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2019 Hyundai Santa Fe

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 212.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

65 reports with mileage · 132 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 34 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

16 crash reports12 fire reports10 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

46 reports
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Mileage unknown · Dec 4, 2020
Unknown Or OtherCrash

MY 2019 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAD SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE I WAS TRYING TO PARK THE CAR IN THE PARKING LOT. IT SUDDENLY CROSSED OVER THE PARKING CEMENT BLOCK AND JUMPED INTO THE SIDEWALK LANDSCAPE AND THEN STOPPED. THE AIRBAG ALSO DEPLOYED DUE TO THIS INCIDENT. I DID NOT STEP ON THE GAS PEDAL.

NHTSA ODI #11377964

41,000 miles · Oct 5, 2020
Unknown Or Other

CAR LOCKS WITH A SYMBOL ON DASHBOARD OF CAR WITH A KEY THEN ANOTHER ISSUE WHEN DRIVING CAR SHUTS OFF. HAVE HAD THE CAR IN SEVERAL TIMES TOLD THEY CANNOT MIMIC THE ISSUE AND COMPUTER DOESN'T SHOW ANY CODES. CALL HYUNDAI CORPORATE TO COMPLAIN AND SAID WITH 35,000 AT THE TIME WE ARE BEYOND LEMON LAW FOR NJ. I HAVE NOW 41,000 MIL…

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CAR LOCKS WITH A SYMBOL ON DASHBOARD OF CAR WITH A KEY THEN ANOTHER ISSUE WHEN DRIVING CAR SHUTS OFF. HAVE HAD THE CAR IN SEVERAL TIMES TOLD THEY CANNOT MIMIC THE ISSUE AND COMPUTER DOESN'T SHOW ANY CODES. CALL HYUNDAI CORPORATE TO COMPLAIN AND SAID WITH 35,000 AT THE TIME WE ARE BEYOND LEMON LAW FOR NJ. I HAVE NOW 41,000 MILES ON IT AND PROBLEM IS HAPPENING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. I HAVE A HUSBAND ON OXYGEN WAITING FOR A DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT AND THIS IS AN UNSAFE CAR. TODAY HAPPENED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I CALLED CIRCLE HYUNDAI IN SHREWBURY NJ SPOKE TO SERVICE MANAGER AND TOLD HIM THIS NEEDS TO BE CHECKED BEFORE I GET KILLED. OWNER OF DEALERSHIP TOLD ME A MONTH AGO THAT I HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL OF HIS TECHS. PLEASE HELP US.

NHTSA ODI #11362947

Mileage unknown · Aug 28, 2020
Unknown Or Other

THE ACTIVE LANE KEEP ASSIST MAY WORK INTERMITTENTLY BASED ON MANY CONDITIONS LIKE WEATHER, ROAD, LIGHT, LANE MARKING, ETC... WHEN THE LANE KEEP ASSIST (ACTIVE MODE) IS ENGAGED A GREEN LIGHT APPEARS ON THE DASHBOARD... AND WHEN IT DISENGAGES THE GREEN LIGHT JUST TURNS OFF... AND NO SOUND/BEEP WARNING HAPPENS... AND I BELIEVE THAT…

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THE ACTIVE LANE KEEP ASSIST MAY WORK INTERMITTENTLY BASED ON MANY CONDITIONS LIKE WEATHER, ROAD, LIGHT, LANE MARKING, ETC... WHEN THE LANE KEEP ASSIST (ACTIVE MODE) IS ENGAGED A GREEN LIGHT APPEARS ON THE DASHBOARD... AND WHEN IT DISENGAGES THE GREEN LIGHT JUST TURNS OFF... AND NO SOUND/BEEP WARNING HAPPENS... AND I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT THERE WOULD BE NO BEEP/SOUND/ALERT WHEN THE LANE KEEP ASSIST DIS ENGAGES AND YOU STILL SAY THAT THE DRIVER IS ACCOUNTABLE/RESPONSIBLE. I WOULD CONSIDER THIS FLAW AS A SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE NOTE THAT NO INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT HAPPENED BUT RAISING THIS COMPLAINT SO THIS CAN BE REVIEWED.

