnings came back upon restarting the car, so he sent me out. Dec 12: While driving in the residential neighborhood near my home, check hybrid system followed by check engine + red battery warnings came on; car sputtered and jerked and lost power; I did the mistake of turning left to try and bring the car back home; car lost power in the middle of the turn. Fortunately, there were no oncoming cars, so I could coast at 2mph and cross the road. This was extremely dangerous. I am concerned on two fronts: 1. The dealership service technician might not be able to get the warnings again, reset the check engine light, and send me back on my way. 2. If this issue occurs while driving in the interstate or while turning left at a busy signal, then this will likely result in an accident. I am concerned for my safety.

• 12/12/2023· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  Driving down the highway my sunroof shattered without being hit by anything. Local dealership is replacing, but if sunshade was open glass would have rained down on me.

• 12/12/2022· POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  On December 11 and 12, 2022, my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Hybrid failed to accelerate in traffic. In both cases I was attempting gradual acceleration to change lanes, or merge onto an another high traffic street and when I pressed the accelerator nothing happened. On second occasion I could not get any power for several seconds. In both cases I activated hazard signals to avoid a collision by vehicles rapidly approaching me from behind in a 50 Mph speed zone. The vehicle has 900 miles on it and I took delivery November 14,2022. I see where this has occurred to other Santa Fr Hybrids, yet when I called the dealer they seemed unaware of any problems.I am scheduled for a long driving trip to Michigan in a week. 567 miles and I am very concerned about driving on the Turnpikes with this problem. I am going to Pohanka Hyundai of Fredericksburg VA tomorrow.

• 12/10/2023· POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE

  vehicle fails to accelerate, engine is “sputtering” and making a rattling sound and battery is draining to nothing on the freeway driving at normal speeds. vehicle is lurching and engine does not appear to be shifting as it should - car losing power and failing to accelerate despite being full of gas. transmission doesn’t feel like it is shifting properly. vehicle only has 8000 miles.

• 12/06/2023· UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE

  This vehicle has only 8,961 miles. When driving a light comes on that states Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely then the vehicle shuts off. I have taken it to Lester Glenn Hyundai Toms River, where I purchased the vehicle and they cannot figure out the issue. This is a safety concern.

• 12/02/2023· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  While driving at approximately 70 mphs the panoramic sunroof exploded. It sounded like a gunshot in the car. The front windows were slightly cracked and the rear windows were down for my dog. The sunshade was back to let in light and the sunroof was fully closed. Temperature outside was 60 degrees. I had been driving for 5 hours from southern California to the Phoenix area. Glass went every shattering in the car, so much for shatterproof glass. No other cars were in sight on the two lane Carefree Hwy and no objects hit the vehicle. Sunny but cool day in the desert.

• 11/27/2024· POWER TRAIN

  Santa Fe will randomly experience inability to accelerate. I will hit the gas pedal, the engine will rev all the way up to power, it will slowly crawl forward and than violently accelerate. From the time I hit the gas pedal to the time it actually starts moving takes several seconds. It does this every time I come to a stop once it starts. It has done this 4 occasions now. It puts me at significant danger trying to turn across traffic. In general, it not accelerating as you would expect is a very dangerous situation. Dealer has had the car for over a month and has had the car reproduce the issue. The HEV light and check engine light had come on a couple of the occurrences.

• 11/22/2024· VISIBILITY

  As my wife and I were traveling down the interstate at 45 mph, we heard a loud POP, but we were unable to figure out where it came from. Just a few seconds later, the sunroof exploded into a million tiny pieces of glass that partially rained down on our heads and shoulders. It was quite a startling sound. There was a hole about 8 inches across in the moveable sunroof and more pieces were continuing to fall out. To protect our heads, I closed the shade. There was no evidence of an object striking. Windows were all closed when the incident occurred.

• 11/19/2024· POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  Vehicle has gone into limp mode 2 times in the past week. Power when accelerating would not exceed 30 mph when pushing the gas pedal to the floor. Had to pull over as I was getting onto the highway and stop/ power down the car and restart.

