NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
166 reports10,273 miles · Mar 30, 2022
Power Train
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated upon attempting to drive the vehicle, she shifted into drive; however, the vehicle reversed inadvertently. The contact depressed the brake pedal and shifted into park. The contact shifted from park to drive three times but the vehicle would reverse each time or would f…
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The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated upon attempting to drive the vehicle, she shifted into drive; however, the vehicle reversed inadvertently. The contact depressed the brake pedal and shifted into park. The contact shifted from park to drive three times but the vehicle would reverse each time or would fail to move. The RPM’s revved up. The "Drive” warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle after several attempts; however, the failure reoccurred a month later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the shift actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,273.
NHTSA ODI #11458971
Mileage unknown · Mar 26, 2022
Visibility/wiper
In July 2021 while driving from TX to WA due to a military PCS with our brand new suv a small rock or pebble hit the windshield on the passengers side. I called progressive/ safelite right away to have them fix it upon arriving in WA. It was good to go until a few days later i climb into my suv (which is sitting under a car port…
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In July 2021 while driving from TX to WA due to a military PCS with our brand new suv a small rock or pebble hit the windshield on the passengers side. I called progressive/ safelite right away to have them fix it upon arriving in WA. It was good to go until a few days later i climb into my suv (which is sitting under a car port) and see that the chip has ran through all the way to the other side of the drivers view. From July 2021 it took till Jan 2022 to get a replacement. Had to pay the $500 deductible. However this should not happen on a brand new 2021 Santa Fe that was just manufactured in May/June 2021. More and more i am seeing reports of windshields cracking and I need to have piece of mind that our concerns are heard and fixed to our satisfaction.
NHTSA ODI #11458439
7,000 miles · Mar 22, 2022
Visibility
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while his wife was driving 60 MPH, she thought a small rock had struck the windshield and made an 8-inch horizontal crack form the driver’s to the passenger’s side windshield. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the win…
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The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while his wife was driving 60 MPH, she thought a small rock had struck the windshield and made an 8-inch horizontal crack form the driver’s to the passenger’s side windshield. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the windshield to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated a month later while his wife was driving the vehicle, she heard an abnormal noise on the windshield. The driver parked the vehicle but did not notice any cracks. The contact stated later on that day, his wife noticed an 8-inch horizontal crack form the driver’s to the passenger’s side. The contact called local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA ODI #11457838
Mileage unknown · Mar 10, 2022
Service BrakesUnknown Or Other
While driving the car in cruse control the speedometer would jump up and down rapidly making the car accelerate and break. The warning lights come on saying the forward, side back sensors are off. At times stepping on the breaks a plastic bottle crunch sound will occur but the breaks were fine. I scheduled a repair but was still…
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While driving the car in cruse control the speedometer would jump up and down rapidly making the car accelerate and break. The warning lights come on saying the forward, side back sensors are off. At times stepping on the breaks a plastic bottle crunch sound will occur but the breaks were fine. I scheduled a repair but was still driving the car. Then I approached an intersection and the light was turning green to yellow so I stepped on the breaks only to have the pedal go to the floor without resistance and no breaks at all. I had to drive through a red light endangering myself and others at that intersection. I pulled into a parking lot and the breaks were working again. Car has been towed to the West Herr Hyundai Dealer on Transit Rd Williamsville, NY for repairs.
