Hyundai Santa Fe owners have reported 456 problems related to vehicle speed control (under the vehicle speed control category). The most recently reported issues are listed below. Also please check out the statistics and reliability analysis of Hyundai Santa Fe based on all problems reported for the Santa Fe.
While traveling on [xxx] from [xxx] to [xxx] xxx, I initiated the adaptive cruise control. While engaged, with no other vehicles or other impediments on the roadway in front of me, the emergency braking system engaged and attempted to stop the vehicle. The first time this happened, I pressed the accelerator which disengaged the braking action. Later I reengaged the cruise control and after a few minutes, with no traffic near the vehicle, the same action happened again. I disengaged the adaptive cruise control and drove the vehicle manually with no further problems. I have scheduled an examination of the vehicle with a Hyundai dealer but have read of 25-30 similar issues with no resolution by Hyundai. This is a safety issue that will eventually cause an accident and needs to be resolved. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
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all problems of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe
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The vehicle repeatedly loses motive power while being driven at highway speed. It slows even with the accelerator pressed to the floor, does not shift into higher gears, and drops to 40 to 50 mph. On [xxx], the vehicle lost power at highway speed while I was driving. I had to stop on the shoulder of the hwy. The vehicle could not be driven and was towed to the dealer. The dealer opened r. O. No. [xxx] on 9-3, recording mileage in of 23,595. It inspected the vehicle and confirmed the concern. It replaced the fuel rail pressure sensor (part no. 35342-2m400) under warranty, confirmed a good idle with no codes, and performed a test drive of about three miles. The dealer reported the vehicle ready on 9-15-26; mileage out 23,596. On [xxx], within a few miles of picking up the vehicle after the first repair, the malfunction indicator lamp illuminated. We returned the vehicle to the dealer the same day; the dealer recorded the mileage in as 23,602. The myhyundai app shows active diagnostic trouble code p00bd00 (mass or volume air flow "a" circuit range/performance — air flow too high), powertrain system, recorded at 23,600 miles, with a listed date of [xxx]. The dealer returned the vehicle on [xxx]. On [xxx], four days after the 2nd repair, we brought the vehicle back to the dealer. We reported that it was idling high, at about 1,200 to 1,900 rpm while stopped, and that we had heard a low clicking sound since the repair. The dealer did not keep the vehicle. The next morning, [xxx], about 7 miles from home, the vehicle lost power on a bridge on [xxx]. It slowed to about 50 miles per hour and did not appear to shift. I stopped on the bridge with my [xxx] daughter in the car. Vdot responded. My husband and I switched cars. [xxx] then drove the vehicle. After about two miles it again lost power, and he had to leave the highway and use secondary roads at low speed to get to the dealer. The car is currently at the dealership. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
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all problems of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe
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While operating the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly began severely hesitating and stalling. During the incident, engine rpm surged to approximately 6,000 rpm and accelerator pedal response became abnormal. The vehicle was not responding normally to accelerator input, which significantly affected the ability to operate the vehicle safely. The vehicle subsequently recorded diagnostic trouble code p0304 – cylinder 4 misfire detected. The abnormal operation of the vehicle during the incident was also captured on video. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Hyundai dealership for diagnosis. The dealership has advised that because the condition is not currently occurring and they have been unable to duplicate the problem, they may be unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. The safety concern is not simply an illuminated check-engine light or a stored p0304 code. The concern is the combination of severe hesitation/stalling, abnormal accelerator response, and the engine surging to approximately 6,000 rpm while the vehicle was being driven. The cause of the condition has not been identified and, at the time of this complaint, the vehicle has not been repaired for the underlying problem. I am concerned that this condition could recur without warning while accelerating, entering or crossing traffic, or traveling at highway speeds. A recurrence could result in an inability to accelerate normally, unexpected vehicle behavior, loss of normal vehicle operation, or a collision. Hyundai has been notified of the issue and I have requested further technical investigation of the engine misfire as well as the transmission/tcu and electronic throttle/accelerator systems due to the high-rpm event and abnormal accelerator response. I am submitting this complaint because this appears to be a potentially serious safety-related defect and I want NHTSA to have a record of the incident and determine whether similar stalling, high-rpm, acceleration, transmission, or engine-misfire.
