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2020 Hyundai Santa Fe: hesitation when accelerating

5 of the 218 complaints about the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe describe hesitation when accelerating.

owner complaints
5
of this car's complaints
2%
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 12 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Hesitation when accelerating by model year

What owners say

Filed Jul 27, 2026 · IA

We were notified there was a recall and to schedule an appointment to get the update. We did and it was updated. It hesitated when we drove it the next day and everyday after. WE took it in a second time and was told by our dealer that following the completion of service campaign 9c2 certain vehicles may exhibit a brief hesitation or rough shifting conditions and to let it warm up for 1-3 minutes. We were told that Hyundai is working on it. It has been over a month and it still does it. I now own a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicle with less than 38,000 miles that is a lemon in my opinion. I am paying for gas to let it run for the 3 minutes and cant sell it or trade it in without a major reduction in price. I feel Hyundai is not being responsible for the damage they have caused to my vehicle.

Filed May 26, 2026 · Brakes · 79,000 miles · MD

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, while parking and while idling on different occasions, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

Filed May 26, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · 25,051 miles · NE

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that he received an unknown service campaign from the manufacturer indicating that a software update for emissions was needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where an ECU update was completed and an NP001-SC9C2 was installed for the engine and transmission. The contact stated that when his wife drove the vehicle home from the dealer, she noticed that something was wrong with the vehicle but did not specify the failures. The contact stated that the next day, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and shifted improperly, and while depressing the brake, the vehicle accelerated forward. The contact stated that the failure persisted and became more prevalent in the morning after sitting overnight. The vehicle was then taken to the same dealer where a shift engine value reset, transmission value reset, shift adaptations were made (Part number 95447-6G200). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred the next morning and has persisted every morning thereafter. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 25,051.

Filed Dec 26, 2025 · Fuel system · IL

I have a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe, 2.0T. I recently experienced the following issues; gasoline fumes coming into the car at low speeds, difficulty starting the car when it is cold and hesitation when trying to accelerate quickly. The check engine light came on and the dealer diagnosed a faulty fuel pump and high pressure hoses......on a car with only 49100 miles! The repair cars are estimated at over $1800. This is totally unacceptable and there should be a manufacturer issued recall on the car where Hyundai covers the cost of the repairs.

Filed Apr 16, 2025 · Engine · FL

I believe I am having an oil burning/consumption problem. I drove my car and the oil light flashed and I have had some hesitations in the engine. I checked the oil upon parking at my home and I had no oil on the dipstick. I put in approx 4.5 qts of oil. I read online that there is an oil consumption issue with my engine type (2.4 gdi). I called Hyundai Service Dept at my local dealership and they told me before looking at the car that wasnt an issue and not the problem. They investigated and found 0 leaks or issues with the car and engine. We did an oil change and they told me to come back in 1k miles. Im very close to the 1k miles and my dipstick is showing low level of oil. The dealership is not happy that I called today to tell them this and said just come in once you hit the 1k and no sooner. I have been told that the next test that needs to be done will be between 700 and 800 dollars out of my pocket as "Hyundai doesnt like to cover the tests and neither does the extended warranty." This appears to be a bigger issue than what Hyundai wants to acknowledge. I have no confidence in them fixing the car and debating to trade my sante fe in and getting a new car at this point.

Questions about the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe hesitation

Is hesitation when accelerating a common problem on the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe?

5 of 218 owner complaints about the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe (2%) mention hesitation when accelerating. The model year with the most reports is 2017.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe?

There are 0 recalls and 12 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe

Check engine light 25Oil consumption 22Engine failure 17Sunroof shattered 16Stalling 13Fire or smoke 11Knocking 9Jerking 9Won't start 9Collision warning 8Fuel pump 7Loss of power 6Adaptive cruise 5Won't shift 5

All model years of the Hyundai Santa Fe

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