2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Engine Problems

Own a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid and have experienced the following issues over the past year and a half. Beginning after maybe 40,000 miles we pulled out onto a roadway and the engine immediately lost power and started flashing a glaring red warning that the hybrid system was failing and to pull over. We luckily were able to and turned the car off and waited. I tried to turn it on and it came back to life as if there was never an issue? We drove off. it left no warning code or did not update my Bluelink App. I took it to the dealership and they could not find any issues. Fast forward another 5 or 6 months and it happens again. Take it to the dealer and they keep it a week to go over it but still nothing. Within a week of getting it back it happens again and this time I am videoing it happening to me. Back to the dealer and provide the video because again the car did not log the event nor did it update my app. They hold it again for a week and try different things. They still cannot figure it out and I get it back.... it happens again.... This time the dealership was able to come up with an answer and that the oil level was too high. I got the car back and it seemed to work. Probably now 6 months go by and then this week I drive over to Jacksonville (5 hr drive) and visit. Again the car scares us on the highway and I have to pull over. Havea friend meet us with tools and we jack up the car and let out enough engine oil to insure we can read between the two marks on the dipstick. We drive off but the engine keeps hestitating and we almost make it back before it completly shuts down. We tow it to the Dealer in Jacksonville. They call the next morning like they can't find anything wrong! I explain everything and remind I don't tow cars for fun - something is wrong with the car and it is leaving us vulnerable and worst is it is not leaving any codes. Not sure but I have lost faith in Hyundai

NHTSA ID

11719697

Incident

Feb 20, 2026

One two separate occasions while driving the car has lost the ability to accelerate. There is no acceleration power even when completely flooring the gas pedal. The dash displays a red circle warming that states "Check Hybrid system. Stop Safely". I have had to coast to the side of the road and then the car shuts off. It has taken several minutes before it can start again, and then displays a warning "Park with engine On to charge battery" before being able to shift the car into drive. I immediately took the vehicle to the dealership at which I had purchased the car. They have run a diagnostic on it and did not find any error codes stored in the computer. I picked up the vehicle from them and immediately upon pulling out of their lot it happened again. After losing power, coasting to the side of the road, and waiting for the engine to be able to restart I took it immediately back to the dealership. They have had my car for 5 weeks and cannot diagnose the problem or offer any recommendations for repairs.

NHTSA ID

11706383

Incident

Nov 11, 2025

On September 4, 2025 as I pulled on to Interstate I-70 my car suddenly lost power. Gas engine died. Loud attention sound started. Instrument cluster started flashing red with message "EV system failure, stop immediately" EV battery showed full depletion although a moment before it showed about 75% power. There was only enough propulsion to keep moving slowly. Since this was a construction zone the shoulder was blocked off and roadway was reduced to only one lane. I had no where to go. A large truck narrowly avoided rear ending me. I was scared and felt helpless. Eventually I was able to pull off and shut off the car. It was able to be re-started immediately with no warning indicators and EV battery power restored. This loss of power has happened 6 times before during the time I have owned the car. Last time was in March 2025. Each previous time it happened I was traveling at about 35 miles per hour and while annoying I did not fear for my life. On March 6, 2025 I had the dealer, McCarthy Hyundai, check out this problem. There were no detectable problems or problem codes. I was told that it might have been caused by the oil dip stick not being fully seated. It was obvious they had no clue what caused this but that I should come back if it happened again. I have reported this to Hyundai customer service who would not confirm that this was a problem encountered by many others. From looking at reports on the internet, my problem is not unique except for being life thretening. Customer service had me bring it back to dealer. Yesterday, September 24, I picked up the vehicle whohad it for a week to try to fix the problem. Once again there were no error codes. Only problem they found was an ignition coil which needed to be replaced. They could not give a convincing explaination of how a bad ignition coil could cause a complete failure of the gas motor and EV system or why if the coil was sole problem that it would only cause this failure every 3 to 6 months. Please help!

NHTSA ID

11689613

Incident

Sep 4, 2025

I am reporting a serious and recurring safety defect with my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, purchased new in January 2024. The vehicle has suffered from over 30–40 sudden hybrid system failures, including loss of acceleration, “Stop Vehicle” warnings, and check engine lights. These incidents happen without warning, including while driving at legal speeds (40–70 mph), on residential streets and highways. Most recently, the car failed twice in two days, while my teenage son was driving within all road laws, including once with a friend in the car. The vehicle simply stopped accelerating in the middle of traffic, endangering them and everyone around them. These failures have happened at legal speeds ranging from 40–70 mph, on both residential roads and highways. There is no advance warning, just abrupt loss of power and sudden warning messages. We’ve taken the vehicle to the South Charlotte Hyundai dealership multiple times. Each time, they either reset the check engine light or replaced indicators: but never addressed the root hybrid system failure. We filed a lemon law case, and Hyundai responded with only a $2,000 offer including legal fees, requiring us to keep the dangerous vehicle. We rejected the offer. These failures have occurred with children and passengers in the car. We have documented as many incidents as we could, including photos, service records, and communication with Hyundai. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I no longer feel safe driving or allowing my family to drive this car. This is a critical hybrid system failure that continues to place lives at risk. I believe this may be part of a wider pattern affecting Hyundai hybrid vehicles, and I am pleading with the NHTSA to open an investigation before someone is seriously injured or worse.

