2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Electrical Problems

Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid 2025 has a bad factory seal on the high voltage harness - hybrid battery connector that causes water to intrude the connector under normal conditions which can short the battery and pose a major safety issue. Hyundai is refusing warranty coverage of my shorted hybrid battery on my brand new 2025 Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid stating “Flood” with no evidence of flood damage. My car experienced multiple P engine hybrid system faults on XXX and would not drive. I had it towed the Van Hyundai Carrollton on that date. They did not look at the car for over a week and it sat on their lot the entire time. On XXX they finally inspected it and claimed the car had been “flooded” and shorted the hybrid battery. The only evidence they provided was moisture in the high voltage harness. There were no water/silt lines, any other damage to any other components, and no evidence of any water anywhere else on the vehicle. The video they showed of the undercarriage only showed normal splash marks from driving. The car was never flooded/submerged. Any water/moisture found in the harness would have been due to a faulty/defective factory seal that should be impervious to water under normal operating conditions. No water/flooding/submersion damage would have been obvious of this. The dealership refused to provide any evidence and had no follow-up. One key aspect they refused to acknowledge was there was a massive rainstorm in [XXX] onXXX which was also the only rainstorm in the area in the previous 1-2 months. This happened while the car was on the dealer’s lot. The car had no issues with any water prior to being at Van Hyundai. A case was opened with Hyundai Corporate and the Dealship also lied stating the car wasn’t in their system until XXX, which is false as I have phone records, tow records, and appointments showing the 7/10 date, so corporate overlooked that. I disagreed with the dealerships diagnosis as it was a scapegoat finding putting all blame o INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

NHTSA ID

11755330

Incident

Jul 10, 2026

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle suffers from an intermittent, total engine stalling and propulsion failure. Without warning, the engine completely shuts down while driving and automatically drops the vehicle into "Accessory (ACC) Mode". The vehicle is fully intact, operational when it restarts, and is available for immediate inspection upon request How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This issue has occurred five total times in live traffic, severely risking the safety of the vehicle's occupants and surrounding drivers. The most recent and dangerous incident occurred on the freeway in heavy, stop-and-go traffic. A sudden, complete loss of power on a high-speed freeway leaves the vehicle entirely vulnerable to rear-end collisions, as it leaves no room or momentum to safely coast to the shoulder. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. The vehicle has been brought to an authorized Hyundai dealership five separate times specifically to diagnose this exact stalling issue. Because the failure is intermittent, dealership service technicians have been unable to replicate the problem during their test drives or resolve the root cause. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle has been inspected five separate times by authorized Hyundai dealership technicians during the service appointments mentioned above. No police, insurance, or independent manufacturer representatives have inspected the vehicle yet, as the stalling has not yet resulted in a physical crash. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?There are absolutely no dashboard warning lights, check engine indicators, error messages, or mechanical symptoms prior to the failures. The engine shuts down instant

NHTSA ID

11755009

Incident

Jul 25, 2026

While driving on the on ramp to [XXX] the car completely stopped and all systems shut off. There were two dash lights that flashed quickly with one being the check engine light but I did not see the other long enough to identify it. The dealership could not reproduce the issue but has the car now and is doing a more thorough evaluation. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine stopped. Yes it is available How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Extremely dangerous as it came to a stop in the middle of the road. It was late at night so at that moment no one was behind me. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? no Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no, the warning lights flashed on as the car died but disappeared once off. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11749471

