NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
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
I took my car to the dealer because it hesitates when accelerating. I was told since no lights are on there's nothing they can do. This can be very dangerous as it jerks when accelerating
Car was without power after 16 months and 7500 miles. Got it jump started. Two days after that, car would not start again. Second time jump started. Taken to the dealership (Alexandria Hyundai) where two days after that they found "nothing wrong with the car" and returned it to me. Before that, I asked them to change the battery, they denied my request and I paid out of pocket for a new battery as maybe that was the problem. One month approximately after that, car would not even open. Got it jump started again. Drove to blocks and completely and suddenly shut off in the middle of a busy intersection posing a major safety concern for myself and third parties. Involved 911 and towing. Had to spend 40 minutes depressing the brake for the car not to roll down and avoid an accident. Taken to the dealership again. 5 days after that, dealership found "nothing wrong with the car". 7500 miles inspection done in parallel "supposedly" put the tires at 35 psi per report issued but dashboard shows tires at 30 psi. Do not trust dealership, car poses significant driving and safety concern for me and third parties.
While on a high speed highway in New Jersey the transmission suddenly lost power and the car was unable to move. It had to finally be towed to the Hyundai dealer on 7/26/2022 where it remains awaiting a new transmission. Neither dealer or Hyundai Corporate has any information as to when new transmission will arrive and be installed.
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.
When ISG (Idle Stop and Go) is ON, vehicle will completely turn off when pressing brake to stop. Vehicle shut off on me yesterday yielding to turn onto a busy highway. It took 5+ mins for vehicle to crank back up. Very dangerous! No warning lamps, messages, or symptoms other than vehicle completely shutting off. An appointment has been made at Hyundai dealership next month which is the first available time. Please look into this issue before someone is seriously hurt or killed!
The windshield has waves through it causing parts of the windshield to be blurry.
I ran into a pretty dangerous situation while on the highway. I was driving at about 70mph picking up speed to pass a vehicle on the far left/fast lane when I suddenly noticed a loss in power (no warning, nothing!). I could hear the engine rev when stepping on the gas but the speed never picked up. I managed to stop on the far left shoulder next to the jersey barrier since there wasn't enough speed to safely get to the right shoulder. Restarting the car multiple times didn't fix the issue but the engine light came on at this point. I had to get the car towed to the nearest dealer after seeking help from the highway patrol and roadside assistance. After 3 weeks at the dealership, they told me they could not replicate the issue and asked me to take possession of the vehicle. The very next day, while on the highway, I ran into the same issue just after driving 7 miles. Again, it could have been pretty dangerous. It's now back at the dealership.
I keep my vehicle backed into my single car garage. I have had 3 incidents in the last couple of months Beginning of mayish to now, where I start the vehicle, put it in drive and it does not drive. Twice it started to reverse and today it acted as though it were in neutral. I've taken video of the last 2 incidents showing that drive is selected, the dashboard and the Birdseye camera. My dealership is working to resolve but has stated to plan on my vehicle being there for awhile. This seems to be quite dangerous. When I turn the vehicle off and restart it, drive works.
The passenger door has a sharp edge at the bottom exactly like the palasade hyundai recall. Both my daughter and my 82 year old mother have gashed their ankle on the door. In the case of my mother she was lucky we did not need stitches! I have a picture of the injury. I made a case submission to Hyundai.
The issue first came up in June 2022. When driving the vehicle and coming to a stop the vehicle lost power and would not drive at all. After a few seconds the check engine light came on. After multiple attempts to shift into gear and restart the vehicle the vehicle did have power but for only about 10 miles before doing it again. We ended up having the vehicle towed to the Hyundai dealership. They told us it was a transmission electric oil pump going out (which is now recalled). They replaced the pump but immediately after getting the vehicle and driving down the road less than a couple of miles, the vehicle lost power again and did the exact same thing. The dealership towed the vehicle back and this time said they will need to replace the whole transmission assembly. After waiting over 3 months they finally replaced it. We got the vehicle back and currently is able to drive. However, the transmission shifts hard and there have been times where the transmission lags for a long time before shifting into gear to make the vehicle move. When it does finally go into gear the vehicle will take off real hard and quick. I do not feel safe in this vehicle. Considering how the vehicle lags and takes off real hard at times, I feel this is putting me at risk for a wreck. This is absolutely unacceptable for a vehicle this new and so few miles. Unfortunately, I do not feel Hyundai will back up their poor product and give a fair refund. We have received a recall notice for the oil pump but they have no solution. This recall does not take into account how poorly the transmission now shifts after being replaced.