Vehicle was brought to an authorized dealership for service, and while there campaign 9c2 (ecu software update for theta ii emissions improvement) was performed. Immediately following this software update, the vehicle developed drivability degradation, specifically engine stutter/hesitation and rough transmission shifting during cold starts. When attempting to accelerate in the first few minutes of driving, the vehicle delays engagement and then suddenly surges or lurches forward unpredictably. This creates a safety hazard, as the unpredictable power delivery and lag prevent the vehicle from accelerating safely when merging into traffic or turning across oncoming lanes, placing occupants at an immediate risk of a collision. The software logic error is fully reproducible every time the vehicle has sat long enough to cool down. The dealership confirmed the update was applied. There were no warning lamps or symptoms prior to the 9c2 update; the failure was caused directly by the manufacturer's campaign software modification to the engine control unit (ecu). The vehicle and its ecu are available for inspection upon request.
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all problems of the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe
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Vehicle began running sluggish, gas smell noticed. Vehicle was due for oil change, took car in for oil change to aaa and mentioned gas smell. Aaa identified gas leaking from fuel pump posing immediate safety issue that needed to be resolved.
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all problems of the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe
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I took my SUV to get the 9c2 recall on 8/7/2026 performed and took it home. The next morning when I cranked it and left my driveway it acted as if the vehicle didn't recognize that I was pressing my accelerator. It sputtered and hesitated acceleration for about five minutes. It also acted as if it was not going to change from first to second gear. After about five min. Of playing with the gas pedal it straightened out. Twice I was almost hit by other cars expecting me to pull away from a stop sign. I took it back the next day telling the service agent what was happening and he kept it overnight. I received a text saying the technician was unable to find a cold start problem and it was ready to pick up. I was so mad I could barely hold my temper. I took it home and for the next week every single day it acted like this when cold started in the morning. I took it back to premiere Hyundai of harvey and was treated rudely this time. They acted as if they never had a single other complaint and told me I might have to leave it for several days so they could cold start test it for several days. This was on a Wednesday morning 8/19. I was never updated or called and when I texted my service rep on Monday 8/24 I was told the tech was not able to duplicate the complaint and to come pick it up. I will not ever buy another Hyundai because of the way I was treated and lied to. Please create a recall for this badly handled recall 9c2. My sante fe sport ran beautifully before this recall messed up my SUV. Now I have found if I let it idle for five minutes in the morning and accelerate slowly until it changes gears, most mornings it will run well, but if I crank it and pull into the street on a cold start it does the sputtering help us Hyundai owners.
Over the past month, on two occasions my vehicle has emitted gasoline fumes filling my garage, and today my interior cabin smelled like gasoline. Additionally, after warming up, my vehicle experiences acceleration drop/stuttering when accelerating after idling. This happens every day. I took the car to two dealerships (san tan Hyundai and chapman Hyundai scottsdale) and they weren’t able to diagnose the issue.
Brought my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe sport into the dealer on July 25, 2026 for the ecu and theta ii software update (Hyundai service campaign 9c2). Before the recall service my car drove perfectly with no issues. After the recall service my car is extremely jerky when shifting at low speeds and has long delays when trying to accelerate. This problem is particularly apparent on cold start, and less so once the vehicle has been driving. The issue is not as noticeable if the vehicle has been driven, is turned off, and then turned on again before fully cooled down. The jerky shifting has been getting worse over the past month. Vehicle was taken back to the dealer that conducted the software update on August 26, 2026 and they charged me for throttle body cleaning and efi service which they performed for carbon build up as they cited this as the cause for the issues. The issue was not resolved from this service despite the dealers claims and the vehicle still has the same jerky shifting and delayed acceleration on cold start. There are no warning messages. Issue is becoming more widely documented among users after this particular service campaign so it is not an individual isolated problem.
Component/system: the powertrain launch control system — the transmission control unit (tcu) and 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission paired with the 2. 5t engine — fails to deliver engine power in response to full accelerator input from a stop. The engine does not rev and the vehicle does not move for approximately 1–2 seconds despite the accelerator pedal being fully depressed, then power engages abruptly and violently. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: the failure occurs when launching from a stop into intersections and cross-traffic. In the most recent incident, I was turning left across the roadway from a stop with an oncoming vehicle approaching. I applied full accelerator and the vehicle did not respond at all for approximately 2 seconds — no engine response, no movement — leaving me stationary in the oncoming vehicle’s path. Power then engaged violently and without warning, causing the vehicle to lurch across the road. I was nearly struck. Similar events have occurred multiple times throughout my ownership; this was the closest to a collision. Dealer confirmation: not yet inspected by a dealer. A dealer service appointment is being scheduled. Other inspections: the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Warning lamps/prior symptoms: no warning lamps or messages have appeared before, during, or after any of the events. The failure is intermittent and occurs without warning. The condition has been present since I purchased the vehicle in October 2022 and has occurred regularly throughout ownership — numerous occurrences over more than three years. No warning lamps have ever accompanied it. Additional: condition persists with idle stop & go disabled, ruling out engine-restart delay. Same 8-speed wet dct was subject to recall 236 (NHTSA 22v-746) on 2021–2022 models for similar throttle non-response; 2023 excluded despite identical hardware.
I am reporting a severe safety failure on my 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe sport that perfectly matches the safety defect described in recall 21v-303 / campaign 205. This happened even though I had the dealer perform the official recall fuse fix back in 2024. The problem started after I left the car parked for about 3 to 4 hours. When I came back, I heard a motor (not the motor) loudly running under the hood even though the ignition was completely off. It stayed on even after starting and turning the car off. The battery in the vehicle had drained so bad it was deemed bad when hooked up to a tester at the auto parts store. After getting a new battery and trying to drive the car, the electrical system went haywire. The dashboard lit up with every brake warning light on, the speedometer stopped working, miles to empty being erratic, and the exterior rear brake lights kept flickering erratically after the car was turned off. The steering was acting abnormal and unnatural, not crisp and easy to turn as usual. There were absolutely no warning lights or symptoms before I parked the vehicle. I had it towed to my local Hyundai dealership, and their diagnostic scan confirmed major brake and chassis issues, specifically code c2402 for an abs pump motor circuit malfunction and codes c1200, c1203, and c1206 for a loss of wheel speed data. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives, but it is currently sitting at the dealership waiting for a resolution from a Hyundai customer care case manager. The 2024 recall remedy only involved dropping the fuse amperage to mitigate fire intensity; it did not replace the module housing or prevent the internal brake fluid leak from eventually destroying the system. The defect has seemingly now fully manifested, knocking out primary braking indicators and power steering assist, presenting an ongoing safety and fire hazard while driving and parked.
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all problems of the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe
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My check engine light came on, and my car was also feeling "sluggish" and slow to accelerate. I scheduled a service appointment at my local dealer 4 days later. At the appointment, the technician stated everything checked out okay and the check engine light was likely an "anomaly" or "outlier" but otherwise nothing to be concerned about since everything checked out "okay" and no problems were identified during their test drive. However, that very afternoon, I was driving down the interstate, where the posted speed limit is 70mph, when my check engine light came on again and suddenly lost power, drastically reducing my speed and could not accelerate faster than 39mph. Luckily, the interstate was not busy at the time (about 10:30-11:00 a. M. Saturday morning) and there were only less than 4 cars behind me that were able to easily switch lanes and pass me. I moved over to the shoulder to a complete stop and restarted my car. My check engine light remained illuminated and was still slow to accelerate and "sluggish" but was able to (slowly) reach interstate speed (60-70mph) until I reached an acceptable exit and safely made it to my destination. I have since used roadside assistance to tow the vehicle from my home to the the same dealership for inspection and service (again).
