Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 44 of 209 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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 76 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports9 fire reports12 injury reports
What owners actually said
209 reports
Mileage unknown · Sep 14, 2023
Visibility/wiper
I had been driving my vehicle for about 5 minutes when I heard what sounded like a loud bang or gunshot followed by the sound debris falling. I realized the front piece of my panoramic sun roof had literally exploded. When I got out to look at it the glass around the hole was pointed upwards so it looked like it exploded from th…
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I had been driving my vehicle for about 5 minutes when I heard what sounded like a loud bang or gunshot followed by the sound debris falling. I realized the front piece of my panoramic sun roof had literally exploded. When I got out to look at it the glass around the hole was pointed upwards so it looked like it exploded from the inside out. The glass had no prior damage and nothing hit it before the explosion. I was on a paved road by myself.
NHTSA ODI #11544448
Mileage unknown · Aug 23, 2023
StructureUnknown Or OtherVisibility
I was driving and heard a sound like an explosion. When I was able to safely pull over, I examined my 2020 Sante Fe and noticed the panel of glass right before sunroof exploded. No rock hit it, just exploded.
NHTSA ODI #11540442
Mileage unknown · Aug 2, 2023
Tires
235/60R18 Tire leak & brittle texture
NHTSA ODI #11536065
35,000 miles · Jul 21, 2023
Power Train
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving out of the driveway, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated at high speed without warning. Additionally, while in traffic, the vehicle started to stall with a delay while accelerating. The contact attempted to shift into reverse however, the vehicle failed …
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The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving out of the driveway, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated at high speed without warning. Additionally, while in traffic, the vehicle started to stall with a delay while accelerating. The contact attempted to shift into reverse however, the vehicle failed to respond with the transmission warning light illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to operate as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 35,000.
NHTSA ODI #11533639
Mileage unknown · Jul 19, 2023
Forward Collision AvoidanceInjury
I was pulling out of a sidestreet and realized a car was coming and used the brake. The Automatic Braking system activated and VIOLENTLY stopped the car. I was only going about 5 miles an hour but the tremendous force from the Braking system caused my rotator cuff and my bicep to tear. It cost me thousands to pay for surgery and…
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I was pulling out of a sidestreet and realized a car was coming and used the brake. The Automatic Braking system activated and VIOLENTLY stopped the car. I was only going about 5 miles an hour but the tremendous force from the Braking system caused my rotator cuff and my bicep to tear. It cost me thousands to pay for surgery and physical therapy. I am very worried about all the injuries that this system causes. I have since had the dealership turn it off. I can not risk being injured like that because the car thinks that there will be a collision when I know that my manual braking was sufficient. There was no chance of any accident. I had Hyundai (case # 20962390) inspect the car & they claim (after 4 different inspections) that there is no issue with the system. They also claimed that it wouldn't activate at 5mph but I know that is not true. So if it works correctly, how many people are injured? Before you mandate that the car stop at 65mph, you need to gather more info on how many injuries have occurred.
NHTSA ODI #11533367
Mileage unknown · Jun 27, 2023
Electrical System
******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS REQUESTED BY THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WISH TO HAVE IT REMOVED*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******
NHTSA ODI #11529109
Mileage unknown · Jun 24, 2023
Forward Collision AvoidanceVehicle Speed Control
I was driving on an interstate highway at approximately 75 mph. I had cruise control activated. Suddenly the car dramatically slowed down, accompanied by rapid beeping noise. Luckily, there was no one close behind me.
NHTSA ODI #11528634
43,000 miles · Jun 21, 2023
Engine
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact state that while driving into the driveway, the engine seized without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil drain plug had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the f…
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The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact state that while driving into the driveway, the engine seized without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil drain plug had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000. The VIN was unavailable The vehicle was repaired at the owner's expense with no assistance provided from the manufacturer.
NHTSA ODI #11528155
Mileage unknown · Jun 19, 2023
Engine
The vehicles oil was changed on 3/22/23 at 22,395 miles. Almost 3 months and 1500 miles later when driving the engine seized. No lights came on. Vehicle was towed to Hyundai dealership who said it is the fault of whoever did the last oil change as the drain plug came loose. After doing research it appears that this is a known is…
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The vehicles oil was changed on 3/22/23 at 22,395 miles. Almost 3 months and 1500 miles later when driving the engine seized. No lights came on. Vehicle was towed to Hyundai dealership who said it is the fault of whoever did the last oil change as the drain plug came loose. After doing research it appears that this is a known issue with Hyundai. Also, fresh oil was all over the driveway which was not noticed when car was leaving the driveway.
NHTSA ODI #11527765
Mileage unknown · Jun 7, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train
Car stalling and don't move when it's in a complete stop
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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.
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.
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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