2024 Hyundai Santa Fe: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 109 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, electrical, and brakes. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2024- Owner complaints
- 109
- Recalls
- 6
- Crashes reported
- 5
- 2 injuries
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Walk-around and cabin
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Which Santa Fe is it?
EPA figures for each version of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cylGas | AWD, FWD | 23–24 mpg |
| 1.6L 4-cylHybrid | AWD, FWD | 34–36 mpg |
- The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe was sold in two versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
- On the hybrid, watch for the car moving off on electric power at low speed and for any hybrid system warning on the dash.
- Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Santa Fe that averages well under the EPA 23 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.
Check the odometer against these mileages
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Dashboard and screen blackouts
1,300–3,000 miles
Early transmission failure
1,500–2,600 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Transmission281 crash
Transmissions fail very early, often between 1,500 and 2,600 miles. A "Transmission System Error" warning appears at startup and the SUV may stay in first gear or refuse to go above 10 mph until it is restarted. Other reports describe the engine revving without the car moving, slipping out of gear, and stalling at highway speed. Several owners got new transmissions, and some say the problem came back. Dealers often cannot reproduce it. Two reports describe the car rolling or moving forward on its own while parked, and one ended in a crash.
Electrical11No crashes
The digital gauge cluster and head-up display go black while driving, sometimes after a flash of every warning light or a "NO SIGNAL" message. That leaves no speedometer or warnings. Some owners saw it within the first weeks. The center screen also flickers or stays dark, which takes out the backup camera. In one report the dashboard fault came with a speed drop from 60 to 25 mph on the highway. Dealers often find no codes. Single reports cover a melted battery cable at the fuse box and an exposed hybrid battery connection damaged by road debris.
Brakes72 crashes
The brake pedal drops to the floor and the SUV fails to stop at low speed, mostly in parking lots, driveways, and car washes. These reports include 2 crashes and 1 injury, and one links the failure to the Auto Start/Stop feature. Another common complaint is front rotor vibration and shaking at highway speed or downhill, starting as early as 3,000 miles. Dealers resurface the rotors or say they cannot reproduce the shake. One owner reports the car rolling after being shifted into Park, followed by a "PARK malfunction" message.
Automatic emergency braking7No crashes
The driver attention camera wrongly decides an alert driver is not watching the road. It then shuts off adaptive cruise control, sometimes at 70 mph. Glare on regular glasses and dark or polarized sunglasses commonly set it off, and so does night driving. Owners say the setting to disable the feature switches back on when cruise control is engaged. Some reports describe the car slowing sharply, and one says it slowed to a crawl and shut off the engine on the interstate. Dealers have offered little help.
Steering5No crashes
Driver-assist systems take over steering or switch it off without warning. False attention warnings shut off lane following and steering assist, sometimes during highway passing. Owners also report uncommanded steering, lane keeping turning itself back on after being disabled, and a "Check Forward Attention Warning System" fault. One describes a false collision alert at 70 mph that braked and swerved the car toward the median. Others report hard braking when the camera loses sight of the driver's face, and one says the camera gets hot to the touch.
Wipers and visibility4No crashes
Windshields crack from small rock hits, and some owners have replaced two windshields in under 6,000 miles. Another report describes a crack that started at the top edge of the glass while the car sat parked overnight. The driver's wiper arm can come loose when snow or ice packs near its mount. It then overlaps the passenger wiper, and one arm was replaced under warranty. Washer nozzles also spray too low to clean the center and top of the glass.
Acceleration and cruise control4No crashes
Cruise control drops out suddenly because the driver attention camera falsely flags the driver as inattentive. That causes sharp slowing at highway speed. Reflections off glasses are a common trigger, but owners without glasses report it too, even with current software. One owner says the SUV sped up on its own to the set speed while signaling a lane change. Another describes the car seeming to slip into neutral above 70 mph after an hour or more of driving, which forced a stop and restart.
