Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 28 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 28, in the owner's own words
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts to repair the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number 25V808000 (Back Over Prevention) were on backorder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was able to confirm that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Everything normal when parked in store parking lot. When vehicle was started to leave I noticed the vehicle had no sounds ... no radio sound from any source at any volume setting, no turn signal clicks, no parking proximity beeps, no navigation voice guidance, no sounds at all. All dashboard/visual displays were normal. Parked vehicle in garage when I got home and the next morning the battery was dead. Had to jump start the vehicle (the dead battery "fixed" the sound problem). An AI search shows this is a known issue for the 2024 & 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe and I found AI & You Tube fixes saying to "soft reset" the Infotainment/Sound system by turning the ignition to the "On" position (not starting the vehicle ... foot off the brake and push ignition once, then again). Use a paper clip or pen to press and hold the little dimple reset button just below the right side radio knob until the system resets, then foot on the brake and start the vehicle. If this does not work, disconnect the starting battery's Negative battery cable for 15 minutes. This is a mid level safety issue because audible warning systems will not work. Took the vehicle to the Hyundai dealer we bought it from but they didn't offer any acknowledgement that other same model vehicles have had similar problems and said they could not check or do anything since the vehicle wasn't currently having the problem. I had to argue like hell just to get them to record that the issue had occurred.
Vehicles accelerated on its own when going under 10mph and no pressure on pedals.
There are two main causes of concern that have occurred numerous times. The first is a driver attention alert will flash on the screen very frequently, which is very distracting to the driver. It says you should take a break but will come on very frequently right after starting driving and seems to be due to someone squinting their eyes. The second is that when sensors get blocked or dirty it will flash messages about the parking system, not being active while you were driving the vehicle, which is a huge issue and very distracting, especially considering that it’s a parking system that you are not using because you’re actively driving the vehicle. These notifications need to be able to be disabled or should be adjusted to not do this.
Less than 10 month old Santa Fe Calligraphy suddenly started flashing warning signs like Check Drivers Assistance System, Check Headlight LED, Check door assistance system. It comes on randomly, sometimes when the car is running, sometimes when the car is stopped. It flashes these warnings rapidly. When it is going on, the side view cameras stop working. One time when this was happening, I was at a stop light and it automatically went to park. It has happened multiple times so far. I have 2 children ages [XXX] and [XXX] that I drive around with and am concerned about safety. I have taken it to two different service centers at 2 different dealerships based on recommendation from Hyundai and they have not been able to replicate the problem hence they can't find the diagnostics of what is wrong. We have opened a case with Hyundai. The case number is XXX The case manager is [XXX] [XXX] I have taken videos of it whenever it has happened. I am not sure how to upload it as your documentations only allow photos. I am sharing the photos with you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The car went from 70 miles an hour to 25 miles an hour all of a sudden on the highway and then would not allow to accelerate afterwards. Battery stopped charging and we had to stop it multiple times to get it to continue to drive no faults or issue on the dashboard.
Gas Motor is not engaging to assist electric drivetrain on a hybrid AWD 2025 Santa Fe. This resulted in a dangerous situation crossing a busy road from a stop sign. The Santa Fe rolled into the intersection at the drivers request, but did not accelerate normally (only to a maximum of a few miles per hour) and felt like an eternity to cross the road. Fortunately oncoming drivers from left and right were paying attention and slowed down and in one case honked aggressively to point out we driving badly. Pulling over to the side of the road, turning the vehicle off and then back on again has sometimes made it run normally, but we limited our trips at that point to first getting safely home and then delivering it to the dealer. The 20 mile drive to the dealer required pulling over twice to reset the vehicle so the electric motor would assist. We have had repeated warnings from the onboard system including "Follow up checks required - Engine Management System" and "There may be a problem with the engine management system Contact your Dealer". I will note that we have 11,000 miles and 11 months experience with the vehicle with NO problems. It may not be relevant, but these new faults began 2 days routine service for oil and tire rotation when recall was performed including ECU Software Update for Recall 25-01-028-1. Dealer is uncertain of problem and referring with outside tech assistance from Hyundai but we were told to expect 2 weeks for parts and repair and uncertainty as to whether that would fix it. In the meantime a vehicle with unreliable acceleration and top speed is unsafe and parked. I do note on this NHTSA website 2025 HYUNDAI SANTA FE HYBRID SUV AWD that there are 47 Complaints. 9 relating to this problem all beginning October 2025 and none prior back to the first post of Nov 2024 for this model. Complaints similar to this for engine management and speed and power loss account for 50% of complaints for this vehicle on the NHSTA website since October 2025.
