← New search

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Santa Fe years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

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: 11 of 131 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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

Steering complaints

5 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Aug 18, 2026
Steering

Multiple occasions of the ADAS lane centering system operating unsafely. The worst one was on a gentle left-hand curve on a concrete surfaced bridge at night. The system allowed the vehicle to slowly drift to the outside of the lane. When it was fairly close to the white line, it jerked the wheel back to the left and then rel…

Read full complaint

Multiple occasions of the ADAS lane centering system operating unsafely. The worst one was on a gentle left-hand curve on a concrete surfaced bridge at night. The system allowed the vehicle to slowly drift to the outside of the lane. When it was fairly close to the white line, it jerked the wheel back to the left and then released the steering to my control while pointed hard into the oncoming lane. It will do similarly during the day when approaching a center turn lane on the highway. Sometimes it will decide that it should be in the turn lane, will make a rapid input, and then return control to me, now pointed at the oncoming lane. When the vehicle returns control to me, it indicates it by making the steering wheel and lines in the HUD grey, no chime, no warning icon, just green to grey and release the wheel in whatever direction it's pointing. It also sometimes slows drastically for vehicles that have exited the highway when on cruise control or applies hard braking for vehicles in the other lane while in a curve on a hill. There are no lights or malfunction warnings and the vehicle self-diagnostic says everything is operating correctly.

NHTSA ODI #11757711

Mileage unknown · Apr 11, 2026
Steering

There is a terrible squeaking noise coming from the steering column. It feels like the car is unsafe to drive

NHTSA ODI #11730520

Mileage unknown · Nov 27, 2025
Lane DepartureSteering

Consistently after 10-20 minutes of driving with steering assist or immediately upon driving on cold days (under 50F), the steering wheel generates loud squeaking noises with the steering wheel stiffening and becoming harder to turn, creating a potential safety issue. The change is gradual but required a full stop of the car, …

Read full complaint

Consistently after 10-20 minutes of driving with steering assist or immediately upon driving on cold days (under 50F), the steering wheel generates loud squeaking noises with the steering wheel stiffening and becoming harder to turn, creating a potential safety issue. The change is gradual but required a full stop of the car, shutdown, and restart to remedy. This issue has persisted for months and other Hyundai owners have shared the issue on various forums with Hyundai’s solution to replace the full steering column in some instances. Many owners seem to not be able to get help as dealers are not able to easily replicate this issue without lengthy drives.

NHTSA ODI #11701815

Mileage unknown · Nov 26, 2025
Electrical SystemSteering

Battery/Electrical: 3 separate occasions the battery drained completely overnight, requiring mechanical key to open and jumpstart services from AAA (covered under Hyundai services). Risk of leaving me stranded on isolated areas. Problem confirmed via 3 requests for AAA to jumpstart my vehicle. Hyundai service dept inspected v…

Read full complaint

Battery/Electrical: 3 separate occasions the battery drained completely overnight, requiring mechanical key to open and jumpstart services from AAA (covered under Hyundai services). Risk of leaving me stranded on isolated areas. Problem confirmed via 3 requests for AAA to jumpstart my vehicle. Hyundai service dept inspected vehicle, confirmed low battery levels, unable to reproduce issues overnight, reported no electrical or mechanical issues that would cause battery drain. No warning messages, lamps, or symptoms prior to each failure. Steering wheel column has friction squeak when using driver assist and adjusting direction. No issues at this time.

NHTSA ODI #11701696

11,000 miles · Sep 10, 2025
SteeringSuspension

The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while stopped and making a left turn from a cross street, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and traffic allowed the contact to make the turn; however, the steering wheel jerked to the right, and the vehicle jumped over a median strip. The contact stated that th…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while stopped and making a left turn from a cross street, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and traffic allowed the contact to make the turn; however, the steering wheel jerked to the right, and the vehicle jumped over a median strip. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the right front passenger’s side tire rolled over the median strip, and then the rear passenger’s side tire next. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle stopped in a parking spot on the side of the street. The contact shifted the vehicle to park(P) and turned off the vehicle. The contact observed that the right front passenger’s side tire was flat. The contact called Roadside Assistance, and the technician informed the contact that there was a cut on the inside side wall of the front passenger’s tire. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the passenger’s side front suspension arms and other parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle was difficult to steer while the steering wheel was vibrating. The contact took the vehicle back to the same dealer, who removed the aftermarket parts and replaced the parts with OEM steering and suspension parts; however, there was still a vibration in the steering wheel. The contact stated that several times, while turning to the left, the vehicle would turn to the right instead. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

NHTSA ODI #11686422

Official recalls

5

26V218000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage

Apr 6, 2026

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, 2023-2026 Genesis G90, 2024-2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, and Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The driver and passenger seat belt anchors may detach.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A detached seat belt anchor will not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reinforce or replace the seat belt anchors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 29, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and Genesis customer service at 844-340-9741. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 298 and 032G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov April 8, 2026.

25V808000 · Back Over Prevention:display Function

Nov 20, 2025

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The rearview camera may not have been installed properly, which can damage the wiring harness and cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the camera wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning January 15, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 288. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.

25V809000 · Air Bags:side/window:curtain

Nov 20, 2025

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.

25V659000 · Electrical System:starter Assembly

Oct 2, 2025

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Santa Fe vehicles. The B+ positive terminal cover on the starter motor assembly may be improperly installed, which can cause an electrical short during a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reinstall the starter motor terminal cover, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning October 22, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 285. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 4, 2025.

25V549000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:critical Fasteners

Aug 25, 2025

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson and Santa Fe vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power and engine damage, possibly resulting in an oil leak.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. An oil leak in the presence of hot engine components can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 281.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.