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2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems & Owner Complaints

201 NHTSA owner complaints
11 crash 3 fire 15 injury

Age-normalised, this year draws ~50.2 complaints per year on the road — ranking 2 of 15 Hyundai Santa Fe years we track (1 = most complaints per year).

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What owners report

Power Train is the most-reported problem area on the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, cited in 41 of 201 filed complaints (20%).

Electrical System is next (34 complaints, 17%), followed by Engine (34), Forward Collision Avoidance (34), Service Brakes (23).

Across all complaints, 11 report a crash, 3 report a fire, 15 report injuries.

The most safety-critical cluster is Unknown Or Other: 4 crash, 2 fire, 5 injury report(s).

Complaints by vehicle system

Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 201.

Unknown Or Other 58 4 crash 2 fire 5 injury

“The accelerator stuck and the vehicle crashed. The vehicle is totaled. It happened [XXX]. No one has yet inspected the vehicle. I notified Hyundai about 5 days ago. The phone number of the towing company is 516 433 1011. The following link is a YouTube video of the accident: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
NHTSA complaint #11644603, 2025 · crash · fire · 2 injury(ies)

“On May 15th, I was involved in a serious accident caused by a malfunction in a rental vehicle provided by Enterprise a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. After reversing into a parking spot, I placed the vehicle in “Park” and exited the car to retrieve belongings from the trunk. My young son remained in the back seat. To my shock, the vehicle suddenly began to move on its own despite being in “Park.” I immediately ran to the driver’s side and jumped back into the vehicle in an attempt to stop it. I pressed the brake pedal multiple times, but the car would not respond. I also pressed the “Park” button rep…”
NHTSA complaint #11663585, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The sunroof on my 2023 Santa Fe exploded.”
NHTSA complaint #11698506, 2025 · 1 injury(ies)

Power Train 41 3 crash 3 injury

“While parking my 2023 Hyundai Sante Fe, I hard pressed the break and pushed the Park button. The engine revved up and the vehicle took off instead of going into park; smashing into a building. The parking block was 6ft from the building. The engine accelerated to a high enough speed that it totaled the vehicle completely out. The engine code readings after the vehicle was towed to a repair shop was P0112 and P0114. The mechanic says that's the initial cause of the accident. The insurance reps are supposed to be following up on the mechanics diagnostics currently. There were no warning lights o…”
NHTSA complaint #11570165, 2023 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle stalled and decelerated to 25 MPH as several warning lights flashed on the instrument panel. After multiple attempts, the contact managed to restart the vehicle and drove to her destination. The contact sustained severe emotional trauma due to the failure but did not seek medical attention. The contact drove the vehicle to the dealer where they informed her that the throttle body was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to…”
NHTSA complaint #11532306, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

“Early March 2025 the vehicle was put car in park, got out of car to close yard gate, turned around to walk back to car but car was rolling forward and hit the flat bed trailer causing approximately $5000 in damage. It was put in park before getting out but jumped gear before getting back in. Another common problem is slamming the emergency brake on when attempting to drive. Was at a red lite left turn stop sign with foot on the brake. When the light turned green took foot off brake & put foot on accelerator to go forward, the car slammed the emergency brake on. This has happened approx 6…”
NHTSA complaint #11661942, 2025 · crash

Electrical System 34 1 crash 1 fire

“On [XXX], a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL (VIN: [XXX] ) spontaneously caught fire ~8 hours after parking, per fire report (Walla Walla Fire Dept.). The fire destroyed the hyundai santa fe sel engine compartment and totaled 5 vehicles with a total value of over $400,000 not including personal property to the parties involved. I was not the Hyundai’s renter/operator; the vehicle was rented by a third party from Enterprise. Despite no active recall for this VIN, the vehicle contained: Mando ABS module, Mando EPS module similar to known defective parts of the same year, and Hyundai Mobis tow hitc…”
NHTSA complaint #11659653, 2025 · fire

“I was driving the car moving in reverse to exit my driveway. I placed the car in Park and while the engine was running I exited the car. Upon exiting the car, the car immediately started to roll forward and crashed through my garage door leveling it to the ground. The car continued moving forward into the garage and came to a stop blocked by built in shelving at the back end of the garage. I could have been injured had the car started to roll while I was exiting the car or had some been in front of the car. No warning lamps or messages prior to the incident. The car has a safety feature if mov…”
NHTSA complaint #11615246, 2024 · crash

