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2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
20
Latest Jul 8, 2024
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
9
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Engine929.0%
  • Powertrain (other)722.6%
  • Fuel system412.9%
  • Electrical39.7%
  • Driver assistance39.7%
  • Seat belts26.5%
  • Tires & wheels13.2%
  • Interior & seats13.2%
  • Airbags13.2%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

9
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the camshaft sensor needed to be replaced. In addition, the vehicle was repaired several times however, the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

NHTSA ID 11600067 · filed Jul 8, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle lost motive power. A message indicating that there was no power was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, a red Hybrid warning light with a stop safely message was displayed. The contact stated that the Hyundai App displayed the Power Train and Chassis indicated the contact needed to schedule a service. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined the vehicle had either bad fuel or the vehicle was refueled while the engine was running. Additionally, the gas cap was left open. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer replaced the rocker cover gasket and oil gasket to resolve a leak. The vehicle was at the local dealer awaiting Field Technical Engineer inspection. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number 22V746000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 31,000.

NHTSA ID 11564397 · filed Jan 9, 2024
All 9 reports naming engine

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

7
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle lost motive power. A message indicating that there was no power was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, a red Hybrid warning light with a stop safely message was displayed. The contact stated that the Hyundai App displayed the Power Train and Chassis indicated the contact needed to schedule a service. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined the vehicle had either bad fuel or the vehicle was refueled while the engine was running. Additionally, the gas cap was left open. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer replaced the rocker cover gasket and oil gasket to resolve a leak. The vehicle was at the local dealer awaiting Field Technical Engineer inspection. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number 22V746000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 31,000.

NHTSA ID 11564397 · filed Jan 9, 2024

I have been taking my 21 Santa Fe hybrid limited into the dealership for a year and a half for the same code . Powertrain code P040B00, and to this day they can not repair this issue. I looked it up and a ton of us are having issues with this same code. It should be investigated, and customers should be warned. Hyundai needs to recall these vehicles or provide a solution. A year and a half is unacceptable

NHTSA ID 11533831 · filed Jul 22, 2023

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

While driving 80 mph down the highway my brand new vehicle shut off completely, the entire car lost power. In another instance I was going around a roundabout and my acceleration completely went out, my son was in the back seat and another car had to jump the curb to avoid crashing into us. I met a woman in the dealership who has been waiting over a year for her recalled tow hitch to be fixed. When it rains or snows the forward safety systems shut off and the alert repeats extremely distracting on your dash, like sounds, red flashing lights, over and over again. You have to constantly hit the ok button while driving to get it to go away.

NHTSA ID 11529228 · filed Jun 27, 2023

While traveling 70 mph the vehicle had a sudden loss of engine and battery output performance while driving and began losing speed despite the accelerator being fully depressed. There was a very rapid decrease in speed, and no warning chime activated per manual. “Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely, triangle warning displayed.” Observed battery indicator rapidly deflecting left and right. The vehicle would not accelerate and had to be coasted through four lanes of traffic to get to the shoulder of the highway. While on an SOS call with Bluelink, who was unable to see the location of my vehicle, Oil Light illuminated, and a message on the dash said “Check Battery Discharge.” After the first Bluelink Operator was unable to assist in dispatching a tow truck due to the inability to see the vehicle’s exact location, the second Bluelink Operator was able to assist and dispatch a tow truck to the location and tow the vehicle to the closest dealership. The vehicle could not be turned on or placed in neutral. Was given a jump start to place in neutral to tow. Upon arrival at the dealership, the key fob would not register inside the vehicle for the service manager and technician to move with the tow truck operator. The vehicle was evaluated by the dealership and the only reported issue was a signal error that was present when the vehicle arrived at the dealership after being towed. Dealership reported radar was not vertical and contributed that to the cause of loss of acceleration on the highway despite not having identified it before or being a result of being towed. I requested this be reported if truly the cause since that could be catastrophic. The matter was considered resolved by the dealer since it couldn’t be duplicated. This unknown, continued sudden loss of output power, acceleration, and electrical power is a Serious Safety Defect and significant impairment to the vehicle, posing a fatal risk for the operator and other motorists on the road. Occurred at 24618 miles.

NHTSA ID 11477832 · filed Aug 5, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

From what I have been told there is no recall on this issue. Purchased a Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid 2021 brand new in 2021. I live in La Quinta California summers are especially hot. Temps can be anywhere from 105 to 120 . Only had the car for 6months when in light came on saying Inverter needs coolant this has been a problem for the past 2yrs. Checked with Hyundai Service department my coolant is fine air conditioning works well. This not a safety issue but should be fixed and Hyundai is doing nothing about it. Many complaints have been ignored.

NHTSA ID 11521248 · filed May 9, 2023

Having issues with the dash going completely black; so you can not see any instruments on the dash panel or the head unit (navigation/radio/airplay). The car has been into the shop three times so far with no resolution. The newest issue; the horn doesn't work, the safety features such as lane assist, lane departure etc. only work intermittently, and I have had the brakes slam on for no reason. The last time I took the car back to dealer and told them I was afraid to drive the car, the service manager changed the settings on the safety features, not sure how that was to fix anything? We have been so close to being rear-ended because of the faulty braking system. The electrical system is having major issues, I have videos of the car doing all these things and have showed them to the dealership and they claim they can not fix the car because it doesn't happen when they drive the car.