• 11/16/2024· POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  Twice, the car refused to switch from EV mode back to gas mode. This resulted in the hybrid battery dying and the car losing power. The first time, I was merging onto the freeway and the gas pedal was all the way at the floor, but I was only maintaining speed (not accelerating). Both times, the car was driveable for approximately one mile on the hybrid battery alone. However, a warning came on the dash, “Check hybrid system. Stop safely.” The second time, I was able to pull into a parking lot before the hybrid battery died. The next day, I was able to drive the car normally. The dealership is unable to pull any codes or replicate the issue. Unfortunately, it only happens intermittently and we have not identified a common theme for the failure.

• 10/27/2024· FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  I am afraid of getting myself or someone else killed because there is a 1-2 second lag after stepping on the gas pedal after coming to a stop. This is extremely dangerous. My street empties onto a county road with a blind curve. I have had several instances when the delay between the car moving after I’ve stepped on the gas has lead to oncoming cars needing to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting me. I even called the county and asked that they put up a “dangerous curve sign. They put up a squiggly arrow instead which has not helped. My previous gas vehicles made this turn safely for 20 years. My nephew told me it’s a new feature in cars called “stop and gol meant to save gas. I think saving my life is more important than saving a little bit of gas. It happens all the time so I will put todays date in the space below.

• 10/22/2024· POWER TRAIN,ENGINE

  I have pinging sound coming from the engine when I accelerate. Transmission seems to skip during acceleration. Took it to the dealership for repair since the car is under warranty. Dealership replaced a bearing in the axle and replaced the turbo. I’m still having the same issues. Dealership had my car for 5 weeks dealing with this issue. I feel they don’t know what’s causing the problem.

• 10/21/2023· UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY

  We were driving at around 55mph and Panasonic sunroof exploded as is something hit it: however, nothing did. The glass tattered and fell on top of us (driver and passenger). We were unhurt but quite shook up.

• 10/14/2024· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  The Automatic Emergency Braking System, on multiple occasions now, has slammed on its brakes at highway speed when there are no obstacles, barriers, or even vehicles in sight ahead of my wife. This happened to me the other day also when exiting the highway onto an exit ramp when it "Detected Collision" when *nothing* was around me, no vehicles or barriers within any reasonable distance. It's going to end up causing someone to rear end me or her - absolutely unsafe and 100% putting my wife and child at risk. We're taking it to the dealership on Saturday and have verbally informed them of the issue. No warnings, no messages, no nothing prior to incident - the car is practically brand new.

• 10/11/2024· LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Three times this has happened. The instances occurred on Highway 680 between Pleasanton and San Jose. I was going the speed limit - 65 miles per hour - as were tons of cars around me. Suddenly the car would brake, startling me because I was nowhere near another car. It frightened me a lot! I think it is the automatic braking system - either the front end collision warning or the blind spot collision warning. It could have easily resulted in an accident. I took it to the Hyundai dealership, and they knew they could not likely duplicate it. They showed me where to turn off the vehicle control (braking) for the front end collision warning and the blind spot collision warning. I have read on the Internet several other parties that have experienced this - car-controlled braking while traveling at high speed with lots of cars around.

• 10/08/2024· ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

  See attached document for complaint.

• 09/25/2025· ENGINE

  On September 4, 2025 as I pulled on to Interstate I-70 my car suddenly lost power. Gas engine died. Loud attention sound started. Instrument cluster started flashing red with message "EV system failure, stop immediately" EV battery showed full depletion although a moment before it showed about 75% power. There was only enough propulsion to keep moving slowly. Since this was a construction zone the shoulder was blocked off and roadway was reduced to only one lane. I had no where to go. A large truck narrowly avoided rear ending me. I was scared and felt helpless. Eventually I was able to pull off and shut off the car. It was able to be re-started immediately with no warning indicators and EV battery power restored. This loss of power has happened 6 times before during the time I have owned the car. Last time was in March 2025. Each previous time it happened I was traveling at about 35 miles per hour and while annoying I did not fear for my life. On March 6, 2025 I had the dealer, McCarthy Hyundai, check out this problem. There were no detectable problems or problem codes. I was told that it might have been caused by the oil dip stick not being fully seated. It was obvious they had no clue what caused this but that I should come back if it happened again. I have reported this to Hyundai customer service who would not confirm that this was a problem encountered by many others. From looking at reports on the internet, my problem is not unique except for being life thretening. Customer service had me bring it back to dealer. Yesterday, September 24, I picked up the vehicle whohad it for a week to try to fix the problem. Once again there were no error codes. Only problem they found was an ignition coil which needed to be replaced. They could not give a convincing explaination of how a bad ignition coil could cause a complete failure of the gas motor and EV system or why if the coil was sole problem that it would only cause this failure every 3 to 6 months. Please help!

