Lemberg Law is investigating consumer complaints about the 2023-2024 Hyundai Santa Fe eight-speed wet dual clutch transmissions failing. Customers say they fail after traveling very few miles on the road. This leaves owners bitterly disappointed and without their new Santa Fe purchase. To make it worse, reports state that when they fail, there is a long wait to get a replacement transmission.
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Unpacking the Santa Fe Transmission Issues
Complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and discussions on Reddit, in various forums, and on Facebook indicate that there is a very real issue with 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe transmissions. More specifically, it is the 8-speed wet dual-clutch (DCT) that is the problem, and complaints are increasing.
For the record, the new 2024 Santa Fe comes in five trims: the base model SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, and top-of-the-range Calligraphy. All of these are available with the 8-speed DCT. However, the SEL, Limited, and Calligraphy are also available as hybrid models that have 6-speed automatic transmissions. As of mid-August 2024, hybrid owners have not experienced problems.
What Are Owners Reporting
Transmission problems generally start with clicking noises, hesitation or lagging, and vehicles lurching or jumping forward. Sometimes owners can continue driving. Others are not so lucky and end up stranded on the road, waiting for a tow truck.
Some complaints that report transmissions needing to be replaced are made after owners have waited a long time for the repair. It’s not unusual for them to be told by dealerships that these transmissions are on backorder and there is no estimate of when they will be available. A Canadian owner was told it would take about four months!
There are also stories about owners experiencing two transmission failures — the second after a failed transmission has been replaced. This would also impact stock availability.
Two Failed Transmissions Lead to a Buy Back
The co-founders of an online media company purchased a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe in February 2024. They share their ownership experience through a series of YouTube videos.
On the second day of ownership, with only 27 miles on the clock, the SUV exhibited a transmission judder and would hesitate when taking off from a red light. Acceleration was slow. The dealership said it needed a full transmission replacement. The pair applauded Hyundai for being responsive and for handling the situation so well. They drove several hundred miles more without any issues.
But then, they went on a road trip to Florida for the start of a seven-day family cruise. On March 31, which was Easter Sunday, the symptoms started again. The only difference was that it happened in a different gear. Because of the cruise, they kept on driving. Luckily they got there and then back to Kentucky safely — a 15-hour drive each way.
In a statement, the automaker highlights the fact that the Hyundai powertrain carries a 10-year, 100,000-mile limited warranty. It claims that “Car Confections’ original transmission investigation led to incremental improvements and additional quality controls as part of our continuous improvement process.” It also states that Hyundai was investigating “with concern” the replacement transmission failure.
Hyundai had the SUV for more than a month. By then, the owners had the Santa Fe for three months and traveled 38,000 miles. Hyundai offered a buyback or the option of a Hybrid instead.
NHTSA Complaints
Several of the NHTSA complaints are very brief. For example, an owner from Texas states, “DCT transmission issue.” An owner from Arkansas describes “Shuddering/shaking when driving. Whether or not when accelerating. Turn (the) vehicle on and it jolted and died but would start up again after a few minutes.”
A complaint from a Georgia owner reports “Transmission failure.” It started with “the car jumping forward abruptly and (it) started making a clicking noise and hesitating.” The problem was confirmed by the dealership and the owner was told the SUV would need a new transmission. A loaner vehicle was approved, but the owner filed a claim for a bu back. “I was told I would receive a call in 2-3 business days but have yet to receive one.” That was on August 1.
The “2024 Santa Fe Calligraphy that I bought on 6/28 and drove for only 3 weeks is sitting in the dealership’s parking lot.” The vehicle has only done 1,300 miles.” Needless to say, the owner is upset that nothing was done, but also that these “vehicles are still being sold to the public.”
Hyundai Forum Discussion
The Hyundai-Forums discussion mentions several incidents that involve DCT transmission failures. There are also several where owners have been promised new transmissions but are still waiting.