“Vehicle stalled while driving — unsafe loss of power. While driving at normal speed, the vehicle suddenly shut off without warning and the electrical system malfunctioned. I had to pull over and restart car. This created a dangerous situation and could have caused a collision. Prior to this incidenct, the vehicle had intermittent electrical issues during startup (flickering electronics). This is the first time the car has experienced during driving, and is now at the Hyundai dealership. The car has been reported as unsafe to drive. This appears similar to other Hyundai stalling/power loss…”
NHTSA complaint #11746699, 2026

Engine 34 1 crash 1 fire

“On [XXX], a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe SEL (VIN: [XXX] ) spontaneously caught fire ~8 hours after parking, per fire report (Walla Walla Fire Dept.). The fire destroyed the hyundai santa fe sel engine compartment and totaled 5 vehicles with a total value of over $400,000 not including personal property to the parties involved. I was not the Hyundai’s renter/operator; the vehicle was rented by a third party from Enterprise. Despite no active recall for this VIN, the vehicle contained: Mando ABS module, Mando EPS module similar to known defective parts of the same year, and Hyundai Mobis tow hitc…”
NHTSA complaint #11659653, 2025 · fire

“We were at full stop with Auto Hold feature enabled. Car lurched / jumped forward with no depression of the gas pedal. This caused us to strike the car in front of us.”
NHTSA complaint #11743508, 2026 · crash

“I was driving down the road and came to a stop at a stop light. After accelerating again my car lost the ability to increase speed above 20 miles/hour and would not shift gears. I was heading to the turn lane to get on the interstate and quickly had to change lanes to find an area to pull over as I could not reach highway speeds. I turned the car off. I turned the car back on and the problem resolved. This is the second time this has happened. I have seen this problem mentioned dozens of time on Reddit message boards including Hyundai buybacks on some of these vehicles. It doesn't sound like H…”
NHTSA complaint #11741734, 2026

Forward Collision Avoidance 34 5 crash 1 fire 4 injury

“The accelerator stuck and the vehicle crashed. The vehicle is totaled. It happened [XXX]. No one has yet inspected the vehicle. I notified Hyundai about 5 days ago. The phone number of the towing company is 516 433 1011. The following link is a YouTube video of the accident: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
NHTSA complaint #11644603, 2025 · crash · fire · 2 injury(ies)

“On May 15th, I was involved in a serious accident caused by a malfunction in a rental vehicle provided by Enterprise a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. After reversing into a parking spot, I placed the vehicle in “Park” and exited the car to retrieve belongings from the trunk. My young son remained in the back seat. To my shock, the vehicle suddenly began to move on its own despite being in “Park.” I immediately ran to the driver’s side and jumped back into the vehicle in an attempt to stop it. I pressed the brake pedal multiple times, but the car would not respond. I also pressed the “Park” button rep…”
NHTSA complaint #11663585, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I had adaptive cruise control on and debris hit my windshield and I went into the rumble strip and eventually into the guard rail where the car essentially pingponged from there until it eventually stopped when the metal hit the front. It appears the emergency brake did not activate and the lane keep did not activate. My air bags did not deploy.”
NHTSA complaint #11649463, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Service Brakes 23 1 crash 4 injury

“While parking, the brakes failed. Although the brake pedal was correctly and completely depressed the car failed to stop until it hit the building causing damage to structure and injuries occurred to passengers. The brake pedal pulsated but the car did not stop. Prior to this, the brakes would sporadically pulsate while braking. There were vehicle health issues that were reported.”
NHTSA complaint #11560485, 2023 · crash · 4 injury(ies)

“My dealership has reground the rotors on my car twice. Now with less than 40,000 mileson the car the brakes need ground again. The issue with the brakes is it causes the front end of the car to shake when the brakes are applied. This could lead to loss of control on down hill stops in slippery conditions.”
NHTSA complaint #11748226, 2026

