2019 Hyundai Santa FE
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 200 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 17th highest complaint count among 25 Santa FE model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 16 involved a crash and 12 involved a fire. 10 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Trailer hitchesPark outsideMar 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.
A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 23V181000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/windowOct 11, 2018
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. The Side Curtain Air Bag (SCAB) mounting bolts may interfere with and damage the air bags during deployment.
In the event of a crash, if the air bags become damaged during deployment they may not inflate properly, increasing the risk of injury.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the SCAB installation bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 177.
Campaign 18V715000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
200 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, May 9, 2023
The forward collision avoidance system is malfunctioning and shuts down the traction and stability control systems making the vehicle more vulnerable to collisions. Multiple attempts to repair this system have been unsuccessful
Trailer hitches, May 1, 2023, fire
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while they were driving on the street. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The fire department was on the scene and filed a report. The husband had extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V181000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact had taken the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it had not been diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. VIN tool confirms parts not yet available.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Apr 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that on various occasions while driving at various speeds with the automatic START/STOP function activated, the vehicle started losing motive power while the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving from a complete stop. The vehicle was able to restart. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the All-Wheel Drive (AWD) warning light was intermittently illuminated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,500.
Electrical system, Mar 24, 2023
These Hyundai's & Kia's are being stolen left & right across the nation....Hyundai needs to fix our vehicle with an alarm system. We haven't heard anything!!! We owe on the car and if it gets stolen or ruined, we still will have to pay on this vehicle. Also, on top of it all, it will be ruined; and from what we see on TV, they can't even get the parts to fix them. Our SUV is not worth anything now due to those stealing these vehicles because of the Tic Toc videos. Those videos should be banned anyway and taken off so no one else can learn to do this horrible theft. If we can ever get another vehicle, it won't be a Hyundai. This has made us very upset that we haven't heard anything from Hyundai nor there seems to be nothing happening regarding this issue. Why isn't the government pressuring this company? We don't see anything being done.
Power train, Feb 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving from a stop signal, the vehicle experienced a delay while accelerating. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking without warning. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently made a sudden stop without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 34,000.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 25, 2023, fire
Caught on fire while driving
Visibility/wiper, Visibility, Feb 17, 2023
Panoramic sun roof glass exploded and shattered as I was driving down the highway on a 50 degree F cloudy day. There was no known object that struck the roof nor did we hit a bump in the road or anything. The sound was like that of a shotgun blast. I've seen other posts and settlements for earlier Hyundai vehicle makes and models where warranty was extended to cover a defect causing this. But my 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe damage is not being covered under warranty since it is a couple thousand miles over the 60,000 mile warranty. Hyundai service reported there was no object or damage found to indicate it was caused by something impacting the vehicle. My concern is what will prevent the replacement glass from breaking again if the defect causing it to happen is not fixed.
Structure, Visibility, Feb 15, 2023
I was at a traffic light (stopped) and all of a sudden my sunroof exploded with no rhyme or reason behind it and glass shattered everywhere on top of me. Nothing was thrown at it and no other vehicles were around me to have any debris thrown up onto it. I got out and inspected the sunroof and found that there was no object imbedded on, in, or near the sunroof that would lead me to believe anything hit it. I contacted the Hyundai dealership about this and they will not cover it under warranty. I believe this is a quality control issue with faulty engineering of the sunroof and upon looking at other Hyundai forums, I found that others have reported the same thing occurring to their vehicles of the same make and model and the pictures of their damage look identical to my damage.
Visibility/wiper, Visibility, Feb 14, 2023
• What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? When ambient temperature is at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, sufficient heat is not produced from the vehicles defroster to keep the windshield from icing. Also, sufficient heat is not produced to keep vehicle occupants warm. A Hyundai dealership confirmed the problem and replaced the thermostat, but the problem still persists. • How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Visibility through the windshield cannot be maintained. Also, the cabin temperature is insufficient for safe transport of young children. • Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. • Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? It has been inspected and confirmed by a Hyundai dealership. The problem persists and has been an issue since the vehicle was purchased in 2019. The first winter that the vehicle was operated during (2020) was when the problem first presented. • Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The water temperature gauge on the dash board “bounces” back and forth while driving the vehicle when the ambient temperature is at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This has been reported to Hyundai corporate –Hyundai case # 19328435.
