Table 1 shows one common other fuel system related problems of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Other Fuel System problems |
On March 4, 2026, at approximately 7:30 am est, while driving my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe limited on [xxx] , the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of propulsion while traveling at approximately 70 mph (posted speed limit). The vehicle would not accelerate or maintain speed and would not move forward when placed in drive, indicating a failure within the powertrain/transmission system. The vehicle is currently located at a Hyundai dealership and is available for inspection upon request. This incident created a significant safety risk, as I was traveling at highway speed in active traffic when the vehicle unexpectedly lost the ability to move under its own power. This placed me at risk of being rear-ended and made it difficult to safely maneuver out of traffic. The vehicle was inspected by a Hyundai dealership. Diagnostic trouble code p284001 (shift fork “d” position) was identified, and I was informed the failure is transmission-related. The condition was reproduced by placing the vehicle in drive, at which point the vehicle would not move. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership. The manufacturer has been notified but has not physically inspected the vehicle. No police or insurance inspection was involved. There were no warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms before the failure. The issue occurred suddenly without any indication of a problem. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
While driving on the interstate at 70mph the vehicle’s fuel injectors failed causing the vehicle to lose power suddenly.
While on the highway my car lost power, gradually slowing down to a stall. I was able to safely park on the side of the road. I got the car to a nearby dealership that kept it for 10 days. The dealership said that the problem was code p2118 (throttle actuator control motor current range/performance) that the air "flap" was frozen stuck shut and the engine was disabled on the freeway in order to prevent damage. The resolution was "waited for it to thaw and cleared the code". The dealer has a service bulletin and a software update but it did not resolve the safety issue. I've noticed hesitation when accelerating the car from a dead stop as well, which started last year.
Fuel injectors are bad. The car misfires, I smell gas, runs rough. They fixed one the second week of December 2025. I had the same symptoms when my light came on again on December 23,2025, they said they couldn’t find anything and gave me the car back. On January 3, my engine light came on again, I had warnings sent to my email and phone app about potential engine failures they said today ( 1/6/26) that it was another fuel injector and was told they would not replace the rest until they went out. When I asked them how safe I would be on an upcoming trip, I was told to just check the car every day before I go!.
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.
At 22000 miles wheel speed sensor went out, all control system shut down and car became unstable. At 44000 miles fuel injector went out, was driving on freeway and car started shaking and losing power, then in parking lot would not start at all, had to be towed to dealer. This is way to many breakdowns for a car with such low mileage.
>>>>what component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? according to the Hyundai bluelink app, the problem is caused by the battery management system, producing error code p0aa600. The result is that the vehicle does not get power to the wheels for a few seconds after giving it gas. It looks like the car is not moving, then it very slowly gains speed, followed by sudden acceleration. It is available for inspection upon request. >>>>how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? it is a safety issue because other vehicles on the road may not be able to stop in time when the car pauses unexpectedly. Also the driver cannot predict when the car will surge forward. Merging or crossing traffic is very dangerous. >>>>has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? the vehicle has been to the dealership two times to be inspected for this problem. They state that they cannot duplicate the issue but of course they can see the error code in the vehicle history. It is an issue that occurs at random; not every time the car is driven. It has occurred a total of 9 times during the 2,872 miles we have driven since we purchased it. >>>>has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? only the dealer has inspected the vehicle. Police, insurance, or others have not been involved. >>>>were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? there is no warning that the error is going to occur. There is a warning when it is occurring, and the check engine light comes on. We purchased the car as new when it had 6,934 miles on it. It had been used as a demonstration car for the dealership. The error first occurred at about 7500 miles.
I purchased a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid in November of 2023. Within a couple of months of purchase I had 2 incidents where without warning the car lost power and made a noise sounding like some sort of fan. One of the incidents was on [xxx] in massachusetts, the heavy traffic cleared, I was in the fast lane, and the car would barely move. It was a safety issue as there was no place to go on the left side of the highway and traffic to my right had already picked up speed. After a minute or so the power again became available. This has happened to me several times but Hyundai has told me there is no record of this happening with my car model. On occasion I have my grandkids in the car and I am very concerned that Hyundai will not acknowledge this problem. By the way, it happened again this morning as I was pulling away from a starbucks drive-up window. Can something be done about this? Hyundai should have records of my complaints as I visited the dealership where I bought the care and conversed via email with one of their service representatives that I do have a record of. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
First- it has been reported to dealer at least twice when car was in for other service. They said they could not reproduce. When speeding back up from a stop on near stop, especially in a right turn, the engine will not accelerate. After a second or two it finally takes off. During this time, I fear getting hit by another vehicle, either from behind or to the side. It is very scary and puts me and my passengers at great risk! there was no warning indication at all. The date mentioned was the most recent time, but the issue has been happening since the car was brand new. Again, no help from the dealer.
