2025 Hyundai Santa FE
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 134 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 23rd highest complaint count among 25 Santa FE model years with reports.
Of the 2025 reports, 5 involved a crash. 4 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Seat belts, front, anchorageApr 6, 2026
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, 2023-2026 Genesis G90, 2024-2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, and Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The driver and passenger seat belt anchors may detach.
A detached seat belt anchor will not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Dealers will inspect and reinforce or replace the seat belt anchors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 29, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and Genesis customer service at 844-340-9741. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 298 and 032G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov April 8, 2026.
Campaign 26V218000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/window, curtainNov 21, 2025
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.
Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.
Campaign 25V809000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, display functionNov 21, 2025
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The rearview camera may not have been installed properly, which can damage the wiring harness and cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the camera wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning January 15, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 288. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.
Campaign 25V808000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, starter assemblyOct 2, 2025
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Santa Fe vehicles. The B+ positive terminal cover on the starter motor assembly may be improperly installed, which can cause an electrical short during a crash.
An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
Dealers will inspect and reinstall the starter motor terminal cover, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning October 22, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 285. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 4, 2025.
Campaign 25V659000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, critical fastenersAug 26, 2025
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson and Santa Fe vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power and engine damage, possibly resulting in an oil leak.
A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. An oil leak in the presence of hot engine components can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire.
Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 281.
Campaign 25V549000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
134 reports, newest first.
Power train, Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Feb 2, 2026
I tried to drive my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid; the vehicle displayed a gear selection error message stating something like "gear already selected". The vehicle would not shift properly and would not power off or restart. I attempted multiple shutdown and restart attempts using the Start/Stop button with no success. The vehicle remained in this condition for about 30 minutes and would not allow normal operation or shutdown. Due to safety concerns, Hyundai roadside assistance was contacted and a tow truck was dispatched. Before the tow arrived, the vehicle spontaneously allowed shutdown without any intervention. This was a safety related failure involving the shift-by-wire system and vehicle power-down logic. The issue occurred without warning and left the vehicle inoperable. The vehicle had app 7150 miles at the time of the incident.
Structure, Jan 27, 2026
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle new, it was discovered that all four doors had structural deformities that appeared as dents. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who indicated that the deformities were caused by improper stamping of the doors during the manufacturing process. The contact was concerned that the structural integrity of the vehicle was compromised during the manufacturing process and was concerned about the safety of the vehicle if the vehicle was in a crash. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side door failed to properly open and close due to structural deformities. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,000.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 27, 2026
Front wipers of the vehicle stopped working with snow buildup. This was solved once by tightening a bolt but happened again while driving
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 22, 2026
Car had an unintended acceleration. I had been stopped prior to entering my garage. I had started to slowly accelerate when the car accelerated hard. It took a lot of effort to stop the car.
Engine, Jan 21, 2026
Immediately following routine maintenance performed at an authorized Hyundai dealership, my 2025 Hyundai Hybrid Santa Fe Calligraphy experienced a complete loss of engine oil, which resulted in the engine shutting down while driving on a highway. While traveling at highway speed with my minor daughter, the oil pressure and engine warning lights illuminated, followed by multiple error messages. The vehicle rapidly lost power, and I struggled to safely maneuver it onto the shoulder while high-speed traffic was passing. This created an immediate and life-threatening safety situation, with a real risk of being struck by other vehicles. We were stranded on the roadside for over three hours awaiting a tow, exposed to ongoing traffic danger. The dealership later advised that the incident was caused by a faulty Hyundai-supplied part, not driver error, misuse, or lack of maintenance. The vehicle had only approximately 4,000 miles at the time of failure. A sudden engine shutdown due to oil loss at highway speeds presents a severe risk of collision, injury, or death, especially when it occurs without warning. Given that a Hyundai component is implicated, I am concerned this may represent a broader safety defect affecting other vehicles. This incident caused extreme distress and endangered both myself and my child. I am submitting this complaint so that NHTSA may evaluate whether this issue warrants regulatory review or further investigation.
