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 · May 22, 2022
Unknown Or OtherCrashInjury
I have a 202 Hyundai Sante Fe. I was pulling into a parking garage parking spot, going about 3 miles per hours. Suddenly about 3 feet away from the wall (with my foot on the break) my SUV's engine suddenly race and propelled me forward into the wall. No warning lights or messages. No front- end auto breaking, I have reporte…
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I have a 202 Hyundai Sante Fe. I was pulling into a parking garage parking spot, going about 3 miles per hours. Suddenly about 3 feet away from the wall (with my foot on the break) my SUV's engine suddenly race and propelled me forward into the wall. No warning lights or messages. No front- end auto breaking, I have reported it to Hyundai. I was injured from the air bag and the seat belt, my passenger was not injured. I am waiting for my SUV to be assessed by my insurance and my auto body company. I have read many articles about circumstances like these and am considering contacting an attorney.
NHTSA ODI #11465643
28,000 miles · May 5, 2022
Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was not able to stop immediately while the brake pedal was depressed, causing his vehicle to rear-end another vehicle. The failure recurred on a separate occasion while the contact's husband was dr…
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The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was not able to stop immediately while the brake pedal was depressed, causing his vehicle to rear-end another vehicle. The failure recurred on a separate occasion while the contact's husband was driving, and the brakes failed to stop the vehicle from crashing into their daughter's residence. The air bags did not deploy in either collision. No injuries were sustained and no medical attention was received for either collision. No police report was filed for either collision. The contact's husband was able to drive the vehicle away from both the scenes of the collisions. The vehicle's front end was damaged; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.
NHTSA ODI #11463518
Mileage unknown · Mar 31, 2022
Visibility
While driving down the freeway, the sunroof of my vehicle exploded. This was not caused by a foreign object, there was nothing on or near my car at the time of the incident, and upon pulling off of the roadway I was able to confirm that no foreign object had entered the vehicle. It was an explosion sound accompanied by glass fal…
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While driving down the freeway, the sunroof of my vehicle exploded. This was not caused by a foreign object, there was nothing on or near my car at the time of the incident, and upon pulling off of the roadway I was able to confirm that no foreign object had entered the vehicle. It was an explosion sound accompanied by glass falling into the vehicle, a large hole in the sunroof, and the glass on the edge of the hole appearing in an upward direction as though the force of the explosion came from inside the vehicle. The vehicle was being operated in a normal manner at the time of the incident, there was nothing to indicate any potential issue with the vehicle. The hazards associated with this incident include the potential for loss of vehicle control following the loud and unexpected explosion and the potential for injury from falling glass. The vehicle was taken directly to the Hyundai dealership where it was purchased, where service staff confirmed the upward appearance of the glass and stated that the repairs would be covered by the vehicle warranty.
NHTSA ODI #11459122
Mileage unknown · Mar 23, 2022
Back Over Prevention
We are experiencing exactly what is listed in HYUNDAI TSB #21-BE-005H: intermittent abnormal camera image display conditions on the instrument cluster when the turn left signal is turned on or the radio screen when transmission is in reverse.
NHTSA ODI #11458051
Mileage unknown · Mar 10, 2022
Unknown Or OtherFire
This car just caught on fire in my fathers driveway at midnight last night...doesnt appear to be from engine compartment
NHTSA ODI #11455990
Mileage unknown · Feb 13, 2022
Unknown Or Other
THE DRIVERS DOOR IS NOT PROPERLY ALIGNED. WHEN YOU DRIVE IT ON THE ROAD YOU CAN HEAR A HISSING SOUND OF THE AIR PENETRATING IN THE CABIN. THE DOOR APPEARS NOT TO BE CLOSED PROPERLY, THERE IS A GAP. IF YOU LOOK AT THE ALGINMENT OF THE PASSANGERS DOOR, THE DOOR IS PROPERLY ALIGNED WITH THE REST OF THE BODY OF THE SANTA FE, BUT TH…
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THE DRIVERS DOOR IS NOT PROPERLY ALIGNED. WHEN YOU DRIVE IT ON THE ROAD YOU CAN HEAR A HISSING SOUND OF THE AIR PENETRATING IN THE CABIN. THE DOOR APPEARS NOT TO BE CLOSED PROPERLY, THERE IS A GAP. IF YOU LOOK AT THE ALGINMENT OF THE PASSANGERS DOOR, THE DOOR IS PROPERLY ALIGNED WITH THE REST OF THE BODY OF THE SANTA FE, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE WITH THE DRIVERS DOOR. I AM PLANNING CONTACTING HYUNDAI DIRECTLY, BECAUSE IF THEY MAINTAIN QUALITY CONTROLS, THIS CAR DID NOT PASSED THAT TEST. DURING 2021I DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR ON THE ROAD, BUT LATELY I TOOK 4 TRIPS TO SC, AND ON THE ROAD THE HIZZING SOUND IS NOTICIBLE.
NHTSA ODI #11451751
Mileage unknown · Feb 11, 2022
Wheels
The tires has a big noise like, it sounds like bum bum bum bum bum, and I bought this car brand new, I went To the dealer and they said there is not warranty for tires, that’s not good, because the noise still there.
NHTSA ODI #11451475
Mileage unknown · Jan 26, 2022
Lane Departure
Blind Spot System randomly fails to detect vehicle on right side, I have videos of failure. Dealer unable to find problem cause, contacted Hyundai customer service, waiting for response.
NHTSA ODI #11449004
Mileage unknown · Oct 6, 2021
Unknown Or Other
This is the 1st of two 2020 Santa Fe's that this has occurred on as well as a 2019 Santa Fe that we formally owned within the last 2 years. The windshield does not take rock hits well. On all three vehicles a rock strike on the windshield not only left a large star impact, but the crack from the impact reaches all the way to the…
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This is the 1st of two 2020 Santa Fe's that this has occurred on as well as a 2019 Santa Fe that we formally owned within the last 2 years. The windshield does not take rock hits well. On all three vehicles a rock strike on the windshield not only left a large star impact, but the crack from the impact reaches all the way to the roof pillar. The crack is long. I believe the windshield glass is substandard and needs to be looked into closer as being a possible safety risk. Replacing the windshield and camera recalibration is expensive.
NHTSA ODI #11435776
Mileage unknown · Oct 6, 2021
Unknown Or Other
This is the 2nd 2020 Santa Fe that this has occurred on as well as a 2019 Santa Fe that we formally owned within the last 2 years. The windshield does not take rock hits well. On all three vehicles a rock strike on the windshield not only left a large star impact, but the crack from the impact reaches all the way to the roof pil…
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This is the 2nd 2020 Santa Fe that this has occurred on as well as a 2019 Santa Fe that we formally owned within the last 2 years. The windshield does not take rock hits well. On all three vehicles a rock strike on the windshield not only left a large star impact, but the crack from the impact reaches all the way to the roof pillar. The crack is long. I believe the windshield glass is substandard and needs to be looked into closer as being a possible safety risk. Replacing the windshield and camera recalibration is expensive.
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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