Hyundai Santa Fe key fob problems

Filed Oct 29, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · AR

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)

Filed Sep 24, 2026 · Electrical · OH

It seems like the computer or electrical system is failing in the main ECU and the entertainment console. The car's entertainment console will blink when driving over a bump or while braking. It will disconnect from apple carplay and won't reconnect. More importantly, it will turn the car completely off while braking sometimes. This happens while moving. There was an incident where the car didn't wake up and unlock with the key fob first thing in the morning. I had to unlock it with the physical key. Once I opened the door th car woke up and the alarm went off.

Filed May 29, 2026 · Electrical, Seats · IA · 1 injury

My 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe (VIN: [XXX] ) is suffering from a severe, systemic vehicle-wide electrical network failure. The main digital instrument cluster screen has suffered four separate total blackouts (XXX), completely eliminating all driver visibility of the speedometer, odometer, safety malfunction telltales, and critical warning alerts while operating the vehicle at highway speeds. The vehicle has also experienced continuous battery collapses, recurring navigation freezes, and malfunctioning proximity key fobs/electronic door locks that fail to secure or unlock the vehicle.Most severely, on XXX, a defective, short-circuiting heated seat element experienced an uncontrolled thermal spike and caused physical thermal burn injuries to the right side of my body during an out-of-state trip. Photographic evidence of the physical body burns has been preserved. The authorized dealership was presented with this defect during an extended 38-day shop visit immediately following the incident but was completely unable to diagnose, or repair this severe electrical safety hazard. The vehicle remains unsafe to occupy. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Apr 30, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · VA

On April 27, 2026, my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe experienced an intermittent electrical/system malfunction affecting multiple vehicle systems at the same time. Multiple orange warning lights/messages appeared on the dash, including driver-assistance warnings and the master warning triangle. At the same time, the front turn signal stopped working, causing rapid flashing; the power locks stopped working; the windows would not roll up or down; and the rear liftgate would not open using the key fob or exterior liftgate button. The vehicle/component is available for inspection upon request. This created a safety and access issue. The malfunction affected exterior signaling, locks, windows, and rear cargo access. My dog was in a crate in the rear cargo area, and I could not open the liftgate normally to access him. The failure of locks/windows/liftgate could create a serious emergency risk if a person, pet, or cargo needed to be accessed quickly, and the turn signal failure affected my ability to safely signal to other drivers. The issue lasted approximately 30–40 minutes and did not immediately clear after turning the vehicle off and back on. It later returned to normal on its own. This has happened more than once. The vehicle was taken to a Hyundai dealership for inspection. The dealer has been working with Hyundai Techline, but as of now they have not been able to reproduce the issue or find active diagnostic codes. I provided video evidence of the dash warnings from the incident. The dealer advised that scans currently show systems operating as designed because the issue is intermittent and not occurring during inspection. There were no prior symptoms before the failure. The warning lamps and messages appeared at the time the malfunction occurred. Seek reimbursement for rental car fees and diagnostic fee.

Filed Apr 22, 2026 · Electrical, Suspension · KY

The vehicle intermittently fails to reverse properly, hesitates, jerks, and at times locks despite no obstruction present. This occurs during normal use and creates a serious safety concern, particularly when backing out of parking spaces or into traffic. In addition, the vehicle exhibits ongoing electrical issues, including intermittent warning lights, rearview camera distortion or failure, inconsistent system operation, intermittent inability to unlock using the key fob or door handle, and the vehicle fan or air system continuing to run for extended periods after the vehicle has been turned off. These issues occur without consistent warning and have not been resolved despite multiple service visits. The vehicle is also subject to an active safety recall (the federal safety agency Recall 26V218000, Manufacturer Recall 298) involving the front seatbelt anchor. The recall remains unrepaired, with no remedy currently available. I have personally experienced the seatbelt becoming stuck and not releasing properly, which presents an additional safety risk. The vehicle also experienced a battery failure. I was initially informed that the battery could not be replaced without cost; however, it was later replaced. Despite repeated concerns, the hybrid battery system was not tested or evaluated, and this remains an unresolved issue affecting vehicle reliability and safety. Additionally, the vehicle has experienced tire tread separation and peeling requiring replacement. This is not consistent with normal wear and may indicate alignment, suspension, or other underlying vehicle-related defects. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership multiple times; however, the issues were not reproduced and no corrective repairs were performed. These problems are intermittent and occur during regular day-to-day operation. Collectively, these unresolved issues present an ongoing safety risk to the driver and others.

