Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid stalling problems

Filed Oct 3, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · PA

Driving the car in a shaded area. All lights went off on the dash telling me every warning. Car stalled out and died on the side of the road. 5th time this exact thing has happened and Hyundai dealer said nothing is wrong.

Filed Jul 27, 2026 · Transmission · UT

The vehicle has suffered a catastrophic structural manufacturing defect involving a transmission case half seal failure. The transmission is actively seeping/leaking fluid directly from the factory-mated case assembly line seal. This presents a severe, progressive safety hazard. Transmission fluid leaking from the case half migrates along the underbody of the vehicle and directly coats hot exhaust and powertrain components during highway operation. This creates an immediate risk of under-hood smoke, thermal degradation, component stalling, or a potential vehicle fire at high speeds. Certified diagnostic inspection confirms this is a factory assembly defect (defective RTV sealant application or improper factory bolt torque) and not mechanical wear-and-tear or driver neglect. The vehicle currently has 88,000 miles, but the structural failure was first physically documented by a licensed facility at 59,870 miles. The manufacturer (Hyundai Motor America) has currently refused to honor the powertrain failure, forcing the vehicle to remain on the road with an active powertrain fluid leak risk.

Filed May 6, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · 3,300 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated to 25 MPH with a “Vehicle Will Shut Down” warning message displayed. The contact stated that the engine then began to shut down, and although the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to accelerate and stalled. The failure occurred on multiple occasions, requiring the vehicle to be towed each time. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired and the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and multiple cases were opened, The failure mileage was approximately 3,300.

Filed Dec 7, 2025 · Acceleration, Engine · NC

Description of the Problem: I own a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Limited with approximately 3 months of use. While driving on highway, the vehicle suddenly stalled displaying “Hybrid System Failure-Stop by side”. I had to stop on shoulder and restart, drove it couple of days and it happened again. Engine would not start, leaving the vehicle stuck in EV mode only with no ability to accelerate properly, Vehicle wouldnt go beyond 35mph. The vehicle then stalled and became unsafe to operate on a public road. After restarting, the vehicle displayed a Check Engine Light. Tookk it to the dealer and the dealer reported DTC P1122000, but did not provide clear evidence of an internal system fault. The dealer claimed the event was caused by “20% ethanol in the fuel,” which is inconsistent with U.S. pump labeling laws. When I checked my credit card entries around the time for refuel, all of them are reputed gas stations with nothing lower than "87" gas which is in alignment with car manufacturer's recommendation. This sudden stall created a serious safety hazard, and I am concerned this may be a broader issue with the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid drivetrain, fuel system sensors, or hybrid control module. I am requesting the federal safety agency to look into whether similar complaints exist, as this failure mode can result in loss of propulsion at speed, putting occupants at risk.

Filed Sep 10, 2025 · Transmission · UT

Vehicle Information: 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybird SEL VIN: [XXX] Purchased date: [XXX] (Less than one year) Mileage at incident: 12,753 Incident date: [XXX] Dealer: Kengarff Downtown Hyundai Summary of Problem: I am filing this complaint because of a serious safety concern caused by clear dealership negligence and potential engine failure. During a routine service, the dealership failed to add engine oil, but recorded in the service invoice that it was added. I unknowingly drove the vehicle 3–5 miles without oil, and multiple DTC error codes (P052400, P001100, P001400) appeared. The oil warning light, which should have alerted me, did not activate. Although a later borescope inspection stated there was “no immediate damage,” since then, the vehicle has shown: Significant loss of power and acceleration Abnormally high RPMs, even when the car is stopped Louder engine noises RPM is increasing suddenly while driving downhill without acceleration This vehicle is less than one year old and costs over $40,000. I should not be forced to drive a new car that may have hidden or delayed engine damage. Safety Concern: I have a [XXX], and I cannot risk sudden engine failure, stalling, or fire while driving. This is not only a reliability issue, but a serious safety hazard for my family and others on the road. Attempts to Resolve: Reported to Hyundai corporate, case opened. The dealership admitted the mistake but denied responsibility after the inspection. Hyundai corporate stated “no action until further inspection,” despite clear evidence of negligence. I continue to experience performance and safety issues. Requested Action: I urge the federal safety agency to investigate this incident and hold Hyundai accountable for both the dealership’s negligence and the potential safety defects (oil light failure, possible hidden engine damage). Consumers should not be left to drive unsafe vehicles, especially when children’s safety is at stake. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jun 25, 2025 · Driver assistance · MN

