2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Owner Complaints

The vehicle has suffered a catastrophic structural manufacturing defect involving a transmission case half seal failure. The transmission is actively seeping/leaking fluid directly from the factory-mated case assembly line seal. This presents a severe, progressive safety hazard. Transmission fluid leaking from the case half migrates along the underbody of the vehicle and directly coats hot exhaust and powertrain components during highway operation. This creates an immediate risk of under-hood smoke, thermal degradation, component stalling, or a potential vehicle fire at high speeds. Certified diagnostic inspection confirms this is a factory assembly defect (defective RTV sealant application or improper factory bolt torque) and not mechanical wear-and-tear or driver neglect. The vehicle currently has 88,000 miles, but the structural failure was first physically documented by a licensed facility at 59,870 miles. The manufacturer (Hyundai Motor America) has currently refused to honor the powertrain failure, forcing the vehicle to remain on the road with an active powertrain fluid leak risk.

NHTSA ID

11753084

Incident

Jun 3, 2025

While accelerating at a light, the accelerator became unresponsive, only propelling the vehicle a couple miles per hour. I was not able to pull over, as I was in the left lane of a very busy road. After about 15 seconds of lack of acceleration, the accelerator responded enough for me to pull over. I’m glad this incident did not occur on a highway, during a turn, or other hazardous situations. Dash displayed, “Check hybrid system. Pull over safely”. There was no indication or issue with the vehicle prior to this. I haven’t had any issues since I bought it several months ago. I’ve read reports of this same issue happening with this same model. I have a scheduled date for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11708867

Incident

Dec 18, 2025

Oil leaking from engine dripping down to floor.

NHTSA ID

11657968

Incident

Apr 23, 2025

Ever since new this suv will periodically hesitate when trying to accelerate. I have almost been rearended numerous times over the last few years do to this issue. I have had the SUV into the dealer and complained about this issue every time and they cannot seem to do anything about the issue. The have update software (or at least said they have) and done other things and it has made NO difference. This issue almost caused a serious accident just this week when I was trying to merge into traffic on I5.

NHTSA ID

11656192

Incident

Apr 20, 2025

vehicle will not change out of EV electric mode and return to gas power causing hybrid battery drains to zero, vehicle loses acceleration, you can push the gas pedal to the floor and you have no acceleration, very UNSAFE when you are in traffic, no power to maneuver or avoid other vehicles quickly if needed, potential for accidents, hybrid system warning lights and alarms go on, have to try and pull over safely, battery will not recharge or takes a very long time to do so, only recourse is to shut vehicle off and restart which seems to reset vehicle, which in turn does not leave any warning lights other than codes on to show dealer, very dangerous to lose all acceleration capacity while in traffic, this has happened multiple times with the latest being today 3/23/25, vehicle is available for you to inspect, have had other powertrain codes issues as well, dealer has replaced fuel pump and erg valve but it does not resolve this hybrid issue, this battery drain issue has occurred multiple times but no resolution, help!

NHTSA ID

11650017

Incident

Mar 23, 2025

Our vehicle continues to experience loss of power driving , on cold days below freezing. When driving normally this hybrid vehicle will be in hybrid mode at a stop, then when accelerating, the ICE engine will not start to assist the hybrid, causing a bare minimum of power to be available, just enough to pull over. On several occasions this has led to very near rear end collisions from the driver's behind. So far I've been able to avoid injury, as I recognize the condition and am hyper attentive to its possible happening. The vehicle handed shown any Check engine warnings until yesterday. As it was dying I pumped the accelerator to see if it would go, latching a TPS out of range code. The condition has been brought to Hyundai Corporate and dealerships with no repair, and no resolution, they say it's fine. This is well documented by others driving Santa Fe Hybrids, and Tucson Hybrids on forums. No one fix has been established, with some dealerships replacing parts, and others no work being done because their scan tool sees nothing. With dozens of recalls for minor inconvenience issues, I do not understand why a recall for this drivability safety issue has not been mandated! These vehicles are defective, and potentially very dangerous. Loss of power, acceleration when others are behind you anticipating you to go, is a real serious danger, not to mention you being stranded in frigid weather. This began happening at 23k miles and continues today with 48k miles on mine. If the vehicle is shut off, then restarted, it is again drivable, until the next happening. One reason Hyundai, says nothing's wrong, and often blames the owners. I can't be without a vehicle, and Hyundai has washed their hands on this, so I'm stuck Hyundai must be forced into an investigation, and a safety recall on this or nothing will be done. How many accidents or deaths are required to get a recall accomplished?

NHTSA ID

11642761

Incident

Feb 13, 2025

When pressing the accelerator from a full stop, the car would either not move at all, idle/roll forward, or unsteadily jerk forward. In addition, the car would brake while driving despite not applying any pressure to the brake pedal. This issue persisted regardless of "drive mode" and no cruise control was in use.