NHTSA ODI #11351732

39,800 miles · Aug 28, 2020
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

STOPPED THE CAR AT A RED LIGHT AND THE IDLE STOP AND GO (ISG) FEATURE HAS TURNED OFF THE ENGINE... ONCE THE GREEN LIGHT TURNED ON, I PRESSED GAS AND THE ENGINE DID NOT START AND AFTER COUPLE OF ATTEMPTS ALL WARNING LIGHTS TURNED ON AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO USE THE KEY TO START THE ENGINE ASWELL. AND SO I HAD TO TURN OFF THE KEY COM…

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STOPPED THE CAR AT A RED LIGHT AND THE IDLE STOP AND GO (ISG) FEATURE HAS TURNED OFF THE ENGINE... ONCE THE GREEN LIGHT TURNED ON, I PRESSED GAS AND THE ENGINE DID NOT START AND AFTER COUPLE OF ATTEMPTS ALL WARNING LIGHTS TURNED ON AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO USE THE KEY TO START THE ENGINE ASWELL. AND SO I HAD TO TURN OFF THE KEY COMPLETELY AND THEN START THE ENGINE... BOUGHT THE CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED CAR AT 38000 MILES IN FEB 2020 AND THIS HAPPENED ONLY ONCE IN AUGUST 2020 AND THE MILEAGE WAS ABOUT 39800 DURING THAT TIME. LUCKILY I HAD ONLY ONE CAR AT MY BACK WHO HONKED ON ME CONTINUOUSLY... I WAS NOT ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE ISSUE AFTERWARDS BUT TO BE HONEST I KEPT ONLY ABOUT 50 MILES SINCE THEN. I AM AFRAID IF I WOULD GET STALLED ONE FINE DAY... AND ALSO AFRAID HYUNDAI SERVICE CENTER WOULD JUST SAY NOT REPRODUCIBLE AND MAY JUST SAY TO TURN OFF THE FEATURE MAY BE?

NHTSA ODI #11351730

15,000 miles · Aug 25, 2020
Unknown Or OtherCrash

A CAR VEERED OFF IN MY LANE AND THE LANE KEEPING ASSIST FEATURE VEERED ME OFF IN ANOTHER LANE AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER CAR. I HAD TO FILE A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND HAD TO GET THE VEHICLE FIXED.

NHTSA ODI #11351283

7,700 miles · Feb 6, 2020
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Unknown Or Other

AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE COMPUTER HAS ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE CAR OUT OF THE LANE INTO THE ADJOINING LANE AS IF IN ATTEMPT TO AVOID SOMETHING. THIS IS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED'S ABOUT SIX TIMES. VEHICLE ALSO AT ONE TIME APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AS THE VEHICLE IS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION AS AN EMERGENCY STOP. THE CAR WOULD NOT M…

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AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE COMPUTER HAS ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE CAR OUT OF THE LANE INTO THE ADJOINING LANE AS IF IN ATTEMPT TO AVOID SOMETHING. THIS IS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED'S ABOUT SIX TIMES. VEHICLE ALSO AT ONE TIME APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AS THE VEHICLE IS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION AS AN EMERGENCY STOP. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP THE REPRESENTATIVE IMMEDIATELY SUGGESTED THAT THERE WAS A RODENT PROBLEM. THIS WAS CONFIRMED NOT TO BE THE CASE.AS THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY OTHER COMPUTER MESSAGING THE TECHNICIAN SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE IT WAS THE CALIFORNIA FASTRACK RESPONDER UNIT. THEY SUGGESTED IT BE RELOCATED WHICH I DID. THE PROBLEM LIES THAT YOU'RE NOT SURE THAT THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM AND THE SUGGESTION 'TO DRIVE IT TO SEE IF IT REPEATED' AS IT DOES NOT SOUND PRUDENT FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE. THE COMPUTER PULLS AT A HARD LEVEL WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE VEHICLE IN THE LANE AND IT SUDDENLY RELEASES THE PULLING WHICH JERKS THE CAR BACK INTO THE DRIVING LANE MUCH LIKE AN OVER CORRECTION. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY QUITE DANGEROUS AND I WOULD SUGGEST SOMETHING ELSE IS DONE TO EITHER CONFIRM OR DISAPPROVE THE RESPONDER ISSUE AS THESE RESPONDERS ARE COMMON AND IT WAS PLACED PER THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE FASTRACK.

