10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
1,090 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

Get free help with your lemon!
close ad
problem #19

Dec 222022

Santa Fe 4-cyl

  • miles
I was locked inside the car on 22 Dec 2022 and could not get out until somebody opened a door from the outside, inspite of the fact that the inside lock buttons by the opening handles showed red on the lock buttons. When the lock buttons were pushed in, they immediately popped right back out. If held in the opening handles still remained 'limp' and moved without engaging.the unlocking mechanism. The windows also did not respond to their controls. Thee above occurred whether the ignition was on or off. The vehicle was in "Park".The electric buttons on the door console also had no effect, including the child lock button. The key pendant also got no results even though it had allowed entry and starting only minutes before. There was no pre-warning and this had never happened previously. After a (locked) door was opened from the outside, all functions returned to normal. Outside temperature was 20° F. I did not try to open the hatchback. This is a fatally dangerous situation even though the malfunction would not likely be reproducible at the dealer service department. Meanwhile I plan to purchase a glass breaking escape tool. The Hyundai dealer had no suggestion for emergency exit.

- Florence, AL, USA

problem #18

Aug 122022

Santa Fe

  • miles
There are many reports of Hyundais being broken into and hot wired and stolen using a usb cable. This was remedied for the 2022 year models. My car insurance nearly doubled.The company should do a recall and fix this problem. Thank you for your help. Jim https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/investigations/class-action-lawsuits-hyundai-kia-thefts/63-3e997aa9-582b-45f4-b09b-aa37b2464de0

- Edmonds, WA, USA

problem #17

Aug 112022

Santa Fe

  • miles
The ignition systems in mainly 2015-2021 Hyundais with physical keys could be easily hacked using a screwdriver, pliers or the end of a USB cable, because the vehicles are not equipped with immobilizers that require the presence of a key fob. I want a recall so I won't have my car stolen like I hear about on the news about every week.

- Montgomery, TX, USA

problem #16

Jul 192022

Santa Fe

  • miles
Crack windshield

- Converse , TX, USA

problem #15

Jul 132022

Santa Fe

  • miles
The Windshield cracked without anything striking it. The windshield is being replaced at my expense. There is wind noise coming from the area below the crack where it is attached to the vehicle.

- Chino Hills, CA, USA

problem #14

May 202022

Santa Fe

  • miles
I have a 202 Hyundai Sante Fe. I was pulling into a parking garage parking spot, going about 3 miles per hours. Suddenly about 3 feet away from the wall (with my foot on the break) my SUV's engine suddenly race and propelled me forward into the wall. No warning lights or messages. No front- end auto breaking, I have reported it to Hyundai. I was injured from the air bag and the seat belt, my passenger was not injured. I am waiting for my SUV to be assessed by my insurance and my auto body company. I have read many articles about circumstances like these and am considering contacting an attorney.

- Fenton, MO, USA

problem #13

Mar 102022

Santa Fe

  • miles
This car just caught on fire in my fathers driveway at midnight last night...doesnt appear to be from engine compartment

- Seven Fields , PA, USA

problem #12

Feb 132022

Santa Fe

  • miles
The drivers door is not properly aligned. When you drive it on the road you can hear a hissing sound of the air penetrating in the cabin. The door appears not to be closed properly, there is a gap. If you look at the alginment of the passangers door, the door is properly aligned with the rest of the body of the Santa Fe, but that is not the case with the drivers door. I am planning contacting Hyundai directly, because if they maintain quality controls, this car did not passed that test. During 2021I did not drive the car on the road, but lately I took 4 trips to SC, and on the road the hizzing sound is noticible.

- Burke, VA, USA

problem #11

Jun 012021

Santa Fe

  • miles
This is the 1st of two 2020 Santa Fe's that this has occurred on as well as a 2019 Santa Fe that we formally owned within the last 2 years. The windshield does not take rock hits well. On all three vehicles a rock strike on the windshield not only left a large star impact, but the crack from the impact reaches all the way to the roof pillar. The crack is long. I believe the windshield glass is substandard and needs to be looked into closer as being a possible safety risk. Replacing the windshield and camera recalibration is expensive.

- Farmersville, TX, USA

problem #10

Oct 052021

Santa Fe

  • miles
This is the 2nd 2020 Santa Fe that this has occurred on as well as a 2019 Santa Fe that we formally owned within the last 2 years. The windshield does not take rock hits well. On all three vehicles a rock strike on the windshield not only left a large star impact, but the crack from the impact reaches all the way to the roof pillar. The crack is long. I believe the windshield glass is substandard and needs to be looked into closer as being a possible safety risk. Replacing the windshield and camera recalibration is expensive.

- Farmersville, TX, USA

problem #9

Aug 242021

Santa Fe

  • miles
While driving on the highway, the front pane of the panoramic sunroof spontaneously shattered. No contact from a foreign object was observed or heard prior to the breakage. The roof was closed, thus our family avoided any glass showering down into our cabin, but this would have been catastrophic had it happened with the roof open. This problem has happened to prior year models of the Santa Fe. Hyundai dealership has agreed to repair the broken sunroof at no cost, however, does not admit fault with the manufacture of the glass.

