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.
Hyundai Santa Fe grinding brakes problems
96 of the 7,720 owner complaints about the Hyundai Santa Fe describe grinding or squealing brakes, most of them for the 2007 model year.
- owner complaints
- 96
- worst model year
- 2007
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,800
- typical mileage
- 36,000
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 13Check engine light 7Brake failure 7ABS 5Knocking 4Coil spring 4Overheating 3Loss of power 3
What owners say
There is a terrible squeaking noise coming from the steering column. It feels like the car is unsafe to drive
A brand new Santa Fe Hybrid AWD SEL(less than 2500 miles) makes squeaky noises when rotating the steering wheel to the counter clock wise. It is very annoying and frustrating. Due to the noise I can't fully concentrate to driving the car. Brought the vehicle to a local dealer and they would not do anything about it.
Was coming off an exit on the interstate and started slowing down. My brakes act like they didn’t want to work. Grinding and the pedal was twitching under my foot. The car stopped thankfully, but then all Linda of lights came on the my dash and will not go off. And 3 warning come up!
Consistently after 10-20 minutes of driving with steering assist or immediately upon driving on cold days (under 50F), the steering wheel generates loud squeaking noises with the steering wheel stiffening and becoming harder to turn, creating a potential safety issue. The change is gradual but required a full stop of the car, shutdown, and restart to remedy. This issue has persisted for months and other Hyundai owners have shared the issue on various forums with Hyundai’s solution to replace the full steering column in some instances. Many owners seem to not be able to get help as dealers are not able to easily replicate this issue without lengthy drives.
Battery/Electrical: 3 separate occasions the battery drained completely overnight, requiring mechanical key to open and jumpstart services from AAA (covered under Hyundai services). Risk of leaving me stranded on isolated areas. Problem confirmed via 3 requests for AAA to jumpstart my vehicle. Hyundai service dept inspected vehicle, confirmed low battery levels, unable to reproduce issues overnight, reported no electrical or mechanical issues that would cause battery drain. No warning messages, lamps, or symptoms prior to each failure. Steering wheel column has friction squeak when using driver assist and adjusting direction. No issues at this time.
Engine light was blinking. Hearing grinding from the front. Steering locked up. I was able to pull over safely. Called tow truck. The mechanic diagnosed it said it needed a new engine. The car has 106,000 miles on it.
I was driving my daughters to school and the vehicle made a loud squeal and a subsequently a continuous clicking noise. I did not have any warning of the vehicle malfunctioning. There was no check engine light, no loss of power, or anything related to an impending failure. Upon this happening I was able to quickly get the vehicle moved as I was in the middle of the road with people around and lucking was not hit as I immediately stopped. I was close to home and was able to get the vehicle back to our home. Upon speaking with a Hyundai dealership they made me aware of a “silent recall” on many motors within the Hyundai failure due to internal failures. The vehicle was towed to the dealership and inspected and confirmed to have been linked to the engine failure. Hyundai is now stating that due to me being the second owner of the vehicle I am not apt to the extended warranty and there is no notice on any of the public facing knowledge to any of this information. I have gone through almost 2.5 months of back and forth with Hyundai case managers & the Attorney general.
While driving a 1/2 second squeal came from engine compartment. Motor immediately stopped. No power steering or brakes. Vehicle is available for inspection. We were on an interstate We coasted to shoulder. There issue is frequent on Internet forums. A trusted mechanic old us the engine was totally seized. Could be turned manually. No oil in crankcase. At this time only aforementioned mechanic has inspected the vehicle. No warning sounds or performance changes prior to incident. No warning lights or notice warnings were seen prior coincident.
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that upon start the vehicle, there was an abnormal grinding noise coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled soon after while depressing the accelerator pedal. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to Bell Road Mitsubishi (1901 E Bell Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85022) where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were both notified of the failure and instructed the contact to tow the vehicle to the dealer. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V578000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer where it was towed. The failure mileage was unknown.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
- Risk
- An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.
Recall number 23V651000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
- Risk
- An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 218.
Recall number 22V056000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2007-2010 Elantra and 2009-2011 Elantra Touring vehicles. On February 21, 2020 Hyundai expanded the recall to include 46,425 model year 2007-2008 Entourage and 2007 Santa Fe vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
- Risk
- An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the car is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
- Remedy
- Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the vehicle's main junction box to prevent the risk of an ABS short-circuit while the car is turned off, free of charge. The recall began April 2, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 188.
Recall number 20V061000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper
- What is wrong
- Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2011 santa fe vehicles manufactured from september 28, 2010, through november 25, 2010. Some of the rear brake calipers may not have been properly machined.
- Risk
- As a result, brake fluid will leak, followed by illumination of the malfunction indicator light indicating the brake fluid level is low and should be checked, then a soft or spongy brake pedal feel, and if not serviced, reduced braking power which could increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear calipers and replace it if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on december 17, 2010. Owners may contact hyundai roadside assistance at 1‑800‑243‑7766.
Recall number 10V613000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.5 liter v-6 engines, 4-wheel drive and antilock braking systems (ABS), if the brake pedal is depressed at speeds between 3 and 12 MPH when the brake pad friction surfaces are wet, a vibration may occur between the brake discs and pads causing ABS sensor electronic signal noise to develop. At speeds below 5 MPH, the ABS sensor signal noise may cause the ABS electronic control unit (ecu) to activate the ABS, extending the stopping distance.
- Risk
- If an extended stopping distance occurs, it could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the ABS ecu. Owner notification began on march 24, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai at 1‑800‑633‑5151.
Recall number 04V131000 · Recall details
Questions about the Hyundai Santa Fe grinding brakes
Which Hyundai Santa Fe years have grinding or squealing brakes problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2007 (15 complaints), 2003 (10 complaints) and 2009 (9 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix grinding or squealing brakes on the Hyundai Santa Fe?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,800 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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