• 09/19/2024· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Driving down interstate at 70 mph and car started to brake while foot on gas pedal. Would not go…red brake alert came on. Luckily no other car in left lane and pulled off to side of road. Car would not drive. Called tow truck.

• 09/18/2023· LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION

  Beginning the evening of 8/21/2023, this 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe HEV began displaying warning messages: "Check Blind Spot Safety System" and "Check Rear Cross-Traffic Safety System." Simultaneously, the car would not register a "Ready to Drive" and could not be shifted into Drive or Reverse. The car could be shifted into Neutral. After turning off and restarting the car several times, the warning messages did not recur, and the car could be shifted and driven normally. The problem recurred in the following days. It appeared that the issue was unrelated to cleaning the sensors but may have been related to the car being left in the sun. The car had to be towed to a dealer on 8/23. This dealer claimed to be unable to reproduce the problem. It is believed that the dealer kept the vehicle in a shaded garage during this time. After retrieving the vehicle from the first dealer, the problem recurred the following day, 9/2, again after having been parked in the sun on a warm day. The vehicle had to be towed to another dealer who was able to reproduce, but not diagnose, the issue. As of 9/18, the dealer states that they have identified a connector that appears to be causing the issue, but they say that they don't know what the connector does, because it does not appear in manufacturer wiring diagrams corresponding to the VIN. Because of the dealer's and manufacturer's inability to diagnose the issue, it is unclear if the issue actually implicates the operation of the blind spot and rear cross-traffic safety systems identified in warning messages. Hopefully it is possible for NHTSA to work with Hyundai to figure that out. The vehicle is with the dealer in Chantilly, VA and is available for inspection.

• 09/14/2024· POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  It started in April 2024. After the dealership performed an oil change we heard a strange noise whenever we accelerated. The dealership said it was either the transmission or the hybrid motor and both were on back order (usually an indicator that these parts are in great demand). After several weeks both parts arrived but they only replaced the transmission because that took care of the noise. A few days after we got the car back, we heard a clunking sound whenever we shifted. I tried to take the car to a different dealership but they said we had to return to the place that installed the transmission because bolts were missing. We went back to that dealership and they said no bolts were missing but they did need to be tightened. After that the clunking stopped, however, the next day we started experiencing other problems. The check engine and master system lights came on and the car would hesitate when accelerating. This was extremely dangerous when we were on the freeway and/or trying to accelerate from a traffic signal. Also, it had trouble shifting into reverse. The dealership said the codes were indicating the hybrid system battery needed to be replaced. The car has less than 20k miles.

• 09/10/2024· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  One of the 2 horns has stopped working. After checking the Hyundai Forum website, I've found that one or both horns has suddenly went dead on not just Santa Fe's, but virtually all Hyundai models across the board. This seems to be a widespread defect. This is very dangerous because the cessation of operation is sudden and without warning (ie, no dashboard warning light). If there is a need for the driver to sound a horn in a time of danger there may be absolutely no way to give a warning.

• 08/24/2023· TIRES

  This tire was observed as defective in an inspection at Holler Hyundai in Winter Park FL. It was supposed to be mailed to Continental Tire for inspection, but the dealership failed to do that. I have photos of the defect (wire protruding for inside side wall). Every effort to discover the tire's location has been frustratingly stonewalled by the folks at the dealership. This tire's lot might be dangerous to other drivers and needs visible inspection.

• 08/23/2023· SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Since I have had the car, five months, there have been THREE INCIDENTS of the car braking to a stop suddenly and unexpectedly while I am driving. At no time were there other cars near me; I was not in danger of hitting anything or anyone as the road was clear. The stops were jarring and upsetting as I could not discern a reason for these sudden stops. I feel it is very dangerous to stop in the middle of the street without warning.