Filed Jul 28, 2025 · Driver assistance, Electrical · MA

*Problem Parts:I only could check 1 box- should be Brakes and Steering too *ADAS: Lane Keeping Assistance too Over the course of two days, my 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe experienced a serious electrical and safety system failure. It started with the blind spot monitoring lights flickering in the side mirrors and warnings for Forward Collision Avoidance (disabled), ABS, Electronic Stability Control, Downhill Brake Control, Parking Brake & Brake Fluid (blinking red). The rearview camera failed and the screen remained on the radio display when in reverse. The Lane Keeping Assist Indicator shifted from white/green to orange. The next morning, I had trouble opening the vehicle with the key fob. Auto Hold, Master Warning, Forward Collision, ESC, and Downhill Brake Control lights were now steadily on. The MPH numbers on the dash were blurred, and a message appeared saying “Put in P” even though the vehicle was already parked. The accessories light came on, but the engine would not start. Interior lights continued to work. I had to manually open the car and start it by pressing the fob to the button. While trying to exit a parking garage (where a tow truck couldn’t reach me), more warnings appeared: AWD, Low Tire Pressure, Malfunction Indicator (not engine), and Power Steering. I felt tightness in the wheel and had to pull over. The temp and gas gauges dropped to zero along with the RPMs. I have a newer car battery and recently replaced fob batteries, so this was not a simple battery failure. I’ve reported the issue to Hyundai Consumer Affairs. No recall appears under my VIN, despite similar failures being widely reported in this model. I’m a single parent who typically drives with two young children, including one with serious medical needs. I rely heavily on this vehicle for medical travel. The vehicle has since been towed to a Hyundai dealership for diagnostics. This is a serious safety concern and could have led to a loss of control or failure in an emergency situation

Filed Jul 12, 2025 · Electrical · TN

I tried to open the doors of my locked vehicle with the key fob and there was no response. I tried several times and nothing happened. I called AAA and they opened the door with my valet key and was able to pop the trunk. He checked the battery and it was working fine. He then noticed that the wire connecting the battery to the fuse box has melted at the point of contract with the fuse box and actually melted part of the plastic fuse box. There was nothing he could do, so I had to have the car towed to the dealer. I was lucky that the total meltdown of the electrical system did not occur when I was driving or I would not have been able to see any of the controls on the inside of the auto and not be able to use the gear shift to put the car in park.

Filed May 31, 2025 · Body, Electrical · FL

On [XXX] at [XXX], my [XXX] daughter was locked inside my 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe (VIN: [XXX] ) while holding the Smart Key fob in the back seat. She pressed the lock button, and the vehicle completely locked — with her and the key fob still inside. This violates the Smart Key safety feature described in Hyundai’s owner’s manual, which says the car should not lock if the key is inside. That system failed. There were no warning lights or alerts. I had no way to unlock the doors. I experienced a full panic attack. I feared my child could die from heat exposure. I was forced to break the rear window to rescue her. I was terrified the glass might injure her, but I had no choice. Since then, I have been emotionally traumatized and avoid driving out of fear it will happen again. To my knowledge, this has not yet been inspected by a dealer or Hyundai. I am reporting this because the Smart Key locking system failed in a dangerous way that put my child’s life at risk. This system should be investigated for defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Dec 8, 2024 · MI

Just purchased the vehicle one week ago. I bought it used from a Hyundai dealer. Just discovered that the horns don't work, either the high tone or the low tone. I discovered it when I went to use the horn to alert a driver who was coming into my lane, pushed the horn on the steering wheel and nothing! I've checked the fuse and it is fine. Internet research shows this to be a prolific problem with Hyundai's. Because the horns don't work, neither does the alarm system. I tested by pushing the panic button on the key fob. The lights flash, like the alarm is trying to fully work, except the horns don't sound. I will be bringing it to the dealer as it is still under warranty.

Filed Jan 17, 2024 · TX

The Key Fob and Door Touch Sensors will not operate when outside temperatures are cold. I have to use the Manual Key to unlock & lock my doors.