Incident

Jul 1, 2026

On [XXX] after spending the day at Henson Creek Golf Course in Fort Washington, MD, I returned to my vehicle and discovered that it had completely lost all electrical power and would not start. The vehicle exhibited no warning signs prior to the failure. Believing the issue to be related to the battery, I contacted AAA for roadside assistance. AAA attempted to jump-start the vehicle, but the jump-start was unsuccessful. The vehicle was subsequently towed on May 18, 2026, to Pohanka Hyundai in Capitol Heights, MD for diagnosis and repair. After approximately nine days, the dealership advised that the battery terminals had been secured and that no additional problem could be identified. On [XXX], the exact same issue occurred again; however, this incident was significantly more dangerous because it occurred while the vehicle was being driven. While traveling during morning rush hour through a busy intersection in Northeast Washington, DC, the vehicle suddenly and completely lost power without warning while in traffic. The vehicle stalled in the middle of the intersection, creating an extremely hazardous situation. Fortunately, motorists traveling behind me were able to stop in time, and no collision occurred. However, this incident could easily have resulted in a serious crash involving injuries or fatalities. The vehicle was towed to Ourisman Hyundai in Bowie, MD, where it is currently undergoing additional diagnosis. I am extremely concerned that this vehicle has experienced two complete electrical failures within approximately one month, including one incident that occurred while driving in heavy traffic. Because the dealership was unable to identify the root cause after the first incident, I am concerned that a serious defect may exist involving the vehicle's electrical system, battery system, wiring, power distribution system, or another component affecting vehicle operation and safety. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11747163

Incident

May 17, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V218000 (Seat Belts) and 25V659000 (Electrical System); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the recall repairs were denied due to a lack of maintenance records with an authorized Hyundai Dealer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11746649

Incident

Jun 26, 2026

On June 24, 2026, my spouse was operating our 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe when the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic, and total electrical failure while actively on the roadway. The vehicle was stopped at a traffic light when all propulsion power was instantly lost, the engine shut down, and all electronic systems—including the center infotainment screens and instrument cluster—went completely dark. Safety Hazard & Entrapment Incident: Simultaneous with the total electrical failure, the vehicle's electronic door lock system malfunctioned. The rear passenger doors and rear liftgate locked completely and could not be disengaged or opened from the inside by the passengers. Due to this total power loss and lock failure, my young daughters were trapped in the rear seats. My spouse was forced to climb over the center console from the front seat into the rear cabin to manually extract our children through the front doors. The family had to abandon the disabled vehicle in live traffic and walk down the roadway to reach a safe location. This constitutes a severe safety hazard involving both sudden loss of motive power on a public road and occupant entrapment due to safety lock/latch failure during an electrical short. The vehicle has been towed to Pohanka Hyundai of Capitol Heights for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11746406

Incident

Jun 24, 2026

I own a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe that was purchased on 08/15/2025. The first malfunction occurred on 08/25/2025, only days after purchase, and the vehicle has experienced repeated safety-related issues since then. The vehicle has repeatedly displayed false Forward Collision Warning alerts, Blind Spot Warning failures, Park/Neutral errors, and intermittent disabling of safety features. The most serious incident occurred when the vehicle unexpectedly entered “Limit 20 MPH” mode while I was pulling into active traffic with my toddler in the vehicle, limiting acceleration and creating a safety risk. I have also experienced false collision alerts while parked and after the vehicle was shut off. The vehicle has been taken to the dealership multiple times for diagnosis and repair attempts. Some issues were duplicated by dealership personnel, while other visits were documented as “could not duplicate.” A front ultrasonic sensor was replaced, but the vehicle continued experiencing safety-related concerns afterward. During the repair process, I was informed and observed that dealership personnel appeared limited in what repair actions could be taken after consulting Hyundai through their diagnostic system. I was also informed that Hyundai influenced what could be included on service reports and that dealership personnel were instructed to “print the book” rather than fully document observed concerns. I believe this may have affected repair efforts and documentation of ongoing issues. The vehicle has been out of service for extended periods and the issues continue despite repeated repair attempts. Due to the ongoing malfunctions and inconsistent operation of the safety systems, I no longer feel safe driving the vehicle because I am concerned it may not function properly during a real emergency situation. Attached are photos of various dashboard errors and warning messages that occurred during these incidents to document the alerts and malfunctions experienced.

