2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 40-45 MPH, the sunroof exploded outward without warning or impact, leaving the shattered glass rattling. There were no reported injuries. A local dealer was contacted but stated that they did not perform glass replacements. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 62,800.

NHTSA ID

11748830

Incident

Jul 7, 2026

Mileage

62,800 mi

While on the highway my car lost power, gradually slowing down to a stall. I was able to safely park on the side of the road. I got the car to a nearby dealership that kept it for 10 days. The dealership said that the problem was code P2118 (Throttle Actuator Control Motor Current Range/Performance) that the air "flap" was frozen stuck shut and the engine was disabled on the freeway in order to prevent damage. The resolution was "waited for it to thaw and cleared the code". The dealer has a service bulletin and a software update but it did not resolve the safety issue. I've noticed hesitation when accelerating the car from a dead stop as well, which started last year.

NHTSA ID

11718953

Incident

Feb 7, 2026

While operating the vehicle, the cruise control turns off without any warning. The warning messages that come up only after the cruise control is turned off by the vehicle state "Smart cruise conditions not met" and "forward safety system disabled. Radar blocked". This disables the vehicle from utilizing cruise control in any manner. This happened on the highway with the cruise set at 72 mph, with a semi truck right behind my vehicle in moderate traffic! The semi slammed brakes on and after initial shock, I was able to accelerate the vehicle somewhat to avoid a collision. The dealership claims that "ALL" new vehicles do this when operated in wintery weather, snow, or mud kicked up from the road, or when sensors get iced over. They claim that there is NO reprogramming that can be done to fix this HUGE safety issue. I have NEVER heard of this or experienced this in any other vehicle other than this Hyundai Santa Fe! As a disabled veteran, this honestly scared the hell out of me and makes me very leery to operate the vehicle in the wintertime time and I am the primary driver for the family! At the time of the incident, it was not snowing, the temperature was approximately 36 degrees, and the roadways were clear of snow or ice! The only thing that could be noted was that the roadway was wet, and after stopping, there was sand or salt film in the front of the vehicle. As a disabled veteran with a lower back injury and radicular pain down both legs, I rely on a vehicle's cruise control when driving more than short distances, in order to not cause lower back or leg pain while driving! This issue with the cruise control stopping operation and not allowing the cruise to be restarted is both a HUGE safety issue for both the operator and all vehicles around/near the vehicle on/at highway speeds, and a violation of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). With no way to reprogram or reset this awful feature, the Hyundai Santa Fe is unsafe for disabled individuals.

NHTSA ID

11699000

Incident

Nov 11, 2025

Two issues with powertrain/transmission: 1- The powertrain/transmission fails intermittently- vehicle RPM goes sky high but vehicle receives no power, seems to fail/lose power. Has happened in very dangerous road conditions where unexpectedly was struggling to get the motor to engage/get power to the vehicle. Check engine and check hybrid system lights accompanies the problem. 2- The car should be driveable in electric only mode without use of gasoline. The powertrain/transmission seems to struggle to shift between electric and gas motors. HYUNDAI cannot seem to correctly diagnose or fix the issue. Does not seem they have proper diagnostic process included on the car- despite finding error messages stored in computer, they initially said they could not recreate the problem and therefore could not fix. 3 different trips to Hyundai dealership repair center, in total they have had my car for 10 weeks. They have replaced the transaxle and sent the car home, but that did not cure the issue. They now have my car again. It just does not seem they know how to identify or fix the issue. From online forums, I have learned MANY owners are experiencing the same problem and the same challenge to diagnose.

NHTSA ID

11643753

Incident

Oct 8, 2024

>>>>What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? According to the Hyundai Bluelink app, the problem is caused by the battery management system, producing error code P0AA600. The result is that the vehicle does not get power to the wheels for a few seconds after giving it gas. It looks like the car is not moving, then it very slowly gains speed, followed by sudden acceleration. It is available for inspection upon request. >>>>How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? It is a safety issue because other vehicles on the road may not be able to stop in time when the car pauses unexpectedly. Also the driver cannot predict when the car will surge forward. Merging or crossing traffic is very dangerous. >>>>Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The vehicle has been to the dealership two times to be inspected for this problem. They state that they cannot duplicate the issue but of course they can see the error code in the vehicle history. It is an issue that occurs at random; not every time the car is driven. It has occurred a total of 9 times during the 2,872 miles we have driven since we purchased it. >>>>Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Only the dealer has inspected the vehicle. Police, insurance, or others have not been involved. >>>>Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There is no warning that the error is going to occur. There is a warning when it is occurring, and the check engine light comes on. We purchased the car as new when it had 6,934 miles on it. It had been used as a demonstration car for the dealership. The error first occurred at about 7500 miles.

NHTSA ID

11641064

Incident

Feb 6, 2025

Horn will not work. This occured on [XXX]. Appointment made with dealer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11640341

Incident

Feb 1, 2025

Horns stopped working. Consider this to be a safety issue for obvious reasons. Checked horn fuse and it was not blown. Contacted local dealer to have it repaired. Awaiting an appointment

NHTSA ID

11633621

Incident

Jan 2, 2025

Windshield wiper in auto mode. Sometimes wipers turn on automatically in bright sunny days with nothing on windshield. When it rains, sometimes automatic wipers will not activate until windshield is completely covered with rain, and visibility is greatly reduced. Sensitivity adjustment has zero effect.

