What 194 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Phev

Change the oil in the engine and found metal flakes in the oil. Took it to the dealership and they stated this is normal. After going to another dealership they found that this was not normal and had to replace the motor. Now three (3) months later the check engine light is flashing. It has a code of P1326. Was told this could be a knock sensor or it could be something wrong ever further into the engine.

NHTSA ODI 11651973

The airbag light comes on intermittently when a passenger is sitting in the front seat. Took to a LaCrosse WI Hyundai dealer for OBD code. The dealer reported the following: “Body Elect Concern. ODS ECU and Seat Mat Failure. Inspected found code b149000 found code due to ECU failure. Tested seat mat and found mat also failed due to high resistance outside of spec range. Repair estimate given at $2,800.00.

NHTSA ODI 11651541

I was backing out of a parking spot and suddenly the car accelerated backwards into a wall. The floor mat was NOT on the accelerator pedal. Obviously, I might have accidently pressed the gas pedal. But, I strongly believe I did not. For me to be mistaken, all three of the following would have to be true: 1) I would have had to put my foot on the accelerator by mistake, even though I am of sound mind and body, I was not distracted, and I have been driving for decades without having done such a thing. 2) I would have had to continue holding my foot to the gas pedal even as I felt myself racing backwards. 3) Having slammed into the wall, I would have had to be unaware that I had caused the accident. That all three conditions were true seems highly unlikely. (Not impossible. Just unlikely.) I can't imagine stepping on the gas when I meant to step on the brake and then not realizing that I was doing so and then not remembering that I had done so. Cars have computers and computers sometimes have bugs. It seems more likely that a computer glitch caused the crash. And, I suspect that, if it has happened to others, they did not report it because they assume they would not be believed. (When I told a friend of mine what had happened, he told me that, on two separate occasions, he applied the brakes on his Hyundai (a different model) only to have the engine rev up and "fight" his braking. He had to press harder on the brakes to stop his vehicle.) Question: does the onboard computer record all of the car's and computer's activities? (Note: I called the police, who came to document what had happened. I don't believe he filed an official report, but if you need what he recorded, let me know.)

NHTSA ODI 11650148

Engine oil disappear at 2,000 miles. Car dead stop while driving without any warning ️ break fails at 95 degrees curves. Steering wheel loose and make noise. Hyundai dealer refused to fix the issue.

NHTSA ODI 11649290

High utilization of motor oil. Using 1 quart of oil every 300miles. Hyundai dealership (Gurnee Hyundai-Illinois) completed a "combustion system cleaning" but oil consumption continues unabated. Getting run-around from dealership and manufacturer. I am original owner. Care has 87K miles.

NHTSA ODI 11647003

The contact owned a 2020 Hyundai Santa FE. The contact stated that after the vehicle was unoccupied and parked in the residential carport, she was in bed for the night and four bystanders stopped outside the contact's residence. One bystander knocked on the contact's door, the second bystander ran to the back of the house to search for a rear entrance to enter the home and the third bystander grabbed the water hose and attempted to extinguish the fire but was unsuccessful. The contact mentioned the parts of the vehicle exploded. The fourth bystander called 911 and the contact evacuated from the home. The contact did not sustain injuries. The contact mentioned the bystanders did not sustain injuries either. No medical attention was sought. No police report was filed. The fire departments arrived on the scene, and the firefighters extinguished the fire. The fire consumed the vehicle in the carport and the fire spread to the house causing damage. Fire department reports were filed but no report number was available. The vehicle currently remained on the scene. The insurance company deemed the vehicle and her home totaled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and an inspector from Progressive Insurance in addition to an inspector from American Modern Home Insurance out to the contact's residence after careful review they could not discover a product defect responsible for the vehicle incident. The failure mileage was 61,000.

NHTSA ODI 11643886

Check engine light began flashing suddenly as I was driving. My vehicle went into limp mode on the interstate in 70 mph traffic, it was dark and pouring down rain. The check engine light was no longer flashing when I went the next day to take to the dealership to be checked. They stated nothing can be done unless it is flashing when I bring it in. This is the 3rd time it has happened in this vehicle, and I have taken in on other occasions with no resolution. This puts my family and I at risk. This appears to have same issues as my previous vehicle a 2014 sonata limited 2.0t.

