On three occasions while Highway Driving Assist / Smart Cruise Control was engaged, my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid did not slow down for the vehicle ahead and continued at its set speed. I had to brake manually to avoid a collision. Dates and conditions: UNKNOWN exact dates. All three occurred within the past several weeks. Warning lamps or messages: UNKNOWN. I did not notice a warning before the system failed to slow down. Inspection: The vehicle has not yet been inspected for this problem. I have reported it to Westlake Hyundai in Thousand Oaks, CA, and it has a service appointment scheduled. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance. The vehicle also has other ongoing issues, including the brake pedal sticking at startup, two no-start events requiring roadside assistance, and intermittent electrical problems. I am concerned this is a safety defect that could cause a rear-end collision.
The worst 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical30
- Driver assistance27
- Transmission22
- Tires17
- Engine14
- Visibility13
- Acceleration9
- Seat belts8
- Seats6
- Fuel system5
- Steering5
- Brakes4
- Body3
- Suspension3
- Airbags2
- Wheels2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe
Adaptive cruise 12Loss of power 8Seat belt 8Tire blowout 8Windshield crack 7Check engine light 6Jerking 5
Recalls 5
Seat belts: front: anchorage
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, 2023-2026 Genesis G90, 2024-2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, and Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The driver and passenger seat belt anchors may detach.
- Risk
- A detached seat belt anchor will not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and reinforce or replace the seat belt anchors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 29, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460 and Genesis customer service at 844‑340‑9741. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 298 and 032G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on April 8, 2026.
Recall number 26V218000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: display function
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The rearview camera may not have been installed properly, which can damage the wiring harness and cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the camera wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning January 15, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 288. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on November 22, 2025.
Recall number 25V808000 · Recall details
Air bags: side/window: curtain
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.
- Risk
- Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on November 22, 2025.
Recall number 25V809000 · Recall details
Electrical system: starter assembly
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Santa Fe vehicles. The B+ positive terminal cover on the starter motor assembly may be improperly installed, which can cause an electrical short during a crash.
- Risk
- An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and reinstall the starter motor terminal cover, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning October 22, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 285. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on October 4, 2025.
Recall number 25V659000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: critical fasteners
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson and Santa Fe vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power and engine damage, possibly resulting in an oil leak.
- Risk
- A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. An oil leak in the presence of hot engine components can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 281.
Recall number 25V549000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe 42
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Discharged battery condition due to the Fingerprint Module (FPM) not entering 'SLEEP' mode when the...
- This bulletin provides information related to the navigation and head unit software changes introduced in...
- Some Hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (PDW) sensor(s) that may trigger...
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- Higher-than-expected engine oil consumption
- 12-volt battery drain due to the passive entry feature of the Digital Key 2 premium causing repeated...
- Wrinkling on the first or second row seat cushions or seat backs, or tearing along the perforation holes...
- Buzz, squeak, rattle noises when the driver’s front seat is adjusted forward or backwards due to friction...
- This bulletin provides information related to the navigation and head unit software changes introduced in...
- The federal safety agency has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit...
2025 Hyundai Santa Fe fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4‑cyl Hybrid | FWD | 36 | 35 | 36 |
| 1.6L 4‑cyl Hybrid | AWD | 35 | 34 | 34 |
| 2.5L 4‑cyl | FWD | 20 | 29 | 24 |
| 2.5L 4‑cyl | AWD | 19-20 | 26-28 | 22-23 |
What 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
2025 Hyundai Santa Fe - The sound for the blinkers, rear-view camera alerts, and radio sounds has gone out 2 times, once in XXX and then on XXX. This is a safety issue. I have had issues with an electrical battery drain with the key fob antenna being one of issues draining the battery and replaced in XXX. After the sound went out on XXX, I did not drive the vehicle for 1 day, then went to get into the vehicle on Wednesday, XXX and the vehicle was dead. No lights were on, it would not unlock. I missed the scheduled service appointment I had on the XXX due to the dead battery. The car had sat unused for less than 24 hours. I had to call Hyundai roadside assistance for them to jump the car off and tow it to the dealership yesterday afternoon. The battery drain started happening at 700 miles on the car, where I jumped it off myself, and continued to happen every month or two. I kept jumping it off and taking it to the dealership to let them know what was going on. Sometimes, they would investigate it, and sometimes nothing would get done about it. I have had to jump this vehicle off myself at least 6 times since XXX. Yesterday, I just called roadside assistance. There is clearly an electrical drain on the car battery somewhere in this vehicle. XXX, the car was located in [XXX] on a vacation and started having shuttering and engine light came on. This was fixed on XXX by replacing #4 fuel injector prior to 30,000 miles. This is not a reliable vehicle, or safe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. While reversing out of the garage, the back over prevention sensing system failed to alert the contact that another vehicle was parked nearby in the driveway. The failure caused the contact to crash into another vehicle. The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site. The contact filed an insurance claim with the insurance company. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
with not warming the vehicle would not start using the standard FOB. It would not be recognized. Fortunately, we had an alternative Digital Card (which is NOT standard equipment) that allowed us to start and drive the vehicle. Upon calling Hyundai support we were instructed to take the vehicle to the nearest Hyundai dealership for diagnosis. The diagnosis was a failed BDC (Body Domain Controller). This part took a week to arrive at the dealership and subsequent repairs were made. The dealership indicated that they had seen this problem before, but no service advisories from Hyundai were available for this issue. I have asked Hyundai for an explanation and nothing has been forthcoming. My primary issue with this problem is that if I had not acquired a digital card, at an additional cost of approximately $200, we would have been stranded, with no manner in which to start or drive the vehicle. There were no indications of a problem, no alerts in car, and no alerts via the My Hyundai web site via the internal diagnostics. The BDC just failed, with no explanation. Without any type of explanation or diagnostic information, who knows if or when this could occur again, and where.
