2020 Hyundai Santa FE
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 213 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 14th highest complaint count among 25 Santa FE model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 13 involved a crash and 9 involved a fire. 15 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
Visibility, windshieldDec 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.
A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 21V00M000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
213 reports, newest first.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, May 5, 2022, crash
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.
Visibility, Mar 31, 2022
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.
Back over prevention, Mar 23, 2022
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.
Other or unspecified, Mar 10, 2022, fire
This car just caught on fire in my fathers driveway at midnight last night...doesnt appear to be from engine compartment
Other or unspecified, Feb 13, 2022
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.
Wheels, Feb 11, 2022
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.
Lane departure, Jan 26, 2022
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.
Other or unspecified, Oct 6, 2021
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.
Other or unspecified, Oct 6, 2021
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.
Tires, Sep 10, 2021
Failed tire in question: Tire failed immediately when apparent road hazard occurred on a major freeway. Exited freeway and located a area where I was able to pull over. After changing said tire (Kumho 235.60/R18) I attempted to inspect tire and found the steel belt failed (punctured). Upon further investigation I observed that the steel belt has covered with less than as less than a 1/6th inch of rubber thereby exposing the belt for a potential failure. At this point the mileage said tire was 7700. As of yet the tire warranty has not been confirmed. This tire was delivered on a new 2020Hyundai Santa Fe limited.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Sep 10, 2021
While driving on the highway, the front pane of the panoramic sunroof spontaneously shattered. No contact from a foreign object was observed or heard prior to the breakage. The roof was closed, thus our family avoided any glass showering down into our cabin, but this would have been catastrophic had it happened with the roof open. This problem has happened to prior year models of the Santa Fe. Hyundai dealership has agreed to repair the broken sunroof at no cost, however, does not admit fault with the manufacture of the glass.
Visibility, Sep 8, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the contact heard a loud explosion. The contact felt the wind coming from the sunroof. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and saw that the glass sunroof had exploded and shattered. The contact stated that no object had struck the sunroof to cause it to explode. The contact was able to continue driving to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer to have the vehicle inspected however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
Electrical system, Jul 21, 2021
The air conditioner quits working after a few minutes if the temperature is over 80 degrees. This has happened multiple times, at least 6 times. I took the car into Hyundai dealer and they said they could fine nothing wrong with it. As soon as we got it back from the dealer it happened again. Heat stroke was our only safety concern. No warning light has ever come on to report this breakdown.
Other or unspecified, Jun 4, 2021
The Rear Occupancy alarm, a Safety Feature, goes off commanded usually at night with the vehicle locked and unoccupied. Dealer is unable to find a fix and has no way to prevent further occurrences. They recommend disabling the system, removing this system from the safety features of this vehicle.
Tires, May 23, 2021
The driver rear tire may be leaking air and the pressure monitoring system shows the pressure is 27-28. The car was brought brand new from Hyundai of Torrance, CA on 20 Jan 2020 and as of this date, 23 May 2021, the mileage is 2,007 miles. I have taken the car into the dealership twice about the tire (second time was on 20 May 2021) and they keep saying they don't fix tires and it may have a slow leak. I find this unacceptable and I feel like I'm being taken advantage of (I'm a senior citizen). I plan on driving to another state and I want to ensure the safety of myself and passengers. Just now, I checked the pressure monitoring system and the light is not on. At this point, I don't know if it's tire issue or the electronic system issue. Unfortunately, I don't have any documentation, but perhaps the Hyundai dealership have something on their service database/computer.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, May 12, 2021
NEW 2020 SANTAFE TOOK DELIVERY ON JANUARY 4TH, 2021, WITH LESS THAN 5000 MILES ON MARCH 21ST THE VEHICLE REFUSE TO START AFTER IT WAS STARTED AND SHUT OFF WHILE WE WERE SITTING IN A PARKING LOT. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START IT GETTING FORWARD COLLUSION WARNING BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT CRANK. TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER WAS TOLD THEY CANNOT DIAGNOSE THE CAR BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT READ THE ONBOARD COMPUTER, UNABLE TO SAY WHAT'S WRONG. THE CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE PURCHASE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A BLOWN FUSE MAYBE LIGHTING STRIKE AND OTHER THEORIES WHAT'S WRONG. THE DEALER WOULD REPLACE THE FUSE AND COMPUTER AFTER 52 DAYS THE CARE IS STILL AT THE DEALER WAITING ON PARTS. TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE WITH NO RECOURSE AT THE MOMENT, HYUNDAI MOTOR OF AMERICA CONSUMER AFFAIRS WANTS US TO SIGN A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT TO REFUND OUR EXPENSES AND HAVE NOT FIXED OR REPLACED THE CAR. THE MANUFACTURE IS TOTALLY DRAGGING THEIR FEET AND DENYING THE CAR SUFFER A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE, WHILE THE BATTERY WAS STILL IN WORKING CONDITION ACCORDING TO AAA.