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all problems of the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe
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On June 20 2026 at 2:07pm central time there was a check engine light displayed on the dash of my vehicle 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe calligraphy, while it was parked in the garage of my home and was just powered up. I had then performed the vehicle diagnostics test (pictures attached) that showed that there was an issue with the 'transmission control system' with detail that a full system check is recommended and to schedule an appointment with a dealer. I had later proceeded to contact local dealer 'huffines Hyundai mckinney' for service as I was due for an oil change anyway. As I was driving the vehicle from my home which was about 13 miles away from the dealership, I noticed that the vehicle had great trouble shifting from 1st gear to higher gears, that the speed would be 20mph or lower no matter how much the accelerator was pushed and I had to drive very carefully in traffic due to the low speeds. I was told at the dealership by 3pm that day that there were no active recalls on my vehicle, that the transmission related recall that was showing up on google search for that dct code wasn't specific enough to my vehicle and to book an appointment for vehicle diagnostics and transmission repair/replacement at full cost to myself. The multi-point inspection report after oil change showed nothing about the check engine light issue or that the issue was even diagnosed by the dealership. From that day until today Aug 29 2026, I've noticed that the vehicle still has trouble shifting from the 1st gear, that the vehicle drives normally when increased time is allowed between power up and start of drive (~2min of engine running idle) and that the check engine light reappears after a trip of quick power up and drive. There was atleast one instance where I had to pullover onto the shoulder to avoid high speed traffic while driving in the right lane.
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all problems of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe
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First failure occurred 7 months after purchase at 5,270 miles on August 1, 2024. The vehicle suddenly went into "limp mode" abruptly decelerating to 25 mph with a non-responsive gas pedal. A code reader displayed po653 sensor reference: "voltage b circuit high". Dealer found corroded wire to battery and cleaned it. Second failure: horn loss to 1 tone. Fixed at 30k mile dealer service on June 12, 2026 and found to have faulty packing resulting in corrosion. At the same standard service the brake system was flushed. 3rd failure was 5 days and 437 miles (30,712 miles) after the 30k dealer service. On June 17, 2026 during my early morning commute while merging onto the interstate, alarms began to blare and the gas pedal suddenly became unresponsive. The initial alarms read blind spot failure. Car would not accelerate from 40 mph that it was going coming down the bridge ramp so I took the very close off ramp down from the aqua duct and the console display alert showed "engine management system: details: braking and body control system with a recommendation to get "a full system check. . . Today". I brought it to the dealer that afternoon and as of yesterday, 6/26/26 they can find nothing wrong, declaring it an intermittent issue and asked me to come get the car, refusing to continue looking or providing alternate options other than referring me to Hyundai consumer affairs.
Hyundai campaign 9c2 recall update: took my vehicle in to have the Hyundai campaign 9c2 recall update performed on the vehicle on June 9th, 2026. Since the update the vehicle is hesitant/jerky upon first drive of the day or anytime it sits more than a few hours. Occasionally it will do this while I am driving. I feel it is a saftey risk because this could cause my vehicle to abruptly hesitate without braking and cause someone to hit me, or worsetransmission to fail while at highway speeds. I took it back to the dealer that performed the required update around June 23rd 2026 and informed them of the problem caused by the 9c2 campaign update. I got the we don't know anything about it causing problems runaround. Even though it has been documented that dealers were notified of this problem. They then wanted to charge me a $100 diagnostic fee to see if it might be something else, I declined that because I know it is from this update. My vehicle ran perfectly fine and smooth before this update was applied and no cel lights are on. I did this update because it was required to be done by Hyundai. When I started researching why my vehicle was hesitant/jerky after the update is when I found that anyone that did this update is having these same issues, and it has been happening for a while now and Hyundai corporation has done nothing to correct this problem other than tell us to sit for at least 3 minutes or more before driving it. That does not help when it does it even after driving for a bit and possibly creating transmission problems.
