2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Problems

"take a coffee break" warning goes on an inappropriate amount of time. When I drive straight down the highway it alarms. However, if i cross the white lines it does not alarm. Also when this alarm turns on all other sounds systems in the car go silent including the GPS/Apple Carplay. I have missed exits and turns due to this alarm going off. There is no way to turn it off or make it less sensitive. I consider this alarm to be unsafe and annoying.

Please keep in mind that I am not a mechanic and only a consumer so my specific knowledge of vehicle systems is limited. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. On July 9, 2026 while reversing out of my sloped driveway my Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid conducted a sudden, uncommanded emergency brake stop without warning or cause. This occurred one week prior as well on an unknown date. The system appears to misinterpret the angle of the incline and encroaching tall vegetation as a solid obstacle. This uncommanded malfunction caused a rapid deceleration that directly caused and exacerbated my post concussive syndrome, cervical strain, occipital neuralgia, hyperacusis, and noxacusis, requiring treatment at an Urgent Care clinic on Saturday July 11; the unresolved defect poses an immediate crash and bodily injury hazard. I am going to also need pain management therapies. I attended an appointment at the McGrath Hyundai of Cedar Rapids on Monday July 13 for assistance with this among other things that were occurring with my vehicle. I also have been reported experiencing an interconnected systemic electrical failure, including dashboard cluster loading lag, a complete failure of the Head-Up Display (HUD) to register speed limits, and intermittent green color distortion on the blind-spot turn signal camera display, which shares the camera network used by the reversing safety systems. These issues began around the same time as the sudden emergency braking. I am unsure if they are related however it would make sense. They did not fully conduct the tests necessary to locate the problem as a simple diagnostic scan will not do that. The sensor calibration might be off among other causes. The dealership did not look at the EDR to determine the history of this emergency stop occurring. I am currently working with a Hyundai Corporate investigator whom their team agreed for my vehicle to be inspected by a field engineer. I am currently awaiting their call.

I was driving the hybrid vehicle uphill on a highway and there was traffic so we were driving under 5 mph for about 20 minutes. When speed picked up I went to accelerate and the vehicle, it never accelerated when I depressed the gas pedal, and stayed in electrical mode rather than switching over to gas. The vehicle then shut off in traffic and I could not pull over safely on congested two lane interstate 17 and I was afraid as vehicles were swerving and driving past and we could not get out safely. The "check hybrid system, Stop safely" warning came on the dash. This vehicle at the time only had 8,808 miles on it and is relatively new. I brought the vehicle in to the dealership but they said "tech scanned for codes. No DTC present. No warnings on cluster at this time. Tech checked for ECM SW upgrades. None available. Tech Road tested vehicle without any issue. No repair performed at this time." When I picked up my vehicle they only put that only the check hybrid warning light came on and left off their report that my vehicle completely stopped working.

Component Failure I was driving on [XXX] in [XXX] at 70 miles per hour. My red oil indicator light came on, and within seconds the vehicle suffered a catastrophic power loss. I had zero control of the propulsion. I was in the right lane and managed to steer to the shoulder. I contacted Hyundai Roadside assistance/Hyundai care. They sent a wrecker in about an 45-1 hour as I sat on the side of the highway. I was then put into a wrecker and my car was loaded on a flatbed truck and we then took a 45 minute drive to [XXX] to Weisner Hyundai where the vehicle was left for diagnostic testing. Safety My safety was undeniably at risk due to going the speed limit to zero in seconds. It put me in harms was due to other drivers on the road not expecting a car to stop at those speeds, unable to react in time without causing a collision which could have resulted in significant bodily injury or death for myself, my passenger and possible many others on the road that were around me. I was afraid, not sure what had happened, very distraught and traumatized. I fear for my safety in this vehicle. Service Center The car was taken to Weisner Hyundai at this time they have been unable to replicate or discover any code. They have seen the oil light come on. They have had my vehicle since XXX until today XXX when they were going to send it to [XXX] Hyundai where I purchased the vehicle. Inspections I am not sure about who all has looked at it within the dealership. Warnings The only warning I had was a red oil lamp that appeared on the dash seconds before the catastrophic loss of power. Special Note, I just found out that my vehicle originally had repairs done as it came from transport to the engine/oil components which were not disclosed to me by the dealership prior to me purchasing the vehicle "new" at full price. The dealership had knowledge that the vehicle already had issues that cause the malfunction and sold it knowing the dangers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving the hybrid vehicle uphill on a highway and there was traffic so we were driving under 5 mph for about 20 minutes. When speed picked up I went to accelerate and the vehicle, it never accelerated when I depressed the gas pedal, and stayed in electrical mode rather than switching over to gas. The vehicle then shut off in traffic and I could not pull over safely on congested two lane interstate 17 and I was afraid as vehicles were swerving and driving past and we could not get out safely. The "check hybrid system, Stop safely" warning came on the dash. This vehicle at the time only had 8,808 miles on it and is relatively new. I brought the vehicle in to the dealership but they said "tech scanned for codes. No DTC present. No warnings on cluster at this time. Tech checked for ECM SW upgrades. None available. Tech Road tested vehicle without any issue. No repair performed at this time." When I picked up my vehicle they only put that only the check hybrid warning light came on and left off their report that my vehicle completely stopped working.