• 08/23/2023· ENGINE

  On 8/14/23/ I got the first oil change for my new car at the dealer. On 8/15/23 as I cruised at 65mph on a crowded Detroit expressway, I pushed further on the accelerator to get away from an aggressive driver on my tail. Nothing happened; The car engine shut down. No warning, no lights, no beeping, no alarm, no dash screen message. Dead engine in the middle lane with cars all around. After i miraculously made it to the shoulder of the freeway, The engine light and oil light came on. Not before, only after the car died. The dipstick indicated The car was out of oil. Unbeknownst to me the parts used to change the oil the previous day were defective. The oil had leaked out over the course of the day and over night. (I later discovered my driveway full of oil). THE PROBLEM, additional to the defective parts is the fact that I HAD NO WARNING THAT THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WAS IMMINENT. I HAD NO WARNING THAT THE CAR HAD NO OIL. I came close to getting killed that day, and still have nightmares. Had i known the car was oil-less, I would not have driven it. This is a car that beeps and pushes and tells one how to drive at every juncture. It tells low gas, low tire pressure, etc. WHY WOULD IT NOT WARN ABOUT THE LOW OIL OR THE IMMINENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN??? I was told the car has a “FAILSAFE” feature for the oil. HOW SAFE IS A FAILSAFE IF THE DRIVER GETS KILLED WHILE THE CAR ENGINE PROTECTS ITSELF???

• 08/04/2023· STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  Incomplete weld(s) in frame/body at drivers side rear passenger seat floor area. Dealer has vehicle and is unable to repair frame/body weld(s) without removing body from frame. Frame/body flexing in the area of hybrid batteries are will continue to worsen over time causing possible short in wiring and or batteries causing fire. Dealer has confirmed issue. Manufacturer is buying back above vehicle at this time. Only warning sign was a persistent rattle in frame/body in driver’s rear passenger floor.

• 07/31/2024· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  I was driving 70 MPH on highway and the AEB activated despite no other vehicles in front of me. Thankfully the car behind me was far enough behind that they could swerve out of the way, or it could have been a massive collision. Additionally the person behind me could have swerved into traffic Causing a massive accident. This is happened twice the other time I was going 50 miles an hour. I am afraid to drive this car on the highway now.

• 07/25/2023· POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE

  On nine separate occasions between mid-June 2023 (mileage appx. 600) and July 21, 2023 (mileage 1994), my vehicle lost power (decrease or loss of power and/or hesitated, sputtered, or stalled) when I was accelerating from a stop or slow speed. During these times, I have noticed that the air conditioner starts blowing only warm air. The only way to correct the issue has been to turn off the engine and then restart it. No error codes have ever been generated, and only twice did warning lights come on (engine oil light and battery light). I will upload my documentation file (to date) with the specifics of what happened along with dates and mileages this has happened. This happened one time on the freeway; I had to pull over to the side to stop/restart my engine. It was very unsafe and put my family at risk. This is a significant safety issue, and I do not feel comfortable driving because if I pull out into traffic and experience this loss of power, I could easily get hit by oncoming traffic. The vehicle has been at the Hyundai dealer since July 5, 2023 (three weeks tomorrow), and it is still there. They had not been able to replicate the problem. I went to pick up the vehicle on July 21, 2023, and as soon as I left the parking lot, the problem happened. I did a U-turn to come back to the dealer, and the vehicle lost all power. I had the vehicle in reverse, and there seemed to be no engagement of the transmission. Even with the gas pedal pushed all the way to the floor, there was no engine revving and no movement of the vehicle. The Hyundai technician and service advisor came to see the issue firsthand (since they had not been able to replicate it). The issue was only resolved when the vehicle engine was turned off and restarted. The vehicle remains at the dealer for further testing. Yes, I will gladly make my vehicle available for inspection upon request.