NHTSA ID

11636018

Incident

Dec 21, 2024

Headed to my work ,outside temp 26 deg F, when on hiway entrance ramp, vehicle lost all acceleration. Vehicle is a hybrid, condition no warning lights on dash, vehicle was stuck in EV mode, which the ICE engine would not start to help as normally would do. Hybrid battery began draining very quickly. There was a semi truck right behind me accelerating hard to get on highway .This time I managed to pull over on the debris filled shoulder before the system fully shut down as it has done before with the warning ⚠️ HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE, PULL OVER NOW ! and loud alarm going off. This is a serious loss of total motive power, which I've reported to Hyundai Corporate, and dealerships for repair before, to which they say " we can't duplicate, all systems are fine", and blame me for the problem. Hyundai has washed their hands of this dangerous situation and won't help me. This is the 5th occasion of this problem, I now know from my experience and reading Hyundai forums this issue is wide spread among Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe hybrids, with some places replacing parts, that doesn't fix the issue. I know how to react by pulling over immediately, shut off the vehicle completely, wait... Then restart the vehicle, and so far ,it will drive normal with no codes or warnings after that, until the next random occasion it happens. This is extremely dangerous in cold weather and around other traffic posing a major collision hazard and stranding someone who knows less about this condition. Hundreds have reported this as per the forums, yet no recall or TSB or real fix has been issued by Hyundai.

NHTSA ID

11635034

Incident

Jan 6, 2025

On October 28, 2024 and again on November 26, 2024, a warning light appeared on the dash which said “ check hybrid system stop safely” Within 20 seconds both times , the car became inoperable . When I stepped on the gas nothing happened . The first time I was blocking major traffic , the second time I was on an interstate in the right lane and had time to pull over. In about 15 minutes the light went off and the car drove as normal. The dealer has had the car after both instances , currently for 28 days, and has not been able to replicate the problem .

NHTSA ID

11632498

Incident

Nov 26, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 80 MPH, the "power low" warning message was displayed, immediately after the contact vehicle proceeded to decrease in speed. The contact proceeded to pull over onto the side of the road to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was able to successfully restart, and the contact successfully drove to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed however the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

NHTSA ID

11632444

Incident

Dec 15, 2024

Mileage

40,000 mi

Transmission faulty needed to be replaced by Hyundai dealership.

NHTSA ID

11627753

Incident

Nov 26, 2024

Was driving home from work on the highway at highway speeds and suddenly lost the ability to accelerate with a "Check Hybrid System" warning. At the time of loss of power, I was crossing a bridge and got stuck in the middle of the bridge. I also notice the oil indicator light come on. The engine remained on as far as I can tell but it wouldn't go with the accelerator pedal pressed. I placed the car in park and turned off the vehicle while blocking bridge traffic. 15 seconds later, I turned the vehicle back on, vehicle said ready to drive. I put the car in drive and everything worked normally as best I can tell. Still nervous driving the car for fear of it happening again. Called dealer service but they were closed. What I don't understand is there was 2 recalls for Hyundai Sante Fe hybrids 2022 but when I put in my VIN it said no recalls. Why is it only associated with a VIN?

NHTSA ID

11621525

Incident

Oct 21, 2024

Vehicle was being driven at highway speeds and suddenly lost the ability to accelerate with a "Check Hybrid System" warning. After pulling to the side of the interstate, car was shut off and restarted and brought back up to 40 / 50 mph when the same issue occurred with a lack of ability to accelerate and a "Check Hybrid System" warning. The issue appears to be related to some portion of the hybrid drivetrain. Car was then towed but two mechanics (one independent and one Hyundai dealership) could not replicate the issue and the vehicle system did not store any codes or history of the incident. The safety of the driver was put at risk by lacking the ability to accelerate on a major interstate, leaving the driver stranded for two hours waiting on a tow truck on the side of a busy interstate with traffic moving at speeds up to 75 mph.

NHTSA ID

11616013

Incident

Sep 16, 2024

Power loss with no warning or errors - hybrid system frequently fails to start gasoline engine when needed, resulting in sudden power loss and limited to 35 mph without warning. Serious concern at intersections and on major roads.

NHTSA ID

11612245

Incident

Aug 15, 2024

The contact owned a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. The contact stated while coming out of a parking space and driving approximately 5 MPH, he got distracted and crashed into a parking lot light pole. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance sensors failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was towed and was deemed totaled. No injuries were reported. The contact also stated that the vehicle started leaking from the radiator after the impact. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 50,100.

NHTSA ID

11605260

Incident

Apr 21, 2024

Mileage

50,100 mi

I was driving on the freeway when suddenly I heard a clunking sound. Suddenly I was unable to accelerate at all. My speed was 60 mph and I had the gas pedal pressed all the way to the floor. Nothing happened and my speed would not go over 60. Then a message began flashing on my dashboard. I cannot remember the exact verbiage, but something along the lines of Hybrid System Failure. My car began losing speed and I was unable to accelerate to make it go faster at all. I lost complete control of the speed control. I was in the middle lane of a 5 lane freeway and struggling to get over since I was unable to accelerate at all. It was an extremely dangerous situation as I could no longer control the speed of my vehicle on a freeway. Finally, I was able to exit to an off ramp. My car continued to lose acceleration and finally came to a complete stop on a side street. My car was then towed to the dealer and they are unsure what the issue is. On doing some internet research, I have found a lot of postings of people having this same exact issue with the Hyndai Santa Fe Hybrid 2022 and I think it's a dangerous defect in the car.