NHTSA ODI #11456223
Mileage unknown · Mar 8, 2022
Electrical System
Car had a dead battery called road service they tested the battery said it had a bad cell they jumped it and I took it to the dealership they tested it by Hyundai protocol charged it for 60 minutes then load tested said it passed didn’t find anything wrong with it sent me on my way couple days later dead battery brought it back …
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Car had a dead battery called road service they tested the battery said it had a bad cell they jumped it and I took it to the dealership they tested it by Hyundai protocol charged it for 60 minutes then load tested said it passed didn’t find anything wrong with it sent me on my way couple days later dead battery brought it back to dealer charged it tested it said nothing wrong sent me on my way. Have to jump car every couple of days
NHTSA ODI #11455725
10,000 miles · Feb 16, 2022
Visibility
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while her vehicle was parked in her driveway, the rear windshield shattered without incident. The contact also mentioned that repairmen who happened to be on her property at the time of the failure had witnessed the failure occur without incident. The dealer was n…
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The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while her vehicle was parked in her driveway, the rear windshield shattered without incident. The contact also mentioned that repairmen who happened to be on her property at the time of the failure had witnessed the failure occur without incident. The dealer was notified of the failure and the windshield glass was repaired under car's manufacture warranty. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
NHTSA ODI #11452252
Mileage unknown · Feb 2, 2022
Visibility
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00M000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer and the manufactur…
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The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00M000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer and the manufacturer were made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
NHTSA ODI #11449944
Mileage unknown · Nov 3, 2021
Electrical SystemForward Collision Avoidance
While driving in the fast lane on the freeway at speed limit the car suddenly began to slow/stop, after which a warning flashed on the display that said Danger, collision imminent, or something like that. There was no one close in front of me when that happened. This exact scenario has happened three times now in this car, in th…
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While driving in the fast lane on the freeway at speed limit the car suddenly began to slow/stop, after which a warning flashed on the display that said Danger, collision imminent, or something like that. There was no one close in front of me when that happened. This exact scenario has happened three times now in this car, in the same way! I felt my life was endangered every time by the sudden and unnecessary braking of my car.
NHTSA ODI #11439221
Mileage unknown · Oct 23, 2021
Power Train
10/22/21, Mileage ~720, while driving on the highway I had two incidents when the car did not respond to throttle application. In the first instance while attempting to accelerate mildly on a level road the rpm went to 3500 with no acceleration. I backed off the throttle and the car resumed normal operation. In the second inst…
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10/22/21, Mileage ~720, while driving on the highway I had two incidents when the car did not respond to throttle application. In the first instance while attempting to accelerate mildly on a level road the rpm went to 3500 with no acceleration. I backed off the throttle and the car resumed normal operation. In the second instance while attempting to accelerate mildly on a level road the rpm showed about 1500 with no acceleration. I backed off the throttle and the car resumed normal operation. I had no further incidents and returned home safely. There were no warning lights, messages. This is the first problem I have experienced. I think this may be a transmission problem. Similar incidents have been reported online by Hyundai owners with the wet DCT that my car has. I have not yet contacted my dealer about this problem.
NHTSA ODI #11437869
Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System
Car would not start; battery was too low to activate lights or locks, let alone starter. An attempted jumper cable connection to an older car was insufficient to make the motor turn, even after just running the assist car while connected for 20+ minutes. A subsequent jump from the AAA 2000 Ah jump pack did work although their ‘t…
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Car would not start; battery was too low to activate lights or locks, let alone starter. An attempted jumper cable connection to an older car was insufficient to make the motor turn, even after just running the assist car while connected for 20+ minutes. A subsequent jump from the AAA 2000 Ah jump pack did work although their ‘test’ indicated battery state-of-charge and state-of-health to be less than 30%. Their obvious recommendation was battery replacement and, with the vehicle now running, a drive to the dealership was attempted. At the first intersection a full vehicle stop engaged the engine Stop-Start function, but without sufficient battery for the ‘Start’ part. Not only would the vehicle not restart but there was insufficient battery power to put the transmission into PARK nor engage the emergency brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling into busy cross-traffic; only the service brake worked. Fortunately, a nearby motorist recognized the emergency and placed rocks under the tires to prevent the vehicle from rolling forward. The vehicle was towed to the dealership where the battery was replaced without significant comment on the total failure of nearly all systems in the event of battery failure. The outcome of this major battery failure could have been catastrophic as the ONLY system even marginally functional was the non-power-assisted service brake.
NHTSA ODI #11434667
Official recalls
7Nov 21, 2024
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.
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.
Oct 6, 2022
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.
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.
Jul 9, 2021
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.
May 3, 2021
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.
Mar 17, 2021
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
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.