In May 2024, a forum member wrote that his Santa Fe Calligraphy FWD started having transmission problems on March 16, 35 days and 2,400 miles. “I started having the jerking problem when accelerating from a full stop.” The dealership stated that they just had to “relearn the transmission.” But this didn’t make a difference. Although he owned a 3-row SUV, he was given a 2-row loaner. “Then we got a call on 04-25-24 saying that we will get the transmission by 05-20-24! And then we have to wait for them to install it.” The owner states, “Already made the first payment for a car that I am not even using. Regret getting this vehicle.”
Another forum member states that he and his wife took out a lease for a 2024 Santa Fe Limited on June 1, 2024. Two weeks later, on June 14, 2024, they returned it to the dealer due to transmission problems. “Today is July 1st. It has been at the dealer for 17 days and they tell me that the transmission is on backorder. And they give us no hope of when they will fix it. We have already paid the first month of lease and we do not have our Santa Fe.”
A discussion starter states that this white Limited 2024 Sante Fe AWD (not a hybrid) is “very nice.” But it has been in the shop since it reached 7,000 miles. “Started being sluggish bad shifting on inclines then in the limp mode yesterday. Of course on a Saturday. Got it to the dealer. Not sure what is going to happen. Very discouraging when you pay a lot for something.”
Two days later, the same forum member said that “it was a TCU code but (they) couldn’t make the car do it again today. So they will keep it for a few days to see if they can do it again so they can read more info on the computer to see what’s making it go into limp mode.”
Another day later he was told it was a transmission issue and that Hyundai was aware of the problem. “It is supposedly the transmission fluid pump overheating somehow. They have changed the pump to an upgraded model in the new 2024 model transmissions. They are saying they are going to replace the whole transmission with the new updated one.”
Other Online Discussion
On June 2, another forum member stated that his 2024 Sante Fe was “in the shop with the transmission problem. I am sick over it. 1,800 miles is all I got out of a 2024 car. I also have a claim in. I hope it works out for everyone. They also told us that we could have a loaner car but, conveniently they had none. Fight it hard and I will do the same. I want a buyback because they obviously know that they have a major problem.”
On June 27, yet another member told her story. The day after buying a 2024 Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy on 05/23/24, the transmission failed. “On 06/24/24 I drove to Costco, purchased groceries, loaded the groceries, started the car, put in reverse… it went nowhere. It has 700 miles on it. It was a nightmare dealing with Hyundai roadside assistance due to the mechanics not knowing anything about these types of cars. My husband was the one who figured it out through the computer’s diagnostic option. It shows transmission issues.”
Eventually, they had to pay a local towing company to get the Santa Fe to a local dealership. “The dealership has been great. However, ours is the first one they have had issues with… we live in Boise, ID. They did confirm they have heard the East Coast is having issues with the non-hybrids. Today (06/27/2024) I received a text from our service tech stating they have ordered an electric oil pump. Prior to this happening, we did notice a couple of times when taking off from a light what felt like a small shift but after asking each other ‘did you feel that?’, we moved on. We now believe that was the beginning of this issue.”
Reddit Comments
In July, a Reddit contributor told how he took their 2024 Santa Fe Calligraphy (ICE) to the dealership because of “some clicking noises and other symptoms. Sure enough, like so many have posted here, it’s a transmission issue and it needs to be fully replaced.”
He adds that “the clicking I hear is very low, very subtle, and the ONLY reason why I was tuned into it is because so many others on this forum have had these experiences. Think of all the unsuspecting owners driving around with this issue. This is a dangerous situation. This should be a recall.
“We still start making car payments on a $50,000 car that we just purchased that we won’t see for months. What a miserable experience.”
Soon after this initial post, he confirmed that “Hyundai checked it out, it’s a transmission issue, it’s on backorder, and could take months to replace. It’s impossible to get statistical data on this, but the anecdotal evidence is pretty strong. This kind of thing is being posted everywhere. The dealership near me has already had four 2024 come back for transmission issues and they just started selling them two months ago. The same thing over and over.”
He then added, “Just hopped over to the Santa Fe Facebook group with 12k members, and about every fifth or six post is somebody having a transmission issue. Lots of people talking about buybacks and incredibly disappointed people losing their cars after a couple hundred miles. Absolutely wild if you guys think this is small and isolated.”