NHTSA ID

11675461

Incident

Jul 16, 2025

I am reporting an URGENT REQUEST IMMEDIATE ACTION REGARDING A SERIOUS UNRESOLVED, RECURRING PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE. IT IS POTENTIALLY THE FAULT OF ALEXANDRIA HYUNDAI'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT (in Alexandria, VA) WHO HAD JUST SERVICED MY VEHICLE FOR WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A ROUTINE SERVICING (on May 7). My car had a catastrophic and complete failure on a high speed highway (the car quickly decelerated) which represented an incredibly danger situation for myself and other drivers on the road. My car was purchased in 2023 and has 15,241 miles. It has been perfectly maintained. On [XXX], I was returning to my home in Virginia from Maryland on an 8 lane highway with a 55mph speed limit when I had a very dangerous complete failure of my car. Simultaneously, the car started bucking back, the speed was decelerating regardless of my pressing the accelerator to keep my speed the same as traffic, and I received a flashing large red message that said "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM - STOP SAFELY." Fortunately I was in the far right lane and was able to veer it over to a narrow shoulder. It was 8pm and getting dark. After a short while, the car lost all power so I was on a narrow shoulder with no lights flashing anymore. I was in this dark car with a lot of traffic speeding my with my 2 dogs. I became incredibly stressed about how we were going to get home. I contacted AAA, a police officer and Uber Pet who worked together in this unsafe situation on the side of the highway to get myself and my dogs home into the Uber vehicle with only the front door opening (no power). It was over 2 hours before I was home safely It was incredibly stressful situation. The car was towed to Alexandria Hyundai and they dismissed the issue and fixed nothing. I contacted Hyundai customer service and asked for escalation and they have done nothing. I am restricted in my driving because of the severe safety risk but had to drive again on [XXX] and it occurred again on a highway INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U

NHTSA ID

11662286

Incident

May 11, 2025

I purchased a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid in November of 2023. Within a couple of months of purchase I had 2 incidents where without warning the car lost power and made a noise sounding like some sort of fan. One of the incidents was on [XXX] in Massachusetts, the heavy traffic cleared, I was in the fast lane, and the car would barely move. It was a safety issue as there was no place to go on the left side of the highway and traffic to my right had already picked up speed. After a minute or so the power again became available. This has happened to me several times but Hyundai has told me there is NO RECORD of this happening with my car model. On occasion I have my grandkids in the car and I am very concerned that Hyundai will not acknowledge this problem. By the way, it happened again this morning as I was pulling away from a Starbucks drive-up window. Can something be done about this? Hyundai should have records of my complaints as I visited the dealership where I bought the care and conversed via email with one of their service representatives that I do have a record of. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11640779

Incident

Feb 5, 2025

Vehicle has gone into limp mode 2 times in the past week. Power when accelerating would not exceed 30 mph when pushing the gas pedal to the floor. Had to pull over as I was getting onto the highway and stop/ power down the car and restart.

NHTSA ID

11626081

Incident

Nov 14, 2024

I have pinging sound coming from the engine when I accelerate. Transmission seems to skip during acceleration. Took it to the dealership for repair since the car is under warranty. Dealership replaced a bearing in the axle and replaced the turbo. I’m still having the same issues. Dealership had my car for 5 weeks dealing with this issue. I feel they don’t know what’s causing the problem.

NHTSA ID

11621215

Incident

Oct 8, 2024

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11618663

Incident

Aug 28, 2024

When I start driving the car if I come up to a hill when I try to accelerate to move forward the cars engine cuts out almost like it stalls. I have to floor or pump the gas which makes a revving sound and the car will go.

NHTSA ID

11603420

Incident

Jul 19, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30-35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle worked as designed for several miles before the failure recurred. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was due to the accelerator switch. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH in the driveway, the vehicle lost motive power. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 6,800.

NHTSA ID

11602691

Incident

May 6, 2024

Mileage

6,800 mi

On highway, emergency braking enacted. I pulled to side the of the road to turn engine off and restart car. When I did, I could not put the car in gear. I have had other similar incidents happen with this vehicle. After about an hour of waiting for roadside assistance and having NYS troopers come help, the car dash lit up and I was then able to put car in Drive. When I talked to dealership and said that I got a diagnostic message on my screen to have transmission component checked TODAY ('today' was in all CAPS on the screen), they said they could not get me in. Then when I said, "I'm supposed to just drive around hoping my car doesn't break down again?" She said, "I'll cross my fingers for you." Are you kidding me!? My safety is at risk is this what a major dealership's answer is to the car's issue?