• 07/22/2025· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  I am reporting a serious and recurring safety defect with my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, purchased new in January 2024. The vehicle has suffered from over 30–40 sudden hybrid system failures, including loss of acceleration, “Stop Vehicle” warnings, and check engine lights. These incidents happen without warning, including while driving at legal speeds (40–70 mph), on residential streets and highways. Most recently, the car failed twice in two days, while my teenage son was driving within all road laws, including once with a friend in the car. The vehicle simply stopped accelerating in the middle of traffic, endangering them and everyone around them. These failures have happened at legal speeds ranging from 40–70 mph, on both residential roads and highways. There is no advance warning, just abrupt loss of power and sudden warning messages. We’ve taken the vehicle to the South Charlotte Hyundai dealership multiple times. Each time, they either reset the check engine light or replaced indicators: but never addressed the root hybrid system failure. We filed a lemon law case, and Hyundai responded with only a $2,000 offer including legal fees, requiring us to keep the dangerous vehicle. We rejected the offer. These failures have occurred with children and passengers in the car. We have documented as many incidents as we could, including photos, service records, and communication with Hyundai. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I no longer feel safe driving or allowing my family to drive this car. This is a critical hybrid system failure that continues to place lives at risk. I believe this may be part of a wider pattern affecting Hyundai hybrid vehicles, and I am pleading with the NHTSA to open an investigation before someone is seriously injured or worse.

• 07/19/2024· ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  When I start driving the car if I come up to a hill when I try to accelerate to move forward the cars engine cuts out almost like it stalls. I have to floor or pump the gas which makes a revving sound and the car will go.

• 07/16/2024· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE

  The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30-35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle worked as designed for several miles before the failure recurred. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was due to the accelerator switch. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH in the driveway, the vehicle lost motive power. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 6,800.

• 07/13/2023· TRAILER HITCHES

  The contact owns a 2023 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 notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

• 07/10/2024· STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE

  While driving the blind spot safety system, driver attention warning system, and lane following system malfunction at the same time, and the vehicle loses power steering. The first time this occured was in the parking lot of an elementary school in April 2024. I was driving less than 2mph and the vehicle had less than 8,000 miles on it. The dealer said they would be unable to diagnose unless they witnessed the errors. The second time it occured was in May 2024 while driving on the interstate at around 75mph. The vehicle was driven directly to the dealership who kept it for four weeks. They said the connections to the ECU were severely corroded, sanded them down, and added a water protectant. The third time it occured was a month later. The dealership has had the vehicle for two weeks with no diagnosis. Losing power steering suddenly while driving is incredibly dangerous, especially in a vehicle of this size and weight. It is difficult to control the vehicle without power steering, and in all cases there have been other vehicles/people in the area who could have been injured.

• 07/06/2025· UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  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.

• 07/03/2024· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  I was driving approximately 55 mph on an interstate with no hazards nearby. The car's Emergency Braking System engaged causing the vehicle to slow down suddenly to about 35 mph. I continued pushing on the accelerator to try to get the vehicle back to the appropriate speed and was able to do so.

• 07/01/2023· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  Check engine light and HEV warning light come on and vehicle looses all power. It has been confirmed by myrtle beach Hyundai also they tried fixing the problem gave me back car supposedly fixed just to have same problem within 24 hours.The problem started later part of April and is still ongoing vehicle has been towed 3 times so far.My concern is what happens if I loose all power while driving.

• 06/23/2025· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,LANE DEPARTURE

