2024 Hyundai Santa FE Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe most often describe transmission problems — warning messages about the transmission, loss of power, jerking or hesitation — frequently at low mileage, with some vehicles needing a transmission replacement. A second cluster of complaints covers driver-monitoring and forward-collision alerts that sound or act when the driver is attentive, along with infotainment and instrument-panel glitches, brakes that feel slow to respond at low speed, and tires developing sidewall bulges.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission error, power loss and jerking

   • 49 complaints (31%)
   • median 12,000 mi at 1.3 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Complaints describe a "Transmission System Error" or "check transmission oil" message appearing while driving, often with loss of acceleration, jerking, shuddering or hesitation when pulling away from a stop. Several owners report the vehicle being towed and the dealer replacing the transmission; others say a dealer could not duplicate the fault or initially said it was unrelated to the transmission. A few mention difficulty shifting or the car stalling and then resuming normal operation after a restart. Mostly reported between roughly 2,600 and 32,000 miles, often within the first year of ownership; several note the message appeared at highway speed.

   Recall 24V5290004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the transmission control unit software campaign (24V529000) has been performed, and request any service records for transmission warning messages or replacement. On a test drive, pay attention to how the car takes off from a stop and whether any warning appears on the cluster.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “3 times now, I am driving and the vehicle goes into limp mode, the D on the dash is flashing but the vehicle sends no codes. The tech said the vehicle can immediately delete the code and they can't fix it if they can't duplicate it. It also hesitates when accelerating and is dangerous to myself, my 4 children and anyone driving around me when it goes into limp mode. There is no code, therefore they say they can't do anything about it.”

   NHTSA complaint #11736861, filed 2026-05

   “The transmission is the problem that caused the vehicle to downshift while driving and resulted is a sudden jerk and slowdown in speed. My safety was at risk as the car slowed down suddenly and almost caused the vehicle behind me to rear end my vehicle. But luckily the other driver was able to stop. I previously brought the vehicle to Hyundai service (12/12/24) and they indicated that they couldn’t replicate the problem and there was no situation. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11633433, filed 2024-12
2. 2
   Forward collision avoidance

   Driver attention and collision alerts when attentive

   • 22 complaints (14%)
   • median 26,434 mi at 2.2 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners report repeated "keep your eyes on the road" or "hands on steering wheel" alerts while they are looking straight ahead, sometimes with glasses or in normal daylight, and some say the warnings escalate to messages about the vehicle being disabled. Complaints also describe automatic emergency braking engaging near other objects, a sudden hard stop, cruise control disengaging by itself, and in one case the car pulling to the right after a false hands-off warning. Owners say the alerts are distracting and that they cannot fully turn the feature off. Reported from the first months of ownership through roughly 10,000–26,000 miles, on highways and suburban roads, in at least one case after a software update.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the in-cabin camera and driver attention logic updates have been applied, and try the adaptive cruise and lane/attention features on a highway test drive to see how often alerts trigger.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #11641251, filed 2025-02

   “The In-Cabin Camera system is having non stop issues. I have had this car since 2024 and have never experienced issues with this system like I have for the past month or so. I don't know if this is because of the latest update that was done on 11-26-25 or not.The system constantly goes off telling me to keep my eyes on the road when I am staring at the car in front of my while I am driving. It dings and displays the message on the dash which is a major distraction while driving. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11710787, filed 2026-01
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brakes slow to respond at low speed

   • 9 complaints (6%)
   • median 9,500 mi at 1.7 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners describe pressing the brake pedal at low speed, such as in traffic or a parking lot, and the vehicle not slowing or stopping as expected, in some cases with a jerk or forward lurch and a minor collision. One owner says the parking brake disengaged while the car idled and the car moved forward. Dealers reportedly could not duplicate the condition in some cases, while another owner had warped front rotors resurfaced under warranty. Reported at low mileage, often in the first year, during low-speed maneuvers like parking, driveways and stop-and-go traffic.

