2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid: check engine light

Filed Jul 22, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · NC

I am reporting a serious and recurring safety defect with my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, purchased new in January 2024. The vehicle has suffered from over 30–40 sudden hybrid system failures, including loss of acceleration, “Stop Vehicle” warnings, and check engine lights. These incidents happen without warning, including while driving at legal speeds (40–70 mph), on residential streets and highways. Most recently, the car failed twice in two days, while my teenage son was driving within all road laws, including once with a friend in the car. The vehicle simply stopped accelerating in the middle of traffic, endangering them and everyone around them. These failures have happened at legal speeds ranging from 40–70 mph, on both residential roads and highways. There is no advance warning, just abrupt loss of power and sudden warning messages. We’ve taken the vehicle to the South Charlotte Hyundai dealership multiple times. Each time, they either reset the check engine light or replaced indicators: but never addressed the root hybrid system failure. We filed a lemon law case, and Hyundai responded with only a $2,000 offer including legal fees, requiring us to keep the dangerous vehicle. We rejected the offer. These failures have occurred with children and passengers in the car. We have documented as many incidents as we could, including photos, service records, and communication with Hyundai. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I no longer feel safe driving or allowing my family to drive this car. This is a critical hybrid system failure that continues to place lives at risk. I believe this may be part of a wider pattern affecting Hyundai hybrid vehicles, and I am pleading with the federal safety agency to open an investigation before someone is seriously injured or worse.

Filed Nov 27, 2024 · Transmission · WI

Santa Fe will randomly experience inability to accelerate. I will hit the gas pedal, the engine will rev all the way up to power, it will slowly crawl forward and than violently accelerate. From the time I hit the gas pedal to the time it actually starts moving takes several seconds. It does this every time I come to a stop once it starts. It has done this 4 occasions now. It puts me at significant danger trying to turn across traffic. In general, it not accelerating as you would expect is a very dangerous situation. Dealer has had the car for over a month and has had the car reproduce the issue. The HEV light and check engine light had come on a couple of the occurrences.

Filed Sep 14, 2024 · Electrical, Transmission · CA

It started in April 2024. After the dealership performed an oil change we heard a strange noise whenever we accelerated. The dealership said it was either the transmission or the hybrid motor and both were on back order (usually an indicator that these parts are in great demand). After several weeks both parts arrived but they only replaced the transmission because that took care of the noise. A few days after we got the car back, we heard a clunking sound whenever we shifted. I tried to take the car to a different dealership but they said we had to return to the place that installed the transmission because bolts were missing. We went back to that dealership and they said no bolts were missing but they did need to be tightened. After that the clunking stopped, however, the next day we started experiencing other problems. The check engine and master system lights came on and the car would hesitate when accelerating. This was extremely dangerous when we were on the freeway and/or trying to accelerate from a traffic signal. Also, it had trouble shifting into reverse. The dealership said the codes were indicating the hybrid system battery needed to be replaced. The car has less than 20k miles.

Filed Feb 23, 2024 · Acceleration · PA

I purchased a brand new 2023 Santa Fe hybrid in August 2023. So far, on four separate occasions (Oct ‘23, Dec ‘23, Jan ‘24, Feb ‘24) I have lost accelerator/gas pedal power while driving down the highway. There is no warning, no lights on dash, nothing. I just all of the sudden lose power. On one occasion in particular, [XXX], I was driving on the highway with my 5 year old in the back seat. I suddenly and totally lost all accelerator/gas pedal power while in the passing lane. I rapidly lost speed and was decelerating with a truck directly behind me and another vehicle to my right in the regular lane. I had to quickly turn on my emergency flashers and pray the truck behind me was paying attention and didn’t hit me. I was jamming up traffic until I was able to get pulled over off the road. My vehicle has been into Hyundai’s garage a total of four times now for the same issue. They have yet to find the root of the problem or fix it. I recently picked up my car on [XXX] from the garage and exactly two weeks later it did it again, this time with my husband in the car so it is once again back in the garage. The last trip to the garage they were able to duplicate the issue but can’t find a cause. Twice my check engine light came on after the fact but only two of the four times. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle but corporate Hyundai did an “investigation” into my case and told me today they found I am not eligible for a refund or replacement and to continue to take it to a certified Hyundai garage if/when I continue to have problems. I’m very concerned I’ll be in a traffic accident when this happens again and now the occurrences are happening more frequently. This not only puts myself and my passengers in danger but other vehicles on the road around me as well. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Dec 14, 2023 · Acceleration · IL