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe gasoline model. My VIN was included in Hyundai safety recall 263 / NHTSA recall 24v-529 involving the transmission control unit and potential damage to the dual-clutch transmission. On September 25, 2024, at fewer than 5,000 miles, the transmission failed and the vehicle was taken to a Hyundai dealership. The transmission repair/replacement was approved and the vehicle remained out of service until October 21, 2024. On June 5, 2026, the vehicle would not start and required towing to an authorized Hyundai dealership. The vehicle has remained at the dealership continuously since June 5 and has not been returned to me. The dealer has undertaken multiple unsuccessful repair/diagnostic efforts during the current visit. I am currently being told that the condition involves the engine/powertrain. Hyundai is now sending an engineer to the dealership because the condition remains unresolved. I am reporting this history because this vehicle experienced a transmission failure shortly after being subject to a federal transmission-related safety recall and has now developed another major engine/powertrain condition while still relatively new.
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all problems of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe
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The 9c2 campaign software update introduced dangerous vehicle hesitation and unpredictable gear changes in active traffic, presenting and immediate crash hazard.
I was driving down the road and came to a stop at a stop light. After accelerating again my car lost the ability to increase speed above 20 miles/hour and would not shift gears. I was heading to the turn lane to get on the interstate and quickly had to change lanes to find an area to pull over as I could not reach highway speeds. I turned the car off. I turned the car back on and the problem resolved. This is the second time this has happened. I have seen this problem mentioned dozens of time on reddit message boards including Hyundai buybacks on some of these vehicles. It doesn't sound like Hyundai has any idea what is causing this issue. This issue should be looked into further.
After the recent "important service campaign" involving the theta ii emissions logic improvement my vehicle no longer safety shifts into the lower gears. It will not shift into gear. I am unable to safely get up to a normal speed and the engine and vehicle start shaking. This is isolated to the initial start of the vehicle and any low speed driving after. The issue is resolved after restarting the car, suggesting it is a software issue. This issue immediately began after the ecu update for the theta ii emissions logic improvement on 5/12/2026.
After the installation of the service campaign 9c2 engine update, the car now seems to surge or rev up briefly at lower speeds like it can't find the right gear or is trying to briefly accelerate. It doesn't seem to be as noticeable at highway speeds, but in residential or low speeds, it's very noticeable and a little unsettling as the car feels like it wants to briefly lunge forward. No lights are on the dash and there is no indication of any malfunction, but it did not behave this way prior to the 9c2 engine program update. I waited for a couple weeks before contacting Hyundai corporate about this issue because I was hoping maybe the transmission or engine was relearning after a battery disconnection, but it has not gone away.
Campaign /service update 9c2 / TSB-25-01-087h broke my Hyundai. The car hesitates idling and on acceleration. Hyundai have no solution to this failed software update or acknowledging other issues it may be causing.
No power till car warms up for 5 minutes. It will be jerky on highway. The gas mileage is going down drastically, I was doing 32 miles to gallon and now it's 22mpg. All this is after the recall we just had performed. I have no power trying to avoid accidents, taking off from stopping. Car smells weird now.
Directly after the dealer, johnson Hyundai of apex, completed service campaign 9c2 on 4/28/26, my vehicle began sticking, surging, and harshly changing gears. I have followed up with the dealer multiple times. They said they are not getting back any diagnostic error codes (outside mechanic shop also confirmed they're also not seeing error codes), but went ahead and recalibrated the ecm. They told me to drive for 200 miles and the issue should be resolved. I have now driven 1,500 miles and the issue persists. I'm now seeing Hyundai put out a 'driveability communication" about this issue, but there is no proposed fix/recall. This issue did not exist before this service campaign was performed by the dealership.
Abs, traction control lights, emergency braking lights on . . Tire sensors are bad. Causing intermittent issue with the lights. For 3 years I've been trying to get my abs/traction control fixed at Hyundai, that dealership refused to acknowledge there was an issue. I had a code from a car place since I live over an hour away and they said they couldn't use it since it wasn't from them. I have an extended warranty there. Went to another dealership and was immediately told it was the tire sensors. That he used to work at the other dealership and they saw it all the time. I now see palisades have a tire sensor issue. Heck I've been dealing with this for years, and apparently so are many other Hyundai owners, according to this Hyundai employee. Now they're trying to overcharge me and saying my warranty will only cover a quarter of what they want. My deductible is only 100 if I don't get the work done at the original place, the one that said there isn't a problem. I've had it with Hyundai. They are unsafe and don't care about customer service.
