2025 Hyundai Santa FE Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year report a wide spread of concerns on a vehicle that is still very new — many complaints are filed in the first few thousand miles. The most repeated themes in the sample are sidewall bulges and blowouts on the factory 20-inch Pirelli tires, screen and instrument-panel blackouts, transmission warnings with sluggish or failing shifts, and driver-monitoring/adaptive-cruise quirks around sunglasses. Several complaints describe battery drain and sudden electrical shutdowns, and a cluster of seat-folding complaints concerns the second row.

1. 1
   Tires

   Sidewall bulges and blowouts on factory 20-inch tires

   • 15 complaints (11%)
   • typically at 1.5 yrs old
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe sidewall bubbles and sudden blowouts on the 255/45R20 Pirelli Scorpion tires fitted to upper trims, often with no pothole or impact recalled and at low mileage. Several report repeated failures — two or more tires within a year — and describe the tire going flat or bursting with no warning. Complaints state dealers or tire sellers attributed the damage to road impact, while owners say the failures happened on ordinary paved roads. Mostly reported on vehicles with very low mileage, in some cases under about 3,500 miles and often within the first year.

   What to check: Inspect all four sidewalls for bubbles or scuffs and check tread depth, and ask whether any tire has already been replaced under warranty. On a used example, confirm the tire brand and size currently fitted.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “As I was driving I heard a pop the front driver side tire popped from side wall And the back driver side tire has a big bubble in it and I did not hit any pot holes 2 tires on the same side failed on me and my car only has around 1500 miles one pop and one has a big bubble on a new car”

   NHTSA complaint #11706670, filed 2025-12

   “Component: TIRES Tire Brand: Pirelli Model: Scorpion (255/45R20) Vehicle: 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy Complaint Description: I have experienced two separate failures of the right‑rear Pirelli Scorpion 20 tire on my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy within a four‑week period. Both failures occurred during normal driving on paved roads with no significant impact event. The first failure was a loss of air due to a puncture in the sidewall area. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11742527, filed 2026-06
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Screen and instrument panel go blank or flicker

   • 23 complaints (17%)
   • median 3,350 mi at 0.8 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2025–2026

   Complaints describe the dashboard or infotainment screen flickering and then going dark at startup or while driving, sometimes with audio still playing. Some owners report multiple systems failing at once — warning lights, turn signals, power locks, windows and the liftgate — and one describes a total electrical shutdown in traffic with the doors locking. Dealers reportedly could not duplicate the fault or told owners no failure was found. Reported from a few thousand miles upward, including within the first months of ownership.

   Recall 25V8080003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Start the car cold and watch the cluster and center screen through startup, and ask whether any software updates for the display or head unit have been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I start the car or first start rolling the whole dashboard goes black! I can still hear sound but nothing on the screen. This is a safety issue. It flickers while driving then goes black.”

   NHTSA complaint #11722167, filed 2026-03

   “On June 24, 2026, my spouse was operating our 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe when the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic, and total electrical failure while actively on the roadway. The vehicle was stopped at a traffic light when all propulsion power was instantly lost, the engine shut down, and all electronic systems—including the center infotainment screens and instrument cluster—went completely dark. Safety Hazard & Entrapment Incident: Simultaneous with the total electrical failure, the vehicle's electronic door lock system malfunctioned. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11746406, filed 2026-06
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission warning, shudder and failed shifts

   • 23 complaints (17%)
   • median 11,000 mi at 0.8 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2025–2026

   Complaints describe a "check transmission oil" message along with sluggish response, RPM rising without the vehicle picking up speed, vibration and noise from the driveline downhill with cruise control set, and hesitation when accelerating above highway speeds. Some owners report the message returning shortly after the dealer's repair. Others describe stalling, surging RPM and misfire codes. Reported from a few thousand miles upward through the first year, including during highway driving and under load.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive at highway speed and on a downhill stretch with cruise control set, listening for vibration or noise. Ask the dealer whether transmission control software updates or a transmission replacement have been recorded.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “the ongoing safety defect affecting my leased 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. This summarizes the facts as discussed, the danger this defect presents, and the urgent need for resolution. Summary of the Defect Since leasing the vehicle, it has intermittently and without warning decelerated to a complete stop (0 MPH) while driving, regardless of the speed at which I am traveling — including at approximately 30 MPH on local roads and at approximately 65 MPH on I-95. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11771150, filed 2026-10