Engine, Feb 10, 2023
Car just stopped working one day. First oil on spark plugs got them changed then the coil packs now oil is on the air filter. Car drivers really hard and doesn't shift properly. Took dealership and they aren't really helping or even trying to diagnose my car.
Engine, Feb 7, 2023
I purchased a pre-owned certified 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe from a Hyundai dealership on 10/13/2020 and the vehicle had 21,770 miles. Then on 10/25/2021 (vehicle mileage was 31,950), I was driving my vehicle on the onramp to i-10 West lanes at Gessner Road. As I was accelerating at 40 mph to enter the freeway, my car engine seized and immediately I lost the ability to accelerate since the engine died. I immediately pulled over and had my car towed to the local Hyundai Dealership, HUB Hyundai Mitsubishi West. The Hyundai Dealership Service Manager, Daniel Castillo (832-739-6353), inspected my vehicle and after an inspection of the engine/underside of the vehicle, Hyundai found no damage or impact on the vehicle or the underside of the vehicle besides a missing drain plug. Their analysis concluded that the full result of the mechanical issue with the engine was a result of the missing drain plug which caused the oil to leak from the engine. Hyundai denied the warranty on the engine citing due to the drain plug issue is a direct result of a third party, Brake Check, that recently changed the oil (See attachment). The Brake Check Store #545 (11564 Westheimer Road, Houston TX 77077) had conducted recent oil changes performed on the vehicle on 12/8/2020 when the vehicle had 24,300 miles and on 5/5/2021 when the vehicle had 27,681 miles. I filed a claim (#3419328-1) with Brake Check for the damages however after 5 months of correspondences I was denied since I could not prove they did anything and the drain plug was missing. I also tried to file a claim with my personal auto insurance carrier, Progressive, however I was denied since the claim did not involve an accident. There was no warning lights that ever appeared on my dash prior to the incident. However, when I did go home that evening, I noticed a fresh large oil stain on my driveway were my car had previously be parked. The oil stain just occurred that day (See attached photo)
Power train, Jan 22, 2023
Was driving my 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe and it completely shut off when I was stopped at a red light. Super scary! I could not get the vehicle to start again and had to call police to help. Had my hazard lights on but still felt very unsafe because there was traffic that had to go around my vehicle. Tow guy was able to get it to start again but said the transmission felt jerky. The vehicle was towed back to my home. Then the next day the vehicle was able to start and seemed fine. I had a friend drive it to the dealership while I followed behind in another vehicle. Half way there, it did the exact same thing. Was stopped at a red light and it turned off. The reason felt like a hard shift to the transmission. The engine would start but it would not shift to drive. It had to be pushed out of traffic. A few people stopped their vehicles to help push. After it was pushed to a safe spot, I had it towed to the nearest Hyundai dealership. The dealership service tech thought it just needed a new starter. He installed the starter and some update software and claimed it was fixed. Picked up the car, drove it home and it seemed fine. The next day I needed to use this car to drive my three children to school (one of my kids has special needs). I felt the transmission jerking half way there and by the time we (thankfully) made it to the school parking lot, it did a hard shift and died. That could have been very scary and unsafe if we were stuck in traffic and it died! I had it towed back to the dealership. This time around the service tech said it needs a new transmission. It’s a 2019 vehicle with 40,000 miles. It shouldn’t need a new transmission. I don’t feel safe driving this vehicle, especially with my three children!