  Between [XXX] am on [XXX]. I powered on my vehicle and the rear trunk door simultaneously opened. As I was driving my son to school that morning, I noticed water dripping onto my foot. I continued to drive but was distracted by beeping and warning messages but because the dashboard display was constantly switching from daytime to night lighting I could not readily see the dashboard. I tried to manually adjust the light by turning the knob off "auto" and also turning lights to "off" but it would immediately switch back. I made it to the first stop light and while stopped I was able to observe water droplets on the front panel of the interior fuse box. I pulled open the panel and water dropped out onto to floor. I replaced the panel. I continued to drive but was panicked and worried that water was in the fuse panel area. I arrived at my son's school and left the car running as he was dropped off. On the drive home, the beeping continued. This time, I saw the warning message about vehicle in my blind spot but I was on the street corner about to make a right turn and there was no vehicle next to me! The lights also kept switching as before. There was rust observed in the fuse panel area. When I got home, I called the dealership to inform them what happened. They refused to give me a loaner. I told them that water intrusion should not have occurred (we had severe weather and heavy rains the day prior) and now my car was having electrical issues and I was concerned for my safety and the safety of driving my 3 young children in car seats should there be an electrical fire. I mentioned the recall on my vehicle for water accumulation in the tow hitch and risk of electrical fire. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• 06/14/2024· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  On highway, emergency braking enacted. I pulled to side the of the road to turn engine off and restart car. When I did, I could not put the car in gear. I have had other similar incidents happen with this vehicle. After about an hour of waiting for roadside assistance and having NYS troopers come help, the car dash lit up and I was then able to put car in Drive. When I talked to dealership and said that I got a diagnostic message on my screen to have transmission component checked TODAY ('today' was in all CAPS on the screen), they said they could not get me in. Then when I said, "I'm supposed to just drive around hoping my car doesn't break down again?" She said, "I'll cross my fingers for you." Are you kidding me!? My safety is at risk is this what a major dealership's answer is to the car's issue?

• 06/14/2023· POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  This is related to Complaint Number 11526621 filed June 13, '23. Today I experienced the same issue described in my previous complaint but under different circumstances. I was at an intersection of two 2-lane highways, one going east-west and the other going north-south, and was facing oncoming traffic as I waited for a gap in the oncoming traffic that would allow me to make the left turn. Once a gap appeared (perhaps 4 or 5 car lengths long), I pressed the accelerator to turn left but there was zero propulsion for about 2 seconds. I was simply stalled in the path of the oncoming traffic. At the end of the 2 second delay, as the vehicle transitioned from EV (electric) to internal combustion (gasoline) mode of propulsion, my vehicle GRADUALLY accelerated just enough to allow me to complete the turn; however, I came very close to being broadsided by the oncoming traffic. This is a dangerous fault of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid vehicle and needs to be addressed asap! There is obviously something wrong with the EV/internal combustion synchronization/communication causing the momentary loss of power!

• 06/12/2023· POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  The issue I'm about to describe has occurred multiple times during the seven (7) months I've owned the vehicle - including again today. In all cases, I was attempting gradual acceleration to merge onto a highway or high-traffic street (e.g., when exiting a mall parking lot onto a busy city street). When I press the accelerator nothing happens - NO power whatsoever for at least two seconds! And on three of these occasions, I was almost broadsided by oncoming high-speed traffic! I've reported this issue to my dealership (both sales and service) and their response was that this is a known problem with the Hyundai hybrid models BUT that there is NO fix available nor, to the best of their knowledge, is there one in the process of being developed! As stated above, there is sometimes as much as a 2-second delay from when stepping on the accelerator (even when fully depressing) to when the vehicle slowly starts to accelerate. And there are no warning lights to indicate that there is a problem. I've observed that in all cases when this issue occurs, it does so when the power train is transitioning from the EV (electric) mode to the internal combustion mode of propulsion. This should NOT be a difficult issue for Hyundai to resolve and should be addressed with utmost urgency before someone is seriously injured or killed! NHTSA - please intervene by directing Hyundai to launch an immediate recall campaign to resolve this very dangerous issue, or offer to refund the affected owners' purchase price!

• 06/03/2026· SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE

  I am submitting this formal safety complaint regarding a structural defect in my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid that I believe poses a safety concern and warrants federal investigation under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (49 U.S.C. § 30101 et seq.). The vehicle exhibits a persistent and recurring structural creak originating from the pinch weld area adjacent to the hybrid battery storage compartment — specifically at a metal-on-metal contact point above the rear driver-side wheel well. The noise presents most prominently at low speeds over uneven surfaces, driveway transitions, and speed bumps. The root cause, as identified by service documentation and owner community reports, is a manufacturing defect in the pinch weld construction where two metal body components make contact due to insufficient clearance tolerances. This affects the structural integrity of the body-in-white in proximity to the hybrid high-voltage battery system. III. SAFETY SIGNIFICANCE I am reporting this as a safety concern for the following reasons: •The defect involves structural body components adjacent to the high-voltage hybrid battery storage compartment. Any degradation of body structure in this area presents a potential risk of battery exposure, puncture, or damage in collision scenarios; •The metal-on-metal contact at the pinch weld constitutes an ongoing structural stress point that may accelerate fatigue and cracking of load-bearing body components over time; •The defect is present across a statistically significant number of 2023 Santa Fe Hybrid units based on online owner community documentation, suggesting a manufacturing pattern rather than an isolated anomaly; •Multiple authorized Hyundai service centers have been unable to provide a permanent repair, indicating the defect is systemic and not addressable through routine service procedures; •The proximity of the defect to hybrid drivetrain components warrants evaluation for potential regulatory compliance