   Recall 24V529000

   What to check: During a test drive, try several slow-speed stops and a stop in a parking area with the auto start/stop active, and ask whether any brake or parking-brake diagnosis has been recorded.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Despite having the DCT software recall repaired, today the parking brake disengaged after the car was idling for a few minutes at my son’s school. It lurched forward, startling me, and then I was alerted that the emergency parking brake deployed. The rollaway could have injured a child in the parking lot. No alerts or lights have been on prior. Additionally, after the rollaway incident, I was stopped at a red light, and my brakes depressed halfway. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11763167, filed 2026-09

   “I purchased a brand new 2024 santa fe xrt back in March of 2024. And around December my front end started shaking and I had bad vibrations in my front in when I was finally able to get it into the hyundai dealership in January they told me it was my front 2 rotors where warped my vehicle only has 13k miles and shouldn't have rotor issuses. Even though it was covered under warranty all the dealership did was resurface the rotors and said the vibration is gone. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11639512, filed 2025-01
4. 4
   Seats

   Second-row seat folds without obstruction detection

   • 6 complaints (4%)
   • median 11,300 mi at 1.8 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners report the second-row captain's chairs beginning to fold forward when the power fold button is pressed, even with a person or a child seat in the seat, and describe children being pressed against the seat in front before the motion was stopped. Complaints say there is no sensor or logic to prevent movement when the seat is occupied. Separately, an owner reported a third-row seat anchor detaching, and another a hole in the front driver's seat. Reported across various mileages, typically around family use and while loading or unloading children.

   Recall 26V218000

   What to check: Check that the recall for seat belt anchorage (26V218000) has been completed, and test the power fold buttons on both second-row seats to see whether they stop when the seat is occupied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My daughter was sitting down on the middle row and the button to fold the chair down was accidentally pressed. When she screamed bc she was getting smushed I jumped out of the vehicle and pushed the button to stop the chair from folding. Thankfully she was able to lay down sideways or I am sure the outcome would of been worse. She is so traumatized and does not want to even sit in the vehicle any more. She is only 8!!! This is traumatizing as a parent as well. This needs to be fixed !!!”

   NHTSA complaint #11728156, filed 2026-03

   “A child was exiting the vehicle from the second row driver-side seat, and the seat fold-up button (on the shoulder of the seat) was accidentally tapped. The seat began to tilt forward to collapse, squeezing a toddler in a rear facing child seat between the seat and the back of the front driver seat. Thankfully, the child seat bore the brunt of the pressure, but the incident clearly demonstrated an absence of sensors or logic to disallow the button to function when a child seat (using latch) is installed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11725023, filed 2026-03
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Instrument panel, screen and 12-volt issues

   • 11 complaints (7%)
   • typically at 2.1 yrs old
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Complaints describe the digital instrument cluster flickering, flashing all warning lights, or going blank with a "no signal" message while driving, leaving no speed or temperature information. Owners also report the key fob not unlocking the car and a melted battery-to-fuse-box wire, dead 12-volt batteries, and navigation or Bluetooth connectivity dropping out. Dealers generally handled these through software updates, cable adjustments, or towing the vehicle in for diagnosis. Often reported in the first months of ownership and under about 15,000 miles, sometimes after a parked period or a software update.

   Recall 25V659000Recall 24V8430007 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the battery-drain and display-related service bulletins have been applied, and check that the cluster and infotainment screen work steadily through a test drive, including a cold start.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was riding on a suburban street and ran over a branch I did not see due to rain and darkness. I went back and looked at the incident and the branch did not seem like it was that big but I quickly lost power and my car stalled and I could not get it restarted. I later found out that that branch took out my hybrid battery connection under the car which rendered the car useless. It is a 5000 fix. I don't know why such an important part is exposed under the undercarriage of an AWD SUV. I was traveling at 27 MPH. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11698379, filed 2025-11

   “I tried to open the doors of my locked vehicle with the key fob and there was no response. I tried several times and nothing happened. I called AAA and they opened the door with my valet key and was able to pop the trunk. He checked the battery and it was working fine. He then noticed that the wire connecting the battery to the fuse box has melted at the point of contract with the fuse box and actually melted part of the plastic fuse box. There was nothing he could do, so I had to have the car towed to the dealer. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11673035, filed 2025-07

Buying note. This model year is recent, so most complaints center on transmission warnings and power loss, attention and collision alerts, and electrical glitches rather than wear-related failures. Before buying, confirm which open recalls and service bulletins have been completed and get any transmission-related service history in writing.

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.