Equipment Problems of Hyundai Santa Fe - part 1

The sunroof on my 2023 Santa Fe exploded.

See all problems of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

I’ve had several instances where putting the vehicle into park the system doesn’t register the shifter button being pressed and continues to be in the current gear. Ithis seems to be a safety issue since it has happened multiple times ever since I bought the vehicle. I made sure to fully press the park button but it continues to stay in the drive or reverse gear the first time it happened I did not notice the vehicle did not register the gear change and the car started to roll forward towards a building.

2020 sante fe with 59000 miles on it. Air stops blowing cold, I look it up and there is a TSB for the evaporator temperature sensor from may of 2021. This is a safety issue because if you run the air conditioning or defroster if the sensor is bad it clicks off the compressor which can affect the fan and overheat the car. I watched it happen on my car when they ran the diagnostic trying to fix it. It came up as a bad sensor, and it clicked off the compressor. The fact that a 6 year old car with 59000 miles needs work on an air conditioner is ridiculous and in this case not safe.

See all problems of the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Spontaneous panoramic sunroof explosion - serious safety defect on October 12, 2025, at approximately 10:00 pm, while my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe sport was being driven on interstate 85 near greenville, south carolina, the panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded without any external impact or warning. What happened: - my son was traveling at highway speed in normal driving conditions and he said it sounded a shotgun being shot at close range. The explosion created a period of dangerous distraction. - there was no impact from road debris, rocks, or any external object - the sunroof suddenly and violently shattered, making a loud explosive sound - a few tempered glass fragments entered the passenger cabin, by the vast majority blew out of the vehicle. - the incident created an immediate safety hazard for vehicle occupants and for other vehicles who may have been following. - visibility was not compromised, but due to glass exploding, my son had to drive on the shoulder of the interstate at a slow speed with his hazard lights on in order to make it safely to an exit. Safety concerns: - sudden loss of structural integrity - the sunroof exploded outward without warning - glass in passenger cabin - tempered glass fragments fell into the vehicle, endangering occupants - driver distraction - the sudden explosion and noise created a dangerous distraction at highway speed - visibility impairment - glass debris and the sudden opening affected visibility - weather exposure - immediate exposure to wind and weather elements at highway speed - ongoing safety risk - this defect affects thousands of vehicles still on the road what did not happen: - no collision or impact with another vehicle - no road debris struck the vehicle - no rocks or projectiles hit the sunroof - no hail or weather-related damage - no recent sunroof operation or manipulation - no aftermarket modifications or repairs this was a spontaneous failure of a defective component during normal vehicle operation.

See all problems of the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

My rear window suddenly shattered while I was driving. My safety was put at risk as it sounded like someone shot into my back window. The vehicle was inspected by state police.

Put in reverse to move backwards 5 feet or so the vehicle kept going and moving faster I applied the brake and hitting the brakes as well I didn't wonna hit the parked cars behind me so I put in park thinking that will also help stop the vehicle nothing worked it only stopped after hitting my other car that was parked on the street I tried everything to stop it it just took off I came out a beautiful morning to change the radiator it was dripping from the bottom I purchased a new one I put the car front wheels on ramps to look underneath to see what sockets I needed I got in vehicle just to lower off ramps backing down slow foot covering brake once the car touch ground it accelerated not fast but wouldn't stop it happened so fast but I applied the emergency brake its moving faster applying the brake as well im looking in the mirror at wants behind me as well I put in park thinking that would stop the vehicle but it was accelerating didnt stop until it hit the car parked on the street that's also mine it was dangerous and scary and im thankful it wasnt a tragedy normally my grandkids would be playing out there I could killed them I cant stop thinking about the what could been driving 42 years I consider myself a good driver defensive driving course never had a chargeable accident drove professional also for 32 years I did all I could think of in that little bit of time it just accelerated again backing tapping brakes 2 or 3 times coming down off ramps front maybe 4 or 5 inches off ground lowering to ground it take off something worth looking into thank you last thing my wife was coming to bring me a flashlight the fence hit her 30 more seconds she probably would been hit or killed so this is really affecting me.