NHTSA ID

11740141

Incident

Aug 25, 2025

On April 27, 2026, my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe experienced an intermittent electrical/system malfunction affecting multiple vehicle systems at the same time. Multiple orange warning lights/messages appeared on the dash, including driver-assistance warnings and the master warning triangle. At the same time, the front turn signal stopped working, causing rapid flashing; the power locks stopped working; the windows would not roll up or down; and the rear liftgate would not open using the key fob or exterior liftgate button. The vehicle/component is available for inspection upon request. This created a safety and access issue. The malfunction affected exterior signaling, locks, windows, and rear cargo access. My dog was in a crate in the rear cargo area, and I could not open the liftgate normally to access him. The failure of locks/windows/liftgate could create a serious emergency risk if a person, pet, or cargo needed to be accessed quickly, and the turn signal failure affected my ability to safely signal to other drivers. The issue lasted approximately 30–40 minutes and did not immediately clear after turning the vehicle off and back on. It later returned to normal on its own. This has happened more than once. The vehicle was taken to a Hyundai dealership for inspection. The dealer has been working with Hyundai Techline, but as of now they have not been able to reproduce the issue or find active diagnostic codes. I provided video evidence of the dash warnings from the incident. The dealer advised that scans currently show systems operating as designed because the issue is intermittent and not occurring during inspection. There were no prior symptoms before the failure. The warning lamps and messages appeared at the time the malfunction occurred. Seek reimbursement for rental car fees and diagnostic fee.

NHTSA ID

11734834

Incident

Apr 27, 2026

The vehicle intermittently fails to reverse properly, hesitates, jerks, and at times locks despite no obstruction present. This occurs during normal use and creates a serious safety concern, particularly when backing out of parking spaces or into traffic. In addition, the vehicle exhibits ongoing electrical issues, including intermittent warning lights, rearview camera distortion or failure, inconsistent system operation, intermittent inability to unlock using the key fob or door handle, and the vehicle fan or air system continuing to run for extended periods after the vehicle has been turned off. These issues occur without consistent warning and have not been resolved despite multiple service visits. The vehicle is also subject to an active safety recall (NHTSA Recall 26V218000, Manufacturer Recall 298) involving the front seatbelt anchor. The recall remains unrepaired, with no remedy currently available. I have personally experienced the seatbelt becoming stuck and not releasing properly, which presents an additional safety risk. The vehicle also experienced a battery failure. I was initially informed that the battery could not be replaced without cost; however, it was later replaced. Despite repeated concerns, the hybrid battery system was not tested or evaluated, and this remains an unresolved issue affecting vehicle reliability and safety. Additionally, the vehicle has experienced tire tread separation and peeling requiring replacement. This is not consistent with normal wear and may indicate alignment, suspension, or other underlying vehicle-related defects. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership multiple times; however, the issues were not reproduced and no corrective repairs were performed. These problems are intermittent and occur during regular day-to-day operation. Collectively, these unresolved issues present an ongoing safety risk to the driver and others.

NHTSA ID

11733146

Incident

Jan 14, 2026

The vehicle has two display panels, molded into a single frame. There is an infotainment panel on the right that handles music, maps, and phone interaction. There is an instrument panel on the left. The infotainment panel has not issues. The instrument panel blanks out for 3 - 5 seconds every few minutes, and then reappears. Occasionally the words "No SIgnal" in big red letters will appear. Occasionally the gear selection letter will remain on the otherwise blank screen. The screen also shudders / tears occasionally before blanking. It does this whether the vehicle is moving or parked. I purchased the vehicle used, Jan 2 2026. I noticed the problem a couple of days later. It has continued. It is not getting any worse or any better.

NHTSA ID

11733014

Incident

Jan 5, 2026

Since I bought the car the forward attention warning goes off constantly. I’ve taken it to the dealership multiple times. They took off my eztag, stated it was blocking my camera. This is not the issue. Now there are 56 cars ahead of mine. This will be the 3rd time for the exact same complaint. It affects everything in the car. My cruise control doesn’t work because of this issue. If you turn the toggle back on it has more warning. Just the beeping constantly is going to cause an accident. I’ve asked Hyundai to buy it back they refuse. This is a known issue.

NHTSA ID

11732200

Incident

Aug 6, 2025

When I start the car or first start rolling the whole dashboard goes black! I can still hear sound but nothing on the screen. This is a safety issue. It flickers while driving then goes black.

