Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 44 of 209 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Engine. Review the 76 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
13 crash reports9 fire reports12 injury reports
What owners actually said
209 reports
Mileage unknown · Jun 6, 2023
Trailer Hitches
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number:23V181000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.…
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The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number:23V181000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA ODI #11525587
Mileage unknown · Jun 1, 2023
Forward Collision Avoidance
This vehicle has the Accident Avoidance system which is great until it snows or there's a heavy rain then you get lights on the dash and the Accident Avoidance system and cruise control turn off because the sensor gets covered with snow or heavy rain. I spoke with a service technician who said it's a know issue but there are no…
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This vehicle has the Accident Avoidance system which is great until it snows or there's a heavy rain then you get lights on the dash and the Accident Avoidance system and cruise control turn off because the sensor gets covered with snow or heavy rain. I spoke with a service technician who said it's a know issue but there are no fixes at this time. What the sense in having a safety system that shuts off when you need it the most in bad weather. Once you clean the snow or ice off the sensor area the lights go out. It happens any speed.
NHTSA ODI #11524941
Mileage unknown · May 18, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineService BrakesCrashInjury
On Thursday, May 11, 11:45 am, I experienced a distressing incident at Moulton Elementary School in Laguna Niguel, CA, 92677. my car was parked near the school building, with the engine turned off and the gear set to park. I was there to pick up my children, and at that time, nobody was inside the vehicle. Unexpectedly, my car s…
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On Thursday, May 11, 11:45 am, I experienced a distressing incident at Moulton Elementary School in Laguna Niguel, CA, 92677. my car was parked near the school building, with the engine turned off and the gear set to park. I was there to pick up my children, and at that time, nobody was inside the vehicle. Unexpectedly, my car started moving backward as if in neutral gear, despite being in park mode. I estimate I was approximately 10 feet from the vehicle in front of the school building. The situation was alarming because numerous children were nearby, which could have resulted in a tragedy. Thankfully, no one was injured or hit by the moving vehicle. Instinctively, I attempted to stop the car by using my entire body to push against it. Unfortunately, my efforts were unsuccessful, and as a result, I sustained severe back pain. I have been on bed rest for the past five days due to the discomfort caused by the incident. Subsequently, the vehicle collided with another car, which belonged to a teacher. The incident shocked everyone, and the reason behind the car's unexpected movement remains unclear. Later, I discovered through online research that my car was actually on the recall list, but I had not been informed of this beforehand. As a result of the incident, we contacted the police, and they arrived at the scene can confirm that the car was indeed in park gear during the incident. It is vital to investigate this matter thoroughly to determine the cause of the vehicle's accidental movement and prevent future accidents. I hope that this statement provides a clear account of the accident that occurred at Moulton Elementary School. I strongly urge authorities and the involved parties to take immediate action to address the issues surrounding my car's movement and prevent any similar incidents from happening again.
NHTSA ODI #11522585
Mileage unknown · Apr 19, 2023
Power Train
Purchased my 2020 Santa Fe august 1st 2020. Mother’s Day of 2021 I was driving to Menards for a plant. I was going 40 mph on a street and braked too slow down to go on a ramp that was 25mph. Traffic appeared and I was stopped completely. I have the “auto” stop on and it would not start back up. I had to put my car in park, turn …
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Purchased my 2020 Santa Fe august 1st 2020. Mother’s Day of 2021 I was driving to Menards for a plant. I was going 40 mph on a street and braked too slow down to go on a ramp that was 25mph. Traffic appeared and I was stopped completely. I have the “auto” stop on and it would not start back up. I had to put my car in park, turn it off and turn it back on in the middle of traffic. So scary. And this happens monthly now, since august 2021.
NHTSA ODI #11517769
Mileage unknown · Mar 27, 2023
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling
Driving down the road I heard a loud noise when I stopped I noticed oil under my car. When I was 0.1 mile from my house the oil light came on. I arrived home called Hyundai and they towed the vehicle and reported that the oil plug had was missing and I need to contact the place that changed my oil last.
NHTSA ODI #11513911
Mileage unknown · Mar 26, 2023
Structure
Large sections of paint peeling from vehicle. Paint starts to bubble and then crack in large pieces. One section has peeled and flew onto the windshield while driving. Hyundai has recently had issues with this white color paint and it is continuing to be a problem. Report has been made to Hyundai with no resolution.
NHTSA ODI #11513875
Mileage unknown · Mar 26, 2023
Electrical System
Pantalla de instrumentos se apaga instrument display turns off
NHTSA ODI #11513799
Mileage unknown · Mar 15, 2023
EnginePower Train
I got flashing check engine light in my 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0T. My car won’t rev beyond 2000rpm when it happened. Blue link app and car’s infotainment notified of P1326 Error. It is available for inspection. I was turning left in a yield on green light, I was at risk when my car stuttered and won’t rev beyond 2000rpm. I c…
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I got flashing check engine light in my 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0T. My car won’t rev beyond 2000rpm when it happened. Blue link app and car’s infotainment notified of P1326 Error. It is available for inspection. I was turning left in a yield on green light, I was at risk when my car stuttered and won’t rev beyond 2000rpm. I contacted my local dealer, they said they can’t take my car even for diagnosis due to no appointment availability till June 1st week. I was able to get hold of another dealer who can take my car in this Friday itself. Hyundai Roadside assistance said they will only tow vehicle to my local dealer and I would have to pay for tow charges if I go to any other dealer. They can’t provide me loaner car at all. My insurance said they won’t provide rental car unless it is an accident. My vehicle has not been inspected by anyone yet. Based on my initial research there has been class action lawsuit against Hyundai on Theta II 2.0T engines but it only covers till 2019 model. I received flashing check engine light warning in my dashboard and app notification in Bluelink about ECM fault DTC P1326. I was driving vehicle normally without any issues on engine before this happend
NHTSA ODI #11512095
Mileage unknown · Mar 9, 2023
Visibility
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00M000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed th…
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The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00M000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was contacted but was unable to confirm when parts would become available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. The contact stated that the wiper was finally repaired by using the proper glue.
NHTSA ODI #11511017
Mileage unknown · Mar 9, 2023
Visibility
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00M000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…
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The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00M000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEV and Santa Cruz vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-633.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1
DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power
Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year