See all problems of the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

The alert, "consider taking a break", produces visual and audible alarms. The audible alarm emits from the dash and has a similar sound to the seat belt not buckled alarm. There is no obvious event that causes the alert. Sometimes occurring minutes after starting the engine, other times randomly during several hours of driving. During normal driving conditions (low traffic, no weather problems) this alert is just annoying. However, during stressful driving with heavy traffic and or weather events, this distraction draws attention away from the task at hand, driving safely. There should be an option to turn this alert off or set the parameters for when it is triggered.

Wearing any kind of polarized sunglasses prevents you from seeing the heads-up display and will abruptly disable the adaptive cruise control. The Santa Fe forum has hundreds of complaints about this, yet Hyundai has not done anything to correct the problem. I have asked three different dealers about this problem, and they just repeat the company line (you need to find sunglasses that don't cause a problem). This situation is dangerous and unacceptable.

Horn stopped working.

See all problems of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

I have had 6 car appointments and on my 3rd horn replacement in this car. It goes completely out and it is a safety hazard to not have any horn. It loses both the high and low pitch horn.

While driving my 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe on the interstate, the “keep your eyes on the road” alert repeatedly activated even though the driver was attentive and looking forward. After multiple warnings, the system escalated to a message that the vehicle was about to be disabled, which created a serious safety concern. This happened even though the driver attention warning feature is disabled in the vehicle’s settings. The issue appears to be caused by the steering-column driver monitoring camera system falsely detecting inattention. The constant alerts are distracting, and the threat of the vehicle disabling features while driving at highway speeds is dangerous.

See all problems of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

My 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe sport (156,880 miles) suddenly shut down and went into limp mode due to code p1326, which is part of the ksds safety recall. Hyundai and the dealership refused to perform the recall-required engine inspection because of mileage. This violates safety recall rules. The sudden loss of power creates a dangerous driving situation. I am requesting NHTSA assistance in enforcing the safety recall remedy.

See all problems of the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Horn no longer works in vehicle - a major safety issue.

The transmission was replaced and I picked up my vehicle on 16 September. 23 September, all of the transmission lights, warning, lights and check engine light came on. The vehicle is being towed back to the dealership with transmission issues again.

I pulled into my driveway, put car in park, left the car running to leave the ac for a minute, my granddaughter was in the backseat. I got out of the car , let my granddaughter out , I then was standing outside of the drivers side, reached in , turned off the car, removed the keys and it started rolling. I couldn't get out of the way and fell , car ran over right leg. Was taken to hospital for evaluation and treatment. I haven't taken the car in for evaluation by dealer , insurance or other auto specialist.

See all problems of the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Unknown went to the grocery store and vehicle was working fine. Upon leaving the store, started the car, esc off light was on and when I went to press the brake to put the vehicle in reverse, the gearshift was locked and I couldn't move the gear. Long story short, I had to get my vehicle towed to the house as the vehicle is non-drivable at this time. Kelly's blue book indicated there were a few Hyundai recalls related to the esc but my make and model was not affected but clearly I believe it is based on my experience and find this very unsafe.

See all problems of the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

While driving the car, started to smell gas and saw smoke. Tried to pull over and abs lights came on and lost brakes. Was able to stop using emergency break. Car was completely engulfed in seconds.