NHTSA ID 11489367 · filed Oct 15, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

While driving 80 mph down the highway my brand new vehicle shut off completely, the entire car lost power. In another instance I was going around a roundabout and my acceleration completely went out, my son was in the back seat and another car had to jump the curb to avoid crashing into us. I met a woman in the dealership who has been waiting over a year for her recalled tow hitch to be fixed. When it rains or snows the forward safety systems shut off and the alert repeats extremely distracting on your dash, like sounds, red flashing lights, over and over again. You have to constantly hit the ok button while driving to get it to go away.

NHTSA ID 11529228 · filed Jun 27, 2023

Having issues with the dash going completely black; so you can not see any instruments on the dash panel or the head unit (navigation/radio/airplay). The car has been into the shop three times so far with no resolution. The newest issue; the horn doesn't work, the safety features such as lane assist, lane departure etc. only work intermittently, and I have had the brakes slam on for no reason. The last time I took the car back to dealer and told them I was afraid to drive the car, the service manager changed the settings on the safety features, not sure how that was to fix anything? We have been so close to being rear-ended because of the faulty braking system. The electrical system is having major issues, I have videos of the car doing all these things and have showed them to the dealership and they claim they can not fix the car because it doesn't happen when they drive the car.

NHTSA ID 11489367 · filed Oct 15, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V816000 (Seat Belts) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The driver's side seat belt failed to extend smoothly. The contact stated that occasionally the seat belt became stuck and excessive force was needed to operate the seat belt. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID 11499412 · filed Dec 29, 2022

Visual Red Triangle code illuminated on the instrument cluster with the number 1 on the side of it. I used my OBD2 reader (Blue Driver) to retrieve the 8 AIR BAG codes. They were B1511 ,B1513, B1378, B1382, B1346, B1481, B14AE, B2618. Problem resulted after the Cowl Cross Bar Assembly (Unpainted), also known as a CRASH BAR, was replaced because of broken welds. It was replaced with a Painted Assembly that prevents access to secure ground for the Air Bags and Seat Belts. The Assembly is used to provide support in case of a crash and also serves as a grounding bus bar for multiple devices, such as; Air bags, seatbelts, Instrument cluster, on board safety cameras, lane, backup warnings, etc...

NHTSA ID 11447353 · filed Jan 13, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Tires & wheels

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

I purchased my car in May 2021. Shortly after purchase, I noticed a "clicking" sound under the car when the car was operating between 15 and 20 MPH. I took the car to the dealer, who couldn't identify what was causing the sound. The dealer subsequently replaced the front axle, but the clicking sound continued, only audible when the car was moving at between 15 and 20 MPH. On June 9, I was driving at about 40 MPH on an interstate that had only a few cars on it. I didn't notice any debris or objects in the road, nor did I feel the car hit any debris or objects. Suddenly, I heard a loud "crunching" sound that I mistook for interference from the radio. I turned the radio off and realized the sound was coming from the rear passenger side of the car. I looked at the dashboard and saw the tire pressure light had illuminated. A few seconds later, the triangular danger sign also illuminated. I got off the highway at the next exit and stopped the car as soon as it was safe. The car made a lot of noise as I drove down the exit ramp, and it was difficult to steer, so I knew that the rear tire was flat. I got out of the car and found, to my surprise, that both tires on the passenger side were flat. The rear tire was cracked and ripped apart. The front tire was intact, but completely flat. The car has not been inspected yet, so I don't know what caused both tires to flatten at the same time. If I'd hit something hard enough to flatten both tires, I'd think I would have seen or felt it. My concern is that a defect in the tires related to the mysterious clicking sound that the mechanics could not diagnose caused the tires to blow out without warning at the same time.

NHTSA ID 11468519 · filed Jun 9, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Interior & seats

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Visual Red Triangle code illuminated on the instrument cluster with the number 1 on the side of it. I used my OBD2 reader (Blue Driver) to retrieve the 8 AIR BAG codes. They were B1511 ,B1513, B1378, B1382, B1346, B1481, B14AE, B2618. Problem resulted after the Cowl Cross Bar Assembly (Unpainted), also known as a CRASH BAR, was replaced because of broken welds. It was replaced with a Painted Assembly that prevents access to secure ground for the Air Bags and Seat Belts. The Assembly is used to provide support in case of a crash and also serves as a grounding bus bar for multiple devices, such as; Air bags, seatbelts, Instrument cluster, on board safety cameras, lane, backup warnings, etc...

NHTSA ID 11447353 · filed Jan 13, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Visual Red Triangle code illuminated on the instrument cluster with the number 1 on the side of it. I used my OBD2 reader (Blue Driver) to retrieve the 8 AIR BAG codes. They were B1511 ,B1513, B1378, B1382, B1346, B1481, B14AE, B2618. Problem resulted after the Cowl Cross Bar Assembly (Unpainted), also known as a CRASH BAR, was replaced because of broken welds. It was replaced with a Painted Assembly that prevents access to secure ground for the Air Bags and Seat Belts. The Assembly is used to provide support in case of a crash and also serves as a grounding bus bar for multiple devices, such as; Air bags, seatbelts, Instrument cluster, on board safety cameras, lane, backup warnings, etc...

NHTSA ID 11447353 · filed Jan 13, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .