Forward collision avoidance problems and related engine and powertrain issues are the main cause of complaints based on our analysis.
Transmission Problems? Learn more about our Santa Fe Transmission Class Action Investigation.
Originally launched in 2000, and now dubbed “the adventurous family SUV,” the Hyundai Santa Fe was the automaker’s first SUV. Now in its fourth generation, Hyundai boasts that it has the “best-in-class safety features,” and incorporates “the most advanced technology.” But, year after year, consumers complain about safety issues and technology that doesn’t work properly. Those driving the 2023 model express fears about “life-threatening hesitation accelerating,” and complain that the emergency brakes have a mind of their own.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2020 2021 2022
It’s still early days for the 2023 Santa Fe, but by March 2023 it was evident that it hasn’t escaped the acceleration issues that 2022 owners have been facing. Owners see this as an engine and powertrain issue, even though they don’t know what the problem is, and dealers can’t help.
Other complaints to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) are varied, with forward collision avoidance being another main topic. There are also several complaints filed as visibility/wiper issues, including cracked windshields.
An owner from Washington filed a complaint in three categories, Vehicle Speed Control, Visibility/Wiper, and Forward Collision Avoidance. The least of his worries seems to be that the automatic wipers are intermittent. But it’s certainly an issue. “The dealership has replaced the windshield sensor and (the) issue is now unreliable at best. The service department told me to simply wipe the sensor off or pour water onto the sensor to get the wipers to work. That seems to work for about 3 wipes and then stops again.”
More dramatic is the fact that “the driver seat changes position by itself while driving, and the advanced cruise control failed to provide any braking. This almost caused me to rear-end a stopped car in freeway traffic. Additionally, the advanced braking system does not work at all… I had the salesman check the settings and they are turned on but do not provide any braking function. The alert system does provide a warning if a car turns a corner in front of me, but fails to take any action.”
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Power Train | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Engine | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Electrical System | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Visibility/wiper |
On March 17, 2023, Hyundai issued an urgent safety recall of more than half a million Santa Fe and Santa Cruz vehicles. The problem is that water accumulates on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board and this may cause an electrical short. If this happens, the vehicle may catch fire. Hyundai advises owners to park outside and away from structures “until the remedy is completed.”
It isn’t clear when the remedy would be available. But the recall notice, NHTSA Campaign Number 23V181000, states that dealers will inspect the modules and remove the fuse if necessary “as an interim repair.”
2019-2023 Santa Fe vehicles are affected, as well as 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, and 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEVs. A smaller number (14,933) of Hyundai 2021-2022 Santa Fe Hybrids and 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs) along with 2023 Genesis G80 Electric vehicles have been recalled because of a fear that seat belt pretensioners may explode. If they do, the possibility is that metal fragments could be projected into the vehicle, striking and injuring occupants.
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Convinced that he bought a lemon on January 14, 2023, a North Carolina owner states, “The front collision detection doesn’t brake to avoid (a) collision. The emergency brake will engage on its own, and it has to be manually disengaged. The parking assist feature will automatically disengage and is unable to engage it. The middle seat in the back seat headrest obstructs a major portion of the rear window, obstructing the driver’s view. It is not the headrest pictured in the Owner’s Manual. It has been in the shop twice.”
Having “owned this lemon of a vehicle” for 34 days, the complainant states that the 2023 Santa Fe “has been in the shop for 10 days and counting.”
An owner from Connecticut describes how he had two experiences. In “normal driving conditions” the “forward collision warning system engaged unexpectedly, (and) braked hard” even though there was “no collision imminent.” He could smell burnt tires. On a second occasion, when he stopped at a traffic light, “the vehicle suddenly warned of (a) forward parking collision.” Additionally, the front camera engaged and a yellow warning was displayed
There are lots of acceleration issues with the 2022 Santa Fe. So far, the main problem facing 2023 owners is a general failure of the SUV to accelerate.
An owner from Virginia laid a complaint with the NHTSA after this had happened twice. “On December 11 and 12, 2022, my 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Hybrid failed to accelerate in traffic. In both cases, I was attempting gradual acceleration to change lanes or merge onto another high-traffic street. When I pressed the accelerator nothing happened. On (the) second occasion I could not get any power for several seconds.” Both times, the driver activated hazard signals to avoid collisions with vehicles rapidly approaching from behind in a 50 mph speed zone. The vehicle had only 900 miles on the clock, and the incidents happened less than a month after taking delivery.
Aware that this had happened to other Santa Fe Hybrids, the owner called the dealer. But “they seemed unaware of any problems.”
An owner from Florida also had accelerator issues. He calls it a severe life-threatening hesitation. The complaint states that the “car is unsafe to drive like this and has nearly gotten me and my family killed on numerous occasions.”
There is “sometimes as much as almost a 2-second delay from when you fully step on the accelerator to when it slowly starts to go. No warning lights or bells whatsoever.” The complaint states that it does it in all driving modes but seems to be “especially pronounced when at a dead stop in sport mode. (The) problem seems to have gotten progressively worse the more we have driven it. The Dealership is denying that there’s any problem or issue and didn’t want to make an appointment to look at it.” They “keep trying to tell me this is normal.”
You do not have to be stuck with your broken 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. If any of the common problems that this article lists are occurring with your Hyundai, or if you are noticing other defects, you may have a lemon.