Bought the car in July 2023. Nov 23: I had a check hybrid system followed by check engine + red battery warning while driving in the interstate. The car lost power abruptly. Coasted out of the interstate, took the exit, and turned it off. Restarted after 15 mins. Only the check engine light came back on. We drove it back home. Just as we were entering the garage, the sequence happened again: Check Hybrid System warning followed by Red battery warning followed by car losing power. We had to push it back into the garage. Started it two days later and the check engine light was on. Check Hybrid System and red battery warnings did not come back on. Nearby Hyundai dealer's service said that they are not certified to work on Hybrid cars. Hyundai roadside assistance refused to tow it to the dealership that I brought from. So, I had to drive it to the next nearby Hyundai dealer service center who is one hour away. There, the technician ran diagnostics for the check engine light and got an error code: P01E0100. He said that Hyundai's website for running error codes is down. He reset the check engine light and no warnings came back upon restarting the car, so he sent me out. Dec 12: While driving in the residential neighborhood near my home, check hybrid system followed by check engine + red battery warnings came on; car sputtered and jerked and lost power; I did the mistake of turning left to try and bring the car back home; car lost power in the middle of the turn. Fortunately, there were no oncoming cars, so I could coast at 2mph and cross the road. This was extremely dangerous. I am concerned on two fronts: 1. The dealership service technician might not be able to get the warnings again, reset the check engine light, and send me back on my way. 2. If this issue occurs while driving in the interstate or while turning left at a busy signal, then this will likely result in an accident. I am concerned for my safety.

Filed Aug 23, 2023 · Engine · MI

On 8/14/23/ I got the first oil change for my new car at the dealer. On 8/15/23 as I cruised at 65mph on a crowded Detroit expressway, I pushed further on the accelerator to get away from an aggressive driver on my tail. Nothing happened; The car engine shut down. No warning, no lights, no beeping, no alarm, no dash screen message. Dead engine in the middle lane with cars all around. After i miraculously made it to the shoulder of the freeway, The engine light and oil light came on. Not before, only after the car died. The dipstick indicated The car was out of oil. Unbeknownst to me the parts used to change the oil the previous day were defective. The oil had leaked out over the course of the day and over night. (I later discovered my driveway full of oil). THE PROBLEM, additional to the defective parts is the fact that I HAD NO WARNING THAT THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WAS IMMINENT. I HAD NO WARNING THAT THE CAR HAD NO OIL. I came close to getting killed that day, and still have nightmares. Had i known the car was oil-less, I would not have driven it. This is a car that beeps and pushes and tells one how to drive at every juncture. It tells low gas, low tire pressure, etc. WHY WOULD IT NOT WARN ABOUT THE LOW OIL OR THE IMMINENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN??? I was told the car has a “FAILSAFE” feature for the oil. HOW SAFE IS A FAILSAFE IF THE DRIVER GETS KILLED WHILE THE CAR ENGINE PROTECTS ITSELF???

Filed Jul 1, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · SC

Check engine light and HEV warning light come on and vehicle looses all power. It has been confirmed by myrtle beach Hyundai also they tried fixing the problem gave me back car supposedly fixed just to have same problem within 24 hours.The problem started later part of April and is still ongoing vehicle has been towed 3 times so far.My concern is what happens if I loose all power while driving.