2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Unknown Or Other Problems

I stopped to fill the gas on my road trip and the gas panel would not open. As a single women driving alone this is not ideal. It took 45 min of continuous unlocking/locking with pushing to get it to pop open. There needs to be an alternative/emergency handle to pull so this does not happen again. I was standing in 32 degree weather the entire time! NOT SAFE

Both horns have failed for the second time since the vehicle was purchased new in November 2023 and is currently showing 25,000 miles. The first set was replaced under warranty at a Hyundai dealership approximately 1 year ago. Not having a functioning vehicle horn is a safety hazard that would fail annual vehicle safety inspection testing in my state.

My back up camera is not working properly. The picture at times is scrambled and starts floating around on the screen. This was not the first time this has happened. I reported it to the dealership service department when I first noticed, about a year ago or longer. They updated the software and told me that would correct the problem. Clearly it did not correct the problem, if it is continuing to have issues.

The horn has broken 4 times. I was told that it is a design defect in the car and there is no permanent fix. Water gets in to the horn when it rains and because of the location of the horn it would have to be moved to fix it. Hyundai is aware of this safety issue and has not issued a recall because there is no permanent fix. They are supposed to be buying back my car but are dragging their feet. I'm sure this is an issue in more than just my car and it's very unsafe for the horn to just stop working.

Horn has failed 4 times

Horn has needed to be replaced twice. Stops working for no apparent reason.

The sunroof on my 2023 Santa Fe exploded.

Vehicles' charging side deck will heat up any phone we put in to charge inside that slot. We brought this to the dealers attention a couple times but they stated I needed to pay a service fee to have it looked at. It began happening a few weeks after we purchased the vehicle. We have not used the port ever since.

Horn No longer works in vehicle - A major safety issue

I have had 6 car appointments and on my 3rd horn replacement in this car. It goes completely out and it is a safety hazard to not have any horn. It loses both the high and low pitch horn

AC evaporator drain design problem June, 2024 approx. 3500 miles under warranty, AC evaporator drain line backed up into the passenger front right. Brought it to service - they unclogged and drained the line at no charge. June 2025 approx. 12,K miles under warranty, AC drain backed up again. The excess water drained onto my feet as a passenger and collected under the front seat, saturating the rug area, potentially causing additional mildew and respiratory causing irritation. Service required an appointment. drained it charged $88. Filed a complaint incl Hyundai Motors ; was told the $88 charge was irreversible - cause was weather. The CAR HEALTH HAZARD seems to stem from a major design flaw The air intake is in the windshield wiper cowl resulting in wet tree and leaf debris , bird droppings, etc collect even when the car is not in use. Thus, when heat or air conditioning is activated, air comes in through the air intake and then through the difficult to acces filter recessed behind the glove box , then into the passenger area When the AC drain hose is plugged, it backs up through the dirty filter and then out, to accumulate under the passenger seat allowing more mildew. Re:My 2024 mile blockage, the water was drained, but the filter was not mentioned. In 2025 with the $88 bill, the water was drained no mention the filter. Draining the water does not correct the problem. It should be required at every service the l drain hose is checked, water drained. and filter changed at no charge until a design correction to cover the cowling or an interim solution is installed We lnotice that we have sporadic respiratory problems in the first of miles of riding in all the car From Hyundai Motor America - We expect reimbursement for the $88 service charge. Warranty draining the water and new filter annually. and an NHTSB approved fix of the problem and an NHTSB approved redesign of future models

Horn not blowing. It started giving a low sound and now it has stopped working completely. I went online and saw where this problem is wide spread.

Car only has 20,000 miles and the horn already needs to be replaced

While driving the sunroof glass out of no where exploded.

I purchased a brand new vehicle from Hyundai within 9 months the horn stopped working. It was replaced 10/2024 and now less than 1 year the horn has stopped working once again. Hyundai has not issued an extended warranty to the Santa Fe model when this has been a known issue with all there vehicles for this year.