Other or unspecified, Jan 16, 2026
I was driving at on the highway no other cars around going 80mph and the sunroof spontaneously shattered without impact. Distracting me with a loud bang and glass flying I had my wife and two kids in the car it’s a major safety issue. I’ll repeat the sunroof spontaneously shattered without impact of rock or debris. And I was traveling at a speed of 80mph on a clear highway. Distracting me with the loud bang and glass flying in and over my roof of the car
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Forward collision avoidance, Jan 15, 2026
This car was in a BBB binding Arbitration and Hyundai was told to fix: speed control malfunction, speed linit not posting to hub arbitrary fan engagement. The Dealership ALM West had the car 2 weeks and the car sat on their lot. They said we are unable to duplicate the problem. Now in addition I showed them the cracked windshield and they were not responsible. I had an insurance complaint I took it to Safelite and replaced the windshield yesterday and I got it back with a new windshield and it also had a Crack in the replacement windshield. I think Hyundai knows there's a problem with the glass which is also part of the safety system of the car.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 14, 2026
Driving in light rain at 65 mph , drivers side wiper failed after using AUTO feature. Occurrd 12/23/20125. Wiper was fixed by dealership under warranty on 12/26/2025. 3 weeks later on 1/12/2026 very same situation occurred and exact same malfunction happened yet again. Drivers side wiper total non-operational again. Taken back to the dealership for repair and the Dealership said with 100% certainty issue was caused both times from ice and and snow buildup ans will not submit under warranty. Vehicle is garage kept ( heated) and had absolutely no ice or snow on the vehicle upon operation. Weather was 40+ degrees both days when malfunction occurred. Safety issue was serious due to my wife now unable to see through the window potentially causing an accident during adverse weather conditions.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Jan 13, 2026
My 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has recurring powertrain communication failures starting at only 67 miles and continuing at 5,300 and 6,200 miles. Diagnostic trouble codes include U010100 (lost communication with engine control module) and multiple U100xxx codes related to transmission and CAN bus communication failures. These indicate loss of communication between critical control modules. The issue has happened multiple times and remains unresolved. I am concerned this could cause drivability problems, warning lights, or sudden loss of power. This appears to be a system-level defect in the vehicle’s communication network.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 9, 2026
Within a month of purchasing the vehicle [March of 2025] I was having a windshield replaced due to a crack. After I had that one installed, it needed to be replaced due to scratches on the windshield [safelite warrantied it under faulty glass]. Now within 2 weeks I have had 2 small impacts and 2 chip/cracks filled. I have never had issues with windshields in my driving career thus far like this. I understand windshields can pick up rocks and what not but searching online it doesn't seem to be an isolated incident at all. I think Hyundai may be using cheap glass or something. This is very frustrating because im constantly looking anytime I hear an impact on the windshield. Also, I do not want to be constantly calling safelite for chip repairs
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Jan 8, 2026
While driving on a service road at approximately 45 mph, the corner side glass on my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe shattered suddenly and without warning. There was no impact from a rock or object, and no other vehicles were present that could have caused debris. We had just entered the service road, and road conditions were normal. My [XXX] was seated in the front passenger seat at the time of the incident. The glass shattered inward, and the only thing preventing glass from entering the cabin was the window tint holding the shattered pieces together. This presented a serious safety hazard, as occupants could have been injured if the tint had not contained the glass. Once parked in my garage, I took pictures and tried to examine the damage but the window was still crackling and popping. My husband was able to inspected the window immediately after he returned home and confirmed there is no visible rock chip or point of external impact. The fracture pattern appears to originate from inside the glass or along the edge, consistent with a stress fracture or defect rather than road damage. This failure occurred under normal driving conditions with no accident, no debris strike, and no extreme temperature change. The sudden shattering while driving posed a significant risk to driver control and passenger safety, especially with multiple children in the vehicle. I am also aware of other owner complaints involving unexplained glass cracking or shattering on Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles, which raises concern that this may represent a broader defect rather than an isolated incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Jan 5, 2026
My car was locked and battery had died. I was able to get in car with key from fob. I had to put car charger on battery in order to start car. This car is a year old with 18,531 miles
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Dec 30, 2025
I am submitting this complaint to formally report ongoing and unresolved vehicle safety defects involving a leased 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. These defects include persistent toxic or chemical odors inside the passenger cabin, electrical and body control system malfunctions, and unintended vehicle operations that present serious risks to occupant health, vehicle security, and public safety. Despite multiple service visits and repeated requests, Hyundai dealerships have refused or failed to conduct comprehensive diagnostic testing, leaving the vehicle in an unsafe and unreliable condition.
