2023 Hyundai Santa Fe problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (28) · Service Brakes (22) · Engine (18)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Santa Fe model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
20 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (1)
Trailer Hitches 2023-03-17 · campaign 23V181000 · 584,784 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: 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.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (51)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Electrical System 2026-10-27 · 26-GI-003H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin provides information related to the navigation and head unit software changes introduced in the 2026 2nd navigation map and software update. the changes may vary depending on vehicle type, model, and navigation system. refer to the 2026 2nd navigation map and software update key improv
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2026-10-15 · 26-GI-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (pdw) sensor(s) that may trigger various dtcs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the pdw sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple false alarms. this condition may be a res
Engine 2026-10-08 · 26-EM-016H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. all internal combustion engines consume some engine oil during normal operatio
Engine 2026-10-07 · 26-EM-015H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. all internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operatio
Electrical System 2026-09-26 · 26-BE-001H-2 DCS · Warranty Program/Extension
some vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the horn replacement under this condition to 10 years or 120,000 miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use (
Electrical System 2026-09-26 · 26-BE-001H-2 TSB · Warranty Program/Extension
some vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the horn replacement under this condition to 10 years or 120,000 miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use (
Showing the 6 most recent of 51 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-27 · Firerelated · 12,338 mi · 🔥 fire“the contact owns a 2023 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the vehicle had caught on fire, however, the origin of the fire was unknown. the vehicle was unoccupied during the fire. the fire was self-extinguished. a fire department report was filed. the vehicle was towed to a tow yard. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure …”
2026-10-27 · Service Brakes“i was at a stop light, when it turned green i accelerated and the car automatically implemented emergency braking. no one was in front of me. thank goodness no one was behind me or they would’ve rear-ended me. …”
2026-10-26 · Service Brakes“no crash, injury, warning lamp, message, or loss-of-braking event occurred. the issue involves the brake hydraulic system and the fluid specified for my 2023 hyundai santa fe calligraphy. hyundai’s owner specification requires sae j1704 dot-4 lv / iso 4925 class 6 brake fluid. during a brake-fluid exchange, an authorized hyundai dealer installed b…”
2026-10-05 · Power Train“my 2023 hyundai santa fe calligraphy has experienced transmission problems since it was new and currently has approximately 20,000 miles. i brought it to the dealership approximately three to four times for these concerns, but i was told they could not find a problem or any diagnostic codes. recently, while driving on the highway, the vehicle lost…”
2026-09-24 · Unknown Or Other“the awd coupler has failed and the rear wheels feel like they are slipping and catching when i accelerate from a stop, particularly when turning. the car was taken to the dealership and inspected, but no longer under warranty as we are not the original owners. …”
2026-09-24 · Unknown Or Other“ i bought my 2023 hyundai santa fe at auto fair hyundai in [xxx] in xxx new. this is my third hyundai from this location over the years. i have always serviced it there ever since i bought it. ( oil changes, tire rotation etc.) back in xxx while driving home from [xxx] to [xxx] on [xxx] i hit the brakes in the left hand lane, in traffic and my ve…”
2026-09-23 · Vehicle Speed Control“while traveling on [xxx] from [xxx] to [xxx] xxx, i initiated the adaptive cruise control. while engaged, with no other vehicles or other impediments on the roadway in front of me, the emergency braking system engaged and attempted to stop the vehicle. the first time this happened, i pressed the accelerator which disengaged the braking action. la…”
2026-09-06 · Power Train“i own a 2023 hyundai santa fe calligraphy awd equipped with the 2.5l turbo engine and 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. at approximately 39,900 miles, the check-engine light illuminated. hyundai bluelink diagnostics reported powertrain/tcu diagnostic trouble code p1c2d03, identified as a high-pressure electric oil pump motor position sensor fau…”
2026-09-03 · Service Brakes“collision warning sensor alarm randomly comes on my dash and my car slams on the breaks. very dangerous, i’m scared to drive down the highway going 60mph. 80,109 miles 2023 hyundai santa fe. i have not brought it in to a hyundai dealership because they want a diagnosis fee and everything else. hyundai should fix it. this alarm has happened several …”
2026-08-12 · Power Train“ subject: formal dispute: warranty breach and failure to repair – 2023 hyundai santa fe timeline & facts:11/2/25 (~52,000 miles): i officially reported an intermittent loss of power and severe engine revving (up to 7,000 rpm). this created a severe safety hazard when merging and accelerating from an idle stop.3/28/26 (under 60k miles): after month…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.