NHTSA ODI #11307536

9,612 miles · Jan 29, 2020
Service BrakesUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed ControlCrash

I HAD RENTED A HYUNDAI SANTE FE IN SEPTEMBER 2019. I HAD THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW WEEKS WITH NO ISSUES UNTIL I DROVE OVER THE MOUNTAINS. I HAD PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND WAS LOOKING TO PARK, COASTING THROUGH THE PARKING LOT, I THEN BACKED UP AND FOUND A PARKING SPOT. I WAS TURNING RIGHT IN AT A VERY SLOW SPEED, A VIRTUAL CRAW…

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I HAD RENTED A HYUNDAI SANTE FE IN SEPTEMBER 2019. I HAD THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW WEEKS WITH NO ISSUES UNTIL I DROVE OVER THE MOUNTAINS. I HAD PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND WAS LOOKING TO PARK, COASTING THROUGH THE PARKING LOT, I THEN BACKED UP AND FOUND A PARKING SPOT. I WAS TURNING RIGHT IN AT A VERY SLOW SPEED, A VIRTUAL CRAWL INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN IT SUDDENLY REVS ITS ENGINE AND BEGAN ACCELERATING OUT OF CONTROL JUMPING OVER THE FRONT PARKING CURB AND SLAMMING INTO A CHAIN LINK FENCE. THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT STOP, I PUMPED THE BRAKES TO STOP AND WHEN IT WOULD NOT STOP, I QUICK SLAMMED THE VEHICLE INTO THE PARK POSITION TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM HITTING A TRACKER AND CAUSING FURTHER DAMAGE OR INJURY. I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE AGENT AND THEN I CONTACTED ENTERPRISE RENTAL COMPANY IN BEND OREGON. I WAS ON HOLD FOR ROUGHLY 30 MIN. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS THEY KNEW OF AND THEY ADVISED ME TO CONTACT THEIR TOW COMPANY AND HAVE IT TOWED TO THE AIRPORT IN REDMOND OREGON TO SWITCH OUT THE VEHICLES. I RESEARCHED ON MY OWN AND FOUND THAT THEIR WAS A SIMILAR INCIDENT IN LAS VEGAS, NV REPORTED IN JANUARY 31ST, 2018. THIS INCIDENT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE ISG MAY BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS CASE.

NHTSA ODI #11302893

150 miles · Jan 25, 2020
Unknown Or Other

I AM NOT SURE WHAT CATEGORY THIS SHOULD BE IN BUT MY 2019 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HESITATES WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE. THIS HAPPENS MOSTLY WHEN I AM ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP BUT ALSO HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY WHEN I AM GOING AROUND A CORNER. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT HAS NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WHEN TURNING ON TO A BUSY S…

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I AM NOT SURE WHAT CATEGORY THIS SHOULD BE IN BUT MY 2019 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HESITATES WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE. THIS HAPPENS MOSTLY WHEN I AM ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP BUT ALSO HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY WHEN I AM GOING AROUND A CORNER. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT HAS NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WHEN TURNING ON TO A BUSY STREET OR MERGING ONTO THE EXPRESSWAY. AFTER SOME ONLINE RESEARCH, I SEE THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11301779

