2025 Hyundai Santa FE problems & reliability
131 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2025 Hyundai Santa FE, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
3 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System → | 28 | 21% |
| Unknown / Other | 26 | 20% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 20 | 15% |
| Power Train → | 20 | 15% |
| Tires → | 16 | 12% |
| Engine → | 13 | 10% |
| Visibility/wiper → | 12 | 9% |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 6% |
| Lane Departure | 6 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 22 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Pirelli Scorpion 255/45 R20 I am filing this complaint regarding a serious and unacceptable defect with my Pirelli tires. To date, two of the four tires have proven to be defective. In both instances, the defect was not readily apparent while the tires were mounted on the vehicle. The problem was discovered only when…”
Tires · filed Sep 14, 2026
“ON 3 separate occasions the vehicle has suddenly quit going.twice going through an intersection after taking off. the third time going up hill near my house. the car would only go 10 mph. A message would come up on the dash that reads " transmission system error, Check transmission oil immediately. That was not the…”
Electrical System · filed Sep 14, 2026
“While driving, the chest clip fell apart into multiple little pieces. I was not aware until we were parked at our destination and I went to remove my child from the seat. I am unaware how long he did not have a chest clip for during the duration of the ride. It also broke apart into pieces small enough for my child to…”
Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness · filed Sep 8, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
38 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2025 Hyundai Santa FE. The 10 most recent:
Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Fe Hybrid (MX5A HEV) vehicles may exhibit a 12-volt battery drain due to the passive entry feature of the Digital Key 2 premium causing repeated wakeup of the vehicle. This bulletin…
26-BE-026H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 22, 2026
Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Fe Hybrid (MX5A HEV) vehicles equipped with natural leather or Nappa leather seating surfaces may exhibit wrinkling on the first or second row seat cushions or seat backs, or tearing along…
26-BD-008H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 18, 2026
Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Fe Hybrid (MX5A HEV) vehicles equipped with power seats with or without Integrated Memory System (IMS) may produce buzz, squeak, rattle noises when the driver’s front seat is adjusted…
26-BE-015H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 2, 2026
This bulletin provides information related to the navigation and head unit software changes introduced in the 2026 1st Navigation Map and Software Update. The changes may vary depending on vehicle type, model, and…
26-GI-002H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 27, 2026
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co.…
DTN DL · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety…
DTN DCS · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
Some vehicles may exhibit a loss of connectivity or interruptions in the middle of using Bluelink functions. This may be due to an occasional disconnection on Verizon’s communication network. Follow the procedures in…
26-01-035H TSB · Service Campaign · issued Apr 8, 2026
Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Fe Hybrid (MX5A HEV) vehicles equipped with 2nd row captain’s chairs have an armrest cap that may detach. This bulletin provides the procedure to replace the armrest cap on the 2nd row…
26-BD-001H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 13, 2026
Certain Santa Fe (MX5A) vehicles may experience a discharged battery condition due to the Fingerprint Module (FPM) not entering 'SLEEP' mode when the ignition is turned off. This bulletin provides instructions to…
26-01-015H-1 TSB · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Mar 7, 2026
Some Santa Cruz (NXT), Santa Fe (TMA, MX5A), and Sonata (DN8A) models may require replacement of the 8-speed wet dual clutch transmission (8WDCT) when the vehicle sets one of the high pressure electric oil pump (HP EOP)…
26-AT-001H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 3, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2025 Hyundai Santa FE has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2025 Hyundai Santa FE?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.