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.

Please keep in mind that I am not a mechanic and only a consumer so my specific knowledge of vehicle systems is limited. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. On July 9, 2026 while reversing out of my sloped driveway my Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid conducted a sudden, uncommanded emergency brake stop without warning or cause. This occurred one week prior as well on an unknown date. The system appears to misinterpret the angle of the incline and encroaching tall vegetation as a solid obstacle. This uncommanded malfunction caused a rapid deceleration that directly caused and exacerbated my post concussive syndrome, cervical strain, occipital neuralgia, hyperacusis, and noxacusis, requiring treatment at an Urgent Care clinic on Saturday July 11; the unresolved defect poses an immediate crash and bodily injury hazard. I am going to also need pain management therapies. I attended an appointment at the McGrath Hyundai of Cedar Rapids on Monday July 13 for assistance with this among other things that were occurring with my vehicle. I also have been reported experiencing an interconnected systemic electrical failure, including dashboard cluster loading lag, a complete failure of the Head-Up Display (HUD) to register speed limits, and intermittent green color distortion on the blind-spot turn signal camera display, which shares the camera network used by the reversing safety systems. These issues began around the same time as the sudden emergency braking. I am unsure if they are related however it would make sense. They did not fully conduct the tests necessary to locate the problem as a simple diagnostic scan will not do that. The sensor calibration might be off among other causes. The dealership did not look at the EDR to determine the history of this emergency stop occurring. I am currently working with a Hyundai Corporate investigator whom their team agreed for my vehicle to be inspected by a field engineer. I am currently awaiting their call.

Driving through a green light going 45 mph and my car had an episode of “phantom braking” and decided to automatically brake out of NO WHERE. Slinging me forward and scaring me. No warning signs or chimes came on before, during or after the incident. It made no sense. I’m scared to drive this car with my baby in it now in the fear of going the speed limit or driving on the freeway with it randomly auto braking out of no where and making me crash with my child in the car or something worse happening with my baby inside the vehicle. I’m very displeased and worried.

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.

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.

There is a safety risk on the 2nd row seats crushing a child. In my 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid (Calligraphy trim), I've had two incidents where a child in the 3rd row pressed the button in the trunk to close the 2nd row captain's chair seats, crushing a child that was in the seat. These seats are not supposed to fold down when occupied. When the vehicle is moving, or not in park, or the seat belt is engaged, the seats correctly do not fold when the folding button on the top of the seat is pushed. The same holds true when the folding button is engaged from the 3rd row/trunk, EXCEPT the seat will STILL fold while the car is in Park and the seatbelts are engaged. I believe this is a design or software flaw, as clearly the seat should not fold while a passenger is in the seat. This presents a clear safety risk as a child can not provide enough resistance to stop the seat from folding, leading to a risk of injury or death - evidenced by the March 2026 incident that killed a [XXX] in the similarly-designed Hyundai Palisade. A recall and stop-sale was issued for the Palisade but one was not issued for the Santa Fe. A video of a demonstration of this situation and resulting safety hazard is available here: [XXX] The notes from my Hyundai dealer service visit are also attached. The service technician confirmed the problem is not on my car specifically, but is an issue facing all cars of this type. The service technicians and manager also acknowledged the clear safety issue and in fact encouraged me to make an NHTSA safety complaint. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Component Failure I was driving on [XXX] in [XXX] at 70 miles per hour. My red oil indicator light came on, and within seconds the vehicle suffered a catastrophic power loss. I had zero control of the propulsion. I was in the right lane and managed to steer to the shoulder. I contacted Hyundai Roadside assistance/Hyundai care. They sent a wrecker in about an 45-1 hour as I sat on the side of the highway. I was then put into a wrecker and my car was loaded on a flatbed truck and we then took a 45 minute drive to [XXX] to Weisner Hyundai where the vehicle was left for diagnostic testing. Safety My safety was undeniably at risk due to going the speed limit to zero in seconds. It put me in harms was due to other drivers on the road not expecting a car to stop at those speeds, unable to react in time without causing a collision which could have resulted in significant bodily injury or death for myself, my passenger and possible many others on the road that were around me. I was afraid, not sure what had happened, very distraught and traumatized. I fear for my safety in this vehicle. Service Center The car was taken to Weisner Hyundai at this time they have been unable to replicate or discover any code. They have seen the oil light come on. They have had my vehicle since XXX until today XXX when they were going to send it to [XXX] Hyundai where I purchased the vehicle. Inspections I am not sure about who all has looked at it within the dealership. Warnings The only warning I had was a red oil lamp that appeared on the dash seconds before the catastrophic loss of power. Special Note, I just found out that my vehicle originally had repairs done as it came from transport to the engine/oil components which were not disclosed to me by the dealership prior to me purchasing the vehicle "new" at full price. The dealership had knowledge that the vehicle already had issues that cause the malfunction and sold it knowing the dangers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)