NHTSA ID

11594419

Incident

Jun 14, 2024

As I was driving today my Santa Fe Hybrid lost all power while on the road. The hybrid battery gauge went from 3/4th full to empty in 20 second and I could not get the vehicle to move. Thankfully there was no one behind me and I could safely pull off. When I stopped and restarted the car, the system said ready to drive but the car wouldn't move

NHTSA ID

11589427

Incident

May 18, 2024

Occurred on [XXX] while travelling in the middle lane of a 3-lane highway just west of Raleigh, NC and heading west. The Emergency Brake Light came on, the car stopped suddenly and my head shook from side to side. This could have been a major accident if the traffic wasn’t light. I do not tailgate and there were at least 6-8 car lengths between me and the car in front. No cars on either side. There was no beeping warning from the vehicle about being too close to other vehicles before the car stopped. I pressed on the gas pedal and the car moved forward. The weather was about 50-60 degrees, dry road and sunny. Next Step: Called Hyundai Customer Care on [XXX] and was advised to bring the vehicle in for inspection and correction. Took the car into the Hyundai Autonation dealership in Buford, GA, where the vehicle was purchased. They found nothing wrong. Note: Have researched this problem online and found multiple instances of the same occurrence. See the following online: Emergency Braking System Activates Intermittently | Hyundai Santa Fe Forums INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11580198

Incident

Mar 10, 2024

Coil failure at 7500 Miles

NHTSA ID

11572506

Incident

Jan 24, 2024

vehicle fails to accelerate, engine is “sputtering” and making a rattling sound and battery is draining to nothing on the freeway driving at normal speeds. vehicle is lurching and engine does not appear to be shifting as it should - car losing power and failing to accelerate despite being full of gas. transmission doesn’t feel like it is shifting properly. vehicle only has 8000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11559333

Incident

Dec 9, 2023

This vehicle has only 8,961 miles. When driving a light comes on that states Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely then the vehicle shuts off. I have taken it to Lester Glenn Hyundai Toms River, where I purchased the vehicle and they cannot figure out the issue. This is a safety concern.

NHTSA ID

11558776

Incident

Dec 1, 2023

On 8/14/23/ I got the first oil change for my new car at the dealer. On 8/15/23 as I cruised at 65mph on a crowded Detroit expressway, I pushed further on the accelerator to get away from an aggressive driver on my tail. Nothing happened; The car engine shut down. No warning, no lights, no beeping, no alarm, no dash screen message. Dead engine in the middle lane with cars all around. After i miraculously made it to the shoulder of the freeway, The engine light and oil light came on. Not before, only after the car died. The dipstick indicated The car was out of oil. Unbeknownst to me the parts used to change the oil the previous day were defective. The oil had leaked out over the course of the day and over night. (I later discovered my driveway full of oil). THE PROBLEM, additional to the defective parts is the fact that I HAD NO WARNING THAT THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WAS IMMINENT. I HAD NO WARNING THAT THE CAR HAD NO OIL. I came close to getting killed that day, and still have nightmares. Had i known the car was oil-less, I would not have driven it. This is a car that beeps and pushes and tells one how to drive at every juncture. It tells low gas, low tire pressure, etc. WHY WOULD IT NOT WARN ABOUT THE LOW OIL OR THE IMMINENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN??? I was told the car has a “FAILSAFE” feature for the oil. HOW SAFE IS A FAILSAFE IF THE DRIVER GETS KILLED WHILE THE CAR ENGINE PROTECTS ITSELF???

NHTSA ID

11540341

Incident

Aug 15, 2023

On nine separate occasions between mid-June 2023 (mileage appx. 600) and July 21, 2023 (mileage 1994), my vehicle lost power (decrease or loss of power and/or hesitated, sputtered, or stalled) when I was accelerating from a stop or slow speed. During these times, I have noticed that the air conditioner starts blowing only warm air. The only way to correct the issue has been to turn off the engine and then restart it. No error codes have ever been generated, and only twice did warning lights come on (engine oil light and battery light). I will upload my documentation file (to date) with the specifics of what happened along with dates and mileages this has happened. This happened one time on the freeway; I had to pull over to the side to stop/restart my engine. It was very unsafe and put my family at risk. This is a significant safety issue, and I do not feel comfortable driving because if I pull out into traffic and experience this loss of power, I could easily get hit by oncoming traffic. The vehicle has been at the Hyundai dealer since July 5, 2023 (three weeks tomorrow), and it is still there. They had not been able to replicate the problem. I went to pick up the vehicle on July 21, 2023, and as soon as I left the parking lot, the problem happened. I did a U-turn to come back to the dealer, and the vehicle lost all power. I had the vehicle in reverse, and there seemed to be no engagement of the transmission. Even with the gas pedal pushed all the way to the floor, there was no engine revving and no movement of the vehicle. The Hyundai technician and service advisor came to see the issue firsthand (since they had not been able to replicate it). The issue was only resolved when the vehicle engine was turned off and restarted. The vehicle remains at the dealer for further testing. Yes, I will gladly make my vehicle available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA ID