Steering, Jan 2, 2023
This is the second time my 2019 Hyundai Santa has suddenly veer right out of the lane. The error message was BAC Active. The dashboard turned red and the vehicle shook for a few seconds. I'm scheduled to take it back to the dealer. I have problems with the engine making noise and have been told the noise is normal.
Visibility, Dec 23, 2022
•What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? When ambient temperature is at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, sufficient heat is not produced from the vehicles defroster to keep the windshield from icing. Also, sufficient heat is not produced to keep vehicle occupants warm. A Hyundai dealership confirmed the problem and replaced the thermostat, but the problem still persists. •How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Visibility through the windshield cannot be maintained. Also, the cabin temperature is insufficient for safe transport of young children. •Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. •Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? It has been inspected and confirmed by a Hyundai dealership. The problem persists and has been an issue since the vehicle was purchased in 2019. The first winter that the vehicle was operated during (2020) was when the problem first presented. •Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The water temperature gauge on the dash board “bounces” back and forth while driving the vehicle when the ambient temperature is at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This has been reported to Hyundai corporate –Hyundai case # [XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Oct 24, 2022
2019 Hyundai Santa fe first owner after each use of the Auto Stop/ Start feature is guaranteed that in 24-48 hrs the car will stall at stop lights and take anywhere from 15-20 min to restart. The power to the electronics continues but the engine can't restart from the stop. It appears as of the feature takes the power from the alternator, starter and battery and drains it until the car can be restarted. Once it starts it drives well until the system is engaged again. I have chosen to not use the system and the car has not stall however once the use of the Auto/ Start Stop system is engaged for a day or two it will stall the vehicle from a stop mostly at stop lights after so much time on standby mode while using the Auto Start / Stop system. Dealer can not recreate the issue.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 9, 2022
For the duration of the vehicle's ownership, it has underperformed and operated unpredictably under hard braking, specifically with relation to the vehicle's ABS system. The conditions have caused meto never drive the car in snow, as this weather condition in particular exacerbates the braking issues and makes the car unsafe. Issues with the braking/ABS include: The ABS activating at slow speeds in all conditions, even on dry roads The ABS activating and preventing the vehicle from being emergency stopped in adverse conditions The ABS activating and exponentially extending the braking distance until it disnegages The ABS, once activated, does not stop unless the brake pedal is lifted from its initial activation position The vehicle doesn't appear to have any mechancial braking issues. Everything seems to be related to the ABS system, wheel-speed sensors and/or vehicle-management systems. The overall braking experience in this vehicle with the ABS on is that it simply will not stop within a safe braking distance window. The only way to stop this vehicle is without ABS. There is no other way to safely stop this vehicle with ABS. I have reached out to my Hyundai dealer and Hyndai corporate directly, both times being dismissed without anyone attempting to recreate the braking issues. I have a life's worth of experience driving in snow and multiple ABS activations in a range of vehicles. This is abnormal based on all of the experiential knowledge I possess, as well as a lifelong interest in cars. While I am not an engineer, I possess enough firsthand and academic vehicle experience to recognize the abnormality of this vehicle braking operation.
Engine, Oct 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while at a complete stop with the auto engine Start/Stop feature activated, the vehicle would intermittently shut off upon depression of the accelerator pedal with several warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact would be forced to turn off the vehicle and open the driver’s side door to reset the vehicle; after multiple attempts, the engine would restart and resume normal operation. The contact had taken the vehicle to two separate dealers, Freehold Hyundai (4065 US-9, Freehold, NJ 07728) and Greg May Hyundai (1501 TX-340 Loop, Waco, TX 76712)] on multiple occasions but neither dealer was able to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and provided a case number. The contact was referred back to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Structure, Sep 28, 2022
Liftgate is unable to be opened from outside, on button press it just beeps three times
Steering, Sep 19, 2022
Electric power steering failed after starting car and beginning drive. No power assist was present. Concurrent with this failure the instrument panel displayed warnings that Blind Spot Detection System and Lane Keeping System were not working and needed attention. Codes for the later 2 problems were sent to central computer, but no power steering error code was sent. Disconnecting battery from car nor turning car off and on had no effect on errors. Let car set idle for 3 days. Restarted car and all problems were gone. Taking car to dealer on 9/20/22 in attempt to prevent future reoccurrence.