- Baltimore, ME, USA

problem #8

May 202021

Santa Fe

  • miles
The Rear Occupancy alarm, a Safety Feature, goes off commanded usually at night with the vehicle locked and unoccupied. Dealer is unable to find a fix and has no way to prevent further occurrences. They recommend disabling the system, removing this system from the safety features of this vehicle.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

problem #7

Feb 042021

Santa Fe

  • 5,600 miles
On 9/25/20 I filed a vehicle complaint based on the fact that the horn on my 2020 Santa Fe had twice working, requiring the dealer to replace parts. (tracking number 11371071.) the horn has again stopped working and is back in the dealer's repair shop. The car currently has approximatately 5600 miles on it and was purchased in 7/20.

- Stuart, FL, USA

problem #6

Sep 072020

Santa Fe

  • 309 miles
My husband and I purchased this car brand new, with only 252 miles on it. On the third day of owning it we were driving and within 5 miles the car began alarming with the center driver console indicating the engine was overheated. The temperature gauge was in the red zone. After a few seconds it dropped slightly and fluctuated in the upper 2/3S of the high temperature region. We drove to the dealership, which was within 10 miles. Once we were within half a mile the car engine began rattling every-time I tried to accelerate and the temperature gauge at this point remained in the redline. In addition, during all of this we turned the heat on to pull some heat from the engine but only cold air would blow. We were within the 3 day grace period of no questions asked return policy so we decided to return the call as it was brand new and had such a serious malfunction. We have not heard back from the dealership as to why the car malfunctioned.

- Huntsville, AL, USA

problem #5

Aug 272020

Santa Fe

  • 4,918 miles
Brake has been sticking last couple of weeks so that I had to pump brake to release to start. This morning I went out to the driveway and could not get into car with either remote or by using blue link on my phone. I used the manual key but could not release any other doors or lift gate. No lights, hazards, radio no nothing. I have had a few dead batteries and never had a car that dead overnight. I drove home from work previous night and I was outside after dark next to my car, no lights left on. I called roadside assistance, first guy said he thought there was a short, parking brake would not release and car still did not start. A different tow truck had to come with dollies and it was towed to the dealer. Dealer said it was a dead battery at 4918 miles! thankfully I was at home and the heat index was not at 105 degrees yet for the day.

- Yorktown, VA, USA

problem #4

Jul 032020

Santa Fe 4-cyl

  • 840 miles
Date: Friday, 3 July 2020. My car would not unlock with the key fob. Thought the key fob was dead and grabbed the spare to try again. No luck with that one either. Tried using the blue link app to unlock. Unsuccessful again. Unlocked my car with the key from the fob and got in. None of the interior lights came on (I keep this feature on). That should have been my first clue. Tried starting the vehicle like the owner's manual suggests if the key fob battery is weak. Didn't work. I tried to test different functions that would normally work if a vehicle is off (I.e. the lock/unlock buttons and hazard lights). Nothing worked. I had to call for a tow to my dealership, which has to wait until after the holiday weekend (4th of July). I will not find out the problem until after. I did not leave any lights on or any doors open. I just used my car the day before this and there was no indication of anything wrong with the vehicle. No lights on the dash came on to alert me of anything and my car is acting dead. More dead than your regular needing a jump start dead. The only thing I have not tried is jump starting in fear of invalidating the warranty in some way. Thankful my car is just in my driveway and I'm not stranded with my kid somewhere.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #3

May 302020

Santa Fe 4-cyl

  • 8,000 miles
Sunroof exploded while traveling on the highway.

- Melbourne, FL, USA

problem #2

Jan 242020

Santa Fe

  • 1,000 miles
My car is siting in park, running with the driver's door open in my town house parking lot. I get out of my car to open the passenger's back door as well as my trunk for her. I then get back into the driver's seat. I am waiting on my friend to load her items into my new Santa Fe for an out of town retreat. She finishes loading items and proceeds to get into the passenger side front seat. As she is getting into the car, "she says she needs to go to the bathroom". I tell her let's go now before we get started on our trip. We were suppose to be meeting about 10 college students. So I get out of my car since I have the house keys. My car is still in park and running. I do leave my driver's door open about a 20-25 degree angle. My friend walks around the back of the car. As we are walking toward my townhouse, I turn around because I hear a noise. I immediately see my car not rolling but backing up on a small incline upward across my parking lot. It seems to have picked up speed and then hits the back of a parked car in the parking lot. My car hits the parked gray Camry with so much momentum that it butterflies my driver's door completely open and the car never slows down. The car continues moving while the inside of my driver's door scrubs the parked Camry. After my car moves past the Camry it is still moving at an accelerated rate. I am yelling and running to my car with my keyfob trying to push buttons to get it to stop. My friend is running and chasing my car. She is able to get to my car and jump in where she pushes on the brakes very hard to make the car stop. If she had not been able to do that my car would have hit a parked black truck or would have jumped the sidewalk and ran into a townhouse before it stopped. Once my friend got the car to stop. She looked down and it was still in park and was not making the dinging noise it usually does when it is in reverse.

- Milledgeville, GA, USA

problem #1

Oct 252019

Santa Fe

  • 50 miles
The fca (forward collision avoidance) system does no work as it should. It does not see vehicles or pedestrians directly in front while not in cruise control. The only time the system alarms is when following a vehicle, which is in the same lane on city streets, and then the target vehicle turns right and creates no hazard. The fca does not work according to what is mentioned in the owners manual, nor does it operate like it is shown in a youtube video sponsored by Hyundai.

- Gilbert, AZ, USA