17,902 miles · Jan 22, 2020
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Unknown Or Other

SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THIS 2019 HYUNDAI SANTA FE DEACTIVATES. 3+ OCCASIONS THE VEHICLES FRONTAL COLLISION AVOIDANCE, LANE KEEP ASSIST BLIND SPOT DETECTION AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM LIGHTS AS WELL AS CROSS TRAFFIC ALERT SUDDENLY WILL CUT OFF. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED TO BE TOLD NO CODES A…

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SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THIS 2019 HYUNDAI SANTA FE DEACTIVATES. 3+ OCCASIONS THE VEHICLES FRONTAL COLLISION AVOIDANCE, LANE KEEP ASSIST BLIND SPOT DETECTION AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM LIGHTS AS WELL AS CROSS TRAFFIC ALERT SUDDENLY WILL CUT OFF. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED TO BE TOLD NO CODES ARE BEING STORED. CONTACTED HYUNDAI USA SEVERAL TIMES TO GET A RUN AROUND OR THE RESPONSE IF ITS NOT RECORDING THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I HAVE OWNED A 4 HYUNDAI SANTA FE'S AND NEVER HAD THE ISSUES I AM HAVING LIKE I AM WITH THIS ONE.I DO NOT TAKE MY GRANDKIDS IN THIS VEHICLE AS IM WORRIED THAT IF THESE SAFETY FEATURES FAIL TO WORK I DONT WANT TO CHANCE THEIR LIVES IN A VEHICLE THAT COULD POSSIBLY EXPERIENCE MORE SEVERE ISSUES OR WORSE. DEALING WITH HYUNDAI HAS BECOME A DISAPPOINTMENT AS THE 2004 SANTA FE I OWN IS BY FAR MORE DEPENDABLE THAN THIS ONE .

NHTSA ODI #11301232

2,500 miles · Jan 10, 2020
Unknown Or OtherCrash

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 11/11/2019 WHEN MY 2019 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAD A SIGNIFICANT FAILURE OF THE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM. THE TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME BRAKED SUDDENLY AFTER TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH. THE COLLISION AVOIDANCE WARNING DID NOT SOUND AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, ABS DID NOT ACTIVATE AND THE BRAKES…

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I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 11/11/2019 WHEN MY 2019 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAD A SIGNIFICANT FAILURE OF THE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM. THE TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME BRAKED SUDDENLY AFTER TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH. THE COLLISION AVOIDANCE WARNING DID NOT SOUND AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, ABS DID NOT ACTIVATE AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. I MADE CONTACT WITH THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. NONE OF THE THREE STAGES OF THE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM ACTIVATED. THE MALFUNCTION CAUSED THE BRAKES TO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE COLLISION OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 10MPH. THERE WAS OVER $12,000 DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE SANTA FE BUT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I HAVE DRIVEN OVER 1,000,000 COLLISION-FREE MILES IN VARIOUS VEHICLES, WITH AND WITHOUT COLLISION AVOIDANCE. THIS ACCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED BUT FOR THE MALFUNCTION OF THE CAS. I REPORTED THIS TO HYUNDAI USA. I TOOK MORE THAN ONE WEEK FOR A REPLY. HYUNDAI'S POSITION WAS THAT THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE BUT IT WOULD MEAN THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE FOR 10 WEEKS OR MORE, WITHOUT A TEMPORARY REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. THERE HAS BEEN NO RESOLUTION WITH HYUNDAI.

NHTSA ODI #11298328

Official recalls

2

23V181000 · Trailer Hitches

Mar 17, 2023

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEV and Santa Cruz vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-633.

18V715000 · Air Bags:side/window

Oct 11, 2018

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. The Side Curtain Air Bag (SCAB) mounting bolts may interfere with and damage the air bags during deployment.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the air bags become damaged during deployment they may not inflate properly, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the SCAB installation bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 177.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power

Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing.  There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.