Air bags, May 5, 2021, crash
I WAS IN A MAJOR CAR ACCIDENT AND THE CAR THAT HIT ME WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 60 MPH HIT ME IN THE REAR AND THE AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED, THIS IS VERY CONCERNING AND SHOULD BE LOOKED AT. I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WHEN I GOT HIT.
Power train, Mar 19, 2021
THERE ARE THREE ISSUES: 1.) IN SPORT MODE, THE TRANSMISSION WILL SOMETIMES GET STUCK/HUNG IN GEAR (MAYBE GEAR 3 OR GEAR4) AND WILL NOT SHIFT INTO THE NEXT GEAR, EVEN WHEN INCREASING SPEED. 2.) ALSO IN SPORT MODE, AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 10 OR 15 MINUTES THE TRANSMISSION WILL OFTEN SLIP INTO GEAR 5, AFTER REVVING HIGH AND CAN BE HEARD REVVING, BUT IT IS NOT REFLECTED ON THE TACHOMETER, AND THEN WHEN THE GEAR CATCHES IT IS A VIOLET JERK FORWARD. 3.) LASTLY, IN ANY MORE, BUT MOST PRONOUNCED IN "SMART MODE" AFTER TAKING OUT FROM A COMPLETE STOP, AND ESPECIALLY AFTER THE ENGINE GOES INTO AUTO SHUT OFF MODE, THE TRANSMISSION WILL STUTTER AT ABOUT 3 - 5 MPH AND FEELS AS IF POWER HAS BEEN LOST FOR A FEW SECONDS. THIS IS MOST TERRIFYING WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN INTO TRAFFIC, AS YOU NEVER KNOW IF IT WILL HAPPEN OR NOT.
