Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid battery drain problems

Filed Nov 8, 2026 · Electrical · OH

Vehicle is 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. Component that failed was the electrical system, specifically, the 12 V battery drained leaving the vehicle's electrical systems completely dead. Happened on two occasions: first in XXX, and second in XXX. Vehicle had to be towed in both instances. Our safety was put at risk in that my wife and I, who are both senior citizens, were essentially stranded in dark parking garages at night and left to arrange towing services under very difficult circumstances. In both instances, the electrical system was examined by Hyundai service technicians. The first time I was without the vehicle for 11 days. The second time I was without the vehicle for 22 days. Both service calls identified and confirmed that an unknown power drain was the source of the problem, and in both instances replacing the 12V battery was "the solution". The dealerships that serviced the vehicle ran all diagnostics and could not pinpoint the source of power drain; neither could assure me that it would not happen again, more or less at random. There were no warning lamps, messages or other indications of the problem prior to failure and the dealerships that serviced the vehicle (one in [XXX] and one in [XXX]) indicated that if it were to happen again, there likely would be no advance notice in that instance, either. Result: I have no confidence that the vehicle will not leave me stranded in an unsafe location/condition far from home or a vehicle service facility. Vehicle is parked in a surface lot next to our apartment in [XXX] while I shop for a new (non-Hyundai hybrid) vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Aug 3, 2026 · Electrical, Fuel system · CA

1.Fuel did not activate on this hybrid while in stop and go traffic when apparently the battery died. There was plenty of gas in this brand new car. The entire car died, gas pedal inactive, on the freeway just when traffic opened up with red car/exclamation point indicator on dash. After power cycle car Its message said something like “pull over and charge car in park”. We were close to shoulder so were able to do as instructed. 2. Car died suddenly in freeway traffic w 4 passengers inside. Could have been rear ended. There was no information in manual, on line or through BlueLink app on the battery function, this particular message or the problem. Or criteria that causes car to fail without switching to fuel. 3. Days later when I could get an appointment, The Escondido Dealer did diagnostics, visual and test drive and found nothing. Dealer had no means to look back at history to ID fault codes at time of event. I had exact time/miles. They did not check battery as the diagnostics were clean. Complaint made w Hyundai consumer affairs. [XXX]. Case XXX. They could not tell me criteria or specifications for message to pull over. They could not direct me to battery or “switch to fuel” criteria. They are working on case. I fear a software bug or engineering issue. A non plug in hybrid should function on gas if battery cannot work. 4. No insurance claim or police notified 5. There were NO warnings prior to the car dying. The Car died w red exclamation in red car indicating service right away. We put on flashers & We power cycled and words came up on dash stating something like “pull over and charge car in park” Engine temp was good as we watched it. We pulled over and car was functional within 10 min. We drove home without any further issues. Car had 1345 miles total at incident. Brand new car. Less than 2 mos old and we started trip w ~297miles. I was unable to get photo of warnings as they happened. Just after while sitting in traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.

Filed Aug 1, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · MT

Everything normal when parked in store parking lot. When vehicle was started to leave I noticed the vehicle had no sounds ... no radio sound from any source at any volume setting, no turn signal clicks, no parking proximity beeps, no navigation voice guidance, no sounds at all. All dashboard/visual displays were normal. Parked vehicle in garage when I got home and the next morning the battery was dead. Had to jump start the vehicle (the dead battery "fixed" the sound problem). An AI search shows this is a known issue for the 2024 & 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe and I found AI & You Tube fixes saying to "soft reset" the Infotainment/Sound system by turning the ignition to the "On" position (not starting the vehicle ... foot off the brake and push ignition once, then again). Use a paper clip or pen to press and hold the little dimple reset button just below the right side radio knob until the system resets, then foot on the brake and start the vehicle. If this does not work, disconnect the starting battery's Negative battery cable for 15 minutes. This is a mid level safety issue because audible warning systems will not work. Took the vehicle to the Hyundai dealer we bought it from but they didn't offer any acknowledgement that other same model vehicles have had similar problems and said they could not check or do anything since the vehicle wasn't currently having the problem. I had to argue like hell just to get them to record that the issue had occurred.

Filed Jul 8, 2026 · Electrical · WA

WHAT FAILED: The 12-volt battery / no-start system. Beginning XXX, my 2025 Santa Fe Hybrid (bought new XXX suffered seven (7) sudden 12V battery failures causing a complete no-start. Each time the vehicle became inoperable with no warning, stranding my family - including two minor children (ages [XXX] and [XXX]) - and requiring roadside assistance and towing. Events: XXX (tow), 1XXX; the vehicle has sat immobilized at the dealer since XXX (~113 days). 5 dealer repair orders are attached to this complaint. SAFETY RISK: A repeated no-start can strand occupants in unsafe locations and prevent the vehicle from starting in an emergency. Once it had to be extracted from inside our garage by AAA after a 3+ hour wait; on XXX the battery died ~2 minutes after a jump-start, before I drove away. CONFIRMED BY SERVICE CENTER: Yes. AAA certified 0% state of charge at each failure; an independent OBD scan showed 4% ('Not Getting Full Done'). Hyundai issued TSBs 26-01-016H (XXX) and 26-01-016H-1 (XXX) identifying the root cause as the Fingerprint Module (FPM) failing to enter SLEEP mode when the ignition is off, draining the 12V battery - the exact defect my vehicle showed, and it applies to my vehicle. An OTA remedy released the week of XXX was never applied. INSPECTED BY MANUFACTURER: Yes - the dealer and a Hyundai field engineer inspected it. The dealer repeatedly blamed my behavior (windows down, unlocked doors, short commutes ~20 mi/day); its own draw test showed no draw, yet the diagnosis was never corrected. A Final Repair Opportunity in Jan 2026 did not fix it; failures recurred XXX and XXX As of this writing (XXX) the vehicle remains at the dealership since XXX without any status on repairs done or pending. WARNING SYMPTOMS: Sudden no-start / no-crank with no prior warning lamp, beginning XXX and recurring repeatedly. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 4, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · WA

