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: 31 of 166 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.
Power Train. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
166 reports
21,000 miles · Sep 13, 2022
Back Over Prevention
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 una…
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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.
NHTSA ODI #11484223
Mileage unknown · Aug 25, 2022
Forward Collision AvoidanceSeat Belts
Emergency braking comes on with no vehicles in front for 1/4 mile. Passenger front seat belt is no working properly. Caution Collision comes on sporadically. Clock does not show correct time. Stop-Start System works sporadically. A/C fan blows out defrost sometimes. Remote start does not always work or shuts off too soon. Case …
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Emergency braking comes on with no vehicles in front for 1/4 mile. Passenger front seat belt is no working properly. Caution Collision comes on sporadically. Clock does not show correct time. Stop-Start System works sporadically. A/C fan blows out defrost sometimes. Remote start does not always work or shuts off too soon. Case Manager does not return calls. Changed Case Manager but NO BETTER. Hyundai DOES NOT CARE.
NHTSA ODI #11481170
Mileage unknown · Aug 19, 2022
Unknown Or Other
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 inst…
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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.
NHTSA ODI #11480240
Mileage unknown · Aug 17, 2022
Engine
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 t…
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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.
NHTSA ODI #11479708
Mileage unknown · Aug 8, 2022
Visibility/wiper
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.
NHTSA ODI #11478179
Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 2022
Electrical SystemSeats
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 dealershi…
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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
NHTSA ODI #11477655
Mileage unknown · Aug 1, 2022
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train
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
NHTSA ODI #11477004
Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 2022
Electrical SystemSeats
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.
NHTSA ODI #11475184
Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 2022
Power Train
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.
NHTSA ODI #11475062
Mileage unknown · Jul 20, 2022
Power Train
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 l…
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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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV vehicles. Due to a damaged printed circuit board, the rearview camera image may fail to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 271.
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 Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Sonata, Veloster N, 2022 Santa Cruz, Elantra N, and Kona N vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 236.
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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe and Sonata vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 207.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Santa Fe vehicles equipped with 2.5-litre Turbo engines. The fuel pipe connecting the high pressure fuel pump to the fuel rail may not have been tightened properly.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An insufficiently tightened fuel pipe may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers inspected and tightened the fuel pipe connection, free of charge. The affected vehicles have been repaired and therefore no owner notification letters will be sent. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 206.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Santa Fe vehicles. The Occupant Detection System (ODS) module may not deactivate the air bag upon detection of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ODS module, free of charge. All affected vehicles have been remedied as of May 12, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 202.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Santa Fe vehicles. The Occupant Detection System (ODS) module may not deactivate the air bag upon detection of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ODS module, free of charge. All affected vehicles have been remedied as of May 12, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 202.
Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Santa Fe vehicles. The Occupant Detection System (ODS) module may not deactivate the air bag upon detection of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ODS module, free of charge. All affected vehicles have been remedied as of May 12, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 202.
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.
2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
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