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 28, 2025
I am reporting a safety hazard with the Driver Monitoring/Driver Assistance system in my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL (VIN: [XXX] ). The system frequently misinterprets my normal driving behavior as inattentiveness and triggers constant, loud beeping while I am driving. In many cases, it also disables assistance functions mid‑drive, which is dangerous and unexpected. The false alerts appear to be caused by the system misreading my eyes due to their natural shape and size. This issue does not occur with my wife, who has larger eyes, which indicates the system is biased toward certain physiologies and does not reliably detect all drivers. I have tested this repeatedly: if I strain my eyes unnaturally wide, the alerts stop, but this is extremely uncomfortable and only sustainable for a few seconds. The system is effectively pressuring the driver to adopt unsafe, unnatural behavior to avoid constant alarms. Environmental conditions such as sun glare, rain, and darkness make the false alerts even more frequent. The sudden loud beeping is startling and forces me to divert attention from the road. The unexpected loss of assistance features during driving further increases the risk of an accident. This system is not functioning as an assistive feature. Instead, it creates distraction, encourages unsafe compensatory behavior, and fails to accommodate normal variations in driver physiology. I request that NHTSA investigate whether Hyundai’s driver monitoring system meets safety and reliability standards and require corrective action if necessary. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Dec 27, 2025
After a maintenance service was performed at 16500 miles, we began to notice a high pitched whistling sound when pressing gas pedal doing highway driving above 75mph. The car was brought back to the dealer who couldn’t duplicate the complaint. We drove cross country, sound consistent until it began to make the sound at lower and lower speeds. We arrived at our destination and I took the car to the dealer we bought the car from. Their tech claimed it was normal coil whine. Since it was progressing I had the manager test drive the vehicle who agreed it was not normal. After a week we switched service advisors who immediately determined it was a failing transmission that needed replacement Now waiting for parts to arrive. I am requesting a buyback per California lemon law
Tires, Dec 22, 2025
As I was driving I heard a pop the front driver side tire popped from side wall And the back driver side tire has a big bubble in it and I did not hit any pot holes 2 tires on the same side failed on me and my car only has around 1500 miles one pop and one has a big bubble on a new car
Other or unspecified, Dec 18, 2025
I have had my 2025 Santa Fe since May 28, 2025. Shortly after, I was driving to the supermarket and once I found a spot, I put the car into Park. Unfortunately, I did not start recording the episodes and taking pictures until July 29, 2025. I had had my car into Hyundai of 110 two weeks prior. One of the in-take people saw the episode happen once I put the car into P. I asked him if this was normal and he told me no. He then got several of the managers and they immediately came over because this was occurring: My dashboard was literally screaming at me, the MPH and RPM were flashing and the battery warning light along with the warning light that shows the car with the hood open were flashing. The following message was displayed: Auto Stop is OFF. Shift to P or N and start engine manually. I asked this person several times if it was ok to shut off. Every time, he said yes. I asked if he wanted to take a pic or record it and he told me not to worry. He'd remember. So I shut the car off. Well, he never once spoke up while they were trying to find out what the silly female was speaking about. Since then, this has happened MULTIPLE times. I recently dropped my car off at Hyundai of 110 and they concluded that because they were unable to "replicate the problem", there was nothing wrong. I had sent them every single video or picture. Despite concluding that there was nothing wrong with my car, they will not put that in writing. Nor will they put in writing that they will accept fault for when my car stops working in the middle of nowhere and God forbid, something happens with myself and/or my passengers. My car is currently sitting at Hyundai of 110. They refuse to allow a manufacturer's technician to look at my car. All of my videos exceed 10 MB
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 18, 2025
There have been several times that I have been driving and either turning onto a 4-lane road (2 lanes going each way) or driving on the parkway, where my car has slammed on the brakes by itself. Not only was I not prepared for this to happen, but neither were the cars behind me. I tend to drive with at least 1.5 car-length space between myself and the car in front of me. Last week, I was making a right hand turn (going north) into the right lane from a residential street. The only other car near me was the one driving in the left lane (also going north). My car drove about 100 ft and maybe realized that there was a car next to me and just slammed on the brakes. I was suddenly thrown forward. My seat belt locked and I was thrown back into my seat. I had a bruise from my seat belt and came too close to slamming my head on my steering wheel. Thankfully, the car behind wasn't tailgating. About a month ago, I was driving on the parkway going east. I was originally in the right lane. I put on my blinker and when it was clear, I changed lanes to the middle lane. After I was clear and my blinker was off, my car started screaming to tell me that there was a car in my driver's blind spot (this happens EVERY time I switch lanes). I drove for maybe 1.5 - 2 miles and then suddenly, my car slammed on the brakes. Someone must be watching over me because the Escalade behind me (definitely tailgating) was somehow able to swerve into the left lane and then swerve around me to cut me off in revenge. They were screaming and honking at me, while I was screaming and yelling at my car. They could have easily have plowed into me (we were driving at least 60mph) and could have caused a horrible accident that could have killed myself or others around me. I have notified Hyundai of this issue and have read many similar complaints online. Hyundai claims they cannot "replicate the situation" and therefore, Hyundai Corp is unable to fix the problem.
