Table 1 shows one common seats related problems of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Seats problems |
When the power button on the seat is pressed to move the seat forward or fold it down, the second row captains chairs fail to stop from folding if someone or something is in the seat.
This is related to the recent issue with a '26 palisade calligraphy and the stop sale due to the 2nd row seat killing a [xxx] . I just went out and tried this on my ’24 Santa Fe calligraphy with the 2nd row captains chairs and the electric button on the top of the seat. First off, if the seatbelt is secured, the button is disabled. Our rear facing car seat is a britax click tight which uses the seatbelt to secure it. If the seatbelt is not secured, the button works. I sat in the seat (adult male), reached back and pushed button, and the seat started to compress me while sitting in it. Once I started to resist, the seat stopped, but it did not back off. I had to use more pressure than expected. I had to reach back and push the button again to get out. I did the same test again this time using my arm and I had to put moderate pressure to get the seat to stop. More pressure than I expected was required. I don’t know many details on the tragic death of the [xxx] old but I believe they were in a rear facing car seat that was not using the seat belt and instead using the latch connectors to secure it to the seat. This means the button in the palisade was operable (assuming it’s like the Santa Fe) and I can totally see the seat back coming down onto the rear facing toddler. Whatever fix Hyundai does for the palisade needs to be done on the Santa Fe as well as it is dangerous for small kids with how it works currently. There has to be a way to detect pressure on the seat and render the button inoperable just like when the seatbelt is secured. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
A child was exiting the vehicle from the second row driver-side seat, and the seat fold-up button (on the shoulder of the seat) was accidentally tapped. The seat began to tilt forward to collapse, squeezing a toddler in a rear facing child seat between the seat and the back of the front driver seat. Thankfully, the child seat bore the brunt of the pressure, but the incident clearly demonstrated an absence of sensors or logic to disallow the button to function when a child seat (using latch) is installed. We then tested the passenger seat in the second row and found that, even if a seat occupant is present, if the seatbelt is not buckled, the button will continue to operate and crush the passenger. That is to say the collapse function of the seat is uninhibited by the weight or resistance of a seated passenger. This is especially alarming given our elementary age children enter and exit the car on their own with little assistance requested from us.
My daughter was sitting down on the middle row and the button to fold the chair down was accidentally pressed. When she screamed bc she was getting smushed I jumped out of the vehicle and pushed the button to stop the chair from folding. Thankfully she was able to lay down sideways or I am sure the outcome would of been worse. She is so traumatized and does not want to even sit in the vehicle any more. She is only 8!!! this is traumatizing as a parent as well. This needs to be fixed !!!.
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at the dealer, the transmission became inoperable. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that there was a hole in the front driver's seat. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the dealer declined to service the vehicle or honor the service plan. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 2,600.