Seats Problems of Hyundai Santa Fe - part 1

The right side power captain seat in the second row began to fold down without the button being pressed. It happened with and without the seatbelt plugged in. It came down while my toddler was in her rear facing car seat and began to crush the car seat and push on her feet. The chair would not stop the power seat motors even with both my wife and myself pushing back on the seat trying to free our daughter from the car seat. It continued to push down the moment there was more space to collapse. No errors or messages or engine lights of any sort were displayed anywhere. Even after removing our daughter it happened several times again.

I bought a 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe awd calligraphy on April 25, 2026 from pohanka Hyundai. On April 27, the second row captain's seat on the driver's side folded, pressing my child's chest to his knees. He had his seatbelt on and stated that, even though he tried, he was unable to resist the pressure from the automated collapse/folding feature. While I was in park, a child sitting in the third row pressed the second row collapse button next to their third row seat. The second row captain's seat with a 60+ lbs. Child belted in folded. There were no indications that the seat was moving, no alarms or flashing lights on the driver's dashboard notified me. Had I not gotten out to look for someone, my child would have been folded in that position for the next 30 minutes as we drove from school to our home. I called the dealer on April 27 to ask about the collapse feature and if it should sense the seat is occupied before folding. The person who sold me the vehicle asked that I bring it in on April 29 for a diagnostic because he was not aware of a recall on the Santa Fe calligraphy. A diagnostic was run on the vehicle on April 29 by pohanka Hyundai service center. They stated that no codes came up and no recalls were reported.

My abs lights the triangle with the ! in the middle goes in and off the down hill control light and the sweet control light all go on when the abs light goes on my oil was completely dry had to add two quarts while the engine was ticking when started and when accelerating it was making a clicking noise I still had 3000 miles before needed an oil change but like I said it was bone dry and then the drivers seat was going back and not wanting to come back up I’ve only had the car 42 days and it’s having all kinds of problems.

See all problems of the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

My 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe has a dangerous power-fold feature for the middle row. This problem is making headlines in another model, the Hyundai palisade, and for good reason. Why isn't the Santa Fe included in the recall(s) that are intended to correct the problem in the palisade? in my vehicle, the second row has two seats (captain's chairs). The power-fold feature is the only way to fold the middle row for additional cargo space. When my wife activated the power-fold, I was unable to prevent that seat from folding. When I activated the power-fold, and an [xxx] relative was standing outside the vehicle, he was able to reach in, but he was not able to prevent the seat from folding, and he was very concerned when he learned this. Please note that, when the middle row seats are (manually) positioned forward in the vehicle, the power-fold feature does reverse when the folding seat contacts the back of a front seat. So there must be a sensor, but its threshold is set very high. In addition, when the conflict is removed, by (manually) moving the middle row seat backward in the vehicle, the auto-fold seems to take that as an invitation to fold again. I have only observed this once, but I argue that this is an uncommanded movement, and that there is no possible justification for this software/firmware action. Thank you for reading this. Please consider the Santa Fe for a future recall campaign. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Vehicle unable to determine when a passenger is seated with seatbelt fastened in 2nd row captains chairs and the ‘one-touch’ tilt-and-slide button is pressed. The seat will keep folding and crushing the passenger. This is a known issue with the Hyundai palisade at this time and is affecting my vehicle as well. Please have Hyundai issue a recall immediately. My teenage son was in the seat at the time this happened.

Second row power seats will operate even when a carseat is present & installed using latch system, crushing occupant. Power seat button at base of second row seats are easy to inadvertently press while entering/exiting the seat (I. E when seat belt is not on), causing the seat to move forward crushing occupant. This has happened multiple times since taking ownership.

See all problems of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

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.

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while attempting to adjust the front driver's seat, the second-row passenger’s side seat engaged unintendedly. The child was seated in the booster seat, and the main seat started to fold down. The contact was unaware that the seat had been activated, but was able to stop the seat from fully folding. The child was unharmed. The dealer was notified of the failure; however, the manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The manufacturer opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 174.

