2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

vehicle fails to accelerate, engine is “sputtering” and making a rattling sound and battery is draining to nothing on the freeway driving at normal speeds. vehicle is lurching and engine does not appear to be shifting as it should - car losing power and failing to accelerate despite being full of gas. transmission doesn’t feel like it is shifting properly. vehicle only has 8000 miles.

While driving at approximately 70 mphs the panoramic sunroof exploded. It sounded like a gunshot in the car. The front windows were slightly cracked and the rear windows were down for my dog. The sunshade was back to let in light and the sunroof was fully closed. Temperature outside was 60 degrees. I had been driving for 5 hours from southern California to the Phoenix area. Glass went every shattering in the car, so much for shatterproof glass. No other cars were in sight on the two lane Carefree Hwy and no objects hit the vehicle. Sunny but cool day in the desert.

Beginning the evening of 8/21/2023, this 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe HEV began displaying warning messages: "Check Blind Spot Safety System" and "Check Rear Cross-Traffic Safety System." Simultaneously, the car would not register a "Ready to Drive" and could not be shifted into Drive or Reverse. The car could be shifted into Neutral. After turning off and restarting the car several times, the warning messages did not recur, and the car could be shifted and driven normally. The problem recurred in the following days. It appeared that the issue was unrelated to cleaning the sensors but may have been related to the car being left in the sun. The car had to be towed to a dealer on 8/23. This dealer claimed to be unable to reproduce the problem. It is believed that the dealer kept the vehicle in a shaded garage during this time. After retrieving the vehicle from the first dealer, the problem recurred the following day, 9/2, again after having been parked in the sun on a warm day. The vehicle had to be towed to another dealer who was able to reproduce, but not diagnose, the issue. As of 9/18, the dealer states that they have identified a connector that appears to be causing the issue, but they say that they don't know what the connector does, because it does not appear in manufacturer wiring diagrams corresponding to the VIN. Because of the dealer's and manufacturer's inability to diagnose the issue, it is unclear if the issue actually implicates the operation of the blind spot and rear cross-traffic safety systems identified in warning messages. Hopefully it is possible for NHTSA to work with Hyundai to figure that out. The vehicle is with the dealer in Chantilly, VA and is available for inspection.

This tire was observed as defective in an inspection at Holler Hyundai in Winter Park FL. It was supposed to be mailed to Continental Tire for inspection, but the dealership failed to do that. I have photos of the defect (wire protruding for inside side wall). Every effort to discover the tire's location has been frustratingly stonewalled by the folks at the dealership. This tire's lot might be dangerous to other drivers and needs visible inspection.

On 8/14/23/ I got the first oil change for my new car at the dealer. On 8/15/23 as I cruised at 65mph on a crowded Detroit expressway, I pushed further on the accelerator to get away from an aggressive driver on my tail. Nothing happened; The car engine shut down. No warning, no lights, no beeping, no alarm, no dash screen message. Dead engine in the middle lane with cars all around. After i miraculously made it to the shoulder of the freeway, The engine light and oil light came on. Not before, only after the car died. The dipstick indicated The car was out of oil. Unbeknownst to me the parts used to change the oil the previous day were defective. The oil had leaked out over the course of the day and over night. (I later discovered my driveway full of oil). THE PROBLEM, additional to the defective parts is the fact that I HAD NO WARNING THAT THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WAS IMMINENT. I HAD NO WARNING THAT THE CAR HAD NO OIL. I came close to getting killed that day, and still have nightmares. Had i known the car was oil-less, I would not have driven it. This is a car that beeps and pushes and tells one how to drive at every juncture. It tells low gas, low tire pressure, etc. WHY WOULD IT NOT WARN ABOUT THE LOW OIL OR THE IMMINENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN??? I was told the car has a “FAILSAFE” feature for the oil. HOW SAFE IS A FAILSAFE IF THE DRIVER GETS KILLED WHILE THE CAR ENGINE PROTECTS ITSELF???

Since I have had the car, five months, there have been THREE INCIDENTS of the car braking to a stop suddenly and unexpectedly while I am driving. At no time were there other cars near me; I was not in danger of hitting anything or anyone as the road was clear. The stops were jarring and upsetting as I could not discern a reason for these sudden stops. I feel it is very dangerous to stop in the middle of the street without warning.

Incomplete weld(s) in frame/body at drivers side rear passenger seat floor area. Dealer has vehicle and is unable to repair frame/body weld(s) without removing body from frame. Frame/body flexing in the area of hybrid batteries are will continue to worsen over time causing possible short in wiring and or batteries causing fire. Dealer has confirmed issue. Manufacturer is buying back above vehicle at this time. Only warning sign was a persistent rattle in frame/body in driver’s rear passenger floor.