Tires, Mar 13, 2021
WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ABOUT 40 MPH, SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 10 TO 15 MPH TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN WHEN THE RIGHT REAR TIRE ON MY 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VIN: [XXX], EXPLODED RIPPING SEVERAL INCHES INTO THE SIDEWALL. HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF HITTING ANYTHING ANY TIME PRIOR TO THE TIRE EXPLODING AND NOTHING IN THE ROADWAY TO CAUSE SAID DAMAGE AT THE SIGHT OF THE EXPLOSION. TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION WAS ABOUT 55 DEGREES, NOT TO COLD OR TO HOT. HAD ONLY DRIVEN ABOUT 3 OR 4 MILES ON THE TIRE PRIOR TO EXPLOSION, SO HEAT WAS MOST LIKELY NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM. TIRES WERE MADE BY HANKOOK TIRES, DYNAPRO HP2, SIZE 235/65/R17 104H, DOT 15M8R RT HO 2719, WITH ABOUT 29,000 MILES ON THE TIRES, VERY LITTLE WEAR AT ALL THE TIRE, WITH AIR PRESSURE MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES TO ABOUT 35 TO 36 PSI WHICH WAS CHECKED ALMOST DAILY. OF ALL OF MY YEARS OF DRIVING HAVE HAD FLAT TIRES, BUT NEVER HAVE I HAD A TIRE JUST EXPLODE AS IN THIS INSTANCE WITH THIS TIRE. FEEL LIKE THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN CASE OTHERS MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED ANY SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THESE TIRES. HANKOOK, DYNAPRO HP2, 235/65R17 104H, DOT 15M8R RT HO 2719. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 8, 2021
THE 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE FOWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE ASSISTANCE SYSTEM IS NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. WE HAVE CONTACTED HYUNDAI ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WITHOUT RESPONSE. THE SYSTEM IS BRAKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT AND CAUSE. NO CARS ARE IN ANY PROXIMITY AND THE CAR BRAKES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THIS HAS OCCURRED TWICE WITHOUT WARNING IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. DEALERSHIP HAS NO ANSWER WHEN WE TOOK THE CAR IN. HYUNDAI CONSUMER LINE DOES NOT RETURN CALLS. IT IS AN EXTREME DANGER WITH OUR SON DRIVING CAR. REAR END COLLISON WILL HAPPPEN IF THIS CONTINUES.
Power train, Feb 15, 2021
WHEN STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND THE AUTO ENGINE TURN OFF KICKS IN AS EXPECTED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. HOWEVER, THE BEHAVIOR IS VERY ERRATIC WHEN I RELEASE MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE JUMPS AGGRESSIVELY WITHOUT ME APPLYING ANY ACCELERATION AND SOMETIMES THE ENGINE JUST STARTS AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE UNTIL I APPLY SOME ACCELERATION. I ALMOST REAR ENDED THE CARS INFRONT OF ME FEW TIMES. I GOT WAY TOO SKEPTICAL AND BEGAN TURNING OFF THE AUTO TURN OFF FEATURE WHEN I GET INTO MY CAR.
Other or unspecified, Feb 6, 2021
ON 9/25/20 I FILED A VEHICLE COMPLAINT BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE HORN ON MY 2020 SANTA FE HAD TWICE WORKING, REQUIRING THE DEALER TO REPLACE PARTS. (TRACKING NUMBER 11371071.) THE HORN HAS AGAIN STOPPED WORKING AND IS BACK IN THE DEALER'S REPAIR SHOP. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATATELY 5600 MILES ON IT AND WAS PURCHASED IN 7/20.
Steering, Service brakes, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 4, 2021
TO MANY PROBLEMS TO LIST.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 14, 2021
FRONT WINDSHIELD HAS DEVELOPED NUMEROUS PIN-HEAD SIZE STAR SHAPED CRACKS THAT MOSTLY CAN BE SEEN WHEN CAR IS POINTED TOWARD THE SUN. THIS HAPPENED ALL OF A SUDDEN. I TRIED TO PHOTO BUT I CAN NOT GET A GOOD PICTURE. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING.
Electrical system, Jan 12, 2021
LEASED A 2020 SANTA FE ON APRIL 24, 2020 AND ON JULY 9, 2020 IT STALLED AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE AND AFTER 20 MINS. WAS ABLE TO START IT. THE DEALER SAID NOTHING WRONG. IN AUGUST 2020 THE CAR WOULDN'T START, AFTER A ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE JUMP THE DEALER SAID I'M NOT STARTING IT ENOUGH. IN OCTOBER SAME THING HAPPENED I GOT A NEW BATTERY FROM THE DEALER. IN DECEMBER THE SAME THING HAPPENED I GOT ANOTHER NEW BATTERY. THEY REFUSE TO ADMIT SOMETHING IS DRAWING POWER FROM THE BATTERY IN THE OFF POSITION. INSTEAD THEY SAY I'M NOT STARTING THE CAR ENOUGH. I START THE CAR 2 TO 3 A WEEK.