Vehicle would not accelerate in high speed zone.
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has had multiple occasions, most recently on February 3, 2026 with 12,330 miles on the car, where the gas-powered engine fails to provide any power to the drivetrain. The car experiences vast power loss and enters "limp mode" where only the small hybrid battery is powering the vehicle. Max speed ranges from 10 - 25mph and there is little, if any, acceleration, even when the gas pedal is pegged to the floor. It is necessary to pull over, engage the flashing safety lights and try to find a safe place to park. After turning the vehicle off and on several times, eventually, the gas engines re-engages. The first incident of this type for this vehicle was on August 7, 2025 with approximately 4,400 miles on the vehicle. It was taken to the dealer, Key Hyundai of Salem, who could not find any DTCs and could not replicate the problem. They said "bring it back if it happens again." They next time was on February 3, 2026 where it happened several times on a trip to and from a local restaurant. This time, at DTC code of P088000 POWERTRAIN / POWERLOSS was recorded and reported. However, by the time the car was seen by Key Hyundai of Salem on February 5, 2026, the code has cleared itself. Hyundai's corporate policy is that historical codes can not be used for Warranty claims. So, the dealer tried one potential fix, cleaning the TCM connectors under the driver's seat, and returned the vehicle stating that Hyundai corporate would not authorize warranty work unless/until the car was presented to the dealership with a current / live DTC or visible broken parts. It seems unsafe to put a vehicle back on the road that could lose power and drivability at any time for no apparent reason. I am aware that there have been several other reports of similar POWER LOSS / LIMP MODE situations by owners of 2024-25 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrids. At the moment, I am told that there is no current Technical Service Bulletin on this from Hyundai.
Sitting at stoplight and attempted to go. Car wouldn’t go above 10mph even with pedal all the way down. Drove for a bit trying to figure out what was wrong. Then flashing red lights and beeping telling me to pull over safely. Pulled over and turned the car off. Restarted and car said charge battery. Apparently this is called “limp mode” and happens when there is something seriously wrong with the car in order to prevent further damage. Very dangerous to not be able to go about 10mph on the highway. Took to dealership. Vehicle isn’t throwing any codes and blue link shows nothing of the incident. Dealership supposedly checked battery and connections. Nothing done
I was stopped at a red light. When the light turned green, I proceeded to apply the gas and accelerate. I quickly noticed that the vehicle began accelerating at a faster rate than I was intending. The vehicle continued to accelerate without me applying my foot to the gas pedal. Nothing would stop the continued acceleration (application of brake). I crashed into the rear of a vehicle in my lane going approximately 50-60mph (estimate). I am unsure what the issue was that resulted in this crash. In doing some internet searching, it seems it could have something to do with the transition from electric to gas when I was stopped temporarily at the intersection. It could have been a faulty sensor (throttle position) or software glitch. These components have not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The crash resulted in the airbags being deployed, I was taken to the hospital with a likely concussion and moderate injuries to my chest and hand. The vehicle that I rear ended was a [XXX] woman with a [XXX] old in the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Description of the Problem: I own a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Limited with approximately 3 months of use. While driving on highway, the vehicle suddenly stalled displaying “Hybrid System Failure-Stop by side”. I had to stop on shoulder and restart, drove it couple of days and it happened again. Engine would not start, leaving the vehicle stuck in EV mode only with no ability to accelerate properly, Vehicle wouldnt go beyond 35mph. The vehicle then stalled and became unsafe to operate on a public road. After restarting, the vehicle displayed a Check Engine Light. Tookk it to the dealer and the dealer reported DTC P1122000, but did not provide clear evidence of an internal system fault. The dealer claimed the event was caused by “20% ethanol in the fuel,” which is inconsistent with U.S. pump labeling laws. When I checked my credit card entries around the time for refuel, all of them are reputed gas stations with nothing lower than "87" gas which is in alignment with car manufacturer's recommendation. This sudden stall created a serious safety hazard, and I am concerned this may be a broader issue with the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid drivetrain, fuel system sensors, or hybrid control module. I am requesting NHTSA to look into whether similar complaints exist, as this failure mode can result in loss of propulsion at speed, putting occupants at risk.