The 2nd-row seats in the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid calligraphy feature motorized recline and folding functions. My testing reveals a significant safety flaw: the motorized "seat slide forward" and "rear cargo fold down" buttons do not appear to have functioning pinch sensors and do not automatically disable when a passenger or object is detected. Specific incident: on [xxx], while my [xxx] son was entering the vehicle, the "rear access" button was accidentally triggered. The seat began folding and sliding with him in the path of travel; the motor did not sense his presence or stop automatically. Fortunately, he was not yet buckled and was able to jump out of the way before I manually reversed the action. Technical findings: based on further testing (see attached results), any car seat installation would be severely compromised if these buttons are pressed. While the vehicle's system is aware when a seat belt is buckled, it fails to use this logic to lockout the motorized folding functions. All motorized movement should be disabled for any seat where the buckle is engaged to prevent injury to occupants or the structural compromise of a child safety seat. This issue is similar in nature to the recent recall of the 2026 palisade (NHTSA 26v160000). Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the button was pressed to fold the second row passenger seat while the 13-year-old daughter was still seated. During the incident, the electronic folding seat began to fold down onto the daughter, causing extreme distress to the child and crushing her into the seat. The button was pressed, which stopped the seat from continuing to fold down, and the child was freed from the seat. No medical treatment was required. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who examined the seat and determined no failure had occurred. The contact was informed that although the incident was extremely dangerous, the electronic folding seat had operated as intended. The contact was informed that the seat belt needed to be buckled to avoid the problem in the future. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance had yet been offered. The contact indicated that a similar incident resulting in a fatality had occurred in the Hyundai palisade vehicle. The failure mileage was 20,000.

On my driver/passenger seat the recline switch with not go back only forward. The dealer explains to me that just diagnosing the issue is 250 then the switch is going to cost me over $800. If replace the power seat switch for $49. 99 and the power seat switch knob only cost $ 15 plus dollars, also to replace the motor $200-300 now my air bag light is on not sure if it's because of the seat functioning or not, my kid's car seats are right behind the seats so its concerning to me. Looking online they are hundreds of people complaining of this, but no action has been taken such as a recall.

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 !!!.

I am reporting a serious safety concern with my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid calligraphy (VIN: [xxx] ). While my child was seated in the second row, the folding seat button was accidentally triggered and the seat continued folding while my child was still in the seat. My child screamed in distress, and I am concerned this created a pinching or crushing hazard. This appears to be a dangerous condition because the seat continued moving even though a child occupant was present. The button may also be too easy to trigger during child entry or exit. I believe this issue should be investigated before a more serious injury occurs. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My air bar light was flashing so I took it into the dealer as it is still under warranty. They said it is a sensor in the seat that deploys the air bag. It has been since November with no eta on the part. When I asked about getting my car back after several times they tried to get me to sign a wavier saying if I was in an accident they wouldn't be liable. I refused and my car is still at this dealership.

See all problems of the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that on several occasions, while the vehicle was parked and either running or turned off, the second-row seats closed on the safety seats when the button in the rear of the vehicle was depressed. The contact stated that once the button was pressed, the seat could not be stopped from closing until the button was pressed a second time. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,000.

When reaching between the seats to get a dropped item hand gets stuck on a sharp edge and cannot be pulled out. This happened to me once while driving and to my diluaghters very small hand while parked. Assistance was needed to dislodge hand.

See all problems of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that there were holes underneath the front driver’s and passenger’s side seats. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the seats were removed; however, the seats were not replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

I was rear-ended and the driver's seat did not maintain it's position and fell into the seat behind it.

See all problems of the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Continuous issue of front driver passenger power seat front level button failure. Continuous headlights, fog lights getting fused every 4 months. Indoor back roof light works and sometime just does not work for months.

See all problems of the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 22 mph, the vehicle struck a pot-hole which caused the driver seat to move out of place. The contact stated that while accelerating, the front driver seat would shift backward and while shifted into reverse the seat would move forward.   the vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat rail was damaged and the seat rail and seat needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

Upon selecting my driver settings from the door panel, and the infotainment, the vehicle moves the seat settings back to driver 2. It does this in gear or not. Happens everytime a new setting is selected from the door panel button. Say driver 2 from driver 1. Very dangerous. Could move so far as to limit ones proximity to accelerator or brake.

See all problems of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Seat full forward, into the dash with no input from operator. Second occurrence 08/04/2022 at 1700 central time when parking the Santa Fe in the garage. When turned off, the driver's seat ran full forward and reclined forward into the dash - unsafe and potential injuries -- have a photo. I will be contacting the local dealership tomorrow to schedule an appointment for an inspection and routine maintenance. Since this is no longer an isolated occurrence we will be asking our dealer for assistance. Complaint number 11475184.

See all problems of the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

17551 mileage. Parked vehicle. Placed in park, set parking brake. Drivers seat moved full forward and leaned forward pinning me against the steering wheel forcing the breath out of me before I was able to stop the spontaneous movement. Restricted my breathing could have injured my ribs had I not stopped it.

Visual red triangle code illuminated on the instrument cluster with the number 1 on the side of it. I used my obd2 reader (blue driver) to retrieve the 8 air bag codes. They were b1511 ,b1513, b1378, b1382, b1346, b1481, b14ae, b2618. Problem resulted after the cowl cross bar assembly (unpainted), also known as a crash bar, was replaced because of broken welds. It was replaced with a painted assembly that prevents access to secure ground for the air bags and seat belts. The assembly is used to provide support in case of a crash and also serves as a grounding bus bar for multiple devices, such as; air bags, seatbelts, instrument cluster, on board safety cameras, lane, backup warnings, etc. . .