See all problems of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

While driving on a steep, narrow grade with no safe shoulder, my 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe sport suddenly lost all forward power. The engine would rev but the vehicle would not accelerate. I was left stranded in traffic, with cars behind me and nowhere safe to pull off, creating an immediate risk of being rear-ended or rolling back into other vehicles. I had to call for a tow to avoid a serious crash. The vehicle was marked as having all recall campaigns completed, including the rod bearing inspection and knock sensor update, which were supposed to protect against catastrophic engine failure. Clearly, those campaigns were not sufficient to prevent the failure I experienced. At the time of failure, the vehicle displayed the check engine light and drivability symptoms consistent with abnormal combustion and potential bearing damage. Hyundai denied lifetime warranty coverage under the theta ii engine settlement without performing the required inspection. Instead, I was left with an estimate for engine-related repairs that exceeded the value of the vehicle, effectively rendering it a total loss. This failure is exactly what Hyundai’s recall notices describe as a risk: sudden engine failure, loss of motive power, and increased risk of crash. The fact that this happened to my vehicle despite “completed” recall campaigns raises serious concerns about whether the defect remains unresolved and whether Hyundai is adequately honoring its recall and settlement obligations. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether Hyundai is improperly denying warranty coverage without inspection and whether vehicles that were marked as repaired under these recalls are still at risk of catastrophic engine failure, stalling, and loss of motive power on public roads. The settlement administrator also works for Hyundai is just referring customers back to Hyundai customer care. They are not honoring this class action lawsuit and acting in bad faith and putting lives at risk.

See all problems of the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Everytime with acc active it activates the driver attention camera system which never works in sunlight camera reads wrong and disable acc while driving on freeway all the time due to sun reflection cant even wear polairized glasses acc never works.

Driver assistant cruise and steering components relating to the warning system. The system notification is turned off in the settings; however, the issue overrides the setting. Cruise control and steering assist shuts off after brief but consistant warning to keep my eyes on the road. My eyes are on the road. I can do nothing to stop it from warning. It may happen up to 20 times in a distance of 9-20 miles. This has occured since purchase and occurs everytime the car is driven. While passing on interstate highways the system may shut off. Acceleration stops, steering assist shuts off. Four dealerships have seen the vehicle and a claim was issued by Hyundai America. A service manager finally, after many request, rode with me after a year of many service appointment resulting in a change of passenger facing camera. No change occurred in the system, it continues to behavior the same a prior to the camera change.

My drivers side door opened while driving. The latch wouldn’t allow me to close my door.

The horn has completely failed for the 4th time. Dealer is now stating it is not covered as mileage is over 60k.

Vehicle information: 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe hybird sel VIN: [xxx] purchased date: [xxx] (less than one year) mileage at incident: 12,753 incident date: [xxx] dealer: kengarff downtown Hyundai summary of problem: I am filing this complaint because of a serious safety concern caused by clear dealership negligence and potential engine failure. During a routine service, the dealership failed to add engine oil, but recorded in the service invoice that it was added. I unknowingly drove the vehicle 3–5 miles without oil, and multiple dtc error codes (p052400, p001100, p001400) appeared. The oil warning light, which should have alerted me, did not activate. Although a later borescope inspection stated there was “no immediate damage,” since then, the vehicle has shown: significant loss of power and acceleration abnormally high rpms, even when the car is stopped louder engine noises rpm is increasing suddenly while driving downhill without acceleration this vehicle is less than one year old and costs over $40,000. I should not be forced to drive a new car that may have hidden or delayed engine damage. Safety concern: I have a [xxx], and I cannot risk sudden engine failure, stalling, or fire while driving. This is not only a reliability issue, but a serious safety hazard for my family and others on the road. Attempts to resolve: reported to Hyundai corporate, case opened. The dealership admitted the mistake but denied responsibility after the inspection. Hyundai corporate stated “no action until further inspection,” despite clear evidence of negligence. I continue to experience performance and safety issues. Requested action: I urge NHTSA to investigate this incident and hold Hyundai accountable for both the dealership’s negligence and the potential safety defects (oil light failure, possible hidden engine damage). Consumers should not be left to drive unsafe vehicles, especially when children’s safety is at stake. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Horn not blowing. It started giving a low sound and now it has stopped working completely. I went online and saw where this problem is wide spread.

Car only has 20,000 miles and the horn already needs to be replaced.

Dear NHTSA, I'm reporting a recurring safety issue with my vehicle's door latches. All four doors have, at different times, become completely stuck—unable to open from inside or outside. This creates a serious risk, especially in emergencies where quick exit is critical.