“My vehicle activates the emergency braking system while driving. It has happened several times now, almost causing a collision. I took it to the dealership, they held it for a week and gave it back to me telling me they could not find anything wrong with it. They did not fix anything at all. It has since done it once more.”
NHTSA complaint #11740276, 2026

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Vehicle Speed Control 14

“COMPONENT/SYSTEM: The powertrain launch control system — the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) and 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission paired with the 2.5T engine — fails to deliver engine power in response to full accelerator input from a stop. The engine does not rev and the vehicle does not move for approximately 1–2 seconds despite the accelerator pedal being fully depressed, then power engages abruptly and violently. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. SAFETY RISK: The failure occurs when launching from a stop into intersections and cross-traffic. In the most recent inci…”
NHTSA complaint #11749868, 2026

“First Failure occurred 7 months after purchase at 5,270 miles on August 1, 2024. The vehicle suddenly went into "Limp Mode" abruptly decelerating to 25 mph with a non-responsive gas pedal. A code reader displayed PO653 Sensor Reference: "Voltage B Circuit High". Dealer found corroded wire to battery and cleaned it. Second Failure: Horn loss to 1 tone. Fixed at 30K mile dealer service on June 12, 2026 and found to have faulty packing resulting in corrosion. At the same standard service the Brake System was flushed. 3rd Failure was 5 days and 437 miles (30,712 miles) after the 30K dealer…”
NHTSA complaint #11746876, 2026

“I was driving down the road and came to a stop at a stop light. After accelerating again my car lost the ability to increase speed above 20 miles/hour and would not shift gears. I was heading to the turn lane to get on the interstate and quickly had to change lanes to find an area to pull over as I could not reach highway speeds. I turned the car off. I turned the car back on and the problem resolved. This is the second time this has happened. I have seen this problem mentioned dozens of time on Reddit message boards including Hyundai buybacks on some of these vehicles. It doesn't sound like H…”
NHTSA complaint #11741734, 2026

Visibility/Wiper 11 1 crash

“My wife was parking the car at carport, all of sudden unintended acceleration happened and hit through the wall. The damage on the car was $12478.57 and damaged the wall and storage on both sides of carport. My wife is scared to drive this car.”
NHTSA complaint #11666275, 2025 · crash

“The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while there was snow on the roof of the vehicle, the windshield wipers failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer because there was space between the hood and the windshield where the snow was collected, causing the windshield wipers to fail to operate as intended. The dealer tightened the wiper blades; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 35,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11713548, 2025

“On Saturday Morning (August 9th), I was driving this car with my family on I-495 heading to the shopping mall. The SunRoof glass broke suddenly without any impact from outside. I was so alarmed and exited the road and checked it. There was a crack in the front side glass. I drove back home and found that they had exploded and scattered. I drove a car to the Hyundai Car service center to claim it, but they ignored me. I claimed this on the Hyundai America site, but the answer is that they won't fix this under the warranty. This is a panoramic sunroof, and it should support our family in…”
NHTSA complaint #11682096, 2025

Fuel/Propulsion System 10 1 crash 1 fire 2 injury

“The accelerator stuck and the vehicle crashed. The vehicle is totaled. It happened [XXX]. No one has yet inspected the vehicle. I notified Hyundai about 5 days ago. The phone number of the towing company is 516 433 1011. The following link is a YouTube video of the accident: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
NHTSA complaint #11644603, 2025 · crash · fire · 2 injury(ies)

“On March 4, 2026, at approximately 7:30 AM EST, while driving my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited on [XXX] , the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of propulsion while traveling at approximately 70 mph (posted speed limit). The vehicle would not accelerate or maintain speed and would not move forward when placed in drive, indicating a failure within the powertrain/transmission system. The vehicle is currently located at a Hyundai dealership and is available for inspection upon request. This incident created a significant safety risk, as I was traveling at highway speed in active traffic when the…”
NHTSA complaint #11728065, 2026

“While driving on the interstate at 70mph the vehicle’s fuel injectors failed causing the vehicle to lose power suddenly.”
NHTSA complaint #11724503, 2026

Structure 6 1 crash

“My wife was parking the car at carport, all of sudden unintended acceleration happened and hit through the wall. The damage on the car was $12478.57 and damaged the wall and storage on both sides of carport. My wife is scared to drive this car.”
NHTSA complaint #11666275, 2025 · crash