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 repeatedly, yet the vehicle continued to move uncontrollably. The steering wheel was unresponsive, and I was unable to redirect the vehicle or bring it to a stop. The car ultimately crashed into two other vehicles. During the collision, one of the vehicles pinned my left leg in its door, causing physical injury. I am now dealing with both physical and emotional trauma as a result. To be clear, this incident occurred on a flat surface. No airbag deployed upon impact, and there were no warning signs or alerts from the vehicle beforehand which is highly concerning, especially for a modern electric/hybrid vehicle. This car presents a major safety hazard and, in my opinion, should be recalled and removed from service immediately before it causes a fatality. I have contacted Enterprise multiple times to report this issue and urge them not to rent this vehicle to anyone else.

On [XXX] I was on [XXX] in Houston, TX southbound in the Woodlands area when my vehicle warning light for overheating went on. I pulled over on [XXX] and contacted Vehicle Assistance and the vehicle was towed to my dealer, Northwest Houston Hyundai. There was damage to a tube in front of the radiator and a/c condenser. The damage to the tube was approximately 1/16 of an inch in diameter and supposedly was caused by debris entering through the front grille which is designed like a large egg carton. The dealer spokesperson informed me that they had seen many vehicles like mine (2023 Santa Fe) with the same type of damage. I have been trying to settle this with Hyundai but they feel it is normal road damage and that the wide open grille design that allows it is not their problem. I can't even get them to approve a third party screen to protect the engine radiator from further design. They will not answer the question as to whether or not installing this item will void the warranty or not. It's dangerous to break down on a manor highway in a manor city particularly for us senior citizens. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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 times in the 1-1/2 years of ownership.

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 hitch harness, all of which have known defect/recall history in similar make/Model equivalent vehicles. This case may involve VIN exclusion errors or latent product defects similar to recent defects INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The car loses power. The battery and key ignition light keep coming on. A message displays auto engine off. Please shift to n or p and start engine manually. After communicating and showing video proof of the incident, the dealership replaced the alternator and battery. The issues started around 5000 miles. The infotainment system lags and the car lags. Sometimes I am left on the road because the case refuses to cut on or off.

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.

Driving on [XXX] in Victorville; sunroof shattered. Originally thought it was a tire blowout but there were no indications on the dash, no alerts, etc. Pulled over when safe to inspect vehicle and to make sure my kids were safe. Upon pulling over and exiting the vehicle, I started to make my way around the car to check the tires. All 4 tires were completely fine. Made a second round to double check everything, see if something went under the car, there was no sign of any damage. As I was getting into the car I noticed a huge hole in the sunroof, it was completely shattered. Safety of my family was at risk but fortunately it was a chilly morning and the sunroof was closed. Vehicle is available for request if needed but it currently located at the local Hyundai dealership. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The car has shut down unexpectedly for at least six times while driving at roads and highways. When this happens, engine stalls and nothing works and all alarms and check lights turn on and activated. Driver has to pull the car to the roadside which cannot be imagined when in a highway with all cars driving at 65-70mpH and the car suddenly slows down to stop. The other problem is that when the car is turned off and on again, all alarm and faults go away, and it can be driven again! It clears all safety and alarm checks and lights and behaves like nothing has happened. Car was bought on June2023. The first incident happened on Aug2023 and the next one on Sep2023. The next incidents on Feb2024, Sep2024, Nov2024 and the most recent on March 2025. The car has taken to the Sport Durst Hyundai dealership (Durham, NC) after incidents, however dealership did not perform any repairs in first four times claiming they could not duplicate the incident! (service reports attached for 3) After the third incident, we opened a case with Hyundai company trying to invoke the Lemon law, but our request did not go through despite all evidence we provided. Shamefully, their final suggestion to us was to sell the car! This was around March/Apr 2024. (Final decision letter attached) On fifth time, the driver did not shut down the car and towed it to the dealership while leaving electrical system on. They checked the car and claimed they found the cause and changed a part from car claiming it has been fixed. This was on Nov.2024. At the time we did not notice but, apparently that was a lie to make us quiet. The last time (sixth time) the same incident happened on [XXX]. The car was towed to dealership and is left there. We do have all screenshots from engine failures, although the dealership tried to wipe the history at some point. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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)