While driving on the interstate where no other vehicles were within eye view and no overpasses my sunroof glass exploded. It sounded like a gunshot and it wasn’t until I heard the glass rattling above my head that I realized where it was coming from. Luckily I had the cover closed so majority of the glass was caught by that. The incredibly loud noise startled me tremendously and could caused a collision because of my focus being taken away from the road. The shattered glass was in my lap, on my hand, in my hair ect. causing small cuts with the potential to cause serious harm had the cover not been closed. No, it has been several weeks almost a month and the dealer is requiring confirmation from corporate case management before it can be assessed. Corporate has been “escalating” my case yet a caseworker was not assigned my case this whole time and once a caseworker was finally assigned on 7/8 I had yet to hear from them so I attempted to call on 7/11 and was given a further run around. I am riding around with a plastic bag and tape fastened to my car to hopefully prevent water damage from occurring going on a month now. The bags are so loud when driving that they prevent me from being able to hear what’s going on with my surroundings on the roadway which is unsafe No.
Most of the time, when the vehicle stops the transmission slams and pushes the vehicle forward requiring additional breaking effort. This problem started before 5 thousand miles of use. I reported it at his first oil change and I have continued to report it. The Hyundai dealer's machine shop claims to test and verify it, they claim they have no problem or technical bulletin about it. They say this is normal for this model. My concern is that this fault ends up breaking the transmission in the middle of the avenue and having a traffic accident. There is a forum of this same model owners reporting the same problem, https://www.hyundai-forums.com/threads/2021-santa-fe-transmission-shudder.680164/page-2 apparently they don't know this website to report these problems.
The vehicle sporadically turns off its engine by itself, mostly stopped when placing the transmission in park gear. One time the engine went out in the middle of the avenue. After these events when starting the engine it makes a noise for a few seconds. I have taken the vehicle to the dealer and they say that there is no type of technical bulletin on this type of problem.
This car since 6/7/22 has been plagued with issues where is starts cutting out and stalling followed by the check engine light coming on flashing. This has happened many times and just happens while driving down the road. It is a very dangerous condition as you can not predict when it's going to stall out. The car has been in the dealership 3X for this problem and spent over 40 days there. Hyundai replaced the fuel injectors claiming that was the problem. It was over 35 days to get the back ordered parts. They were replaced and the car seemed to be running OK. I drove it for about 150 miles and it ran like new. Then on 8/13/22 while driving in traffic on NH Highway US1, it started doing it again. I went into the Hyundai dealership since was right there. I brought the technician out and showing him my running car with the running car with blinking CEL. They pulled into into the shop and ran a scan on it. They said there was no active codes. I asked to leave the car with hem so it could be investigated and there response we "we don;t have a car for you until next Tuesday". I was forced to drive off in a confirmed dangerous car. I pulled out into traffic on US1 and the car immediately lost power and started cutting out and the CEL was back on and blinking. I turned around on the very next street, turned the car off and back on and the CEL cleared. I pulled back onto US 1 and the car immediately lost power and started cutting out and the CEL was back on and blinking again. This very nearly caused a 2nd accident as ad zero power to accelerate. My concern is Hyundai has no idea what the problem is. They know there is a dangerous problem. The service manager drove the car/confirmed himself there is a serious issue. My other concern is the Hyundai dealership knowingly sent me away in a car they had confirmed for themselves was unsafe nearly causing a accident on the highway. I had to speak with the General manager to get a loaner to leave my defective car.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary at a traffic light, the vehicle turned off and on intermittently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the key out of the ignition to completely turn off the vehicle. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive to her destination. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V181000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact associated the failure with the recall. The local dealer was not contacted regarding the recall. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Got stuck at a traffic light when the idle stop and go never came back. Diagnosed as a transmission problem and the dealer’s going to replace the transmission.