• 05/21/2025· POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  I am reporting an URGENT REQUEST IMMEDIATE ACTION REGARDING A SERIOUS UNRESOLVED, RECURRING PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE. IT IS POTENTIALLY THE FAULT OF ALEXANDRIA HYUNDAI'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT (in Alexandria, VA) WHO HAD JUST SERVICED MY VEHICLE FOR WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A ROUTINE SERVICING (on May 7). My car had a catastrophic and complete failure on a high speed highway (the car quickly decelerated) which represented an incredibly danger situation for myself and other drivers on the road. My car was purchased in 2023 and has 15,241 miles. It has been perfectly maintained. On [XXX], I was returning to my home in Virginia from Maryland on an 8 lane highway with a 55mph speed limit when I had a very dangerous complete failure of my car. Simultaneously, the car started bucking back, the speed was decelerating regardless of my pressing the accelerator to keep my speed the same as traffic, and I received a flashing large red message that said "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM - STOP SAFELY." Fortunately I was in the far right lane and was able to veer it over to a narrow shoulder. It was 8pm and getting dark. After a short while, the car lost all power so I was on a narrow shoulder with no lights flashing anymore. I was in this dark car with a lot of traffic speeding my with my 2 dogs. I became incredibly stressed about how we were going to get home. I contacted AAA, a police officer and Uber Pet who worked together in this unsafe situation on the side of the highway to get myself and my dogs home into the Uber vehicle with only the front door opening (no power). It was over 2 hours before I was home safely It was incredibly stressful situation. The car was towed to Alexandria Hyundai and they dismissed the issue and fixed nothing. I contacted Hyundai customer service and asked for escalation and they have done nothing. I am restricted in my driving because of the severe safety risk but had to drive again on [XXX] and it occurred again on a highway INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• 05/21/2024· FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  I was driving on the freeway and there were not any cars in front of me or next to me, and my emergency break went on. My car jerked hard and could have caused a very serious accident if there was a car behind me. This happened two times during the same drive. I took it to the dealer and they told me there was nothing they could do since there was no codes shown. I am very nervous to drive this car now.

• 05/18/2024· POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE

  As I was driving today my Santa Fe Hybrid lost all power while on the road. The hybrid battery gauge went from 3/4th full to empty in 20 second and I could not get the vehicle to move. Thankfully there was no one behind me and I could safely pull off. When I stopped and restarted the car, the system said ready to drive but the car wouldn't move

• 03/30/2024· SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  Occurred on [XXX] while travelling in the middle lane of a 3-lane highway just west of Raleigh, NC and heading west. The Emergency Brake Light came on, the car stopped suddenly and my head shook from side to side. This could have been a major accident if the traffic wasn’t light. I do not tailgate and there were at least 6-8 car lengths between me and the car in front. No cars on either side. There was no beeping warning from the vehicle about being too close to other vehicles before the car stopped. I pressed on the gas pedal and the car moved forward. The weather was about 50-60 degrees, dry road and sunny. Next Step: Called Hyundai Customer Care on [XXX] and was advised to bring the vehicle in for inspection and correction. Took the car into the Hyundai Autonation dealership in Buford, GA, where the vehicle was purchased. They found nothing wrong. Note: Have researched this problem online and found multiple instances of the same occurrence. See the following online: Emergency Braking System Activates Intermittently | Hyundai Santa Fe Forums INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• 03/24/2024· POWER TRAIN

  In a parking lot at a church I slowed down, going 1 mile per hour or less. Upon taking my foot off the accelorator to put my foot on the brake pedal, so I could come to a complete stop, the moment my foot came off the accelorator, the engine reved up and lunged forward at about 10 mph. I was suprised and took an extra second to apply the brakes. In the mean time, my car went over the curb, grass and onto the side walk, a good 10 feet. If anyone had been on the side walk, I would have hit them. Additional information: the transmission was in "Snow Mode", it was snowing and cold outside. Attached photo shows tire tracks of the incident.