The rear seats vibrate @ 60 mph+. The seats cause the entire vehicle to shake. I cannot place a child in the seat or an adult for fear the seats will come unhinged. Additionally, sometimes it is difficult to determine if the road is rough or if it is the seats. The vehicle has been inspected by two dealerships (w/ records) but it cannot be fixed. I have reported the issue to Hyundai corporate and have been told it's in my hands and the seat dysfunction is not covered by any warranty due to it being a manufacturing issue. The issue began shy of reaching the vehicle's standard warranty (it has an extended warranty from its original purchase).

When my wife sits in the passenger seat the seat is so low she cannot see over the dashboard. When she uses a cushion the air bag off light goes on indicating she is not protected from collision. This is an obvious safety issue which my dealer claims to know nothing about and has no solution. Please contact Hyundai and have them address this issue. Thanks, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I have seen this be reported online, but apparently it only covers the kia model, not the Hyundai model. But the ods mat/bladder defect in our passenger seat in our Hyundai Santa Fe 2016. Drops codes b149000 and b1764 - this causes our air bag light to come on. This flipped on around 70k miles but because we are the second owner, we have to foot the bill out of pocket. Its asinine to think that we have to replace the entire seat and that Hyundai doesnt see this as a problem for them. Hyundai looked at our car, and again they stated we have to fix it ourselves - or pay them. They confirmed it. The problem is, it shuts our air bags off meaning if we dont foot the $2000-$3000 to replace it, our air bags just wont deploy. Thats a massive security risk. This seems to be a problem with various Hyundai and kia models, but apparently only some models with the same codes get to be replaced. Ridiculous. Attached are various issues by Hyundai, kia, with the same issue across various models. Here is the link to the same issues in a different model of kia/Hyundai cars [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Back in March my landlord lost his keys then someone started to enter my unit illegally I filed numerous police reports to ensure safety for me and my two small children but wasn’t taken serious was forced and admitted into the hospital for trying to protect me and my children losing custody as well and my car was left parked on a city street, my house possessions were all damaged as well and I believe a rodent or someone left the windows down purposely for a rodent to gain entrance to my vehicle and living area as well, my vehicle tires kept needing repairs the interior had some kind of infestation and something was wrong with the ventilation system in the car and I didn’t feel safe driving the vehicle nor did I feel that the vehicle was worth the 413 monthly payments which I never missed payments on up until this incident. I tried to go through my car insurance company and local Hyundai dealer for a replacement of my vehicle and nothing was done to protect my safety or health also my banking information was compromised and I lost financial control and was unable to make payments for the last two months because of this I reached out to santander consumer which is my finance company to express my concerns and they was unable to stop the repossession, I feel horribly scammed and is wondering if there is anything that can be done to stop me from further loss if anything is needed further feel free to contact me.

See all problems of the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Prior to contacting NHTSA we contacted Hyundai and informed them that the bottom of the vehicle has rusted through and we can see the bottom of the interior in this vehicle when the car is on a lift (this was pointed out to us by a third party repair shop and not the dealer). It appears that Hyundai may be concealing data from NHTSA regarding corrosion problems on its vehicles. What is clear is that Hyundai is shirking its safety obligations and will not cover corrosion, regardless of whether it is functional or safety, if the warranty has expired. Based on prior dealings with NHTSA I know that recalls are not limited to the warranty period if vehicle safety is in question. When we contacted Hyundai, their excuse for why the vehicle had a massive hole in the undercarriage was that the vehicle is driven primarily in illinois and illinois uses salt on the roads in winter. If I'm not mistaken, more than half of the vehicles in the us are driven on roads that are salted in the winter. This excuse is simply not acceptable and perhaps NHTSA needs to prohibit Hyundai from selling vehicles in the northern half of the us if this is going to be Hyundai's attitude. I've never had this problem with any other manufacturer.

See all problems of the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Air stays at warm when driving in heat and won't cool.

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle shifted into limp mode, causing the speed to be reduced to 20 mph. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. Additionally, while driving at speeds above 60 mph, the 2nd row captain seats shook and vibrated abnormally. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

Car was both to dealership on 3/7/2020 -3/12/2020 the headlight went out they replaced the bcm returned to dealership on 3/19/2020 headlight not turning on heated seat went out and rear windshieldwiper not working got babk 3/20/20 bought back aging on 4/22/202 and returned to me on 5/07/2020 for same thing it is back again at dealership for the same thing. I went to start the car up to go to work and the lights did not come on it was raining that day and turned on the rear wiper on that did not turn on then I tried the heated seat turned it on and it went out.

See all problems of the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.