2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Owner Complaints

The Driver Attention Warning system activates a "coffee break" alert repeatedly after approximately two hours of continuous driving, regardless of actual driver attentiveness. There is no way to permanently dismiss or disable this alert. When attempting to cover the cabin camera to stop the alerts, the vehicle triggers a separate "Limited Assistance" warning that is equally intrusive. There is no scenario where the driver is free from one alert or the other during extended drives. This has created dangerous situations. I drive frequently through mountain roads with sharp curves, steep grades, and limited shoulders. On multiple occasions these alerts have diverted my attention from the road at critical moments and I have nearly been involved in accidents as a direct result. A system designed for safety is actively making driving less safe by forcing interaction with dashboard warnings instead of focusing on the road. The component is available for inspection. The system is functioning as programmed, which is the core problem. It is not a mechanical failure but a design issue that creates a real safety hazard for anyone driving longer than two hours. The problem has not been taken to a dealer as it appears to be functioning as Hyundai intended. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives for this issue. No prior warning lamps or symptoms preceded this. Alerts began as soon as I started making drives exceeding two hours. The problem is fully reproducible on any drive of that length.

NHTSA ID

11756011

Incident

Aug 1, 2026

1.Fuel did not activate on this hybrid while in stop and go traffic when apparently the battery died. There was plenty of gas in this brand new car. The entire car died, gas pedal inactive, on the freeway just when traffic opened up with red car/exclamation point indicator on dash. After power cycle car Its message said something like “pull over and charge car in park”. We were close to shoulder so were able to do as instructed. 2. Car died suddenly in freeway traffic w 4 passengers inside. Could have been rear ended. There was no information in manual, on line or through BlueLink app on the battery function, this particular message or the problem. Or criteria that causes car to fail without switching to fuel. 3. Days later when I could get an appointment, The Escondido Dealer did diagnostics, visual and test drive and found nothing. Dealer had no means to look back at history to ID fault codes at time of event. I had exact time/miles. They did not check battery as the diagnostics were clean. Complaint made w Hyundai consumer affairs. [XXX]. Case XXX. They could not tell me criteria or specifications for message to pull over. They could not direct me to battery or “switch to fuel” criteria. They are working on case. I fear a software bug or engineering issue. A non plug in hybrid should function on gas if battery cannot work. 4. No insurance claim or police notified 5. There were NO warnings prior to the car dying. The Car died w red exclamation in red car indicating service right away. We put on flashers & We power cycled and words came up on dash stating something like “pull over and charge car in park” Engine temp was good as we watched it. We pulled over and car was functional within 10 min. We drove home without any further issues. Car had 1345 miles total at incident. Brand new car. Less than 2 mos old and we started trip w ~297miles. I was unable to get photo of warnings as they happened. Just after while sitting in traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.

NHTSA ID

11754480

Incident

Jul 25, 2026

Depending on the angle of the vehicle and the sun, around the heads up display the sun will reflect off of the plastic causing a thick bar of light on the windshield. This can make it very hard to see while driving and is right in the line of sight. Brought the car to the dealership and was able to reproduce it under the right conditions with another vehicle of the exact same model. In attached photos, it shows the glare in 3 different spots. It's all depending on the angle of the sun and vehicle but it's all across the heads up display.

NHTSA ID

11751222

Incident

Jul 17, 2026

Hyundai - DAW - Driver Attention Warning / Forward Attention Warning System This issue warrants immediate consideration for a recall. Despite wearing glasses, sunglasses, or no glasses, the problem persists. I occasional do remove my glasses while driving, and the warning continues to sound. This occurs regardless of the time of day, weather conditions, or whether I am sitting upright or reclining. The warning randomly activates and deactivates, sometimes without any intervention. Occasionally, I simply allow the warning to sound without taking any action, and it remains active for a few seconds or until it triggers a warning that the system will be turned off, at which point it deactivates. I have attempted various troubleshooting methods, such as keeping my eyes open, adjusting my seating position, wearing and removing my glasses, and tilting them to minimize glare. None of these methods have proven effective in preventing the warning from activating or in making it deactivate. This is a persistent problem. Hyundai dealerships initially informed me that the warning might be an annoyance and their response was to simply refrain from using it. However, if a basic feature like cruise control in a 2024 & 2025 model is rendered unusable due to a design flaw (which this certainly is), it constitutes a clear violation of safety standards and should be addressed through a recall. The incessant alerts are highly disruptive and can be quite frustrating. For instance, driving with an arm in the 12 o’clock position triggers a warning, while wearing polarized sunglasses also results in an alert. The presence of a setting to disable the warning is a welcome feature, but the system’s persistent alerts can be overwhelming. The alerts continue even after taking a break. It is distracting and a safety hazard. Drivers should be able to adjust the sensitivity of the feature to turn off this feature. Currently, there is no way to disable or temporarily disable this feature.

NHTSA ID

11744948

Incident

Jun 18, 2026

The cruise control was set at 75 mph and we were driving down the interstate when the engine suddenly lost power and shut off. This happened with no warning and no warning lights activated. Several days later, we were driving down the interstate with the cruise control set at 72 when the engine again lost power and shut off. We were able to get the car to move again both times by shutting off the cruise control. No warning or warning lights activated either time the engine lost power. We were very lucky not to get hit by oncoming traffic both times the engine shut itself down.

NHTSA ID

11743730

Incident

Jun 6, 2026

I was driving on the 202 at 80 MPH in the HOV lane and was engaging the cruise control. Pretty soon the car started beeping and it was saying something to the affect that I wasn't in control of the car. I started yelling and gently swerving not understanding what was going on to make it think I was indeed driving. It wouldnt' stop. I was in high traffic bumper to bumper than the dashboard started blinking and throwing a fit then it said it was going to shutdown the car!!! I tapped the breaks and then it stopped. Then a few months later same thing. Engage the cruise driving on the 202 roughly the same time of day- high traffic, it started again this time I started cussing, waiving my hands all around trying to get the car to know I was driving. It started saying it was going in to emergency shut down. I accidently hit my prescription glasses off my face in a panic and then it all stopped. I went home and googled what happened not understanding what this Forward system does or what it looks at. I had no idea the car was looking for my eyes. If I had been told this we would not have purchased the car in the first place. I have to wear prescription transition lens because I have chronic migraine syndrome. Light is one of many causes of my headaches and I live in the sunniest place on earth. So, I can't have this car. It is dangerous safety defect because t is issuing a false eye not detected alerts while wearing my glasses eventually leading to shutting the vehicle off. This creates a severe hazard, as the system will deactivate cruise control or initiate a sudden breaking at high speeds causing a collision or even death. I can't even drive my own car.

NHTSA ID

11741371

Incident

Apr 2, 2026