the ongoing safety defect affecting my leased 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. This summarizes the facts as discussed, the danger this defect presents, and the urgent need for resolution. Summary of the Defect Since leasing the vehicle, it has intermittently and without warning decelerated to a complete stop (0 MPH) while driving, regardless of the speed at which I am traveling — including at approximately 30 MPH on local roads and at approximately 65 MPH on I-95. The specific facts of this defect are as follows: The vehicle decelerates to a full stop within approximately 5-10 seconds of the malfunction beginning, with no advance warning. After the vehicle stops, attempting to accelerate again takes approximately 30-45 seconds before the vehicle begins to move, and it does so only slowly. When this occurs, the vehicle beeps and a flashing green “OFF LIMITS” light appears. No check engine light or other diagnostic warning is triggered at any point. This has occurred approximately 25 times since I leased the vehicle. On the last three occasions I reported this, Hyundai/dealership personnel drove the vehicle and were unable to duplicate the problem. As I have repeatedly explained, the defect occurs intermittently and unpredictably, so this is not evidence the problem does not exist. The Danger This Defect Presents I want to be direct about the severity of this situation. A vehicle that decelerates to a complete stop without warning — whether on a local road or on a highway at 65 MPH — creates an immediate risk of a rear-end collision, a multi-vehicle accident, or worse. The fact that the vehicle then takes 30-45 seconds to regain even slow movement compounds this danger, particularly in moving traffic. This is not a comfort or inconvenience issue; it is a significant, stressful, and potentially deadly safety defect, both for me and for any passengers in my vehicle, as well as for other drivers on the road.
Fighting with Hyundai for a year over the vibration in the front, steering and seat seats. First, they said tires. Hyundai case mgmt #XXX. The tires were replaced by mfr warranty, vibration never stopped. @18253miles. 3 times they assessed problem but not recorded.XXX I told tech to record on invoice. XXX they kept the car for several days, brought in a specialist, gave me a rental. Couldn’t find the problem again charged me $235 for a repair thing not only couldn’t find but couldn’t fix. On XXX Bloomington dealer emailed me, take elsewhere 2nd option. [XXX] drove our car and four other cars. All of them vibrate. he really did research. The other dealer did not. He documented everything shared it with the case manager at Hyundai. At least six trips to have this looked out. cannot figure out why it vibrates. Hyundai sent me an email .XXX “Based on these findings, the dealership determined that the condition is consistent with the operating characteristics of like vehicles and does not indicate a warrantable defect or malfunction. The dealership has completed all applicable diagnostic procedures outlined by Hyundai and has confirmed that your vehicle is operating as designed. At this time, there are no additional repairs or corrective actions available, as no abnormal condition has been identified. Therefore, we are unable to offer any further repair or resolution regarding this concern” Well, I know this may not be in your mind as safety issue. In the future, there are concerns about a car vibration, causing problems. They didn’t record the problem at first, and then they stopped, repairing it before lemon law. Not to mention when you take a drink of coffee or put your arm across the camera in front of your face on the steering wheel, it de-accelerates and shuts off the cruise in the middle of heavy traffic at Highway speeds. Which is a great way to get killed in [XXX] traffic. Please reach out with questions. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
These tires will blow prior to 10,000 miles. They peel, fall apart and are very expensive to replace. These tires are not safe. The Hyundai Santa 2026 are not safe cars
the federal safety agency Vehicle Safety Complaint My 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe has a recurring problem when starting the vehicle. When I start the vehicle, the engine jumps abnormally. I have taken the vehicle to a Hyundai dealership multiple times specifically because of this problem. The condition continues to occur, but I have repeatedly been told that the dealership cannot find anything wrong and that they have to wait for a diagnostic code to appear before they can determine the cause. The vehicle has now developed an additional symptom. When I turn the vehicle off, it sometimes makes an abnormal prolonged gurgling/squeaking-type noise that continues for approximately 3-4 seconds. This shutdown noise is new and is occurring in addition to the recurring engine jumping during startup. No cause has been identified or repaired despite multiple dealership visits. I am concerned that an unidentified engine/powertrain problem is continuing and appears to be developing additional symptoms while I continue operating the vehicle. The vehicle remains available for inspection. I have also experienced problems with both middle-row seats not properly retracting/folding. I reported the problem to the dealership, but only one side was addressed. A component from the back of one seat has also detached. The detached component and vehicle remain available for inspection. I am reporting these conditions because they have continued despite repeated attempts to obtain diagnosis and repair. I do not know the underlying cause, and the dealership has not identified one. Its becoming worse then before so something is wrong.