Holes Blown in Transmissions
An NHTSA complaint from a Tennessee owner reports a hole in the transmission due to some sort of fault. Dated July 9, 2024, it states that there were two incidents before taking the SUV to the dealership. On June 27 it wouldn’t reverse when trying to get out of a parking spot. “It kept moving forward in Neutral.” Then, the next day, it wouldn’t go into Park. Instead, “When I tried to set it in Park it switched between gears erratically before ending on Neutral.” After getting a warning to take the vehicle to the dealer, he couldn’t turn it off. “It stayed in accessory mode.” Six days later, he was told by the dealer that “there was a hole in (the) transmission. No update on how long it will take to be repaired.”
In another Reddit thread, a 2024 Santa Fe owner talks about a hole being blown in the transmission. “They absolutely did that! Just like the motor in the Santa Fe sport, it blew up on me.” This owner had traveled only 1,300 miles in 18 days of ownership. “There is now a huge hole blown in the transmission. They have, of course, agreed to replace it. But they knew exactly where to tell my tech to look, and my dealership had another one come in the day before mine … They hit 1,000 miles, and (the) same thing — (a) massive hole in the transmission. This will soon become a recall!
“I regret buying it! It literally came to an abrupt stop in the middle of traffic causing the cars behind me to swerve off the road. Had I been on the interstate going 70 mph, I would be dead!”
Facebook Comments
Facebook (FB) comments are varied, some recounting what they have seen on forums. One user reckons, “If you have a hybrid you are good, if you have a gas model you’re on a ticking time bomb unless your car is a Canadian, Australian, or South Korean model.”
Another group member, who owned a 2022 Santa Fe Limited had sold it back to Hyundai two weeks before his post because “the DCT went out on me twice. It first went out when I had only 1,050 miles on it. They replaced it and went out again 21,400 miles. I hope my 2024 doesn’t give me problems. I was just told I wound up with a lemon and sometimes it happens.”
It certainly does!
Buy Back or Replacement Offer from Hyundai
On August 8, 2024, an owner from Texas shared on the 2024 Hyundai SantaFe US FB page how she had started the buy-back process with Hyundai. The day before, she had confirmed the offer and was told by the automaker that she would also be able to buy a new vehicle at a discounted rate.
She had owned the SUV for only two weeks before the problems began in June 2024. They started with dashboard and overhead issues. Then in July, she heard a clunking sound when backing out of the driveway. The message she got when she tried to put the car in Park after this was, “Shifter Malfunction, contact service immediately.“
The dealership maintained that this wasn’t a transmission issue. But on July 20, the service manager said that “it does need a new transmission.” However, “Hyundai corporate does not have any transmission for the vehicle.” Also, the dash issue had still not been resolved! On August 1, the owner was told by Hyundai that the transmission would be ordered, but there wasn’t a timeframe. “I told her another 2 months (was) not acceptable. Texas lemon law states 30 days. We are past the point.”
On August 8, “I was told the transmission order was canceled due to recall, and another transmission was ordered. (These new) transmission on backorder until at least the middle of September.” Still no fix for the dash!
Later that day, they offered her a buyback that would take 4-6 weeks. The alternatives were to wait for her car to be fixed or to get a “new vehicle certificate.” She wants a new car. But, Hyundai says she must first complete the buyback and then request “a certificate to buy a new vehicle at a discounted rate.”
Handling Transmission Failures in the Santa Fe
Your circumstances will determine what approach you take if and when the transmission of your 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe fails. You may be told to wait for a new transmission or you may be offered a buyback or replacement deal. But it is unlikely to just happen. Like the Texan above, you could spend months fighting for your rights.
What you need to know is the law says Hyundai must pay the legal bills for lemon law cases. So, it makes sense to have a lemon law legal firm do the work for you. That’s where Lemberg Law comes in.
We will be happy to assess your case free of charge, and you may be eligible to join our new class action investigation. All you have to do is fill out a contact form or call our Helpline.
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."