Gas motor is not engaging to assist electric drivetrain on a hybrid awd 2025 Santa Fe. This resulted in a dangerous situation crossing a busy road from a stop sign. The Santa Fe rolled into the intersection at the drivers request, but did not accelerate normally (only to a maximum of a few miles per hour) and felt like an eternity to cross the road. Fortunately oncoming drivers from left and right were paying attention and slowed down and in one case honked aggressively to point out we driving badly. Pulling over to the side of the road, turning the vehicle off and then back on again has sometimes made it run normally, but we limited our trips at that point to first getting safely home and then delivering it to the dealer. The 20 mile drive to the dealer required pulling over twice to reset the vehicle so the electric motor would assist. We have had repeated warnings from the onboard system including "follow up checks required - engine management system" and "there may be a problem with the engine management system contact your dealer". I will note that we have 11,000 miles and 11 months experience with the vehicle with no problems. It may not be relevant, but these new faults began 2 days routine service for oil and tire rotation when recall was performed including ecu software update for recall 25-01-028-1. Dealer is uncertain of problem and referring with outside tech assistance from Hyundai but we were told to expect 2 weeks for parts and repair and uncertainty as to whether that would fix it. In the meantime a vehicle with unreliable acceleration and top speed is unsafe and parked. I do note on this NHTSA website 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid SUV awd that there are 47 complaints. 9 relating to this problem all beginning October 2025 and none prior back to the first post of Nov 2024 for this model. Complaints similar to this for engine management and speed and power loss account for 50% of complaints for this vehicle on the nhsta website since October 2025.
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).
On February 24, 2026, I had the 9c2 software update. My vehicle was being checked for oil consumption. Since then I have had issues with it hard shifting when first starting to drive and sometimes after I've been driving a while. This has continued miles down the road, sometimes over thirty minutes after driving. It also just feels continuously like it is not driving smooth. This only started after the update. I contacted hma. The first person on my case (gurvinder) told me I needed to return my car, not to drive it. I had bronchitis, so I did not immediately do that. The next person "rainey" told me it is a known issue and they are telling people to warm their cars up for around 3 minutes, and it will be fine. I'd done that, and even driven longer than that. I told him that. I took my mother-in-law home from church miles from there after collecting her at the church door, etc. . . Getting to the hill at to her home, I didn't think it was going to get up it. Often I don't think I'm going to get out of my driveway, a dangerous driveway in a curve. He wanted krause Hyundai to contact hma engineer. When I was at krause, they didn't know how to get ahold of hma engineer. Dalton also said they can't back the update out. I'm on my third hma case manager. She keeps changing what I've told her is wrong in the emails, I don't think she knows anything about cars. She won't listen when I say I spoke to dalton at krause; she keeps speaking to john. John said they can do diagnostic, but it will cost me. I refuse to pay as rainey and gurvinder had months before wanted me to take it back to get fixed, and rainey wanted krause to contact the engineer. It is a known issue with a letter written by Hyundai. Getting a diagnostic code reading performed is not going to help. I'm afraid my vehicle will lose power on the road and I will be struck. I tried uploading both pdf and jpg, but it wouldn't let me.
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid has had multiple occasions, most recently on February 3, 2026 with 12,330 miles on the car, where the gas-powered engine fails to provide any power to the drivetrain. The car experiences vast power loss and enters "limp mode" where only the small hybrid battery is powering the vehicle. Max speed ranges from 10 - 25mph and there is little, if any, acceleration, even when the gas pedal is pegged to the floor. It is necessary to pull over, engage the flashing safety lights and try to find a safe place to park. After turning the vehicle off and on several times, eventually, the gas engines re-engages. The first incident of this type for this vehicle was on August 7, 2025 with approximately 4,400 miles on the vehicle. It was taken to the dealer, key Hyundai of salem, who could not find any dtcs and could not replicate the problem. They said "bring it back if it happens again. " they next time was on February 3, 2026 where it happened several times on a trip to and from a local restaurant. This time, at dtc code of p088000 powertrain / powerloss was recorded and reported. However, by the time the car was seen by key Hyundai of salem on February 5, 2026, the code has cleared itself. Hyundai's corporate policy is that historical codes can not be used for warranty claims. So, the dealer tried one potential fix, cleaning the tcm connectors under the driver's seat, and returned the vehicle stating that Hyundai corporate would not authorize warranty work unless/until the car was presented to the dealership with a current / live dtc or visible broken parts. It seems unsafe to put a vehicle back on the road that could lose power and drivability at any time for no apparent reason. I am aware that there have been several other reports of similar power loss / limp mode situations by owners of 2024-25 Hyundai Santa Fe hybrids. At the moment, I am told that there is no current technical service bulletin on this from Hyundai.