“Driving on sunny day, the fixed roof glass located between the windshield and sunroof exploded across the entire width of the glass insert with a very distracting noise.”
NHTSA complaint #11727870, 2026

“The sunroof glass violently shattered/exploded while driving the vehicle. The manufacturer claims the window meets current standards and is not defective. The curtain or fabric cover was extended covering the glass panel otherwise the driver would have been covered with broken glass.”
NHTSA complaint #11636486, 2025

Lane Departure 5

“First Failure occurred 7 months after purchase at 5,270 miles on August 1, 2024. The vehicle suddenly went into "Limp Mode" abruptly decelerating to 25 mph with a non-responsive gas pedal. A code reader displayed PO653 Sensor Reference: "Voltage B Circuit High". Dealer found corroded wire to battery and cleaned it. Second Failure: Horn loss to 1 tone. Fixed at 30K mile dealer service on June 12, 2026 and found to have faulty packing resulting in corrosion. At the same standard service the Brake System was flushed. 3rd Failure was 5 days and 437 miles (30,712 miles) after the 30K dealer…”
NHTSA complaint #11746876, 2026

“Currently have 518 Diagnostic History Codes (DTC)in memory. Additionally, I have 3 Active DTC’s. The codes are: DTC C160C87 DTC System CHASSIS DTC Sub System LKAS, and DTC C160C87 DTC System CHASSIS DTC Sub System SCC, and DTC C163881 DTC system CHASSIS DTC Sub System SCC FIRST OCCURRENCE: during actual assembly in Montgomery, AL plant. I have asked three Hyundai Service dealers for help. All have tried. Noting noted that contributes to the issues above. At first, my dealer replaced the front camera. Was told it was a heating issue. I have contacted Hyundai BLUELINK service for help. An i…”
NHTSA complaint #11621650, 2024

“I've been driving in Arizona on southbound [XXX] just south of [XXX] and noticed an issue that is very odd. I have a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe that has Highway Driving Assist that does both speed control and distance from the vehicle ahead of me and Lane Keeping Assist. After I pass [XXX], but before an overpass for [XXX], my vehicle, if those systems are on, goes haywire and all those safety systems turn off. I have experienced it on at least 3 of the lanes on that stretch. It happens both early in the am and later regardless of sun. It doesn't happen on northbound. As more cars have these featu…”
NHTSA complaint #11586874, 2024

Wheels 5

“I have been fighting this issue now for 2 years, vibration while driving interstate speeds, especially right rear seat. I have had tires replaced twice trying to fix balance issue only to find out that one rim will not road force balance correctly, even with tire matched it only reduced road force balance to 20lbs (30lbs with out match). I have had it at discount tire and Gettel Hyundai of Lakewood ranch, FL several times. Hyundai sent a senior tech to look at tires, did not speak to me to get explanation of my concern, did a balance, got same numbers and said was good to go. My other 3 rims h…”
NHTSA complaint #11725596, 2026

“Horn stopped working at 47,474 miles Check Tire Pressure System light is on, poor sensor at 45,650”
NHTSA complaint #11713260, 2026

“I purchased my 2023 Santa Fe brand new off the show room floor in Jan 2024. After about 6k miles when braking on the highway the entire vehicle would shudder and shake including the steering wheel. I took it into the dealership where I was informed this is a KNOWN ISSUE with this year/make/model with the rotors. They claimed they would turn the rotors but if the issue persists they would replace them. About 2k miles later (apx 2 months) the shuddering happened AGAIN. So I made an apt to get them replaced where the new service tech tried to tell me again this is a KNOWN ISSUE but now I would be…”
NHTSA complaint #11630804, 2024