Took vehicle to the dealership on Jan 3, 2025 for the 15k mile oil change. They informed me they completed the multi-point inspection, with no issues discovered. Jan 10, 2025 I attempted to us the horn and discovered it didn't work, so I immediately went back to the dealership and scheduled a service, to troubleshoot the horn. Jan 20, 2025 dealership discovered both horns were defective and replaced both. Very strange for both horns to die so early. 🤔

Horn Failed. Would not sound, making it impossible to warn people if car might hit them or their vehicles or about any other issue they would need timely reporting about. Car was brought into dealer and 2 horns assemblies were replaced as non-functional

Just purchased the vehicle one week ago. I bought it used from a Hyundai dealer. Just discovered that the horns don't work, either the high tone or the low tone. I discovered it when I went to use the horn to alert a driver who was coming into my lane, pushed the horn on the steering wheel and nothing! I've checked the fuse and it is fine. Internet research shows this to be a prolific problem with Hyundai's. Because the horns don't work, neither does the alarm system. I tested by pushing the panic button on the key fob. The lights flash, like the alarm is trying to fully work, except the horns don't sound. I will be bringing it to the dealer as it is still under warranty.

SAFETY ISSUE: EXPLODING SUNROOF While driving my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited to work approximately at 6:15AM CST on 9/30/2024 on I-170 southbound in St. Louis, MO, the panoramic sunroof exploded. Car systems did not contain an indicator light or alert that the sunroof was stressed and about to explode. No debris (stone, rock, tree branch, item falling off a car or truck) or falling bird causing this sunroof damage. After the sunroof explosion, I continued driving. No other damage to my automobile or any other car on highway.

The vehicle's software update initiates upon start-up without the option to delay to a different time. The three updates I've received this year have taken 20-30 minutes each to complete, while I'm traveling. These updates disable hands-free calling, all media and GPS. I can't confirm if any other vehicle safety components are disabled. I don't use them. I contacted my dealer and they stated that's how it works, and there is no option to delay the update. When the update initiates it states the update can continue without the vehicle "ON". Wouldn't it be safer to have the ability to schedule it to a later time when the vehicle isn't being used? Similar to a cellphone update?

The forward collision warning system engages and slows the car, often very abruptly, when on the highway and only when cruise control is on. It happens after we have been on the highway for a few hours, thus the dealer cannot reproduce the incident. It happens a few times on every road trip and is very disturbing when there are no other vehicles or obstacles in the road or nearby. We have reported this to the dealer several times and they can find nothing wrong. I provided a photo to the dealer of the dashboard showing the cruise control on, the forward collision system DISENGAGED, and the forward collision warning activated. Dealer states they have recalibrated the system but can replace no parts unless a part is found to be faulty. The latest suggestion yesterday from the dealer was to "get out" of the car before the issue gets worse.