Harsh engagement or hesitation between gears 1 through 3 specifically during cold starts before the powertrain warms up. But also during driving in the highway.
I tried to drive my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe hybrid; the vehicle displayed a gear selection error message stating something like "gear already selected". The vehicle would not shift properly and would not power off or restart. I attempted multiple shutdown and restart attempts using the start/stop button with no success. The vehicle remained in this condition for about 30 minutes and would not allow normal operation or shutdown. Due to safety concerns, Hyundai roadside assistance was contacted and a tow truck was dispatched. Before the tow arrived, the vehicle spontaneously allowed shutdown without any intervention. This was a safety related failure involving the shift-by-wire system and vehicle power-down logic. The issue occurred without warning and left the vehicle inoperable. The vehicle had app 7150 miles at the time of the incident.
This car was in a bbb binding arbitration and Hyundai was told to fix: speed control malfunction, speed linit not posting to hub arbitrary fan engagement. The dealership alm west had the car 2 weeks and the car sat on their lot. They said we are unable to duplicate the problem. Now in addition I showed them the cracked windshield and they were not responsible. I had an insurance complaint I took it to safelite and replaced the windshield yesterday and I got it back with a new windshield and it also had a crack in the replacement windshield. I think Hyundai knows there's a problem with the glass which is also part of the safety system of the car.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? unsure, but likely transmission. I no longer own the vehicle, it is at tom ahl Hyundai in lima, ohio. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? when the vehicle was put in reverse, without pressing the gas the car would rapidly accelerate and jerk as if it was going to stall. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes, the dealership. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? the manufacturer was working on a fix but unable to figure out the issue, so I returned the car. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no, no warning lights.
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the anchor in the third row detached. The vehicle rolled while in the drive position. The vehicle failed to accelerate. While reversing, the vehicle jerked. No warning lights the vehicle was taken to the local dealer on five occasions and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. The VIN was not available.
I engaged the adaptive cruise control at 50 mph. This enabled the driver attention system which I had turned off at the start of my drive. The driver attention system is unable to see my eyes through my prescription corrective lenses. This caused the Hyundai to throw multiple 'failure to control vehicle/failure to watch road' warnings over the course of a few seconds; culminating with the system trying to stop the car in heavy traffic.
Circuit board inside the fuse box stopped working and there was no speed indicator, no cruise control, no odometer registering while driving. Also the mechanical fuel pump started leaking fuel at 148,000 miles and now at 156,000 miles it is burning through oil and no oil light came on and the engine went into limp mode and is also now going through coolant too.
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all problems of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
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The vehicle's software was updated on oct 21, 2025. The software has serious flaw. When driving on slight incline on the passing lane the vehicle will apply the brakes without warning. This has happened 3 times. At times, when vehicles were following me they also had to apply the brakes unexpectedly. Had they not applied their brakes, they would have rear ended me at highway speeds. I also recall that there were no vehicles either in front or to the right ahead of me when it occurred. Also there was a guardrail on the left side of the highway at the time. This did not occur with the previous installed software. Every time this happened, the vehicle was in cruise control and driver assist was on to keep vehicle in the lane.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | |
| Car Accelerates On Its Own problems | |
| Cruise Control problems | |
| Accelerator Pedal problems | |
| Speed Control Cable problems | |
| Accelerator Stuck problems | |
| Fail To Accelerate problems | |
| Accelerator Pedal Sensor problems | |
| Car Throttle Stuck problems | |
| Fail To Slow Down problems |