Problem #1 - At least 4 quarts of oil spewed from the oil tank and covered most of the engine for an unknown period time. There were no notifications, alerts, or any other indication concerning the oil tank having 1 or less quart of oil. Ultimately, there are at least three (3) questions that need to be addressed 1.In a 2021 Santa Fe, what would cause both the timing and valve covers to leak out at least four (4) quarts of oil out of the oil tank onto the engine. 2.Why was there no notification, alerts, or indication that the oil tank only had less than one (1) quart of oil. 3.What other damage could there have been to the engine beyond the several parts identified as needing to be replaced, that was not identified. A Chronological Order of Events is available.
On two different occasions the car is rolled away from me and while I was out of the car and walking away from the vehicle. The first time it rolled backwards across the parking lot and into a flagpole and the second time it was a McDonald's parking lot and I was able to jump back in the car in time but it started to roll forward as I was bending down to get my debit card off the ground.
My sante fe has shifted out of park and rolled away from me on 2 occasions. The first time I was about 30 feet away when my son and husband started screaming for me. The car we rolling across the parking lot. I tried to jump in and hit the brake but was unsuccessful and we slammed into a flag pole. The dealer ran a code reader on it and there was no codes so they denied responsibility. Basically called me a liar [XXX] it happened again In McDonald's drive thru The window lady witnessed it. I got out to.get my debit card and as I was leaning down the car rolled out of park snd started coasting away from me. I again, contacted my Hyundai who assigned another case manager. This case manager promised to reimburse me for a rental I paid for the first time the car rolled away from me. The case worker had told me she set up an appointment at another local dealer and they would have a rental waiting on me the next morning I asked her to call amd confirm the appt and rental and to call me back Never heard from her again After numerous calls and emails I recieved an email stating she could no longer assist me since I had obtained legal counsel. Complete lie I never informed them that I had retained counsel. I merely asked if I needed one. . This was their way of brushing me off for the 2nd time Myhyundai has record of me calling trying to gather a resolution at least 30 xs. I have contacted the attorney general's office who reached out to my dealer and my dealer told them they followed protocol and found no issue that would be a warranty issue Of course they aren't wanting to admit that this is issue because this one case could cost millions in recalls. Now there are more and more people that have had the same experience and I fear there will be death before this is addressed. Please help !! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Problem first started on 3/31/22, car starting showing engine light as well as forward safety system off. Car would not accelerate and was shaking spuddering when foot was off the brake. Pulled into a safe location and called Towne Hyundai Genesis of Denville (Rt. 10, NJ) to schedule a service appointment and was told that there were NO appointments or availability until May. I expressed my concern that I did not feel safe driving the vehicle and the response was that I could drop off the car for 4-6 weeks and they would look at it when they had a chance. I asked if there was a loaner car available and they said no that 100's of other people have problems. I took my car to a local shop to see if they could diagnose the issue and they ran a diagnostic test and the error P2127 (Throttle/ Pedal Position Sensor/ Switch E Circuit Low). The Hyundai BlueLink shows 2 alerts for Chassis on 3/31/22 as well. After this date I felt unsafe driving my car and have drove the vehicle a handful of times in 2 1/2 months unable to get an appointment. The alert would come on as soon as you turned the vehicle on until 6/4/22 when it occured while driving on a highway and the car stopped accelerating. I took the vehicle to Hyundai and they updated the system and stated that it was fixed. Within 15 minutes of driving it the issue came back, and I called them and they once again stated that I could leave it there for 4-6 weeks without a loaner. This car is extremely unsafe as it will just stop accelerating without any warning.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the back-up camera was activated, the screen display turned to a green color and no image was visible, creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure or retrieve a fault code. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 21,000.
While driving the car in cruse control the speedometer would jump up and down rapidly making the car accelerate and break. The warning lights come on saying the forward, side back sensors are off. At times stepping on the breaks a plastic bottle crunch sound will occur but the breaks were fine. I scheduled a repair but was still driving the car. Then I approached an intersection and the light was turning green to yellow so I stepped on the breaks only to have the pedal go to the floor without resistance and no breaks at all. I had to drive through a red light endangering myself and others at that intersection. I pulled into a parking lot and the breaks were working again. Car has been towed to the West Herr Hyundai Dealer on Transit Rd Williamsville, NY for repairs.
