2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems and Owner Complaints
Forward collision, speed control, and electrical issues are among the top complaints for the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. In this article, we examine NHTSA data and real owner experiences to highlight the most significant problems affecting drivers.
The automaker states, “We’ve thought of everything to make your adventures easier.” But owners of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe who are faced with critical failures, including safety settings they cannot control, aren’t up for unknown adventures. A common complaint is that Hyundai disables critical vehicle safety systems if people wear sunglasses. Another relates to forward collision avoidance and other warnings that malfunction. Battery issues are also a problem. Making matters worse, many complaints to the NHTSA reveal that dealerships are unable to assist owners because they cannot replicate problems.
In terms of numbers, forward collision avoidance problems top the list of complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) about the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. Many of these refer to the issue of sunglasses causing the forward attention warning (FAW) feature to malfunction. Vehicle speed control is also high on the list, though a large percentage of these complaints are listed alongside forward collision avoidance. The electrical system has also caused owners to complain, though complaints vary, ranging from battery problems to doors that won’t unlock and even a sudden loss of power.
Other components and systems listed in complaints include the engine, power train and transmission issues, brakes, lane departure, suspension, tires, wheels, and visibility.
2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Complaint Summary
Complaint Category
Number of Complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control
As of mid-August 2025, one-third of the complaints lodged with the NHTSA related to forward collision avoidance issues. Of these, the vast majority mention the problems associated with wearing sunglasses.
An owner from Oregon states that because the vehicle cannot recognize the driver’s face when he or she is wearing sunglasses, it disables all the driver assist aids. This includes turning off cruise control.
An owner from Maryland was told that errors in the driver attention warning system were caused by the dash cam in the SUV. But the errors persisted even after the dash cam was removed. “Recently, Hyundai engineers said it’s because you may be wearing sunglasses. What? Wearing sunglasses will disable AEB and cruise control !!! OMG. I removed (my) sunglasses and tried. (But it) still won’t work. Hyundai sent me a list of things to do, including not to laugh, not to shorten your eyes, and not to wink. This is a major safety concern, not allowing drivers to wear sunglasses that will disable safety-critical systems.”
Initially, an owner from South Dakota wasn’t sure whether malfunctions were caused “because of my hair, glasses, hat, or my lazy eye.” Her problem was that the Santa Fe would randomly hard-brake on the interstate. “Initially, I had thought this was something I was doing.” However, Hyundai service staff confirmed that this is a common issue with people wearing glasses or any other items that the vehicle does not register as normal. “At this point, I am afraid to drive a vehicle once I learned that this is a safety setting I cannot control. I have been told by Hyundai that the vehicle is operating as it should.” Ultimately, “it is extremely concerning that this could cause an accident on the interstate and someone could get killed.“
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Electrical Problems
Complaints about the electrical system are varied, but the most common problems relate to batteries.
An owner from Minnesota tells how, after not using the vehicle for a few days, the battery was dead. He jump-started the Santa Fe successfully, but the next day it was dead again. “The dealership admitted many hybrids from Hyundai face this issue and recommended installing a trickle charger for when not using the vehicle for a couple of days, which seems ridiculous for a brand new vehicle.”
It’s not only starting vehicles with dead batteries that is a problem. An owner from California states that he was unable to unlock his Santa Fe because the battery was dead. He needed a car unlock service to open the door and a tow company to jump the battery. They told him the new battery needed to be replaced. “It may need another service (alternator or hybrid battery too), but the 12v battery had been drained. The interior lights would not turn on prior to this happening.”
An owner from Florida points out that Hyundai removed the battery reset button that was in these vehicles until the 2023 model year. This, he states, is why the 12-volt battery discharges and the SUV has to be jump-started. His submission is that the manufacturer should do a recall to change the 12-volt battery charging characteristics for the 2024-2025 model years.
Problems with Warning Messages
Unnecessary warning messages are listed under several different categories. However, the “consider taking a break” warning is considered to be the biggest problem. For example, a complaint considered to be both a lane departure and forward collision avoidance problem states: “The ‘consider taking a break’ warning comes on far too much and has almost made me wreck twice due to being startled.”
An owner from Nebraska states that there is no option to turn off the ‘consider taking a break’ warning. “It goes off several times during long road trips.” This owner wants an update so drivers can turn the feature off — “because it’s really distracting to have it pop up every 10 minutes.”
A Colorado owner maintains in a complaint that the safety feature is activated almost constantly when she turns her head or moves her eyes from looking ahead. She called a local dealer and was told that the system couldn’t be deactivated!
Other warning messages relate to the sunglasses issue!
An owner from Florida states, “Hyundai’s Forward Attention Warning is so aggressively annoying it makes me want to drive off a cliff to shut it up. Driving with an arm in the 12 o’clock position? ‘BEEP! Keep your eyes on the road!’ Polarized sunglasses? ‘BEEP! I can’t see your eyes!’ Oh, there’s a setting! Let’s turn it off…’BEEEEEP! WHERE ARE YOUR EYES!’…”
Another warning is the Hyundai Distracted Driver feature, which an owner in Washington labels “is FAULTY and VERY hazardous! If someone puts on sunglasses to drive SAFELY, the vehicle says you ARE distracted, and cuts the cruise control and starts braking on its own. VERY BAD!!! The vehicle is almost undrivable.” His complaint emphasizes that the “Distracted Driver feature” distracts drivers constantly — “causing very unsafe driving conditions.”
What Should You Do If Your Santa Fe Is a Lemon?
If your 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe keeps having recurring issues — or if the problems leave you unable to use your vehicle for a significant amount of time — you may have a lemon. In that situation, it’s smart to reach out to an experienced lemon law attorney for help.
Every year, automakers like Hyundai are required to buy back, replace, or provide cash settlements to thousands of vehicle owners stuck with defective cars. Better yet, under federal and state lemon laws, the automaker, not you, must cover your legal fees. That means pursuing a claim won’t cost you anything out of pocket.
Lemberg Law has successfully helped countless vehicle owners secure settlements from major manufacturers. We offer a free case assessment to evaluate your 2025 Santa Fe problems and discuss your options. Call our Helpline or fill out our contact form today, and we’ll review your case and get back to you quickly.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
