2025 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid Problems

What owners report

Complaints on the 2025 Santa Fe Hybrid are dominated by sudden loss of propulsion or "limp mode," where the vehicle drops speed on the highway and will not accelerate past roughly 20–35 mph, sometimes with no warning light; a few owners also report frequent driver attention warnings that cancel cruise control, and 12-volt battery drain. Most complaints are filed under 15,000 miles, so this is a low-mileage picture, though several loss-of-power reports quote much higher mileage.

1. 1
   Engine

   Sudden loss of power / limp mode at highway speed

   • 45 complaints (43%)
   • median 3,300 mi at 1.6 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle abruptly losing propulsion while driving, typically from 60–70 mph down to 20–40 mph, with the accelerator pressed to the floor and engine rpm rising without any gain in speed. Many report the hybrid battery gauge dropping sharply and a message telling them to park with the engine running to recharge, or "Check Hybrid System"; some get no warning light at all. According to complaints, dealers have replaced ignition coils, a high-pressure fuel pump, and other parts, and in several cases could not reproduce the problem or returned the vehicle without a diagnosis. Several owners say the condition recurred after repair. Reported from a few thousand miles up to roughly 15,000 and occasionally near 50,000 miles; most often at highway speeds and on inclines or on-ramps.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for the full service history and whether any drivability or hybrid-system fault codes were stored, and test drive at highway speed including an on-ramp and an incline. Request confirmation of which parts, if any, were replaced for a loss-of-power concern.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was on a semi residential-commercial street that turns on to a freeway entrance. I was turning right and unavoidably entered the freeway when the sudden loss of power occurred. The car slowed down to about 20 mph and pressing on the gas medal didn't yield any more power. I immediately pulled over to the emergency lane upon entering freeway to let fast moving vehicles pass me on the left side. I turned off the vehicle and turned it back on. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11664480, filed 2025-06

   “When traveling home from work 8/27/26, my cruise control shut off and my car immediately went into “limp” mode. This almost caused me to get into an accident with a tractor trailer, in which, I may not have survived. Immediately pulled over and tried to find out what had caused this and how to get it fixed. Nothing worked to get it out of “limp” mode. There were no warning lights or messages, except LV3. Which was a completely different issue. This issue I was able to correct. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11760351, filed 2026-08
2. 2
   Forward collision avoidance

   Driver attention warning and cancelled cruise control

   • 14 complaints (13%)
   • median 13,000 mi at 0.4 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners say the driver attention warning fires repeatedly, including shortly after setting off, and that wearing sunglasses or glancing away triggers a message that it cannot see the driver's eyes. In several complaints the warning disables adaptive cruise control or briefly applies braking, so the vehicle slows without the driver intending it. Complaints also describe the feature not being switchable off through the settings menu, and owners say the dealer told them the system's camera simply does not work well with eyewear. Reported across a wide mileage range, generally within the first year of ownership and during routine driving with glasses or sunglasses.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: During a test drive, use adaptive cruise control while wearing sunglasses and check whether the attention warning interferes; also check whether the settings menu actually turns the feature off.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The Forward Attention Warning at times alarms constantly, even though I am looking forward. It is highly distracting as it alarms many times per minute. A menu option exists in the settings to disable it, but that doesn't work. I have read online that this is a common problem with 2024 and 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe models.”

   NHTSA complaint #11640616, filed 2025-02

   “The cruise control system cuts of with message on screen stating that , system camera can’t see my face and the system de-activates. This is especially dangerous at highway speeds. The vehicle behind me doesn’t see a brake light as my vehicle suddenly looses speed. This is from Hyundais Driver Attention Warning (DAW) function. This function cannot be de-activated by myself or my dealership which is Webb Hyundai of Merrillville Indiana.”

   NHTSA complaint #11668783, filed 2025-06
3. 3
   Electrical system

   12-volt battery drains and no-start

   • 18 complaints (17%)
   • median 2,774 mi at 1.6 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Complaints describe the 12-volt battery going flat after the vehicle sits, with doors unlocking and the car needing a jump start, sometimes only a few thousand miles in. Some owners link it to a dashboard or software update, the digital key, or an interior screen that stays lit after shutdown; one report describes documented excessive current draw while parked. Dealers have replaced the 12-volt battery or a sensor module in some cases, and in others declined a battery replacement. Mostly reported in the first several thousand miles, often after short trips or a vehicle sitting for a period.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether any 12-volt battery drain software updates or module replacements were done, and check the battery's age and condition; confirm the vehicle starts readily after sitting overnight.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I've been having a few issues with my 2025 Calligraphy Hybrid I bought in November related to the main screen, sometimes when I start the vehicle it doesn't properly initialize and it will show me some of the icons and nothing else. No HUD, no speedometer, no remaining fuel, no hybrid information. It's a huge safety issue, it seems to happen every couple of weeks. I thought it was the digital key not working properly so I disabled that but still having issues. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11672592, filed 2025-07

   “When you stop the car , you cannot lock- unlock the car with keyfob. Nothing happens when you press these buttons on keyfob. And Media screen inside the car is still ON. But the car is OFF for sure. After few minutes only, keyfob works fine and you can lock-unlock, remote start etc. So for 5 minutes, you cannot do anything like locking the car, which is a safety hazard.”

   NHTSA complaint #11638786, filed 2025-01
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Unintended movement, stalling or unintended acceleration

   • 16 complaints (15%)
   • median 7,900 mi at 1.9 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   A smaller group of complaints describes the vehicle shifting itself into neutral or rolling while parked, or shutting off at a light, and one owner reports the car accelerating on its own after leaving a stop. Other reports describe the instrument cluster going blank or the infotainment system stalling mid-drive, which owners connect to a loss of control of vehicle information. Reported at low mileage, generally under about 8,000 miles, in stop-and-go and parking-lot situations.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Confirm with the dealer that the vehicle has no open campaigns, and check that the instrument cluster and center screen start up correctly from cold. Ask whether the gear selector has ever failed to hold Park.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle was turned on and in park. I placed my child in the back seat, opened the driver door and was able to enter the vehicle. The car began to roll down the driveway, while in park, and ran me over. It continued to roll backwards into a tree and was stopped by rolling into my neighbors home.”

   NHTSA complaint #11770541, filed 2026-10

   “Started car, reading paperwork and suddenly my car went into Neutral bycitself and rolled backwards in a parking lot. Thank goodness no one was walking behind my car. This is the 2nd time it has happened. Additionally, twice previously, my car screen blacked off. 1 other time while sitting at a traffic light, the car shut off. I have been patient but now I'm afraid ti drive this car with only 2,650 miles on it.”

   NHTSA complaint #11707089, filed 2025-12

Buying note. The most consistent theme in these complaints is an intermittent loss of power at speed, so a highway test drive and a look at the service history for drivability or hybrid fault codes matter more than cosmetics. Also confirm which open recalls and software updates have been completed, and check the 12-volt battery and factory tires before agreeing on a price.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.