The sun visor does not meet the A Pillar. There is a large gap there. This gap frequently allows the sun glare to impact the driver.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while her vehicle was parked in her driveway, the rear windshield shattered without incident. The contact also mentioned that repairmen who happened to be on her property at the time of the failure had witnessed the failure occur without incident. The dealer was notified of the failure and the windshield glass was repaired under car's manufacture warranty. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Car had a dead battery called road service they tested the battery said it had a bad cell they jumped it and I took it to the dealership they tested it by Hyundai protocol charged it for 60 minutes then load tested said it passed didn’t find anything wrong with it sent me on my way couple days later dead battery brought it back to dealer charged it tested it said nothing wrong sent me on my way. Have to jump car every couple of days
Unknown vigorous shaking in rear of vehicle check engine light on. Stopped after turning car off and restarting. Hyundai found no causes and no codes when inspected for issue.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00M000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer and the manufacturer were made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated upon attempting to drive the vehicle, she shifted into drive; however, the vehicle reversed inadvertently. The contact depressed the brake pedal and shifted into park. The contact shifted from park to drive three times but the vehicle would reverse each time or would fail to move. The RPM’s revved up. The "Drive” warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle after several attempts; however, the failure reoccurred a month later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the shift actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,273.
My Santa Fe has less than 14k miles. In many instances, the car has stalled when turning on. The engine would tremble and then shut the engine off while the dash lighting/symbols stay on. It will idle for a quick second and then drop to zero. Another instance is when driving into a parking spot and driveway and we applied the brakes. At that moment the engine shut off while the dash lights/radio and everything else stayed on. In all instances, if we apply the brake and then hit the start button, the car will typically turn on and act like nothing ever happened. In 2 instances, the blind side detection would turn off while driving and all the warning lights would come on the dash. After turning it off and letting it sit for a few minutes it would disappear. One time the front detection would go off and there was no car in front of me for about 8ft. The beeping continued after we drove off and it eventually reset itself and never happened again. I’ve notified the Hyundai dealer but they claim if they can’t recreate it then they can’t fix anything. My previous Santa Fe did the same thing and they had it for 2 weeks with no results. Although my blue link app showed the car was never moved from the parking spot which made me wonder if they even tried anything. I have videos of the Santa Fe stalling.
While driving in the fast lane on the freeway at speed limit the car suddenly began to slow/stop, after which a warning flashed on the display that said Danger, collision imminent, or something like that. There was no one close in front of me when that happened. This exact scenario has happened three times now in this car, in the same way! I felt my life was endangered every time by the sudden and unnecessary braking of my car.
10/22/21, Mileage ~720, while driving on the highway I had two incidents when the car did not respond to throttle application. In the first instance while attempting to accelerate mildly on a level road the rpm went to 3500 with no acceleration. I backed off the throttle and the car resumed normal operation. In the second instance while attempting to accelerate mildly on a level road the rpm showed about 1500 with no acceleration. I backed off the throttle and the car resumed normal operation. I had no further incidents and returned home safely. There were no warning lights, messages. This is the first problem I have experienced. I think this may be a transmission problem. Similar incidents have been reported online by Hyundai owners with the wet DCT that my car has. I have not yet contacted my dealer about this problem.
Car would not start; battery was too low to activate lights or locks, let alone starter. An attempted jumper cable connection to an older car was insufficient to make the motor turn, even after just running the assist car while connected for 20+ minutes. A subsequent jump from the AAA 2000 Ah jump pack did work although their ‘test’ indicated battery state-of-charge and state-of-health to be less than 30%. Their obvious recommendation was battery replacement and, with the vehicle now running, a drive to the dealership was attempted. At the first intersection a full vehicle stop engaged the engine Stop-Start function, but without sufficient battery for the ‘Start’ part. Not only would the vehicle not restart but there was insufficient battery power to put the transmission into PARK nor engage the emergency brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling into busy cross-traffic; only the service brake worked. Fortunately, a nearby motorist recognized the emergency and placed rocks under the tires to prevent the vehicle from rolling forward. The vehicle was towed to the dealership where the battery was replaced without significant comment on the total failure of nearly all systems in the event of battery failure. The outcome of this major battery failure could have been catastrophic as the ONLY system even marginally functional was the non-power-assisted service brake.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V524000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available and would not be available for another three months. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while his wife was driving 60 MPH, she thought a small rock had struck the windshield and made an 8-inch horizontal crack form the driver’s to the passenger’s side windshield. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the windshield to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated a month later while his wife was driving the vehicle, she heard an abnormal noise on the windshield. The driver parked the vehicle but did not notice any cracks. The contact stated later on that day, his wife noticed an 8-inch horizontal crack form the driver’s to the passenger’s side. The contact called local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000. The VIN was not available.