Back Over Prevention 3 1 crash 1 injury

“On May 15th, I was involved in a serious accident caused by a malfunction in a rental vehicle provided by Enterprise a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. After reversing into a parking spot, I placed the vehicle in “Park” and exited the car to retrieve belongings from the trunk. My young son remained in the back seat. To my shock, the vehicle suddenly began to move on its own despite being in “Park.” I immediately ran to the driver’s side and jumped back into the vehicle in an attempt to stop it. I pressed the brake pedal multiple times, but the car would not respond. I also pressed the “Park” button rep…”
NHTSA complaint #11663585, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“My car won’t shift on the highway and all of a sudden I can’t drive more than 40mph. It also has not wanted to let me press on the gas and make it go as I’m driving bc Its jerking 4 or 5 times before it’ll register and go. Also, not too long ago, I was in a parking lot and went to leave and my car never notified me that there was a huge pillar next to me and I crashed into it, it was in my blind spot and couldn’t see it. My car has had many many other issues in which I can’t list, but I truly bought a lemon.”
NHTSA complaint #11654802, 2025

“I bought this Lemon on 1/14/2023. The front collision detection doesn't brake to avoid collision. The Emergency brake will engage on it's own, and it has to be manually disengaged. The parking assist feature will automatically disengage and is unable to engage it. The middle seat in the back seat headrest obstructs a major portion of the rear window, obstructing the driver's view. It is not the headrest pictured in the Owner's Manual. It has been in the shop twice. It has been in the shop for 10 days and counting of the 34 days I have owned this lemon of a vehicle. The car was taken to the dea…”
NHTSA complaint #11508320, 2023

Engine And Engine Cooling 3

“The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving and decelerating to approximately 10 MPH onto an exit ramp, the vehicle suddenly stalled and failed to restart. The contact noticed that there was blue smoke coming from the exhaust pipes, and several unknown warning lights and messages illuminated, including the Check Engine warning light. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that a fuel injector had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 35,652.”
NHTSA complaint #11742763, 2026

“The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that upon noticing that coolant was leaking onto the ground, he opened the hood and discovered that coolant was leaking from the radiator. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that a foreign object had struck the radiator, causing coolant to leak into the engine compartment. The dealer informed the contact that a failure caused by a foreign object was not covered under warranty. The vehicle w…”
NHTSA complaint #11587396, 2024

“The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that on two separate occasions while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated. The check engine warning light illuminated, and a message displayed on the infotainment screen indicating “Engine System Emergency, Take Vehicle to the Nearest Dealer”. The contact was able to veer the vehicle into a parking lot where it was idled. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that no appointments were available; however, the technician used a code reader that retrieved message: “5 Volts drop to th…”
NHTSA complaint #11550142, 2023

Exterior Lighting 3 1 crash

“My wife was parking the car at carport, all of sudden unintended acceleration happened and hit through the wall. The damage on the car was $12478.57 and damaged the wall and storage on both sides of carport. My wife is scared to drive this car.”
NHTSA complaint #11666275, 2025 · crash

“Incident: I have been almost rear ended numerous, numerous times despite having my turn signal on an appropriate distance from my turning point. Safety Issue: The rear signal lights are small and are only located on the bumper. The location of these signal lights are way too low for most driver's to even notice them! The signal lights also look like reflectors on the rear bumper especially in broad day light, making the detection of a signal even more difficult! I do like the Santa Fe, it is my second one, but had I known that the turn signal lights were located where they are, I would have N…”
NHTSA complaint #11572394, 2023

“The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at night with the low beam headlights illuminated, there was a dark shadow present in the top section of the illuminated light field causing a visibility hazard to the driver. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who confirmed the issue was present but informed the contact that the headlights were operating as intended. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 10.”
NHTSA complaint #11555700, 2023

Seat Belts 3 1 crash 1 injury

“I was in a car accident on September 30, 2025. I was hit from behind by a dump truck and was pushed into the car in front of me. My seat belt in my Santa Fe did not tighten, and my head hit the steering wheel. There is something wrong with the seat belts. I was going to take it to the dealer to check after repairs, but my car is a total loss. Just wanted you to know the seat belts failed, and it could happen to others who own this type of vehicle. The air bag did not deploy, but my understanding is that the car has to be going a certain speed.”
NHTSA complaint #11693746, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Driver and passenger seatbelts not always latching or becoming unlached while driving”
NHTSA complaint #11689850, 2025

“The seat belt in the middle seat of the second row did not work. And it was not fastened. So when braking, my child was thrown toward the center console. I think it's a big safety issue if the seat belt doesn't work.”
NHTSA complaint #11623717, 2024

