2024 Hyundai Santa Fe: engine stalls while driving

Filed Nov 9, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · TX

1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? • The factory digital A/V audio amplifier failed due to an internal electrical short circuit. It is physically located on the driver's side behind the 3rd-row side panel trim. Yes, the component is still inside the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? • The failure completely disables the vehicle's audio output, leaving it 100% silent. This cuts off all audible warning chimes for critical safety features—including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Blind-Spot Collision Warnings, Rear Cross-Traffic Alerts, and Parking Sensors. Driving without audible crash-avoidance alerts significantly increases the risk of an accident. Additionally, the internal short creates an active parasitic battery drain that can unexpectedly stall or strand the vehicle in dangerous situations. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? • Yes. The problem was officially reproduced, diagnosed, and confirmed by AutoNation Hyundai [XXX] on XXX under Repair Order #XXX. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? • Yes, the vehicle and component were formally inspected by a factory-trained Hyundai dealership technician ([XXX], Technician ID XXX). 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? • The primary symptom was a severe, unexplained parasitic battery drain that first appeared and completely destroyed the battery in XXX. The battery had to be replaced under warranty at that time. The complete loss of cabin sound and safety chimes occurred suddenly on XXX, caused by the amplifier shorting out and continuously draining the electrical system. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Nov 6, 2026 · Electrical · IN

My 2024 Santa Fe has completely lost electrical power three times in under five months: XXX. Each time it was found dead in my driveway. In XXX and XXX, the day before it died, the radio, turn-signal sounds, cameras and alerts lost all sound. The third time there was no warning. Roadside assistance was called all three times. In XXX, the roadside technician jump-started it and his tester showed a bad battery, so I left it running and drove it straight to the dealer. In August and October it had to be towed. The first failure came the day after recall work on the rear-view camera harness (recall 288). The dealer's tests said the battery passed in XXX and XXXX, and no part was replaced. On XXX the dealer said the battery "finally tested bad" and replaced it under warranty. The cause of the drain has not been identified. While driving, the car has also at times sputtered and then come back to life. All three failures happened at home, but a car that loses all power without warning can leave a driver stranded or stall in traffic. The second failure came two weeks after we returned from a long highway trip from [XXX] to [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 8, 2026 · Transmission · 12,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, after the light turned to green, the vehicle stalled and became inoperable. The contact waited for several seconds and depressed the accelerator pedal before the vehicle returned to normal operation. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V529000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was contacted but was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

Filed Apr 19, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · CA

When the car is off and in park and you go to turn on the car on by pressing the brake and power button button, the electrical system doesn't register and wont turn the ignition on and the brake gets stuck and you cant start the car. The same thing happens when the cars auto ignition is turned off at a red light then you press the gas to go but it doesnt show the gear is in drive and the ignition turns off and wont turn back on. The major safety concern is when this happens at a red light or in traffic and my car stalls and I am at risk of getting rear ended. I have taken the car to the dealership twice now for the same issue. The first time they claimed it was fixed but it wasnt and now it is at the dealership again for the same issue and I have not received any remedy yet. There is no warning to this issue it happens out of know where and is extremely dangerous. The issue has been going on for several months.

Filed Mar 1, 2026 · Acceleration · OH

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Unsure, but likely transmission. I no longer own the vehicle, it is at Tom Ahl Hyundai in Lima, Ohio. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? When the vehicle was put in reverse, without pressing the gas the car would rapidly accelerate and jerk as if it was going to stall. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the dealership. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The manufacturer was working on a fix but unable to figure out the issue, so I returned the car. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, no warning lights.

Filed Feb 19, 2026 · Transmission · TX

On November 18, 2025, at 24,370 miles, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic powertrain failure, triggering a dashboard warning: "Transmission system error! Check transmission oil immediately." The vehicle suffered a loss of reliable motive power. This sudden failure is a severe safety hazard that presents a high risk of stalling or stranding in active traffic, which is especially dangerous as this vehicle is used for a 40-mile round-trip school commute four days a week on local highways. The dealership replaced the transmission, keeping the vehicle out of service for 27 days. However, the exact same critical failure occurred a second time on December 24, 2025, at 24,878 miles. The vehicle was once again completely incapacitated and required a second transmission replacement as well as a new TCU, resulting in an additional 50 days out of service. Two catastrophic transmission failures within a 500-mile span on a brand new vehicle demonstrate a highly dangerous defect that puts the driver, passengers, and other motorists at unreasonable risk of a crash due to sudden loss of power.

Filed Nov 8, 2025 · Body, Electrical · NY

I was riding on a suburban street and ran over a branch I did not see due to rain and darkness. I went back and looked at the incident and the branch did not seem like it was that big but I quickly lost power and my car stalled and I could not get it restarted. I later found out that that branch took out my hybrid battery connection under the car which rendered the car useless. It is a 5000 fix. I don't know why such an important part is exposed under the undercarriage of an AWD SUV. I was traveling at 27 MPH. If I had been on a highway it would have been very dangerous to have stalled out so fast. Once it was stalled the battery drained very fast from me running my hazards so that the tow truck driver had to jump it to get it to go from neutral to park and my parking brake is electric so I couldn't activate the parking brake either. I would also like to say that the headlights on this car are severely underpowered.

Filed Aug 30, 2024 · Transmission · FL

On Wednesday, August 28, 2024, I was driving southbound on Interstate 95 in Florida at 72 miles per hour in the left lane. As I approached my exit, I attempted to switch to the middle lane when, suddenly, the car stalled. Pressing the gas pedal had no effect, and the car rapidly lost speed. Fortunately, the drivers around me, who were all traveling at speeds exceeding 70 miles per hour, slowed down, allowing me to safely pull over onto the shoulder of the highway. The following morning, I contacted the dealer and drove the car in for inspection. I was shocked to learn that the car, which is a brand-new lease with only 1,500 miles and less than two months old, requires a new transmission. After this terrifying experience, I no longer feel safe driving this vehicle, even after the transmission is replaced. This is my first Hyundai, and in 25 years of leasing cars, ranging from Honda to Maserati, I have never encountered an issue like this. The whole point of leasing a car is to avoid situations like this one. This is completely unacceptable.