Smart Cruise Control relies on the inconsistent and consequently unreliable performance of the of the front-mounted radar. Otherwise-reasonable operation of the Cruise Control would abruptly terminate 1/3 to 1/2 of the intended use-time, illuminating the master warning light (the amber triangle with internal ‘!’) that was accompanied by either a ‘1’ or ‘2’ encircled by red and may or may not have included the Collision-Avoidance warning light. Subsequent examination of the rectangular shield in the center of the grill very rarely revealed more than 2 bug remnants. When the Smart Cruise Control was in operation it would abruptly apply the brakes when approaching or passing a truck in the lane to taffiche right. There appeared to be no similar conditions to the size or shape of the truck or trailer when these events would occur. None of these events applied to congested tr conditions, just otherwise open road. The ’21 Hyundai Santa Fe does not appear to accommodate any mechanism to revert to conventional cruise control, omitting the influence of the erratic front radar system. Trips to two dealerships have yielded no redress to this malfunction.
Vehicle stalled 5 times when finally got it to restart wouldn’t accelerate more than two mph. Broke down on a busy road was finally able to get the car into a parking lot but was almost hit from behind cause the vehicle was obstructing traffic. Towed to dealership where was told it would take them a week to look at it and they won’t provide any alternative transportation for me that I would have to pay out of pocket. My car is only 2 months and 2400 miles old
In July 2021 while driving from TX to WA due to a military PCS with our brand new suv a small rock or pebble hit the windshield on the passengers side. I called progressive/ safelite right away to have them fix it upon arriving in WA. It was good to go until a few days later i climb into my suv (which is sitting under a car port) and see that the chip has ran through all the way to the other side of the drivers view. From July 2021 it took till Jan 2022 to get a replacement. Had to pay the $500 deductible. However this should not happen on a brand new 2021 Santa Fe that was just manufactured in May/June 2021. More and more i am seeing reports of windshields cracking and I need to have piece of mind that our concerns are heard and fixed to our satisfaction.
NOTICE: THIS CONCERN IS NOT THE RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT, IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO BRING ATTENTION TO WHAT I FEEL IS POOR ENGINEERING/DESIGN OF THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS ON THE BACK END OF THE 2021 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. We recently purchased this vehicle and just noticed, after owning the vehicle for about a week, that the only turn signal indicators on the back of the vehicle are located down low in the bumper. No turn signal indicators on the tail light assemblies located just below the rear window of the SUV as found on EVERY OTHER recently built SUV currently driving on US highways. That includes the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe which we traded in to purchase this model. While I like this vehicle very much, I'm concerned for the safety of my family and anyone else who purchases a 2021 Santa Fe. I feel this is a grave oversight on the part of Hyundai and possibly the US Vehicle Safety Council (assuming the council approves car designs designated for US highways.) I sincerely hope that someone there will address this situation before people start getting hurt because the turn signal wasn't seen by following drivers.
Driving around 25 miles per hour small pebble hit the top part of the windshield cracking it instantly and creating a rupture line from top to bottom of the windshield. Windshield glass seems very unsafe to sustain any kind of stress. It looks like other Hyundai models are showing the same problems with these windshield.