Steering 3

“Shuddering Issue with Current Vehicle: - Problem: Progressive shuddering during take-off, accelerating, slowing down, and braking uphill.”
NHTSA complaint #11629441, 2024

“May 5th 2023 my car was broken in to.The back passenger window was broken out and the steering column was tour out .The car was undrivable. The car was towed May 18th to Nalley Hyundai.I just got my car back today Aug 11. I understand Hyundai is suing TikTok I was given a number.She said when they go to court.When .”
NHTSA complaint #11538034, 2023

“Driving at 25 mph and the vehicle alerted "shift to neutral" and came to a complete stop and stalled. Had no warning, couldn't even pull to side of road. Could not start again and had to be towed.”
NHTSA complaint #11533274, 2023

Visibility 3

“The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the panoramic sunroof exploded. The panoramic sunroof glass and the shades were closed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 9,100.”
NHTSA complaint #11575634, 2024

“Sunroof exploded while traveling at highway speeds causing glass to fall into the cabin. No impact from rocks, just exploded out of nowhere. Massive loud explosions sound”
NHTSA complaint #11562369, 2023

“Windshield started to crack after 150 miles on the car from driver side spreading across whole line of sight. No visible or audible rock hit the windshield”
NHTSA complaint #11560430, 2023

Air Bags 2 2 crash 1 fire 2 injury

“I was recently involved in a front side swipe accident where a person ran a red light and hit me while I was passing through an intersection. The impact was all in the front of the vehicle where the air bag had deployed. The air bag caught on fire within seconds after it had deployed. Thankfully I was conscious to where I was able to unbuckle my seat belt quickly and someone came to my aid quickly enough to where I was able to exit the vehicle safely.”
NHTSA complaint #11531008, 2023 · crash · fire · 1 injury(ies)

“I had adaptive cruise control on and debris hit my windshield and I went into the rumble strip and eventually into the guard rail where the car essentially pingponged from there until it eventually stopped when the metal hit the front. It appears the emergency brake did not activate and the lane keep did not activate. My air bags did not deploy.”
NHTSA complaint #11649463, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Carry Handle 1

“The harness does not stay tight on the child’s chest. The harness was adjusted to the correct fit, when pulled to check the tightness the harness does not stay taught. It releases without pushing the release button”
NHTSA complaint #11580193, 2024

Chest Clip 1

“The harness does not stay tight on the child’s chest. The harness was adjusted to the correct fit, when pulled to check the tightness the harness does not stay taught. It releases without pushing the release button”
NHTSA complaint #11580193, 2024

Fuel System 1

“The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving and decelerating to approximately 10 MPH onto an exit ramp, the vehicle suddenly stalled and failed to restart. The contact noticed that there was blue smoke coming from the exhaust pipes, and several unknown warning lights and messages illuminated, including the Check Engine warning light. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that a fuel injector had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 35,652.”
NHTSA complaint #11742763, 2026

Tires 1

“I was driving at around 11 a.m. on a city road at about 30 miles per hour when front passenger tire suddenly popped and car began to swerve almost colliding with vehicle in adjacent lane. The TPMS alert showed up on dashboard after the tire popped. There were no potholes or any objects that the car hit. The car along with tires had been inspected during routine maintenance at the dealer five days prior to this incident and no issues were found on tires or any lights on the dashboard. There were also no symptoms leading up to the tire suddenly popping. I contacted the manufacturer who referred…”
NHTSA complaint #11590614, 2024

Trailer Hitches 1

“2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE- Consumer states: I saw the notice on TV regarding a recall on my specific vehicle for the trailer hitch issue. I immediately contacted my local Hyundai dealership and scheduled an appointment. The Service Department concluded that my vehicle was included in the recall, I was told that they had not yet received a recommendation from Hyundai on a remedy for this fire hazard. My invoice indicates "your vehicle does have a Genuine Hyundai Towing hitch and 4-pin harness installed, there is currently no remedy available however you can continue driving the vehicle, but it is r…”
NHTSA complaint #11528825, 2023

How we read this (methodology)

How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe draws about 50.2 complaints per year on the road, ranking 2 of 15 among the Hyundai Santa Fe model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).

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