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2022 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.
35
Latest Jul 27, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
11
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.
2

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2022 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

  • Engine1323.2%
  • Driver assistance712.5%
  • Fuel system58.9%
  • Brakes35.4%
  • Body & structure23.6%
  • Seat belts23.6%
  • Visibility11.8%
  • Steering11.8%
  • Other / unspecified11.8%

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

Powertrain (other)

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

13
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Jul 27, 2026

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 · filed Apr 22, 2025
All 13 reports naming powertrain (other)

Engine

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

13
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Jan 5, 2026

Oil leaking from engine dripping down to floor.

NHTSA ID 11657968 · filed Apr 30, 2025
All 13 reports naming engine

Electrical

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

8
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Jan 5, 2026

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 · filed Mar 23, 2025
All 8 reports naming electrical

Driver assistance

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

7
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Oct 23, 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 · filed Jul 29, 2024

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.

5
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Jan 9, 2025

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 · filed Sep 23, 2024

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

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Jan 15, 2025

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 · filed Jun 21, 2023

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

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Two of my luggage rack covers have popped off while driving, leaving an unsightly look to vehicle and could have hit cars behind. Not for sure if any damage to roof occurred but did hear loud thump when they came off. They came off at different speeds and about two weeks apart. One came off while driving 40mph the other at 75mph. I only lost covers on passenger side. The other two on drivers side are still intact.

NHTSA ID 11492935 · filed Nov 9, 2022

This car is equipped with a panoramic roof that opens both all the way and tilts for ventilation. While driving 70 MPH (posted speed limit) on I-95 in North Carolina in March, we had the roof tilted open. The sky was sunny, and the temperature was about 70 degrees. The roof spontaneously exploded, sending glass particles through out the inside of the car. The car did not collide with any object; the roof just shattered on its own. I was able to safely maintain control of the car, and pulled off at the next intersection. I was able to find a vacuum in a short amount of time to clean out the shattered glass.

NHTSA ID 11463517 · filed May 5, 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 2022 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID 11514180 · filed Mar 28, 2023

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V816000 (Seat Belts) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID 11507809 · filed Feb 17, 2023

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

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Nov 25, 2023

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

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Warnings appeared on the instrument panel at the same time the power steering would go out and I would not be able to safely steer the car. This happened on 4-5 occasions. These are the various warnings that would appear: Check Lane Following Assist System Check Blind Spot Safety System Check Driver Attention Warning System How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Not being able to steer was very concerned and happened to me while driving on a busy highway at one point. I could barely steer the car well enough to get it to the shoulder. I had to cross 4 lanes of traffic during rush hour. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I had it towed to the dealer the final time it happened. They stated that it is a problem with the power steering module Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Crossroads Hyundai of Loveland inspected the vehicle Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, not until the moment the issue occurred. The strangest part of the issue is that after I would pull over and stop the vehicle, I would clean the sensors on outside of the car and on then restart the car and then sometimes it would work again. It seemed to happen on days that there was poor weather or messy roads that would impede the sensors' abilities.

NHTSA ID 11451231 · filed Feb 9, 2022

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

Other / unspecified

Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Apr 15, 2024

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 .