I purchased a 2023 SantaFe brand new mid-January, In June I noticed an issue with the car. I called Steele Hyundai in June to get an appointment and was told by Margarita that they didn’t have availability until September. REALLY. So, I went online and filled out an appointment and got an earlier appointment for August. Crazy Right? I then contacted Hyundai corporate to file a complaint, and was given a case number and Tina is the case worker. I brought the car in on [XXX] and left it there till [XXX]. Problem ended up a transmission needed replacement. WOW, quality!! I picked the car up on that Friday and it sat in the garage during labor day weekend. I first got back in the vehicle on Tuesday, [XXX] and knew immediately it wasn’t fixed. I decided to go to a different dealership for service World Car Hyundai in San Antonio and made an appointment for [XXX]. I called [XXX], spoke with Todd and explained needing a loaner. He asked me what I was bringing it in for, told him I had the transmission replaced. He said to give it a week to get the computer to adjust to my driving. SAY WHAT? So, I did and no bueno. I called again on Thursday, [XXX] to bring it in to World Car and spoke with Justin and made an appointment for Tuesday [XXX]. On Saturday, [XXX], we took the car to Austin for my husband to determine what he thought, he said, “this car isn’t drivable”. On Monday, [XXX], I cancelled my appointment for World Car because Todd said Steele knows the history of what work they did, and it would be best. My husband dropped the car off at Steele on Monday without an appointment. The service director Rene is familiar with my vehicle and today when I called him about the car, he said it’s the TRANSMISSION AGAIN. My question is what is wrong with the quality of the engineering or the quality of the service technology. I DON’T trust this car, I need a SOLUTION. I need an answer. I need you to fix this problem with this C INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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 moving in Drive or Reverse and the driver door is opened the car shifts into Park. That feature failed. The car was inspected by a Hyundai dealer and claim no error codes found and dismissed any other information as provided in this report

I was driving down the expressway and my sunroof exploded. It scared me so bad that I swerved and almost lost control of the car. I thought something hit me.

Horn does not function. Trip to the service department and was advised it’s a known issue and they will call me when one comes in. This car is one year old and the horn not working is a major safety concern for me. A search online shows this is an issue for several buyers without a recall notice.

WHEN I WAS DRIVING TO WORK THE MORNING OF 5/20/2024, MY PANORAMIC SUNROOF EXPLODED OUT OF NOWHERE. PART OF THE GLASS FELL ON MY HEAD RESULTING IN A CONCUSSION.

Driving down the interstate yesterday & heard a very loud ‘POP!’ Looked when I got home to find that the sunroof glass had shattered (as has, apparently, happened to more than a few vehicles by Hyundai, as well as other manufacturers), & fell onto the fabric liner below it. Thankfully, I did not have any of my grandchildren in the back seat at the time, & the sunroof was closed. At the very least, Hyundai needs to replace and repair the glass, & be sure, before it’s returned to me, that it’s better than it was when it was new.

While driving on [XXX] at 65 MPH, without warning the sunroof spontaneously exploded and shattered. It produced an extremely loud bang, like a gunshot, startling me to where I almost lost control of the vehicle. There were no vehicles in front of us, no vehicles behind us, and nothing above us (not traveling under a bridge or overpass). We were traveling in the state of Mississippi at the time and it was 58 degrees and raining, NO HAIL was coming down ever. The dealer cannot explain why this would happen but would not cover it under warranty. The vehicle is brand new with 4,100 miles on it when this occurred. Insurance company is paying for the repair which is now complete. The shattered sunroof is thrown away but I have pictures of it right after it happened. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I have taken my vehicle back into the dealership because my car will sometimes unlock itself, I am constantly having to check the doors to make sure they are still locked and most of the time it has unlocked itself. Most of the time I hear it unlocking as I am walking away. It is very disturbing. It also beeps as if another vehicle is going to crash into me and most of the time there aren't any vehicles anywhere near me. The phone charger does not work, i have been having issues with this from the beginning. The steering wheel also says I have to put my hands on the wheel when I have them on the wheel. I have a video of the car going a lot of rpms and it barely moved, a golf cart passed me up. The car also locks up sometimes when I am backing up. I drive my parents to San Antonio for their Dr. appointments and am a little fearful of staying stranded either direction. My father is very ill and I am their driver. The dealer insists my car is the only one having these issues but I have read on reddit and other platforms of other Santa Fe's with similar issues. These issues do not occur ALL THE TIME, but this does occur at the most inconvenience time.

have read lot of complaints from the I Hyundai form and this is happening to my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe that the Shifter system malfunction! Service Immediately light came on and it would not let the car park, reverse, go into neutral had to turn the car off. then car had to be restarted in order for it to go into park. the car only has 7388miles.The car is being worked on today 3/112023

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 NEVER purchased this vehicle as the risk of getting rear ended is too high.