NHTSA ODI 11638926

Front passenger seat belt will no longer click and lock into place. When held in place by hand, the warning lamp turns off and the audible warning alert turns off. It has not yet been checked by any service department.

NHTSA ODI 11636032

The backup camera will sometimes have black lines and flash off/on while in reverse. Other times, it will display a solid blue screen and the camera doesn't show an image at all. I took it to the dealer and since they weren't able to replicate the problem, they didn't look at it. I showed them a video I recorded, but that wasn't good enough. It's happening more often and seems to mostly occur after the vehicle has been parked outside.

NHTSA ODI 11635622

PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING WITH A PASSENGER SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT.

NHTSA ODI 11634594

The vehicle seat caught fire overnight, Sept 26th, and was discovered the morning of Sept 27th 2024. The fire was contained to inside the vehicle and melted parts of the driver seat and lower part of steering wheel. The vehicle interior was covered in orange dust and had extremely toxic smell inside. Insurance 3rd party inspected and declared it a total loss. A few weeks later, a neighbor and fellow Hyundai SantaFe owner mentioned that he had heard of an issue with the Santa Fe catching fire. With this new information, I called Hyundai to alert them. Hyundai opened an investigation, but closed the claim since the 3rd party that declared it a total loss had already sold it as salvage. They also denied any recalls pertaining to my specific vehicle or knowledge that electrical fire was a potential issue for this model and year. There was a recall for a tow hitch that lead to fires....but mine did not have a tow hitch. Obvious concern is that this could be a wider issue than just 1 vehicle and lives and property of those owners and others could be at significant risk.

NHTSA ODI 11629667

Back up camera glitches. Causes driver assist to take control at times when not necessary. Have has this in for service at least 4 times since purchasing vehicle in 2020. Service states repaired each time bit eventually happens again. This last time is getting more severe cause multiple electrical short in Overhead lights, Panoramic roof failure to close at times and rear hatch sometimes only partially opens. I saw recent recall for 2021 and 2022 Santa fe's, I believe this problem is what is happening with my 2020 Santa fe and the scope of the recall should be expanded.

NHTSA ODI 11628687

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at higher speeds, the vehicle experienced a momentary loss of motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. An unknown local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle was taken to Auto Zone where a diagnostic scanner was used to diagnose the vehicle. The contact was informed that the MAP sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to Advance Auto Parts where, the DTC code: P2565; was retrieved. The contact stated that the spark plugs, and the MAP sensor were previously replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,363.

NHTSA ODI 11627682

While driving down the highway my car started slowing down and would not accelerate. All the lights came up on the dash board and would not let me accelerate. I had to merge 2 lanes to the shoulder on a busy highway where my car ended up dying and would not turn over. I was concerned for my safety and the speed limit was 70MPH and my car rapidly went down. After 5 minutes my car came back on and then immediately stopped working again. I had my car towed to the local Hyundai dealer where they said I would need a new engine on a 4 year old car. My make and model are in the recall for engine issues but my VIN # was not included. I spoke to Hyundai a few times and they stated there was nothing they can do and we needed to pay for the new engine.

NHTSA ODI 11627278

Vehicle has developed excessive oil consumption. No leaks to be found. Using approximately one quart a week.

NHTSA ODI 11620139

The park break keeps turning on by its self, rather I'm driving or sitting at a light or stopped at a stop sign. Putting me and my passengers as well as the other motorist on the road at risk for collision.There is an orange EPB light that never goes off that came on about two months ago, and the emergency park break started being engaged without me engaging it after last driving the car, every time I get back in the car. A red park break light comes on and continously blinks and that has been happening for the last month and a half. The breaks lock and I have to keep pushing the park break disengage button and turning the car off several times to get it to disengage at some point, while in traffic. I haven't had this problem checked out yet, because it is so costly, but I plan to.