Other or unspecified, Dec 16, 2025
Windshield has crack starting in lower left corner cracking upward to the right. 2nd cracked sine May 2025. Reported 1 crack previously
Tires, Dec 15, 2025
Pirelli Scorpion MS 255/45 R20 105V M+S A large bulge was found on the inside sidewall of the tire immediately adjacent to the tread. We had it inspected due to a slight shimmy in the nearly new (<3000 miles) vehicle, which had been present since delivery when traveling at highway speeds. We were told that the car was unsafe to drive but neither the dealership where we bought the vehicle and the dealership where we were having it serviced were willing to provide any relief (loaner, warrantee or discounted tire(s), etc.) Pirelli indicated that they may cover it under warrantee but that the tire would need to be shipped to them for inspection to determine if the condition was due to a defect. We drove it slowly home and after a few days of not driving it while trying to get some assistance, we purchased 4 new tires. We were able to find approximately a dozen other similar reports for 2025 Santa Fes with the same tires that had experienced the same issue; one such report indicated that 3 out of the 4 original tires all developed a bulge on the sidewall. When I first attempted to purchase new tires at Costco, the manager "refused" to sell me tires because he insisted that it was a defect and that the dealership should replace it but they did sell them to me after the dealership again refused to do so. We did not retain the tire and the only people to inspect it were the technician at the dealership where we had it serviced and the manager of the Costco tire center. There were no warning lights, but there was a slight shimmy at highway speed (~70 mph) from the time we took delivery until we replaced the tires. The defect was on the inside sidewall and was not readily visible when the tire was installed.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Dec 9, 2025
On more than 10 occasions the SUV gets stuck in neutral upon starting the car. You can only switch between Park and neutral and are unable to drive the car. It will not go into drive or reverse. Sometimes this problem lasts for 10 minutes. The car will not shut off during that time even when you press the stop button the screen just resets. The only solution is to wait or to press the hard reset button on the computer screen. It is a dangerous situation because if you need to go somewhere, you physically cannot drive the car. I took it to the car dealership when the car was almost brand new and they had it for eight days and they did a software update but I don’t think they found the problem. this problem is now having more and more frequently.
Suspension, Wheels, Other or unspecified, Dec 6, 2025
Intermittent and variable vibration/shaking at all speeds ranging from mild to severe. Worse when cold. TSB 25-SS-002H-1. Despite multiple balancing attempts (hunter road force balancer) and complete set of tire swap there was no resolution. TSB indicates this is a known abnormality/issue and present across all models. Vehicle inspected by 2 different hyundai dealerships and independent dealership without resolution. Began at 7500 miles and has persisted.
Forward collision avoidance, Dec 3, 2025
The adaptive cruise control does not allow the use of sunglasses to be worn while the cruise control is engaged. The cruise control will immediately shut off when sunglasses, and some prescription glasses are worn. This is a safety issue as you are not allowed to wear sunglasses on a sunny day or when the sun is low in the sky and it is below the car's sun visor. The same camera that is looking at the drivers eyes also controls other safety features and disables them when the driver is wearing their sunglasses, and some prescription glasses as well
Other or unspecified, Nov 30, 2025
I was trying to merge with 70 mph traffic and could not accelerate last 35 mph. Apparently a speed limiting feature came on that has never came on before decided to engage. My daughter and I were terrified and pulled over and googled what the heck had happened. We went into the settings and this feature was not selected at all so I have no idea why it decided to engage itself.
Electrical system, Nov 30, 2025
My 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid with 1724 miles was unresponsive in the garage. Not able to get in the car because the 12v battery was completely drained. Hyundai dispatched a tow truck to take it to the local Hyundai dealership. A service provider did call me to let me know the car was there. He also told me that apparently this problem I had was a known issue with the 2025 Santa Fe Hybrids. I had no advance warning of any imminent problems with the battery.