Pirelli Scorpion 255/45 R20 I am filing this complaint regarding a serious and unacceptable defect with my Pirelli tires. To date, two of the four tires have proven to be defective. In both instances, the defect was not readily apparent while the tires were mounted on the vehicle. The problem was discovered only when a qualified tire technician attempted to remove the tires from their rims. In both cases, the tire structure collapsed during removal. This is extremely concerning. A tire should not collapse or fail structurally simply because a trained tire technician is removing it from the wheel. The fact that this has now occurred with two out of four tires strongly suggests that this is not an isolated incident. I have also researched complaints filed with the federal safety agency and have found numerous complaints involving Pirelli tires and sidewall failures, including sidewall bulges, blowouts, tread separation, and other structural failures. My research indicates that there are at least 15 complaints specifically involving the sidewall giving way. the federal safety agency states that consumer complaints are used to identify potential safety-defect trends. There are also recent the federal safety agency complaints involving Pirelli tires reporting sidewall bulges and failures, including complaints involving relatively new tires. Given that 50% of my four tires have now exhibited a serious structural failure, I am extremely concerned about the safety and reliability of the remaining two tires. I do not believe I should be expected to continue using tires that may contain the same defect. I am requesting that Pirelli: Immediately investigate all four tires, including the two that have already failed. Provide a written explanation as to why these tires collapsed during professional removal from the rims. Determine whether this represents a manufacturing or structural defect. Replace all four tires at no cost to me, rather than requiring me to wait for additional
ON 3 separate occasions the vehicle has suddenly quit going.twice going through an intersection after taking off. the third time going up hill near my house. the car would only go 10 mph. A message would come up on the dash that reads " transmission system error, Check transmission oil immediately. That was not the problem. The Hyundai dealership performed a recall update on the computer the first time.but that didn't solve the problem as a week later the same thing happened .Again the car was towed to the dealership. this time another transmission service was performed according to a tech line information. after retrieving my car from the dealership I drove it for less than a week and the same thing happened. The car was towed back to the dealership again.Now the dealership says they can't do any repairs as the computer will not store any malfunction codes so they will know what to repair. I have been in contact with Hyundai Motor America and a case file has been established. " 43176412 ". Hyundai will not accept any responsibility for placing a computer in a car that will not retain a MIL code. Hyundai now tells me they have done all they can and for me to get my car from the dealership and drive it. That is ridiculous. Hyundai wants me to put myself in danger of having a wreck because the car loses power in front of traffic behind me. People start slamming on brakes to keep from hitting me and blowing their horns.I'm also afraid of some loose cannon out there having road rage at me because I can't get out of the way. As for the car and Hyundai , no mention of the shortcomings of the computer was mentioned until the 3rd time the car was towed back to the dealership. Also, there is some type of serious problem with the transmission which Hyundai is failing to be concerned with . This is a dangerous situation. do I need to be seriously injured or worse before Hyundai addresses this issue ?
Compare the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe
Is the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
Owners have filed 139 complaints about the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, fewer than a typical Santa Fe model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Electrical system, with 30 complaints. Next is driver assistance (27).
How many recalls does the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe have?
5 recalls, covering seat belts, back over prevention and air bags.
Was there a recall on the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe electrical?
Yes, 1 recall: 25V659000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Hyundai Santa Fe have the most electrical problems?
The Hyundai Santa Fe model years with the most electrical complaints are 2007 (97 complaints), 2008 (74 complaints) and 2017 (70 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe get?
Official estimates for the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe range from 22 to 36 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.6L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD) gets 36 city and 35 highway.
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