Engine shut off while driving 70mph in the middle of the mountains in PA during a road trip from VA to MI, 2 adults and one child. No Warning No Check Engine lights No alarms, just shut off. I tried to press the ignition start button but it would not function until the engine was in park, gave no warning or alarm when I pressed it, the engine start button wouldn't respond. At Shutoff, going ~70mph, I had: Zero acceleration Zero power No blinkers No Instrument Cluster (LED Cluster screen installed) The only way I could signal to merge onto the shoulder was to turn on the hazard lights and attempt to merge from the fast lane to the shoulder, completely crossing faster traffic with no blinkers to guide my merging and warn other drivers on the highway. Instrument cluster turned white as if it was being reset and music was still playing in the car Bluetooth connected to my phone. Conditions of the vehicle during shutoff: 1. Adaptive Cruise Control was on, set to 3 car lengths of distance. 2. Lane Keep Assist was on 3. Lane Departure Warning was on 4. Bluetooth was connected 5. Navigation was active and guiding Once I was able to merge to the shoulder, I shifted into park and sat there for about a minute while I tried to calm my family down from what had happened so unexpectedly. After a minute or so, I was able to start the vehicle back up and nervously proceeded back on the highway to continue on with the rest of the trip. I immediately contacted Hyundai when I returned to VA and explained the issue, they took the vehicle into the service department of the dealership that I purchased the vehicle from. Hyundai kept my vehicle for 2 days and drove it "120 miles" but were unable to recreate the problem. They stated that all the systems checked out and there was nothing more they could do. I have since created 2 cases with Hyundai Corporate office to rectify this issue to no avail. Without the issue being recreated, there is nothing they will do for my family.
OUR WINDSHIELD STARTED CRACKING FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING. ONLY HAD THIS CAR FORV A MONTH AND LESS THAN 1000 MILES. NOTHING HIT IT. THIS IS RIDCULOUS BEING A BRAND NEW VEHICLE.
It's only been less than a month, since I bought this car and I've driven ~500 miles. Now when I was driving the car yesterday it just stopped in the middle of the road all of a sudden for no reason. After getting the car towed to the service center, they are reporting that there is an issue with the car's transmission and they are going to replace it.
THE FORWARD COLLISION SYSTEM IS AUTOMATICALLY BEING ACTIVATED WITHOUT ANY CAR OR OBJECT NEAR THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IT HAPPENED 3 TIMES WHILE ON THE FREEWAY AND HIGHWAY. THE SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY SLAMS ON THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SWERVES A LITTLE TO LEFT AND RIGHT DUE TO THE SUDDEN APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES, AND A LARGE RED WARING INDICATOR APPEARS ON THE DASH. WE WERE NEARLY REAR ENDED WHILE TRAVELLING ABOUT 65 MILES/HR BECAUSE OF THIS. WE TURNED OFF THE SYSTEM, BUT EVERY TIME THE CAR IS STARTED, IT AUTOMATICALLY TURNS THIS FEATURE ON!! SO YOU ALWAYS MUST REMEMBER TO TURN IT OFF. WE JUST BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW. IF THIS ISNT FIXED, WE FEAR WE WILL BE REAR ENDED ON THE FREEWAY, OR MAKE TAIL GATERS VERY ANGRY.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH THE SUNROOF CLOSED WHEN I HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG. I PULLED OFF TO CHECK THE EXTERIOR BUT SAW NOTHING. I DRIVE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR MORE WHEN IT STARTED SOUNDING LIKE THE SUNROOF WAS OPEN. I PULLED OVER TO CHECK IT, AND IT WAS DESTROYED..SHATTERED WITH A LARGE HOLE IN IT. CALLED HYUNDAI WHO SAID REPORT TO INSURANCE EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS LESS THAN 1 MONTH OLD.