NHTSA ODI 11614583

Knock sensor failed while it was raining and at highway speed and caused the vehicle to slow and jerk. After further investigation this has been a recall issue for several years , but Hyundai still has a problem with their Knock sensor and no recall on the 2020 Santa Fe

NHTSA ODI 11613675

I parked my 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe in a hospital parking garage on the morning of July 30, 2024. I was getting ready to leave after my doctor’s appointment. I slowly reversed my car and hit a pillar behind me. As I put the car into drive to come forward slowly, the car accelerated forward at a very fast speed. I took my foot off of the gas and kept pressing the brake pedal, but the car kept speeding forward on its own and I crashed headfirst into a concrete wall. The impact cracked the concrete barrier on the outside of the parking garage. The air bags deployed, causing fractures in my sternum and L1 vertebrae. This accident occurred near the elevators/stairs and cars were all around. IF a person had been walking in my path to get to their car, he/she would have been severely hurt or killed. I was able to frantically steer the accelerating car into a handicap parking space and crash into the concrete wall, thus avoiding other cars. If that space was not available, my car could have crashed into another car with people inside. We were just told that the car is going to be totaled. If necessary, it could be inspected before that happens. I thought that I was going to die… the car was out of control. I do not want this to happen to others with this type of car…or put others in its path at risk.

NHTSA ODI 11605859

I was driving on the highway going about 75 to 80. My vehicle will start warning me that a car was in front of me when the cars was about 3 to 4 car links ahead of me. The emergency brake will start for at least a mile down the road. Then shut off. It will happen at least 5 times on a 4 hour trip. This really need to be fix before someone get rear end.

NHTSA ODI 11603304

While driving on the highway loss of power and all the light on the info area lit up had to pull over on shoulder and shut off car and restart. And on two separate occasion while on low speed local road brake pedal locked up and I could not stop the car using the brake it was like it was press down already and I was unable to stop.

NHTSA ODI 11603309

Twice while driving in traffic my vehicle’s engine randomly shut off. This left me in very unsafe conditons as one as at a busy intersection which resulted in cars going around me while I attempted to restart my vehicle. The problem hasn’t been reproduced by a dealership. The vehicle hasn’t been inspected. No warning lights or dtc. First failure was 6ish weeks ago.

NHTSA ODI 11594225

Prior to these occasions, the Hyundai Santa Fe was constantly needing oil added. On top of that, starting on [XXX], my 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe coded with a check engine light blinking in the upper right corner of the dashboard. I was on [XXX] in NW Indiana on my way to a meeting. The SUV would not accelerate past 2,000 rpm and bogged down on a national interstate sending me into a panic. I had my car towed back to my house. I called my brother in law, [XXX] , who sold me the vehicle in November 2020, to get advice on what to do next. I was told to have the vehicle towed to the nearest dealership. After having my car sit there for two weeks, Webb Hyundai finally looked at it. They upgraded the knock sensor software and had the knock sensor replaced. With the plethora of things that I asked to be repaired or looked at, they only fixed the knock sensor. Due to an extended warranty, I paid $100. Two days later, the SUV got a flat tire. The SUV sat for a week or week and a half due to a flat tire and the place not having it in stock. [XXX] driving back from getting my new tire put on in Valparaiso, Indiana, the vehicle coded again on [XXX]. It caused another very dangerous situation as the vehicle slows to 2,000 rpms. Once again, I had the SUV towed back to my home in Cedar Lake, Indiana. It sat for a few days while I was deciding my next move. This time, I had the vehicle towed to Gerald Hyundai, where my brother in law works and where the vehicle was originally purchased. The vehicle arrived [XXX], 2024. The SUV only sat for one day before telling me all the work that needed to be done. Some of the charges were covered by the extended warranty. Total bill was $540. The work was done on May 13, 2024. I could not pick up the vehicle until the weekend. However, my other car was in an accident, so I did not make it until [XXX] 2024. Shortly after picking up my vehicle, the SUV coded again on [XXX] going back to Indiana. More to follow.. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11592945

Front drivers side wheelwell cover come off on the highway, I could have had a wreck

NHTSA ODI 11589505

On Interstate 95 in Virginia, multiple times, going ~68-70 MPH the vehicle automatically applied the brakes causing an unsafe situation with a momentary loss of control. Multiple times this has happened with no other vehicle or obstacle in front of, or beside me. It has happened now for no reason causing the loss of control of the vehicle. We have reported this to Hyundai and they cannot find any fault code, or record of the incident. Our understanding is that this is a widespread problem with this vehicle and system, but also includes other vehicles with the same technology. We are afraid this may end up causing serious damage, injuries or fatality(ies). We have asked Hyundai to turn the system off, and they have refused. They have no solution, and we have spent time and money on this.

NHTSA ODI 11586490

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that one bolt on the fuel pump was sheared off and another was extremely loose. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11574032