Engine3No crashes
Most reports filed here describe transmission trouble. One owner saw the "transmission system error, check transmission oil immediately" warning on a nearly new car, along with hard shifting and a car that barely drives. Another says the symptoms match Hyundai recall 236, but the car was not included in it. A separate report covers a check engine light for an "active airflap issue" after the car sat for 2 days. That owner worries the fault could lead to overheating.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints Santa Fe owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
At approximately 1500 miles on the odometer, I started to receive a warning roughly one out of every 3 times I started my 2024 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. The warning would flash red and read "Transmission System Error!, Check transmission oil immediately" and would refuse to move out of first gear, revving to approximately 5000 RPMs. The onboard vehicle diagnostic system reads all systems NORMAL when performed and this error requires a vehicle restart to clear.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2024
My transmission went out at only 1800 miles. It slipped out of gear 2 times while driving. Looking on line I see that I am not the only one. Also people are saying that there 2nd transmission goes out also. I am in the middle of trying to get a buy out.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2024
The vehicle has a digital instrument panel. Today the instrumental panel started flickering, sometimes all warning lights will flash, and then the panel will go completely black/blank while driving. Sometimes a red "NO SIGNAL" warning will flash across the screen. When this happens, there's no speedometer, engine temperature, or any information about the vehicle. This vehicle is 1-month old and has about 1300 miles.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2024
The vehicle was purchased brand new and at near 8k miles the brakes became warped. It caused severe shaking on the highway and has continued to get worse. Hyundai confirmed the brakes were bad but refused to replace the rotors. Rotors on a new car should not be warped at 8k miles, cheap materials lead to that
Filed with NHTSA, August 2025
Bought in Sept 2026 with 30,000 miles. Would not stop when breaking at low speed but would jerk and accelerate, causing me to drive through red lights and stop signs. How to swerve to avoid collisionHappened about 6 times. Returned to dealer. States could not duplicate. Traded car in
Filed with NHTSA, December 2025
This is for the Forward Attention Warning…..this feature is misleading. I can be looking straight at the road and it will beep at me. We need a way to turn it completely off. This alone causes me to look at the camera instead of the road.
Filed with NHTSA, February 2025
The forward attention camera won’t turn off even when selected off in settings… I’m unable to drive comfortably with one hand at 12 o clock without constant beeps and warnings. its MADDENING.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2025
How the 2024 compares with other Santa Fe years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2024 ranks joint seventh for owner complaints among 9 Santa Fe years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Transmission2830
- Electrical1122
- Brakes712
- Automatic emergency braking75
- Steering53
- Wipers and visibility44
Recalls to confirm (6)
Recall repairs are free at any Hyundai dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
25V808000Backup cameraNov 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.".
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
25V659000ElectricalOct 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.
Risk: An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
24V843000ElectricalNov 2024
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The overhead console rear sunshade switch knob may not be fully recessed, which can result in unintentional closing of the sunshade. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 118, "Power-Operated Window, Partition and Roof Panel Systems.".
Risk: A sunshade that closes unexpectedly can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the switch knobs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 2, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 270.
24V561000AirbagsJul 2024
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Santa Fe and Santa Fe HEV vehicles. The main floor wiring harness may chafe against the passenger-side second-row bench seat assembly and become damaged, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally or prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash.
Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally can increase the risk of an injury. An air bag that does not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the wiring harness as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 22, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 265.
24V529000TransmissionJul 2024
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Santa Fe vehicles. A software error in the transmission control unit may result in a vehicle roll away when the vehicle is in PARK.
Risk: A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to use the emergency parking brake after parking their vehicles. Hyundai will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update for the transmission control unit. In addition, dealers will inspect and replace the dual clutch transmission, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning August 26, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 263.
24V246000Backup cameraApr 2024
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Santa Fe vehicles. The rearview camera image may be obstructed by a trailer parking assist message. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: An obstructed rearview camera image reduces rearward visibility and increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Hyundai will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 31, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 258.
Also looking at these instead of a Santa Fe?
Cars shoppers compare with the Hyundai Santa Fe, with their own 2024 checklists.
2024 owner complaints, side by side
- Honda Passport12
- Ford Explorer14
- Kia Sorento35
- Ford Edge38
- Honda Pilot82
- 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe109
- Toyota Highlander198