The driver assistance warning system continuosly goes into shutdown mode. Eye monitoring system always states that you are not keeping your eyes on the road. I have tried using different glasses or no glasses. Changing the steering wheel settings also seem to have no effect. This is very dangerous as it will start decelerating and stopping in the middle of a freeway in heavy traffic when this warning is activated. This only happens with the lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control are on. Hyundai issued Technical service bulletin 25-GI-001H, but they did not solve the problem
Driver attention warning system constantly gives aggravating notices of "suggest take a break" with chiming sound when driving with or without sunglasses or other glasses. I cannot use cruise control. I have tried several different sunglass types with no success. After first warning, goes off every 4 minutes, either cancelling cruise control when I am using it or just causing annoying aggravation which takes my attention off the road. I cannot turn this feature off. It is so aggravating that it draws my attention from the road ahead and impacts my patience while driving. Due to eye condition, I must use sunglasses while driving in sun. Hyundai did not make this limitation clear when I was buying the vehicle, and they refuse to do anything about it now.
My wife was parking our vehicle near the front of our home, simply rolling forward toward the car in front of her to complete parking on the left side of the street when the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated on its own. The vehicle turned hard to the right, struck the bumper of the parked car she was pulling up behind, continued right across the traffic lane where it hit two parked cars on the other side of the street with significant impact, lifting and turning one onto the sidewalk, at which point our vehicle went across the sidewalk and stopped after hitting a fence. The forward collision avoidance that we have experienced engaging previously, never engaged, despite hitting multiple vehicles on the lefft side and then right side of the street. The collision avaoidance alarms that we have experienced sounding previously, also never went off. The airbags never deployed, despite hitting 3 cars at two different sides of the street, as well as an iron fence that never moved. The vehicle went from traveling less than 5 mph while completing the last few feet of parking to a high rate of acceleration within a path of less than 40 feet, as evidenced by the significant damage it left. Had my wife not come to a stop as quickly as she did, she could have been seriously injured. If anyone had been on the sidewalk - there are 3 shcools on this block that children are often present - someone could have been killed. The vehicle is currently at a body shop being evaluated by insurance adjuster and likely a total loss. We reported tot the manufacturer and they intend to repsond to us by 9/16 and inspect the vehicle in its current state.
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) system activated. Shortly afterward, the message "System Shutting Off" was displayed, and the Automatic Emergency Braking System briefly engaged, jerking the vehicle and dramatically reducing its speed of the vehicle but not to a complete stop. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the vehicle was functioning as designed but informed the contact that his wife's glasses may be interfering with the Forward Attention Warning (FAW) system's eye detection ability to monitor her eyes. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 13,000.
The “consider taking a break” warning comes on far too much and has almost made me wreck twice due to being startled.