Have a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid with a Drivers Attention Warning problem. The warning turns on frequently when using cruise control. When the warning beeps a few times in quick succession it actually shuts down the system, reduces speed to a crawl, and turns off the engine. This only happens while using cruise control, no issue with DAW when cruise control is off. So can't use cruise control on the highway/interstate. Dealer is no help. This is obviously a safety issue when the engine turns off while driving on an interstate. Thanks

Filed Feb 18, 2025 · Fuel system · OK

Our car had 2149 miles on it. Engine started to stalled on [XXX] on [XXX] from OKC to Tulsa. We made it to Tulsa. The car was towed to Tulsa Hyundai dealership on 12/25/2024. After diagnostic on 12/26/24, we were told the car had bad gas. The dealership performed the necessary work including replacing 4 fuel injectors in order to fix the problem. It cost $3991.52 and it took a week. We were told since this was not a manufacturer problem that we are responsible for the repair. We paid for the repair. We always get our gas from Costco. So we filed a report with Costco stating that we got bad gas from them. Costco turned it into their adjuster at Gallagher Bassett. He investigated and told us that his findings indicated that Costco did not have bad gas in the month of December according to their quality reports. No other cars filed complaints regarding gas issue. Our claim was denied. The question remained where the bad gas came from. Was it truly a bad gas problem or did the car have fuel injector issues and that bad gas was a cover up. We bought a new car, we purchase gas from a reputable company and we ended up with this problem that we were responsible for through no fault of our own. We are filing a report to see whether there are other cars of this model that had similar issues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Nov 3, 2024 · Acceleration, Transmission · CA

We purchased our '24 Santa Fe hybrid on 9/18/24 new with no problems. On 10/8/24, about three weeks later, I was stopped at a stoplight after exiting the freeway. When the light turned green, I accelerated and felt a clunk, then the car would not accelerate past about 30 mph. Several warning lights came up on the dash. I could hear the engine revving, but it felt like it wouldn't go into the next gear. I thought I could make it to the dealership, which was only a few miles away. But at the next stoplight, I was stopped in a turn lane, and when I pushed on the gas nothing happened. I tried shifting back and forth from park and restarting the car, but nothing helped. The car would not accelerate at all. CHP shut down the intersection and helped me push the car to the side of the road, where I waited for a tow truck. The car was towed to Folsom Lake Hyundai, where it was purchased. Warning lights said "Check hybrid system," "Transmission control system" and "Driver assistance system." The app listed these codes under POWERTRAIN issues: DTC P198500, DTC P178400. We picked up the car from the service center on 10/11/24. They said a wire came loose from the oil pump, so they reattached it according to factory direction and it's fixed. 5 days later, on 10/16/24, the car stalled again. This time on the freeway. I entered the freeway and accelerated, then felt a similar clunk and got the same warning lights. This time, the car would not accelerate at all. I stopped on the side of the freeway and was towed to Folsom Lake Hyundai again. It took almost 2 weeks to repair, but they said the same thing happened again. The same wire came loose, causing the car to stall. Their solution was to reattach it again and wish me luck. They said maybe I drove on a bumpy road, but there's nothing else they can do but reattach it and get it out the door. I do not feel like this is an adequate repair and we are now worried that the car will stall again in the coming days.

Filed Jul 19, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · GA

When I start driving the car if I come up to a hill when I try to accelerate to move forward the cars engine cuts out almost like it stalls. I have to floor or pump the gas which makes a revving sound and the car will go.

Filed Jan 4, 2024 · Engine · 25,000 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle failed to restart, and the vehicle was towed. A message indicating that there was no power was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the intake valve had failed. Additionally, an unknown recall repair was performed on the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.