NHTSA ID

11722167

Incident

Sep 10, 2025

Vehicle experienced sudden loss of power while driving. Transmission warning and ABS warning lights appeared at the same time. The vehicle would not shift properly and began skipping and dropping gears. Smoke was visibly coming from the center underside of the vehicle near the transmission area. There was a strong burning oil or rubber smell inside and outside the vehicle. This created a serious safety risk due to loss of acceleration and potential fire hazard from smoke and burning odor. The issue has been intermittent since early ownership, including jerky shifting and hard engagement. The dealer documented dual clutch transmission communication faults and ABS faults but returned the vehicle the same day stating it was a loose ground. The problem has continued after repair. Vehicle is available for inspection. The defect involves the powertrain and related electrical systems.

NHTSA ID

11720517

Incident

Feb 11, 2026

All normal sounds completely stop working, no audio or volume at all: no turn signal, no collision warning, no GPS audio, no radio; no hands-free phone volume. Hyundai Service department advised they have never heard of this type of incident. All warning systems are completely silent.

NHTSA ID

11720379

Incident

Feb 25, 2026

I tried to drive my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid; the vehicle displayed a gear selection error message stating something like "gear already selected". The vehicle would not shift properly and would not power off or restart. I attempted multiple shutdown and restart attempts using the Start/Stop button with no success. The vehicle remained in this condition for about 30 minutes and would not allow normal operation or shutdown. Due to safety concerns, Hyundai roadside assistance was contacted and a tow truck was dispatched. Before the tow arrived, the vehicle spontaneously allowed shutdown without any intervention. This was a safety related failure involving the shift-by-wire system and vehicle power-down logic. The issue occurred without warning and left the vehicle inoperable. The vehicle had app 7150 miles at the time of the incident.

NHTSA ID

11714997

Incident

Feb 1, 2026

My 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has recurring powertrain communication failures starting at only 67 miles and continuing at 5,300 and 6,200 miles. Diagnostic trouble codes include U010100 (lost communication with engine control module) and multiple U100xxx codes related to transmission and CAN bus communication failures. These indicate loss of communication between critical control modules. The issue has happened multiple times and remains unresolved. I am concerned this could cause drivability problems, warning lights, or sudden loss of power. This appears to be a system-level defect in the vehicle’s communication network.

NHTSA ID

11710618

Incident

Jan 12, 2026

My car was locked and battery had died. I was able to get in car with key from fob. I had to put car charger on battery in order to start car. This car is a year old with 18,531 miles

NHTSA ID

11708889

Incident

Jan 5, 2026

I am submitting this complaint to formally report ongoing and unresolved vehicle safety defects involving a leased 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. These defects include persistent toxic or chemical odors inside the passenger cabin, electrical and body control system malfunctions, and unintended vehicle operations that present serious risks to occupant health, vehicle security, and public safety. Despite multiple service visits and repeated requests, Hyundai dealerships have refused or failed to conduct comprehensive diagnostic testing, leaving the vehicle in an unsafe and unreliable condition.

NHTSA ID

11707899

Incident

Dec 10, 2025

There have been several times that I have been driving and either turning onto a 4-lane road (2 lanes going each way) or driving on the parkway, where my car has slammed on the brakes by itself. Not only was I not prepared for this to happen, but neither were the cars behind me. I tend to drive with at least 1.5 car-length space between myself and the car in front of me. Last week, I was making a right hand turn (going north) into the right lane from a residential street. The only other car near me was the one driving in the left lane (also going north). My car drove about 100 ft and maybe realized that there was a car next to me and just slammed on the brakes. I was suddenly thrown forward. My seat belt locked and I was thrown back into my seat. I had a bruise from my seat belt and came too close to slamming my head on my steering wheel. Thankfully, the car behind wasn't tailgating. About a month ago, I was driving on the parkway going east. I was originally in the right lane. I put on my blinker and when it was clear, I changed lanes to the middle lane. After I was clear and my blinker was off, my car started screaming to tell me that there was a car in my driver's blind spot (this happens EVERY time I switch lanes). I drove for maybe 1.5 - 2 miles and then suddenly, my car slammed on the brakes. Someone must be watching over me because the Escalade behind me (definitely tailgating) was somehow able to swerve into the left lane and then swerve around me to cut me off in revenge. They were screaming and honking at me, while I was screaming and yelling at my car. They could have easily have plowed into me (we were driving at least 60mph) and could have caused a horrible accident that could have killed myself or others around me. I have notified Hyundai of this issue and have read many similar complaints online. Hyundai claims they cannot "replicate the situation" and therefore, Hyundai Corp is unable to fix the problem.