• 03/18/2024· POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  4 times there has been an error message with a large P symbol and a red triangle on the dash board. The large P is surrounded by a yellow circle and it says below to check P Button. This is an intermittent situation and does not always do it when at the dealer, BUT they have witnessed it. They tried 2 fixes but neither worked. I am concerned since there is a red triangle at the bottom of the dash that this is a serious issue. Hyundai will not expedite this and will not allow me to speak to anyone about it that might be able to explain what might be causing this issue. Customer service just says we couldn not replicate the problem. I told them I understand this. I WISH to know what is causing the computer to send this message and they will not tell me or look into far enough to determine what it is. I am not driving the vehicle until they can tell me if it is a safety issue or not and they will not do that.

• 02/23/2024· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

  I purchased a brand new 2023 Santa Fe hybrid in August 2023. So far, on four separate occasions (Oct ‘23, Dec ‘23, Jan ‘24, Feb ‘24) I have lost accelerator/gas pedal power while driving down the highway. There is no warning, no lights on dash, nothing. I just all of the sudden lose power. On one occasion in particular, [XXX], I was driving on the highway with my 5 year old in the back seat. I suddenly and totally lost all accelerator/gas pedal power while in the passing lane. I rapidly lost speed and was decelerating with a truck directly behind me and another vehicle to my right in the regular lane. I had to quickly turn on my emergency flashers and pray the truck behind me was paying attention and didn’t hit me. I was jamming up traffic until I was able to get pulled over off the road. My vehicle has been into Hyundai’s garage a total of four times now for the same issue. They have yet to find the root of the problem or fix it. I recently picked up my car on [XXX] from the garage and exactly two weeks later it did it again, this time with my husband in the car so it is once again back in the garage. The last trip to the garage they were able to duplicate the issue but can’t find a cause. Twice my check engine light came on after the fact but only two of the four times. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle but corporate Hyundai did an “investigation” into my case and told me today they found I am not eligible for a refund or replacement and to continue to take it to a certified Hyundai garage if/when I continue to have problems. I’m very concerned I’ll be in a traffic accident when this happens again and now the occurrences are happening more frequently. This not only puts myself and my passengers in danger but other vehicles on the road around me as well. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• 02/22/2026· ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  Own a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid and have experienced the following issues over the past year and a half. Beginning after maybe 40,000 miles we pulled out onto a roadway and the engine immediately lost power and started flashing a glaring red warning that the hybrid system was failing and to pull over. We luckily were able to and turned the car off and waited. I tried to turn it on and it came back to life as if there was never an issue? We drove off. it left no warning code or did not update my Bluelink App. I took it to the dealership and they could not find any issues. Fast forward another 5 or 6 months and it happens again. Take it to the dealer and they keep it a week to go over it but still nothing. Within a week of getting it back it happens again and this time I am videoing it happening to me. Back to the dealer and provide the video because again the car did not log the event nor did it update my app. They hold it again for a week and try different things. They still cannot figure it out and I get it back.... it happens again.... This time the dealership was able to come up with an answer and that the oil level was too high. I got the car back and it seemed to work. Probably now 6 months go by and then this week I drive over to Jacksonville (5 hr drive) and visit. Again the car scares us on the highway and I have to pull over. Havea friend meet us with tools and we jack up the car and let out enough engine oil to insure we can read between the two marks on the dipstick. We drive off but the engine keeps hestitating and we almost make it back before it completly shuts down. We tow it to the Dealer in Jacksonville. They call the next morning like they can't find anything wrong! I explain everything and remind I don't tow cars for fun - something is wrong with the car and it is leaving us vulnerable and worst is it is not leaving any codes. Not sure but I have lost faith in Hyundai