Vehicle unable to recognize face when wearing sunglasses and disables all driver assist aids, including turning off the cruise control
Hyundai disabling critical vehicle safety systems if people wear sunglasses. I brought MY2025 hyundai santafe hybrid, this has driver attention monitoring system. Since the day i brought this vehicle i have been getting issues related to driver attention warning system. This error is being caused for no reason, this comes on when vehicle comes on and stays on (sometimes for days sometimes for weeks and sometimes for hours). HYundai says this issue is because i have a dash cam in car, error wont go away even when dash cam is removed. Recently hyundai engineers said its because you may be wearing sunglasses. What? Wearing sunglasses will disable AEB and cruise control !!!OMG. I removed sunglasses and tried still wont work. Hyundai sent me list of things not to do, including not to laugh, not to shorten your eyes and not to wink. this is a major safety concern, not allowing drivers to wear sunglass which will disable safety critical systems.
I purchased a new 2025MY Hyundai Santafe Hybrid. Since the day of my purchase there has been a constant error message that is displayed on dash saying "Driver attention warning system failure". this light stays on constantly and disables cruise control and adapative cruise system. This affects the usability of the vehicles. WHen asked Hyundai they say, drivers arent expected to wear sunglass if this system has to work properly, they even say constant blinking will cause system to fail and disable cruise control. This is a serious concern. How can people drive a car without blinking and how can a new car have disabled cruise control all the time.
Hyundai's Forward Attention Warning is so aggressively annoying it makes me want to drive off a cliff to shut it up. Driving with an arm in the 12 o'clock position? "BEEP! Keep your eyes on the road!" Polarized sunglasses? "BEEP! I can't see your eyes!" Oh, there's a setting! Let's turn it off..."BEEEEEP! WHERE ARE YOUR EYES!". I just purchased and cannot use Cruise control I need to wear glasses It has a hard time seeing my eyes I cannot turn off I have tried many positions on steering wheel to no avail.
Check emergency, stopping function alert. Check hybrid system stop safely. Both alerts came on the dash the steering wheel vibrated 11 other alerts popped up in the car steered me to the side of the road. It would not start again and This has happened four times in the 7 months I’ve had the car Hyundai cannot figure out what the issue is. In fact they tell me there is no issue because it’s not happening to them while it’s been there for almost a month.
Occasionally, the vehicle acts like I am not looking at the road and I’m not sure if it is because of my hair, glasses, hat, or my lazy eye. On three different occasions in nearly 8000 miles it will randomly hard break on the interstate. Initially, I had thought this was something I was doing. When I was finally able to speak with the service staff, they confirmed that this is a common issue with people wearing glasses or any other items the vehicle does not register as normal. At this point, I am afraid to drive a vehicle once I learned that this is a safety setting I cannot control. I have been told by Hyundai that the vehicle is operating as it should however it is extremely concerning that this could cause an accident on the interstate and someone could get killed.
The cruise control system cuts of with message on screen stating that , system camera can’t see my face and the system de-activates. This is especially dangerous at highway speeds. The vehicle behind me doesn’t see a brake light as my vehicle suddenly looses speed. This is from Hyundais Driver Attention Warning (DAW) function. This function cannot be de-activated by myself or my dealership which is Webb Hyundai of Merrillville Indiana.
I was on a semi residential-commercial street that turns on to a freeway entrance. I was turning right and unavoidably entered the freeway when the sudden loss of power occurred. The car slowed down to about 20 mph and pressing on the gas medal didn't yield any more power. I immediately pulled over to the emergency lane upon entering freeway to let fast moving vehicles pass me on the left side. I turned off the vehicle and turned it back on. It seemed to turn on as normal so I proceeded to drive home slowly, staying on the slow right lane of the freeway driving under the speed limit until I took my exit to get to my home. All seemed ok until I turned onto residential street near my home. Again the car slowed down suddenly to 20mph and giving it more gas did not make a difference. The time difference between the first and second (recorded) incident was 25 minutes apart, having driven the vehicle only 140 total miles. The dashboard flashed a 20mph speed limit even though I never set those parameters, didn't set cruise control, and I didn't have auto stop or hold buttons engaged. The car simply slowed down to a 20mph speed limit without my input to the vehicle settings.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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