NHTSA ID

11604387

Incident

Jul 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal with the "Check Hybrid System - Stop safely" message displayed. The contact stated that the hybrid battery charge fell to zero during the failure but would regain enough of a charge upon restart to resume normal operation. The contact initially took the vehicle to a dealer; however, no codes or defects could be found upon inspection. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

NHTSA ID

11583019

Incident

Sep 1, 2022

Mileage

8,000 mi

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. The contact stated while shifting into reverse (R) and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and responded slowly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she then shifted into drive(D) and was able to drive; however, the failure recurred while driving and depressed the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed an unknown speed while driving. The contact stated that she had parked the vehicle and allowed the vehicle to run for 20 minutes. The contact stated that she then turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the next availability for diagnostic testing was in a month. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,500.

NHTSA ID

11579881

Incident

Mar 27, 2024

Mileage

18,500 mi

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY USING CRUISE CONTROL, THE AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING HAS ENGAGED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. A WARNING FLASHES ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE CAR SLOWS DOWN VERY SUDDENLY. IT HAPPENS FOR ONLY ABOUT 2 SECONDS THEN GOES BACK TO NORMAL. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS AND IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 3 TIMES.

NHTSA ID

11572032

Incident

Feb 14, 2024

The car was idling for about 30 mins as I waited for delivery of groceries at curbside pickup. I put the car in drive but the motor did not kick on. I was able to drive on electrical power until the hybrid battery died. I lost complete power in the middle of the Interstate but I was able to coast to the shoulder. I had a check engine light and other warning lights on the dashboard but they went away when I restarted the car

NHTSA ID

11571753

Incident

Nov 23, 2023

Loss of power from gas engine at speed car failed over to electric motor at 70 mph on highway unexpectedly and car did not have enough power to maintain speed.

NHTSA ID

11566535

Incident

Dec 5, 2023

While Driving home from work, the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Vehicle's, Hybrid battery began to discharge rapidly, the Gasoline Engine did not start to charge the system, within 1/4 mile the Hybrid Battery fully discharged, and the Vehicle lost all acceleration , the Dash warning " CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM, STOP SAFELY " came on along with a loud audible warning beeping. I pulled off the road as soon as possiable. The Vehicle would not accelerate, and the gasoline engine part would not start. Several other warning lights illuminated, including the 12V battery low warning. I turned the Santa Fe off, and called Hyundai Roadside Assistance. While on the Phone with the assistant, as it was Night time, I couldn't see to check the VIN number for her I turned on the interior lights, then continued talking to the assistant. I attempted to restart the Vehicle , and it started the Gasoline Engine this time, we talked, and she suggested I see if the Hybrid Battery would now charge it's self, which it very slowly did up to 1/8 full, then I attempted to move the Vehicle to a safer location , a Gas station parking lot. I was able to drive the short 1/4 mile to the parking lot, but the vehicle had very little acceleration. Almost no power! At the parking lot I attempted to rev the engine to get more power to the Hybrid Battery, while waiting for a Tow Truck.

NHTSA ID

11565910

Incident

Jan 16, 2024

Last night while driving home the panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded. The result was a hole approx. 20 inched by 20 inches. The glass fell onto the fabric cover. We were traveling at about 40 mph. The roof was not hit by a rock or any other item. The explosion was very loud and frankly frightening resulting in temporary confusion as to what was happening. I have learned that Hyundai has settled a class action lawsuit in 2015. I have contacted the dealership for replacement but my question is if they knew about this over 8 years ago why has this not been resolved?

NHTSA ID

11556741

Incident

Nov 24, 2023

I was driving on the highway when my car all of a sudden started to beep and told me it was activating the emergency brake. I was driving safely and was not at risk of a collision. The car slowed slightly. Just as soon as the emergency brake warning popped up, it was gone. It was terrifying for the car to slow down while driving 60 MPH on the highway.

NHTSA ID

11528204

Incident

May 24, 2023

2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. This incident has occurred twice at the time of this write up. Both incidents have happened on the first start up of the vehicle engine for the day in the early morning (on the way to work). The temperature outside was cool (10-35 degrees, Maine). On at least one occasion it had rained during the night before using the vehicle. It may have been damp on the other occasion as well. After about 3 miles of driving the vehicle it completely loses power. No amount of movement to the accelerator changes the sudden loss of all power. This is a hybrid and the battery gauge below charge/economy/power rpm area of the vehicle starts to completely and instantaneously drain to what would be zero had I not been able to pull the vehicle over and turn the vehicle off. At this point, on both occasions, leaving the vehicle turned off for a minute and then restarting the vehicle seems to alleviate the problem. The incidents have occurred about 2 months apart and since the vehicle turned 20,000 miles. I also feel like it takes more push on the accelerator to get the same response that I got on day 1 when I drove it off of the lot at the dealership. I also notice that the EV indicator light does not come on as frequently as it used to. It would always come on when coasting - and now sometimes it does not.

NHTSA ID

11520987

Incident

Apr 19, 2023