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What 941 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Hev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (941)Crash / fire / injury (42)Engine (627)Transmission & drivetrain (153)Electrical system (65)Brakes (58)Fuel system (57)Speed control (51)Steering (27)Engine & cooling (23)Airbags (20)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (9)

4 of 941 complaints match · Speed control · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Nov 29, 2022Speed controlFirerelatedFire

Vehicle spontaneously caught on fire in the engine compartment while driving in a parking lot. Within 30 minutes, the vehicle was incinerated down to the frame. Prior to this incident, a warning had flashed on the message center that the adaptive cruise control system was being disabled. It is pending insurance inspection and we are trying to contract Hyundai. The police report is not available yet, but is with the Faribault, MN, Police Department and is #[XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11495357

May 24, 2017Speed controlCrash2 injuries

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AT 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO GAIN SPEED WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION STRUCK THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. ALL OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE DRIVER RECEIVED A CITATION FOR FAILING TO YIELD. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A BROKEN LEFT WRIST, CUTS TO THE LEFT HAND, AND BRUISES TO THE UPPER BODY/TORSO. THE CONTACT (PASSENGER) SUSTAINED A BROKEN NECK THAT REQUIRED SURGERY DUE TO INTERNAL BLEEDING, SEVERE BRUISING FROM THE CHEST DOWN TO THE LOWER TORSO, AND BRUISING ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT ARMS. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS RECEIVED. THE CONTACT HAD SURGERY TO HER RIGHT HIP TO REMOVE A BONE TO PLACE IN HER NECK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER (A1 WRECKER 1601 PARTIN DR N D, NICEVILLE, FLORIDA 32578). THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO THE CRASH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE GRADUALLY ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147. UPDATED 07/18/17*LJ *CN

NHTSA ODI 10991346

Dec 27, 2016Speed controlCrash

PULLED INTO PARKING SPACE IN A PARKING LOT VERY SLOWLY. VEHICLE WAS ALMOST PARKED.STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT. VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, CONTINUED TO REV AND WOULD NOT STOP RIGHT AWAY WITH MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS OF THE BRAKE. IT RODE UP ONTO A CEMENT HANDICAP RAMP AND ITS RAILING AT THE HEAD OF THE SPACE .NOT INJURED, NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT, CAR SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO FRONT AND UNDERCARRIAGE. VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 1200 MILES ON IT. NO ONE I TOLD WAS CONVINCED THAT I DIDN'T STEP ON THE GAS AND ASSUMED THAT MY FOOT MUST HAVE SLIPPED OFF THE BRAKE AND ONTO THE GAS PEDAL. I WAS READY TO BELIEVE IT MYSELF AND OWNED THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY MY FAULT. AFTER STUMBLING (AND I MEAN STUMBLING-WASN'T LOOKING FOR ANYTHING LIKE THIS) ACROSS REVIEWS AND COMMENTS THAT DESCRIBE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME, I FEEL VINDICATED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10937587

Jul 1, 2016AirbagsSpeed controlBrakesCrash

ON APRIL 15, OUR BRAND NEW SANTA FE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. WHILE DRIVING IN LOW SPEED TRAFFIC SUDDENLY, WHILE MY FIANCE REAR ENDED SOMEONE. TO THIS DAY SHE CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED. SHE IS A CAREFUL DRIVER, DOES NOT SPEED AND KNOWS THAT THE AREA WERE SHE WAS DRIVING IS HIGH TRAFFIC AND WAS COMING UP TO A RED LIGHT. BOTH OF HER HANDS WERE ON THE WHEEL AND SHE WASN'T ON A PHONE OR ANYTHING. SHE BELIEVES SHE HIT THE BREAKS, AND AS STATED BEFORE STILL DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. AFTER READING THESE COMPLAINTS WE ARE WONDERING IF WE HAD THE SAME ISSUE AS SOMEONE ELSE WHO REPORTED AND IS THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. WE FIGURED WE WOULD REPORT THIS. WE ARE ALSO WONDERING IF OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING SIMILAR ACCIDENTS SINCE THERE HAS BEEN A MAJOR ISSUE GETTING PARTS TO REPAIR SAID CAR (CAR HAS NOW BEEN OFF THE ROAD FOR 11 WEEKS MOST PARTS REQUIRED FOR REPAIR HAVE BEEN EXTERNALLY BACKORDERED AND HYUNDAI HAS BEEN EXTREMELY UNHELPFUL TO HELP US GET OUR CAR REPAIRED). THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD, WHILE SLOWLY DEPRESSING THE BREAKS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. UPDATED 11/2/2017*JS

NHTSA ODI 10881942

Working with the data? Download all 941 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Hev verdict →