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

I was driving on the freeway when it sounded like an explosion inside the vehicle occurred. I was not sure what it was at first, and then I started to hear glass rattling in the sunroof area. I pulled over and looked on top of the vehicle and the sunroof glass has exploded. Nothing hit the vehicle, so heat must have caused the sunroof to explode. It was approximately 103 degrees outside per the vehicle's thermometer.

Over the last Tom th, I have encountered some pretty scary issues with my brand new Santa Fe purchased in April. Last week, while driving, after I turned on adaptive cruise control, the system alerted me that “smart crusade control conditions weren’t met” and kept trying to engage the front left brake — this occurred three days in a row. After turning off the smart cruise control and entering residential roads, the front left brake tried to engage in a manner that seemed consistent with ABS issue. I brought car in two days later to Dublin Hyundai and they said they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. I picked the car up yesterday morning and then last night while driving on the highway, it alerted me that I need to “check highway drive assist system” and a warning light came up. After about 5 minutes, the car jerked me incredibly hard to the left on the freeway and then athe light turned off. Then two days ago, I was driving my car on the highway the car randomly said “emergency braking system activated” twice, while going 70 on the freeway in the middle of nowhere. This was while driving safely and no cars nearby either time. I looked online and it appears this is a problem that’s occurred in many Santa Fe’s, so there is clearly an issue with manufacturing (which I’m assuming is the same case as the previous issues I’ve run into).

Hello, I would like to point out a safety issue many new car manufacturers have actually implemented. I've witnessed this safety issue at two accident myself. Most automakers today lock your car doors automatically unnoticed by most drivers . The door locks are operated by electrical current only, if a accident destroys your car battery mechanically or by shorting out the battery in water, a person is unable to unlock their door. Thereby trapping them inside their car. In case your car is on fire or submerging in water you are trapped. There normally is a mechanical lock release if you are aware of how to use it, most people today if questioned have no idea how to do that. My son recently purchased a new Ford pickup that when the doors are locked the little plunger that you would pull up manually to release your door lock is recessed in the panel to the point you cannot grab hold of it. GMC truck owners are told to just pull the handle three times and the door will unlock, this is a true statement, if, the battery is connected. Research will show many people drowning and killed by automobile fire, When they have been perfectly physically capable of escaping the car If the door lock had not prevented them from escaping. It Is such a simple fix, just by redesigning the mechanical operation to only luck the door from the outside not the person inside. This auto lock future can not be changed on this car as i have requested. Please contact me with questions. Thank you for your help in saving lives! [XXX] My back ground has been 25 years with IBM in R&D also aircraft electrician, and industrial electrician INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

While traveling on state highway I heard a sudden, loud pop, similar to a gunshot sound. I looked everywhere and noticed that the sunroof was shattered. It is panoramic and was open. The rear, unopened section was completely shattered. Upon closer inspection there is a jagged hole about 1.5 inches in length in the sunroof. Although the rear part of the sunroof was intact, there were shards of glass scattered throughout the cabin.

I bought a brand new 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. Not even one month later the panoramic sunroof exploded while I was driving on the interstate at 75 mph. There were no warning lamps, messages or other signs that this would/could happen prior to the incident. I was not informed by the dealership that this could happen, but they were aware it could happen. I was told by the Sales Manager, “We wouldn’t sell the cars if we informed consumers”. I had the screen cover closed, so I was very fortunate because it could have caused a major accident on the interstate if it was open and glass exploded all over me and got in my eyes. Hopefully the vehicles behind me did not have any damage to their vehicles from the glass. I was not told if it is available for inspection. I was only told that it would be replaced. This problem is happening since 2012. There have been multiple class-action lawsuits with multiple car brands that have panoramic sunroofs.