2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints

AIR BAGS — Filed 06/25/2026

This email serves as a formal dispute of the warranty denial issued by [Lester Glenn Hyundai Toms River NJ] regarding the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) passenger airbag sensor in my 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe.The dealership has refused coverage, attributing the failure to "water damage." I strongly dispute this finding and am formally requesting a Corporate Goodwill Repair Exception or a tier-two engineering review of my vehicle due to the safety-critical nature of this component.

AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 04/27/2026

The airbag sensor is on in the car. When I told the dealership they stated that the sensor is not covered under the warranty even though it was over by a fe hundred miles. None of the airbags will deploy if there is an accident. I don't see why a safety issue is not covered by the warranty. For the dealership to fix it, it is going to be over $800.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 06/30/2026

I did a navigation update as requested by the infotainment system on the Hyundai. After the update, the air conditioner would not turn on when the ac button was depressed . I took the vehicle to my local Hyundai dealer and they found the ac blower and ac button working intermittently. After further inspection, the mechanic found the multi fuses that sit on the PCB bloc had one burnt fuse that did not blow and was still hot and the PCB block had melted around where the fuse connected to it. ( Hyundai stated that they required the damaged PCB fuse, the PCB block and the harness). I'm concerned that the electrical short discovered by the Hyundai mechanic could have progress and burnt my car or my house since I keep my car in the garage. The Mechanic working for the Hyundai dealer found the burnt fuses and PCB block and kept them after replacing them with new parts. The ac was working fine until I did the navigation update and there were no warnings whatsoever.

ENGINE — Filed 11/20/2025

While driving, my vehicle displayed “Shifter System Malfunction! Service Immediately.” Immediately after, I was unable to shift the vehicle from Drive into Park, Reverse, or Neutral. The only way to park the vehicle was to turn the engine off while it was still in Drive, restart it, and then shift into Park. This is an extreme safety hazard. A driver who cannot change gears can lose control of the situation during an emergency, be unable to safely park, reverse, or place the vehicle in neutral if needed. Having to shut the engine off while the transmission is still in Drive is unsafe and not how the vehicle is intended to operate. This issue first occurred around 45,000 miles while the vehicle was under warranty, but it temporarily resolved on its own. It has now returned in June 2026 at approximately 65,500 miles, after the warranty expired, and is happening repeatedly. After researching online, I found many Hyundai owners reporting the same “Shifter System Malfunction” with identical symptoms, indicating this may be a widespread defect. I request that NHTSA investigate this issue, as it poses a serious risk to driver and public safety.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 06/27/2026

Latch system for fuel tank door failure.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 06/26/2023

The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the automatic emergency braking system engaged while there were no objects or vehicles near the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the pre-collision message was displayed while the vehicle was parked or was idling. The vehicle was taken to dealer on several occasions; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the dealer assessment was most important. The failure mileage was unknown.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 06/09/2026

Child opened the back hatch (as instructed). The child then pressed the button to close the back hatch. Fingers were trapped at the bottom of the hatch, and the hatch “clamped” into position. The interior hatch release was not sufficiently intuitive for the chiller to remove the trim and slide the tab, resulting in the child being trapped for 10-15 minutes before help arrived.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 05/22/2026

I have videos of these two incidents and others that I could not upload. While driving on the PA Turnpike at 4:25PM on 5/22/26 75 mph my accelerator pedal stopped responding, my front collision warning light, engine, EPB, and numerous other lights came on across my dashboard despite there being no contact with any object and my speed rapidly dropped. The front camera came on as if there was an object too close. I was in the middle lane. While I was trying to move to the shoulder there were tractor trailers behind me and to my right that began flashing their lights because my speed drastically dropped and was unable to safely stay with the flow of traffic in the heavy rain. While still in Drive car started changing through notices on my digital screen "Check Blind-Spot Safety system" "Check Forward Safety system" with the car crash icon, and "Check Driver Attention Warning (DAW) system." Then I began trying to press the accelerator pedal again and the car would not move at all but the tachometer was going to 2x1000rpm. When I turned the car off and turned it back on again the engine light was still on, but the accelerator pedal was responsive. About an hour later when the tow truck driver from AAA attempted to drive the car on to the flat bed the accelerator pedal was unresponsive again. This was at least the fifth time my vehicle had lost propulsion without warning. Every prior time Bowser Hyundai had different reasons for the failure, made a repair, and said it was safe to drive. Another incident occurred 4/7/2026 using cruise control at 84 mph when the car unexpectedly lost propulsion. The accelerator was again unresponsive, I was on the turnpike with two children in the vehicle. I steered towards the shoulder and the car slowed to a stop. After that incident, Bowser Hyundai replaced the transmission on the car. They notified me on June 18 that they believe they fixed the problem again but I don't feel the vehicle is safe for my family and worry it will be deadly

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — Filed 05/23/2026

Vehicle: 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe | Current Mileage: 140,000 Description of Safety Defect: While operating a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe at speed, the vehicle suffered a sudden, complete, and catastrophic loss of motive power in the middle of a live, active roadway without any prior warning or dashboard indicator lights. The transmission abruptly dropped out of gear and the engine shut down entirely, trapping the driver and three young children in active traffic and creating an immediate, life-threatening highway safety hazard. The vehicle was towed to Sport Durst Hyundai in Durham, NC, where technicians confirmed a total internal transmission failure where the gears fail to engage. This exact mechanical failure mechanism directly mirrors the severe engineering defect detailed in NHTSA Campaign Number 22V746000 (Hyundai Safety Recall 236) for electric oil pump failures causing a sudden loss of drive power. Hyundai Motor America Corporate Case Management has issued a flat denial of all safety and goodwill repair coverage based strictly on the vehicle's 140,000 miles, claiming that mileage absolves them of product liability for a catastrophic drivetrain safety defect that endangered three young children. Furthermore, the franchise dealership is actively withholding the GDS diagnostic failure scan codes from the consumer, calling them "internal documents" to actively suppress federal evidence of this safety failure. Further, the authorized Hyundai dealership engaged in deceptive practices by refusing to put anything in writing, and refusing my request for any diagnostic information, including any report indicating diagnostic error codes, technician summary, etc.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 04/17/2026

Beginning on 04/17/2026, my vehicle began displaying multiple safety-related dashboard warnings simultaneously, accompanied by audible alerts. The warnings included the Forward Collision Safety System, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), Stability and Traction Control, Lane Keep Assist, and AUTO HOLD — all activating at the same time. These warnings reappeared on several occasions and were photographed with date and location data embedded in each image. My vehicle was brought to Burlington Hyundai dealership, where a repair order was opened and a loaner was provided. The car was returned without the issue being fixed. Within days, the same warnings reappeared and the situation worsened. On multiple occasions, the engine shut off completely and the transmission shifted into neutral on its own while my vehicle was being driven at approximately 20 to 40 mph. On at least one occasion, the parking brake engaged automatically without any input from the driver. A dashboard photo clearly documents the message "Engine Off! Shift to N, then start engine." These failures are a serious danger to everyone on the road. When the engine shuts off while driving, normal steering and braking ability is lost. When the parking brake engaged on its own, the car stopped abruptly with no warning. Any one of these incidents could have caused a serious accident or injury. My vehicle was returned to the dealership for a second repair visit and a second loaner was provided. The dealership confirmed via text that the car was still in the shop but never followed up with a diagnosis or timeline. When the dealership was called directly, no update was provided. As of 06/04/2026, my vehicle has been at the dealership for at least 30 days across two visits — 11 days for the first and at least 19 days for the second — with no confirmed root cause, no completed repair, and no clear communication.