On Aug 2, 2025, while traveling back from vacation with our family of 4, our engine failed and completely seized up on a very busy highway. The vehicle completely shut off in a lane of travel near an exit ramp, and we were unable to even pull off on a shoulder for safety. We were unable to restart the vehicle or reproduce the issue because the vehicle will not turn on. There were no warning lamps or other messages. However, the car has historically consumed an extraordinary amount of oil, even with routine oil changes and service. Two quarts of oil were added to the vehicle the day before this happened. The vehicle was towed to a Hyundai dealership and the incident was reported to Hyundai USA. We've been told the dealership can not run tests or inspect the vehicle until Aug. 21, nearly three weeks after it happened. We were told this is because they have numerous other vehicles with similar problems. This was an incredibly terrifying experience that put the safety of our family of 4, including two young children, at risk. A bystander called 911 and a state trooper arrived to set up flares and expedite a tow truck. We were told the spot we broke down is an incredibly busy part of an interstate where fatal accidents happen every other day.

The horn on my 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe has completely stopped working. This is a severe safety hazard. I recently attempted to warn another driver who was drifting into my lane but was unable to, forcing me to swerve and nearly resulting in a head-on collision. The horn failed without any warning. After researching online, I have found that this appears to be a known issue with the Santa Fe model and Hyundai vehicles in general. I am requesting a diagnostic and repair as this is a safety feature failure that could lead to a serious accident. Please let me know if this issue qualifies for a recall. Thank you.

See all problems of the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Bought this brand new Santa Fe in July 2025 and on day 5 after purchasing this vehicle, car stopped accelerating while driving on highway, which is a serious safety concern. Took the vehicle back to the dealership and turned out the issue is with failed catalytic converter and they had to replace it. Since then, the acceleration has not been that great and had continuous issues with random engine noises etc.

I have taken my Hyundai Santa Fe 2022 phev under warranty for a fix of being in reverse, the function not working, the car revs aggressively not in gear and then put it in park and the car aggressively jolts forward in park like a hard gear change. Hyundai replaced pcm and said it was fine. I took car and immediately noticed grinding noises and straight back to Hyundai. They claim it's fine. Today same issue with reversing and aggressive car jolting. Hyundai is going to take it back tomorrow. I do not feel safe in this vehicle. It felt like the transmission was going to give out on the freeway. The rpm are maxing out at 5-20 mph and sometimes don't want to engage in drive. Extremely unsafe for freeway driving. There is something terribly wrong with this cars engine or transmission. Unsafe for Hyundai to release for use.

While driving the sunroof glass out of no where exploded.

The car horn stopped working very suddenly, without any prior warning, while I was driving. The car has around 36000 miles on it, so the horn dying out was a surprise. Driving without a functioning horn has also become a safety issue. I have an upcoming appointment with the dealership to diagnose and fix the problem.

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.

The climate control screen is difficult to see, especially in sunlight. This makes it unsafe to change things like fan speed while driving. Interestingly all other screens are very bright but this one screen is not bright and dealer says no adjustment available.

I was driving down the road when the check engine light began to flash. The vehicle started to decelerate and began to sputter. This was a serious safety issue as there were vehicles behind me which put myself and other drivers at risk. I was able to pull over on the side of the road. I cut the vehicle off and waited a few minutes. I cut the vehicle back on and the check engine light was still blinking. I was able to drive the vehicle back to my home but was not able to go over 40 mph and had to repeatedly pull over to ensure my safety. Diagnostic of the vehicle indicated a code p1326. The vehicle was taken to a local Hyundai dealership to get a second diagnostic. This was truly terrifying for me. I’m glad I didn’t have my son in the car with me at this time. Also done research and it states that the p1326 code in Hyundai Santa Fe sport vehicles, particularly those with 2. 0l turbo and 2. 4l engines, is linked to a recall concerning connecting rod bearing wear and potential engine failure. This issue is addressed through a recall or a product improvement campaign, which may involve engine replacement or software updates. The knock sensor detection system (ksds), associated with code p1326, is designed to detect excessive bearing wear and activate engine protection mode. My Hyundai only has 82000 miles on it. So I’m writing this to let you know that this is a big safety issue and needs to be addressed and fixed on my Hyundai.