IllustrationVehicle not moving transmisión fail after u turn off the engine it will work again Oil leak by bolt in the oil pan
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 212.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Santa Fe years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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 reportsENGINE FAILURE THE CAR WAS CALLING FOR ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE
Moon roof suddenly shattered while on the highway, no other vehicles around, nothing was thrown or anything object found to hit the car, glass was thrown in vehicle, Had to slow down due to wind entering car, dealer was called and he declined to repair, said it was an insurance problem, adjuster will be out to inspect damage,…
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Moon roof suddenly shattered while on the highway, no other vehicles around, nothing was thrown or anything object found to hit the car, glass was thrown in vehicle, Had to slow down due to wind entering car, dealer was called and he declined to repair, said it was an insurance problem, adjuster will be out to inspect damage, there was no warning, only a loud boom then strong outside wind, until I slowed down and pulled over.
The very front glass portion of the sun roof suddenly shattered . I have years of aviation experiences involving inspecting of crash damaged parts and sudden failures. This glass shows no signs of any external damage from a strike of a foreign object. It appears to be a manufactured discrepancy or a stress issues. I have enclos…
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The very front glass portion of the sun roof suddenly shattered . I have years of aviation experiences involving inspecting of crash damaged parts and sudden failures. This glass shows no signs of any external damage from a strike of a foreign object. It appears to be a manufactured discrepancy or a stress issues. I have enclosed some pictures of the discrepancy glass. I reported the issue to Automation Hynduia in Corpus Christi, Texas. They said it’s a common issue that falls on the owner. The warranty does not cover this issue, I also paid several thousand dollars for a extended warranty besides my new auto insurance . This is definitely a safety issue that should be addressed by the auto manufacturer. I appreciate your help in making these people accountable for this poor design that involves safety. I taped the glass to profit from the weather. Thank You
As I was driving on the highway, the engine oil light came on. As I was trying to safely get off highway, the engine light came on. The engine stopped operating, but I was able to coast to a safe spot off highway. Car would not start after that. Towed to dealership. Noticeable oil was on the flat bed. Have not received update on…
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As I was driving on the highway, the engine oil light came on. As I was trying to safely get off highway, the engine light came on. The engine stopped operating, but I was able to coast to a safe spot off highway. Car would not start after that. Towed to dealership. Noticeable oil was on the flat bed. Have not received update on vehicle from the dealership. Car is available for inspection. The safety of me and my family were are risk due to not being able to accelerate on the highway. Oil light came on first. 5 minutes later engine light came on. DTC P123600 appeared in my Hyundai app. Car is owned by me and my wife (Jennifer Reardon)
I was locked inside the car on 22 Dec 2022 and could not get out until somebody opened a door from the outside, inspite of the fact that the inside lock buttons by the opening handles showed red on the lock buttons. When the lock buttons were pushed in, they immediately popped right back out. If held in the opening handles still…
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I was locked inside the car on 22 Dec 2022 and could not get out until somebody opened a door from the outside, inspite of the fact that the inside lock buttons by the opening handles showed red on the lock buttons. When the lock buttons were pushed in, they immediately popped right back out. If held in the opening handles still remained 'limp' and moved without engaging.the unlocking mechanism. The windows also did not respond to their controls. Thee above occurred whether the ignition was on or off. The vehicle was in "Park".The electric buttons on the door console also had no effect, including the child lock button. The key pendant also got no results even though it had allowed entry and starting only minutes before. There was no pre-warning and this had never happened previously. After a (locked) door was opened from the outside, all functions returned to normal. Outside temperature was 20° F. I did not try to open the hatchback. This is a fatally dangerous situation even though the malfunction would not likely be reproducible at the dealer service department. Meanwhile I plan to purchase a glass breaking escape tool. The Hyundai dealer had no suggestion for emergency exit.
Vehicle emitted smell of burning turned on check engine light and oil. Warranty service indicates that the fault corresponds to the oil pump, what is a safety hazard. Santa Fe 2020
On 07/12/2020 My 2020 SANTA FE Slipped out of park while in garage. It rolled backward until it hit neighbor's porch damaging my tailgate and tail light. It was taken to Hyundai dealership and they said they could not replicate the problem. On about 08/28/22 The next incident was the transmission slipped down into low gear…
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On 07/12/2020 My 2020 SANTA FE Slipped out of park while in garage. It rolled backward until it hit neighbor's porch damaging my tailgate and tail light. It was taken to Hyundai dealership and they said they could not replicate the problem. On about 08/28/22 The next incident was the transmission slipped down into low gear and would not go over 40 MPH. Again the dealer cannot replicate and the car is still at he dealer.
The adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and forward collision avoidance systems in my SUV have been defective since purchase in June 2019. Hyundai has replaced the radar sensor but the dealer is waiting on a part to calibrate it which has been on indefinite backorder. I have waited over a year to have this issu…
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The adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and forward collision avoidance systems in my SUV have been defective since purchase in June 2019. Hyundai has replaced the radar sensor but the dealer is waiting on a part to calibrate it which has been on indefinite backorder. I have waited over a year to have this issue fixed. I am paying a car payment which includes these features as the total cost and would like reimbursement for the cost difference, for the issue to get escalated and fixed, or the dealer to offer a vehicle buyback so that I may purchase a vehicle with no defects.
Driver’s door is not opening brought it to freeman Hyundai here in Irving and after a month I am still experiencing the same problem.
Official recalls
223V181000 · 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.
21V00M000 · Visibility:windshield
Dec 28, 2021
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
1DP22003 · 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.