NHTSA ID

11633025

Incident

Dec 1, 2024

"check turn signal error". This message pops up at random times. When this error does pop up, the rear turn signal ceases to operate until the error message clears itself. Dealership "cannot duplicate". I have photographed the warning many times. Hyundai corporate is of no help. Check LED headlamp error issue as well.

NHTSA ID

11633024

Incident

Dec 5, 2024

The rear section of panoramic sunroof exploded. We were traveling approximately 60 MPH on HWY 395 crossing the bridge on the Columbia River between WA and OR. Suddenly we heard a very loud explosion. When we stopped to investigate we found a hole in the sunroof. It exploded up and outward. There were very few glass shards inside the vehicle and no debris or evidence of anything that could have caused the breakage. The Hyundai dealer was unwilling to repair it as a warranty item. We paid a glass company through our insurance company to replace the glass. I’m aware that there were problems a few years ago with the Hyundai sunroofs and was advised to file this incident report. It was extremely scary to experience the noise.

NHTSA ID

11625631

Incident

Oct 19, 2024

Well i have this a year and the horn went a month ago. I also have a hyundai Kona 2022 and it has had the horn replaced twice. Its a common issue with hyundai and safety issue especially where we drive in a city full of new college students from out of town snd people make erratic moves and safety concerns. It is a required part on a car and now this will be the 3rd time i need to replace it

NHTSA ID

11615108

Incident

Aug 16, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated after starting the vehicle, the transmission would only shift into neutral and would not shift into any other gear. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle failed to turn off as needed. The contact activated the parking brake to exit the vehicle safely. The contact stated prior to the failure, the vehicle had failed to shift into reverse; however, the failure was self-corrected. The contact stated several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated an independent mechanic was able to release the emergency hatch and disconnect the battery to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was temporarily repaired. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer for additional diagnostic tests. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

NHTSA ID

11603359

Incident

Apr 15, 2024

Mileage

9,000 mi

on the freeway and along side another car and "emergency breaking activation" warning. Happened 2 times in a month. Car swerved but I was able to control it. I was doing about 65 mph in each case.

NHTSA ID

11589599

Incident

May 19, 2024

Rear passenger door cannot be opened from the inside. Lock operates remotely and manually and door can be opened from the outside. This is a safety issue. The door cannot be opened from the inside in an emergency. The door has not been assessed by a dealer tech. I have an appointment at the dealer to repair. There were no warning lights, messages or warning tones.

NHTSA ID

11575928

Incident

Mar 6, 2024

On the afternoon of 2 Mar 2024, the front panel of my sunroof exploded suddenly while driving at freeway speed, without warning or provocation. No one was injured. After the initial shock, I pulled over and inspected the damage. Fortunately, the inner upholstery was intact and kept all of the shattered glass out of the passenger areas. I had to drive almost 30 miles to the nearest gas station / auto parts store in order to perform makeshift repairs with duct tape and plastic. I took digital pictures of the exploded sunroof. I contacted my Hyundai dealership and have plans to take the car in for inspection and repairs this coming week.

NHTSA ID

11575162

Incident

Mar 2, 2024

My horn isn't working as designed but when I push on steering wheel feels like it's cracking or breaking behind it. My front axels from factory were out of balance causing a vehicle vibration from 80+km/hr. Dealer thought it was tires not driveline. Different dealer diagnosed it as both axels in front. Issue was repaired once parts were available. Vibration still is evident but think its tires. Trying to get hyundai to replace tires now as its consequential damage. In November 2023 I was involved in a accident where the front collision warning and assist system didn't engage properly as when it did inwas in the danger zone already. And when I applied the brakes the steering became stiff as to mimic loss of power steering. I couldn't turn out of the accident and couldn't avoid it. Have video of this on my dash cam. I have a warning light rhat comes up on my dash saying check turn signal dealership verified. They have ordered the ICU junction box (fuse panel) but its been on a back order. Till February now. But no stored codes ever stay on my ecu or bcm.

NHTSA ID

11565471

Incident

Jul 15, 2023

Upon selecting my driver settings from the door panel, and the infotainment, the vehicle moves the seat settings back to driver 2. It does this in gear or not. Happens everytime a new setting is selected from the door panel button. Say driver 2 from driver 1. Very dangerous. Could move so far as to limit ones proximity to accelerator or brake.

NHTSA ID

11549413

Incident

Oct 8, 2023

On several occasions, the Automatic Emergency Braking System engages even though there is no evidence of a dangerous situation or imminent crash. It usually occurs during highway driving or at speeds over 40mph. In each case the brakes engage, the steering tightens, the AEBS notification appears on the dashboard and an alarm sounds. After a few seconds, the brakes and steering return to normal. This occurs even when there is no evident traffic issues. I googled the situation and found that other drivers of this car have had similar problems. Here are links to that result: https://www.santafeforums.com/threads/emergency-braking-system-activates-intermittently.17221/ https://www.carproblemzoo.com/hyundai/santafe/automatic-emergency-braking-problems.php I suggest that the NTSB open an investigation into whether this is an ongoing problem.

NHTSA ID

11543477

Incident

Sep 7, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the driver's side floor mat was the incorrect fit for the year, make, and model vehicle. The contact stated that the floor mat was obstructing the brake and accelerator pedals, presenting a possible safety issue. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The floor mats were not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that there were no floor mats currently made for the year, make, model to replace the present floor mats. The manufacturer opened a case. The failure mileage was 28,000.

NHTSA ID

11542947

Incident

Aug 15, 2023

Mileage

28,000 mi