11534480

Incident

Jun 14, 2023

Check engine light and HEV warning light come on and vehicle looses all power. It has been confirmed by myrtle beach Hyundai also they tried fixing the problem gave me back car supposedly fixed just to have same problem within 24 hours.The problem started later part of April and is still ongoing vehicle has been towed 3 times so far.My concern is what happens if I loose all power while driving.

NHTSA ID

11529904

Incident

Apr 29, 2023

This is related to Complaint Number 11526621 filed June 13, '23. Today I experienced the same issue described in my previous complaint but under different circumstances. I was at an intersection of two 2-lane highways, one going east-west and the other going north-south, and was facing oncoming traffic as I waited for a gap in the oncoming traffic that would allow me to make the left turn. Once a gap appeared (perhaps 4 or 5 car lengths long), I pressed the accelerator to turn left but there was zero propulsion for about 2 seconds. I was simply stalled in the path of the oncoming traffic. At the end of the 2 second delay, as the vehicle transitioned from EV (electric) to internal combustion (gasoline) mode of propulsion, my vehicle GRADUALLY accelerated just enough to allow me to complete the turn; however, I came very close to being broadsided by the oncoming traffic. This is a dangerous fault of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid vehicle and needs to be addressed asap! There is obviously something wrong with the EV/internal combustion synchronization/communication causing the momentary loss of power!

NHTSA ID

11527002

Incident

Jun 14, 2023

The issue I'm about to describe has occurred multiple times during the seven (7) months I've owned the vehicle - including again today. In all cases, I was attempting gradual acceleration to merge onto a highway or high-traffic street (e.g., when exiting a mall parking lot onto a busy city street). When I press the accelerator nothing happens - NO power whatsoever for at least two seconds! And on three of these occasions, I was almost broadsided by oncoming high-speed traffic! I've reported this issue to my dealership (both sales and service) and their response was that this is a known problem with the Hyundai hybrid models BUT that there is NO fix available nor, to the best of their knowledge, is there one in the process of being developed! As stated above, there is sometimes as much as a 2-second delay from when stepping on the accelerator (even when fully depressing) to when the vehicle slowly starts to accelerate. And there are no warning lights to indicate that there is a problem. I've observed that in all cases when this issue occurs, it does so when the power train is transitioning from the EV (electric) mode to the internal combustion mode of propulsion. This should NOT be a difficult issue for Hyundai to resolve and should be addressed with utmost urgency before someone is seriously injured or killed! NHTSA - please intervene by directing Hyundai to launch an immediate recall campaign to resolve this very dangerous issue, or offer to refund the affected owners' purchase price!

NHTSA ID

11526621

Incident

Jun 12, 2023

Car has a SEVERE Life threatening Hesitation, sometimes as much as almost 2 seconds delay from when you fully step on the accelerator to when it slowly starts to go. No warning lights or bells whatsoever. Regardless of driving mode it dose it. Seems to be especially pronounced when at a dead stop in sport mode. Problem seems to have gotten progressively worse the more we have driven it. The Dealership is denying that there's any problem or issue & didn't want to make an appointment to look at it & keeps trying to tell me this is normal. Car is unsafe to drive like this & has nearly gotten me & my family killed on numerous occasions. I have driven other hybrids by other manufacturers & none have had this issue.

NHTSA ID

11507996

Incident

Feb 7, 2023

On December 11 and 12, 2022, my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Hybrid failed to accelerate in traffic. In both cases I was attempting gradual acceleration to change lanes, or merge onto an another high traffic street and when I pressed the accelerator nothing happened. On second occasion I could not get any power for several seconds. In both cases I activated hazard signals to avoid a collision by vehicles rapidly approaching me from behind in a 50 Mph speed zone. The vehicle has 900 miles on it and I took delivery November 14,2022. I see where this has occurred to other Santa Fr Hybrids, yet when I called the dealer they seemed unaware of any problems.I am scheduled for a long driving trip to Michigan in a week. 567 miles and I am very concerned about driving on the Turnpikes with this problem. I am going to Pohanka Hyundai of Fredericksburg VA tomorrow.

NHTSA ID

11497125

Incident

Dec 11, 2022