Lemberg Law is here to help you get justice and compensation for your defective Hyundai. We are experienced consumer protection attorneys, and we have a winning track record in the field of lemon law. We know your rights and the laws that protect them, and we can force Hyundai to replace your vehicle or give you a refund. Furthermore, Hyundai must pay your attorney fees and court costs.
To find out how you can benefit from Lemon Justice, call today for a free, zero-obligation consultation. If you want to learn a little more about Lemon Laws, how your Hyundai qualifies, and what your legal options are, read on!
Not every broken car is a lemon. However, you may have a lemon on your hands if you’re noticing a problem that your warranty covers and that some manufacturing issue caused. Issues that impact the safety, value, or use of your car are the kinds of defects to look out for. While it’s inconvenient to have a lemon, you can take advantage of Lemon Laws to get a replacement car and refunds.
If your Santa Fe is a lemon, Lemon Laws provide you with a legal path to compensation and justice. As the previous section mentions, your Hyundai may be a lemon if it has some defect that a manufacturing error caused. Additionally, that defect must have occurred within a certain time after purchase and be covered under warranty.
Lemon Laws make it easy for car owners like you who’ve bought a lemon to receive compensation from the manufacturer. More specifically, Lemon Laws entitle you either to a refund for the purchase price of your Hyundai or a replacement vehicle. Additionally, Hyundai must cover any rental and towing fees you may have incurred due to your lemon. Lemon Law’s primary benefit, however, is that Hyundai must pay your legal costs when you win in court.
The downside to Lemon Laws is that they are different depending on what state you live in. Therefore, it can be difficult to determine if your defective Hyundai is a lemon. Before taking any further action with your Santa Fe, it is best to be sure of where you stand legally. That way, you can take full advantage of your rights.
To confirm the status of your Hyundai, call Lemberg Law today! Every year we force manufacturers like Hyundai to compensate car owners for defective vehicles, and we may be able to do the same for you. When you call, an experienced Lemon Law attorney can provide you with a free consultation. You will not be obligated to take legal action or pressured to hire an attorney over the phone.
Alternatively, check our state-by-state Lemon Law guide or reference this Lemon Law checklist:
Taking legal action is the only way to receive compensation for your defective Hyundai. The good news is that we have a track record of success handling Lemon Law cases. Furthermore, our services are completely free. Here’s what you can do to best take advantage of Lemon Laws:
The following is a list of potential benefits from a Lemon Law case. However, your outcome will depend entirely on your circumstances, so it is best to call today for a free consultation!
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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Piazza Hyundai Limerick Pennsylvania.
2023 Santa Fe with transmission surging issues since just after delivery.
At around 6k miles the dealership did an air bleed which did take care of the problem until it resurfaced in about 10 miles of driving.
They refused to do another air purge stating that the mechanic identified a bad transmission and they don’t want to do that.
Hyundai America take notice here!
Translation:
Santa fe luxury hybrid 2023
A real lemon
All the lights on
Check engine
Hev
Steering System
Engine failure
Oil pan leak
Engine side leak
Etc.
Original:
Santa fe luxury hybrid 2023
Un vrais citron
Tout les lumières allumé
Check engine
Hev
Système Direction
Panne moteur
Fuite pane à huile
Fuite côté moteur
Ect..
Leased a 2023 Santa Fe Limited, on the ride home from dealer bad vibration. Stopped at my son’s house and idled for about 3 minutes and over heated. Had it towed back to dealer. They replaced a module under the hood that took about a week to come in. Picked up and still vibrated. Took back to dealer and they rebalanced the tires and replaced one tire. Picked up and still vibrated, went back to dealer a few more times, finally replaced all tires and “indexed” the drive shaft. Still vibrates and over heating again. Towed back to dealer and still waiting for an answer. Hyundai has been called for a buy back, still waiting for an answer from them. Been at dealer for more than a week now. Dealer has been awesome, gave me a loaner and have no problems with dealer. This is my 15th Hyundai since 2009. Also my first one with any problems.
2023 Santa fe calligraphy acceleration issues. Several times. I have been driving and stop at light/ stop sign when you go to take off it acts like it doesn’t want to move for a second. Now we have had 110 Temps but was doing this when it wasn’t as hot out. I owned a brand new 2019 and had no issues whatsoever on that one owned her 3 years. This 2023 is very small also Inside not many spots for nothing. Also the driver assist will assist when it doesn’t need to and when it needs to it doesn’t I think it’s a little confused sometimes . Don’t get me wrong her features, how pretty, the Comfort is all nice it’s the way she drives.
My 2023 Sante Fe has been sitting at the dealership since March 10th, 10 weeks now, for a bad fuel injector they can’t get parts for.
I can’t get a loaner either.
Emergency breaking in Hyundai Santa Fe Preferred 2023
On 4 occasions my SUV performed emergency breaking with no other vehicle in front of the car, no imminent danger of collision. On 2 of the occasions a vehicle was on either side of me when it occurred. On the two other occasions there was 1 vehicle and either a lane barrier (cement block) and the other an open field. Speed was 60 to 100 when the vehicle suddenly emergency braked and flashes a quick message on the screen, along with the emergency brake being lit up. In two of these situations I was within inches of being hit from a driver from behind.
I have brought it into the dealer who can not get it to repeat itself. So there is nothing they can do about it. I will be contacting transport Canada to advise them as I am now having anxiety about the safety of driving this vehicle the FCA option can be turned off but must be turned off everytime the vehicle is restarted.
As I am still in the process of dealing with my 2018 oil consumption issue in my 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, feeling really defeated by lemons and stupid that I traded it in for another lemon.