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the check Forward Collision Avoidance warning light was illuminated. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle veered into oncoming traffic. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the sensor in the windshield had malfunctioned. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated the windshield sensors were working as designed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 69,550.
Structure, Aug 23, 2022
While driving at 70 mph the rear panel of the panoramic sunroof in my 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe exploded. We were not near other traffic or other sources of debris that could have impacted the glass. There was a very loud 'boom' sound, like a gunshot, and then the crackling sound of broken glass. Thankfully the sunshade was drawn and glass shards did not fall into the passenger compartment. Within a short amount of time large pieces of glass began to fall out creating a very heavy load on the fabric sunshade. We were able to collect enough of the large pieces by hand and remove them before the shade tore or otherwise failed creating an even larger hazard. Our 1 year old child was in his car seat directly below the failure -- had the shade been open, or had large pieces of glass fell before we could pull over and remove them he could have been seriously injured. Online research points that this is not an isolated incident and there is a pattern of this happening on recent model Hyundai/Kia products with panoramic sunroofs -- there is a class action lawsuit in Canada targeting Hyundai's lack of ownership of the problem. Hyundai dealerships and corporate were contacted to inspect and repair under warranty but were unwilling to do so in a reasonable timeframe (2+ month wait time). Vehicle was ultimately repaired by a body shop through our insurance company. There were no indications that this was a problem prior to the event.
Engine, Aug 22, 2022
On 3 different occasions my vehicle has not restarted at a stop light after the idle stop and go feature turned the car off. I can’t to a complete stop, the car went into idle mode, then wouldn’t restart when I hit the accelerator again. I put on my hazard lights so cars could go around me and all the lights on my dash were flashing, brakes would not engage and it took several attempts to restart the car. The car has also not turned on 4 times when I first get in and go to start it. All the dash lights go on then as well and takes several attempts to start the car. I took it to the dealer and they could not find any issues. It is scary to drive as I fear it not starting after coming to a stop and being stuck on a main road.
Engine, Aug 14, 2022
Was driving and the car started stuttering. When I came to a stop the car would not move, a message flashed across the dash saying something about the auto stop feature was active and I had to put the car in park or neutral in order to drive again. Has happened numerous times almost daily. In order to stop this from happening you have to remember to turn the auto stop feature off.
Air bags, Aug 3, 2022, crash
At 1641, I was driving 55mph on tonganoxie rd with the right of way & no stop signed. The other driver did have a stop sign but did not yield and entered the intersection causing my vehicle to strike the middle of the passenger side and spinning my vehicle and stopped 90’ to my right facing the direction she was traveling. All of my air back opened and inflated properly, except the driver side airbag. Because of this, my head slammed into the glass window, which then threw up upper body towards the passenger side. Had I not had a seatbelt on I would have ended up there. Due to the kinetic impact to the window (airbag only inflated about 1/4 of the way) I suffered a TBI severe concussion, tore my upper ribs from the breast bone, whiplash to my neck and back. There was a recall for this EXACT vehicle and driver airbag issue but mine was not listed as being on it. It has been a month and I still have a lump and tenderness at the impact site, brain fog and severe headaches, neck and back pain causing my to out of work at leave without pay. The headaches are worsening a bad do not want anyone else hurt.
Air bags, Jul 11, 2022, crash
Front side airbags only came down maybe sun visor length. Broadsided a car that pulled out in front of me, I was going 55mph when I hit her and no time to brake. I am 5’4” and when I hit her my head hit below the bag and into the glass getting a concussion. This is a major safety factor. Progressive Insurance claim #[XXX], vin [XXX]. I have not received police incident report yet. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).