I bought a new 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL in January 2021. The vehicle occasionally will not shift out of first gear unless you slow down to almost a stop and then accelerate again. It began within the first month or two of owning. Hyundai has had it in the shop three times. Two times they said they couldn't duplicate. One time they said they showed it went to 4000 RPM's without shifting on the diagnostics before it was slowed down as I told them. They did an update on the TCU and reset the transmission on May 10, 2021. On August 4, 2021 the transmission stuck again. (It went to 5000 RPM's without shifting before I slowed it to almost a stop) This problem has happened about eight times since it began. The GM at the dealership I bought it from said Corporate wouldn't buy it back or get involved without them duplicating the problem. I emailed Hyundai consumer complaints on August 17, 2021 and on August 18 received an email stating I had a case # and would be contacted shortly. On August 24 I called Hyundai customer complaint and was told I had a case manager assigned and they had until August 31 to reply. They did not reply and on September 1, 2021 I called Hyundai complaints again and they said I did NOT have a case manager and that they had not sent it to corporate yet but someone would call me at some point. I feel Hyundai is not concerned about this dangerous problem with their vehicle or my safety. I am beyond frustrated. Jeremy Kimrey
Vehicle horn continues to stop working. Problem occurred within a month of purchase. I have had it repaired 3 times, and each time it has been repaired it works for only a few days and then stops working. I am tired of paying to have it fixed, only to work a few days. It has been a safety concern as I have not been able to alert pedestrians, other vehicles, or animals to my presence. Having a working horn is a required safety feature for my employment and driving on company property.
DARK SPOT IN LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FIELD CAUSES LOSS OF VIEW FOR DRIVER AS THE DARK SPOT PASSES FROM OBJECT TO OBJECT. PEOPLE OR ANIMALS, EVEN SIGNS LOSE ILLUMINATION AS THE DARK SPOT COVERS THEM. REFLECTIVE BARRELS IN CONSTRUCTION AREAS LOSE THEIR REFLECTIVITY AT NIGHT AS THIS SPOT COVERS THEM. THIS OCCURS ON THE LOW BEAM FUNCTION. HYUNDAI DEALER SAID IT IS FACTORY CREATED TO PREVENT NIGHT BLINDING OF ONCOMING VEHICLES. TO ME IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR THE DRIVER OF THE HYUNDAI. WHEN DRIVING IN A CURVE THE DARK SPOT MOVES WITH THE SHAPE OF THE ROAD SO THE DRIVER LOSES THE ABILITY TO SEE EVERYTHING IN THE LIGHT FIELD.
Unnecessary emergency brake activation has occured 3 times. Vehicle lease new 3/31/2021. 1. First incident late April, early May at approximately 1,000 miles. Cruise control was not on and car abruptly stopped when there were no other vehicles in front of mine. Traveling at about 35 miles a hour on local two lane road. (Activation setting on normal) 2. Brakes activated at highway speed of about 60 mph. Car was passing on right side. No threat in front of vehicle. Cruise control was off. (Activation setting on normal) 3. Was following well behind the car in front of me at approximately 30-35 mph. Other vehicle turned right into parking lot and was completely off the road when brake warning appeared on dash. (Activation setting on "late" warning) We are concerned we will be unnecessarily rear ended and causing a multi car accident. Vehicle was in for service 8/2-8/3/2021. Dealer did all they could including 62 mi test drive. Per Hyundai, no parts were replaced due to the inability to dupicate the problem.
This vehicle is the first Santa Fe that only comes with adaptive cruise control and there is no way to disable it and set regular cruise control. Here are just a few examples of the safety risk. We were on State Highway 29 which is a rural 4 lane highway. There were 4 cars near us. Our cruise was set for 70mph. A vehicle came in front of us to pass which it did. There was no issue. However, our vehicle saw this as a threat and our vehicle slowed from 70mph to 50mph until the other vehicle was out of the set car length distance. Meanwhile the other cars around us had no indication or warning why we would have slowed down this much and we were nearly rear ended. There was screeching of tires and brakes suddenly applied by the other vehicles. All for nothing. I am on the highway with the cruise set at 75mph when again vehicles will come in front of me and my vehicle slows from 75 mph to 54mph, causing the surrounding vehicles to not know what is going on and I hope they are paying attention because there is nothing really going on other than normal driving. It is terrifying to have your vehicle control itself and you don’t know when it will start to accelerate again so for the most part, I am shutting the cruise control off and on constantly. At our most recent Hyundai service appointment for this problem, we were told by Hyundai Care Manager that this is exactly how it’s designed and there is no problem. And we’ve been told just simply don’t use the cruise control at all. That is not a solution. We feel like all these “safety” features are creating a sense of driver coma on our roads. Instead of the left lane being used for faster cars as a passing lane, the adaptive cruises are creating a chain of vehicles that are well under the speed limit
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026