2022 Hyundai Santa FE Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe sudden loss of power or hesitation while accelerating, along with transmission messages and gear-engagement problems. A recurring theme in the sample is repeat fuel injector replacements, sometimes within a few thousand miles of each other, and many complaints note that dealers could not duplicate the problem because no warning light or code was stored.

1. 1
   Engine

   Loss of power / engine hesitation while accelerating

   • 42 complaints (21%)
   • median 17,500 mi at 1.5 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Complaints describe the vehicle hesitating, lurching, bucking or losing speed while accelerating, sometimes at highway speed, with the RPM rising without a matching gain in speed. In many accounts no warning light appeared, and owners report that dealers could not duplicate the condition or attributed it to fuel quality. Several long accounts describe repeated trips to the dealer and multi-day stays without a confirmed repair. Reported across the range, from a few thousand miles up into the 60,000s, both around town and at highway speeds.

   Recall 22V7460001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether any stored codes or service records document the hesitation, and whether the ECM/TCM update from the relevant service bulletin was applied. A longer test drive including a highway merge is worth doing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car has stalled and shut down and locked up completely while I was driving the vehicle for the 4 th time Thanksgiving Day. I was petrified! I called service at the dealership and they wanted to charge me. The car isn’t even a year old! What is Hyundai going to do about this?”

   NHTSA complaint #11494975, filed 2022-11

   “I have experienced a sudden loss of power when accelerating and then sudden vehicle slowdown and engine shutdown. Twice this occured at either hiway speed or accelerating to highway speeds. In both of these cases I easily could have caused or been involved in a serious crash. The third time happened on a city street and was not as egregious. There was no forewarning this might happen...no warning lights on the dash, etc. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11543928, filed 2023-09
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission warning, no gear engagement or stuck gear

   • 24 complaints (12%)
   • median 67,950 mi at 4.0 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Complaints describe transmission warning messages, delayed or failed gear engagement, the vehicle not shifting out of first gear with the engine revving, or the shifter refusing to move out of park. Some owners report jerkiness or reduced power with a transmission or shifter message displayed, and several say the dealer could not reproduce the fault because no codes were stored. Reported from very low mileage up to around 98,000 miles, with many accounts in the 8,000 to 75,000 mile range.

   Recall 22V7460004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the recall work for the transmission oil pump was completed and whether any TCU software update was applied. Note any warning message on the dash during the test drive and ask for a written diagnosis rather than a verbal one.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle would not shift when accelerating on gas pedal while driving, rpm’s went up to 5,000. Had the car towed to closest dealership and they haven’t looked at it. They stated they are unable to assist me with a rental car. I am home alone with 2 children and cannot go to work. There is a transmission recall on the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe with the exact problems the car has been having. Recall #236, campaign #22V746000. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11648839, filed 2025-03

   “1. The transmission warning symptoms first appeared on March 9, including a transmission warning light, delayed gear engagement, slipping gears, and loud mechanical noise. 2.5-liter turbo engine use an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). It has been in McGrath City Hyundai since March 10 for inspecton. 2. We were not harmed, but were very concerned about the safety of the car. 3. We only tried and waiting for this dealer for a ddiagnosis, but they verbally gave 2 conflicting diagnoses today. No written diagnosis report, no repair report. 4. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11724717, filed 2026-03
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Fuel injector failures, sometimes repeated

   • 25 complaints (12%)
   • median 30,000 mi at 3.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe the engine misfiring, shaking, stalling or failing to accelerate, with the check engine light on and misfire codes stored. Several complaints state that one or more fuel injectors were replaced and the same fault returned, in some cases affecting multiple cylinders in the same year, and a few note injectors on backorder or a repair declined for warranty reasons. Mostly reported between roughly 10,000 and 70,000 miles; some complaints describe repeat failures within a few thousand miles of the previous repair.

   Recall 21V5240002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for the service history for injector replacement and misfire codes (P0300-series), and whether the high-pressure fuel pipe was addressed. Confirm the fuel smell or rough idle complaint was actually repaired, not just cleared.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Three fuel injectors out of four have failed in a year’s time frame. Car shakes, stalls, hesitates, and is dangerous to drive. Waiting for fourth injector to fail.”

   NHTSA complaint #11632972, filed 2024-12

   “The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while her son was driving 20 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the fuel injectors needed to be replaced, but the parts were on backorder. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11665719, filed 2025-06, 30,000 miles
4. 4
   Forward collision avoidance

   False automatic emergency braking

   • 11 complaints (5%)
   • median 38,955 mi at 1.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners report the automatic emergency braking engaging with no vehicle or obstacle ahead, including at highway speed, and the pre-collision message appearing while stopped or idling. Complaints describe the sudden braking as startling and hard for following traffic to anticipate, and note that dealers were often unable to reproduce the event. Reported across the mileage range, including vehicles well under 40,000 miles, sometimes on open highway with no traffic nearby.

   What to check: During a test drive, ask whether the forward collision warning or braking has ever engaged unexpectedly, and confirm the camera and radar sensors are clean and undamaged. Ask the dealer to check for stored sensor fault codes and confirm any related software updates.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On several occasions now The vehicle is engaging the automatic emergency braking system for no reason. Several times I have been driving on the highway without a car in front of me and it engages the automatic emergency braking system. This has caused me to almost be rear-ended because my vehicle slammed on the brakes. I have almost been in several accidents now due to the automatic emergency braking activating for no reason and cars almost hitting me.”

   NHTSA complaint #11545939, filed 2023-09

   “Engine light comes on and car starts jerking or when I start the car it does it and jerks and drives 5 mph. Cruise control jerks when using it and the sensors go off for no reason.”

   NHTSA complaint #11579130, filed 2024-03

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection that includes a long test drive with a highway merge and a scan for stored codes is worthwhile on this model year, and ask for documentation of injector, transmission and camera recall or software work. Service history showing repeat fuel injector or transmission visits is worth weighing against the asking 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.