NHTSA ID

11705955

Incident

Nov 26, 2025

On more than 10 occasions the SUV gets stuck in neutral upon starting the car. You can only switch between Park and neutral and are unable to drive the car. It will not go into drive or reverse. Sometimes this problem lasts for 10 minutes. The car will not shut off during that time even when you press the stop button the screen just resets. The only solution is to wait or to press the hard reset button on the computer screen. It is a dangerous situation because if you need to go somewhere, you physically cannot drive the car. I took it to the car dealership when the car was almost brand new and they had it for eight days and they did a software update but I don’t think they found the problem. this problem is now having more and more frequently.

NHTSA ID

11703909

Incident

Oct 1, 2025

My 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid with 1724 miles was unresponsive in the garage. Not able to get in the car because the 12v battery was completely drained. Hyundai dispatched a tow truck to take it to the local Hyundai dealership. A service provider did call me to let me know the car was there. He also told me that apparently this problem I had was a known issue with the 2025 Santa Fe Hybrids. I had no advance warning of any imminent problems with the battery.

NHTSA ID

11702075

Incident

Nov 29, 2025

Battery/Electrical: 3 separate occasions the battery drained completely overnight, requiring mechanical key to open and jumpstart services from AAA (covered under Hyundai services). Risk of leaving me stranded on isolated areas. Problem confirmed via 3 requests for AAA to jumpstart my vehicle. Hyundai service dept inspected vehicle, confirmed low battery levels, unable to reproduce issues overnight, reported no electrical or mechanical issues that would cause battery drain. No warning messages, lamps, or symptoms prior to each failure. Steering wheel column has friction squeak when using driver assist and adjusting direction. No issues at this time.

NHTSA ID

11701696

Incident

Nov 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa FE. The contact stated that while parked and seated in the vehicle, the instrument panel was blinking on and off several times before going dark. The contact stated that the infotainment system also displayed a blank screen. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a recall repair, and the contact was informed that there was no failure with the instrument panel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 6,000.

NHTSA ID

11697930

Incident

Sep 15, 2025

Mileage

6,000 mi

I’ve had several instances where putting the vehicle into park the system doesn’t register the shifter button being pressed and continues to be in the current gear. IThis seems to be a safety issue since it has happened multiple times ever since I bought the vehicle. I made sure to fully press the Park button but it continues to stay in the drive or reverse gear The first time it happened I did not notice the vehicle did not register the gear change and the car started to roll forward towards a building.

NHTSA ID

11696244

Incident

Oct 27, 2025

I am reporting a critical safety defect involving my brand-new 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving on the freeway, the vehicle experienced a complete brake system failure, nearly causing a serious accident. My boyfriend was driving at the time, and when he tried to brake, the vehicle did not stop. He had to take immediate evasive action to avoid crashing, which put both of us — and nearby drivers — in immediate danger. The vehicle was purchased about a month ago and had never been serviced or modified. After the failure, it was towed to Hanlees Auto Mall Hyundai in Richmond, California, where the service department inspected it and confirmed the problem was caused by a missing clamp, which is a critical component of the braking system. This appears to be a manufacturing or dealership oversight. They took photos, documented the issue, and made the repair — but they also told me they cannot guarantee this won’t happen again. There were no warning lights, messages, or symptoms before the failure — the brakes simply stopped working during operation on the freeway. As of now: •The issue has been confirmed by Hanlees Hyundai in Richmond. •I have not yet received a loaner vehicle. •The car is currently in my possession, but I do not feel safe driving it. •I have been in contact with Supervisor Steve at Hyundai of Vacaville, who has offered to pick up the vehicle and provide a loaner, but that has not yet occurred. This is an extremely dangerous failure that occurred on a brand-new vehicle. I am requesting a formal investigation into this issue to determine if it’s isolated or part of a broader manufacturing defect with the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. A missing brake component that results in total failure at freeway speeds is a life-threatening safety hazard and should be taken seriously by the manufacturer and federal safety officials.

NHTSA ID

11671982

Incident

Jul 7, 2025