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.
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.
Two issues with powertrain/transmission: 1- the powertrain/transmission fails intermittently- vehicle rpm goes sky high but vehicle receives no power, seems to fail/lose power. Has happened in very dangerous road conditions where unexpectedly was struggling to get the motor to engage/get power to the vehicle. Check engine and check hybrid system lights accompanies the problem. 2- the car should be driveable in electric only mode without use of gasoline. The powertrain/transmission seems to struggle to shift between electric and gas motors. Hyundai cannot seem to correctly diagnose or fix the issue. Does not seem they have proper diagnostic process included on the car- despite finding error messages stored in computer, they initially said they could not recreate the problem and therefore could not fix. 3 different trips to Hyundai dealership repair center, in total they have had my car for 10 weeks. They have replaced the transaxle and sent the car home, but that did not cure the issue. They now have my car again. It just does not seem they know how to identify or fix the issue. From online forums, I have learned many owners are experiencing the same problem and the same challenge to diagnose.
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.
There is an extreme amount of hesitation/delay from when you depress the accelerator and when the vehicle accelerates. I have had multiple incidences (both from a complete stop and while already moving) where I depress the accelerator and there is a concerning amount of lag time before the vehicle initiates movement. This has almost led to multiple accidents. This defect happens in all drive modes. This issue appears to have gotten worse over the time we have owned the vehicle. We did not notice this issue earlier on. We bought the vehicle brand new in Dec. 23.
Several times lately of extended crank. Saturday evening, car had been parked for 4 hours, did remote start and had extended crank of about 2 seconds. Car ran for about 3 minutes before we left. We left home and hit main road, tried to accelerate and vehicle seemed to go into limp mode. Would keep cutting the fuel out if tried to accelerate even above 40 mph. No check engine light came on. Put in neutral, could not get above about 3500 rpm. Vehicle was in Smart mode where decides which mode to be in (normal, fuel economy or sport), when would try to accelerate it would try to change to sport as it knew power was not there. Was on a 6 lane highway and could not get up to speed. Finally was able to pull to side of road, shut engine off, waited a few seconds, restarted and issue went away, still no check engine light. I have contacted my local dealer, they said they have seen on another vehicle, was not sure of outcome, having service manager call me. Lots of complaints online forums of similar issues.
From a complete stop when pressing the accelerator, the vehicle does nothing. This can last 1 second or in longer episodes it can last 4-5 seconds. No lights on the dash. It’s random and happens sporadically. But when it’s bad, you have enough lag to count to 5 and turn on the hazards.
The engine/ability to accelerate seemed to fail. It would not accelerate past 45mph and then couldn't even maintain that speed, even with the pedal to the floor. The engine sounded like it was revving at high rpms and wasn't shifting into gear, even though it had just been in drive and operating normally. Yes, it is available for inspection. My safety was put at risk by not being able to accelerate when merging onto the highway, leading me to be going much slower than the traffic around me. I have not asked the dealer to reproduce the problem. The component has not been inspected. There were no warning signs, messages, or alerts of any kind. There was no information about the status of the car whatsoever.
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!.
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!.
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.
Stopped at left turn lane light. Light turns green and vehicle engine revolutions increase as I press on gas pedal but car does not move. Cars behind me lean on their horns and take evasive maneuvers to go around me. Car finally goes very slowly and transmission disengages in middle of left turn leaving vehicle in middle of intersection with oncoming traffic. Luckily everyone stopped and vehicle very slowly moved through the intersection to side of road. Vehicle is brand new and in my possession less than 48 hours. Vehicle is at dealership for troubleshooting.
Car has a severe life threatening hesitation, sometimes as much as almost 2 seconds delay from when you fully step on the accelerator to when it slowly starts to go. No warning lights or bells whatsoever. Regardless of driving mode it dose it. Seems to be especially pronounced when at a dead stop in sport mode. Problem seems to have gotten progressively worse the more we have driven it. The dealership is denying that there's any problem or issue & didn't want to make an appointment to look at it & keeps trying to tell me this is normal. Car is unsafe to drive like this & has nearly gotten me & my family killed on numerous occasions. I have driven other hybrids by other manufacturers & none have had this issue.