While driving on the highway the vehicle lost power and then lowered the transmission gear and would not accelerate over 17mph regardless of pressure on accelerator. I switched from auto hybrid mode over to sport mode so the gasoline engine could be used yet the transmission would not increase power to the tires. I stopped several times and restarted with no corrections. Vehicle battery drained quickly and vehicle alarm told me to pull over to charge battery. Sat for a few minutes to charge battery, put in drive and vehicle went forward to 17-20 mph and would not go any faster. Pedal was to the floor. The vehicle then gave several alarm lights and system failures. I limped the car home and called roadside assistance. Tried to put car in reverse for an easy tow and the car wouldn't move in reverse.

Filed May 26, 2026 · Electrical · PA

"My 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has experienced repeated parasitic battery drain. Dealer diagnostic reports dated 5/12/26 and 5/14/26 document 'Excessive dark current draw condition identified' with dark current spikes well above the normal threshold of 50mA. Vehicle was at Kelly Hyundai of Stroudsburg PA for approximately two weeks. Dealer replaced fingerprint sensor module as best guess repair but could not confirm it was the definitive cause. Battery replacement was denied as battery did not meet Hyundai's replacement threshold despite documented drain. Service technician verbally acknowledged this is a known issue across 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. DTCs C173300 Undervoltage Detected were found on both front door handle sensor modules. Concerned about long term battery health and potential for repeated drain leaving vehicle inoperable."

Filed Apr 13, 2026 · Fuel system, Transmission · SC

The 2025 Hyundai Hybrid Santa Fe SEL has experienced two instances (Nov 2025, 11k miles & Apr 2026, 14k miles) where the combustion engine fails to provide power to the vehicle’s wheels. The engine continues to run, but only enough to maintain a charge to the hybrid battery system. When accelerating to speeds above 30 miles per hour or when traveling up inclines, the combustion engine’s rotations per minute (rpm) spiked, however the vehicle’s power-train still rapidly lost power and the hybrid battery drained significant charge. During one instance in November 2025, while attempting to accelerate to 55 mph up an incline, the hybrid battery drained enough that the vehicle was required to be pulled off the road to allow the battery to charge. During the April 2026 event, while containing a family of four (including to young children under six years of age), the vehicle failed to accelerate to 60 mph up an incline on an interstate freeway bridge. The vehicle rapidly slowed to between 20 and 30 mph, putting the family in grave danger from high-speed collisions. Following both instances, the on-board diagnostics computer was reset, “resolving the issue” and the Hyundai technicians elected to make no further repairs or replacements. The onboard diagnostics code P0191 was reported following the April 2026 event, however no codes or errors were identified by the Hyundai technician following the November 2025 event. No additional follow-up was performed, even though the vehicle remained under the manufacturer’s warranty.

Filed Apr 14, 2025 · Electrical · CA

Car did dashboard update on 4/10/25. Had less than 4300 miles. Unable to unlock car due to dead battery. Car unlock service opened door for tow company to jump battery and advise that the new 2025 Santa Fe Hybrid battery needs to be replaced. May need other service (alternator or Hybrid battery too) but the 12v battery had been drained. Interior lights would not turn on prior to this happening.

Filed Mar 23, 2025 · Electrical, Transmission · NY

vehicle will not change out of EV electric mode and return to gas power causing hybrid battery drains to zero, vehicle loses acceleration, you can push the gas pedal to the floor and you have no acceleration, very UNSAFE when you are in traffic, no power to maneuver or avoid other vehicles quickly if needed, potential for accidents, hybrid system warning lights and alarms go on, have to try and pull over safely, battery will not recharge or takes a very long time to do so, only recourse is to shut vehicle off and restart which seems to reset vehicle, which in turn does not leave any warning lights other than codes on to show dealer, very dangerous to lose all acceleration capacity while in traffic, this has happened multiple times with the latest being today 3/23/25, vehicle is available for you to inspect, have had other powertrain codes issues as well, dealer has replaced fuel pump and erg valve but it does not resolve this hybrid issue, this battery drain issue has occurred multiple times but no resolution, help!

Filed Nov 16, 2024 · Electrical, Fuel system · CO

Twice, the car refused to switch from EV mode back to gas mode. This resulted in the hybrid battery dying and the car losing power. The first time, I was merging onto the freeway and the gas pedal was all the way at the floor, but I was only maintaining speed (not accelerating). Both times, the car was driveable for approximately one mile on the hybrid battery alone. However, a warning came on the dash, “Check hybrid system. Stop safely.” The second time, I was able to pull into a parking lot before the hybrid battery died. The next day, I was able to drive the car normally. The dealership is unable to pull any codes or replicate the issue. Unfortunately, it only happens intermittently and we have not identified a common theme for the failure.