   “While operating the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly began severely hesitating and stalling. During the incident, engine RPM surged to approximately 6,000 RPM and accelerator pedal response became abnormal. The vehicle was not responding normally to accelerator input, which significantly affected the ability to operate the vehicle safely. The vehicle subsequently recorded diagnostic trouble code P0304 – Cylinder 4 Misfire Detected. The abnormal operation of the vehicle during the incident was also captured on video. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11760466, filed 2026-08
4. 4
   Forward collision avoidance

   Driver-monitoring system limits cruise with sunglasses

   • 17 complaints (12%)
   • median 2,850 mi at 0.7 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners report that adaptive cruise control cuts off or the driver-attention system chimes repeatedly when sunglasses or some prescription glasses are worn, and that the attention warning cannot be turned off while cruise is engaged. Some describe the alerts triggering while they are looking straight ahead, or when sunlight hits the cabin in a certain way. Complaints state the system also affects other driver-assistance features that share the camera. Reported across a range of mileages, with several complaints filed in the first few thousand miles.

   What to check: During a test drive, engage adaptive cruise control while wearing sunglasses and confirm the attention warnings behave acceptably for you. Ask whether any camera or driver-assistance software updates are available.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The adaptive cruise control does not allow the use of sunglasses to be worn while the cruise control is engaged. The cruise control will immediately shut off when sunglasses, and some prescription glasses are worn. This is a safety issue as you are not allowed to wear sunglasses on a sunny day or when the sun is low in the sky and it is below the car's sun visor. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11702663, filed 2025-12

   “The attention detection system is the worst designed feature of any vehicle I have ever experienced. It constantly dings while looking directly at vehicles ahead. It is distracting and turns off by looking DOWN directly at the steering wheel. It is a safety hazard and Hyundai needs to push out a fix ASAP or allow the feature to be disabled entirely. You cannot use cruise control without it activated and the feature is a safety hazard that makes the car LESS safe.”

   NHTSA complaint #11680172, filed 2025-08
5. 5
   Electrical system

   12-volt battery drains overnight

   • 14 complaints (10%)
   • median 10,512 mi at 0.9 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners report the battery going flat overnight or while parked, requiring the mechanical key and a jump start, sometimes on more than one occasion. Complaints note no warning beforehand, and some state the dealer confirmed a low battery but could not reproduce the drain. Others describe the vehicle failing to respond to entry or start after sitting. Reported on vehicles with low mileage, often within the first several thousand miles.

   Recall 25V6590004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether any battery-drain software campaigns or updates were performed, and check the age of the 12-volt battery. Consider a battery health test before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid with 1724 miles was unresponsive in the garage. Not able to get in the car because the 12v battery was completely drained. Hyundai dispatched a tow truck to take it to the local Hyundai dealership. A service provider did call me to let me know the car was there. He also told me that apparently this problem I had was a known issue with the 2025 Santa Fe Hybrids. I had no advance warning of any imminent problems with the battery.”

   NHTSA complaint #11702075, filed 2025-11

   “Battery/Electrical: 3 separate occasions the battery drained completely overnight, requiring mechanical key to open and jumpstart services from AAA (covered under Hyundai services). Risk of leaving me stranded on isolated areas. Problem confirmed via 3 requests for AAA to jumpstart my vehicle. Hyundai service dept inspected vehicle, confirmed low battery levels, unable to reproduce issues overnight, reported no electrical or mechanical issues that would cause battery drain. No warning messages, lamps, or symptoms prior to each failure. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11701696, filed 2025-11

Buying note. This model year is still young, so the complaints gathered here are early-mileage reports rather than long-term wear. Check that open recalls were completed, ask for records of any software updates to the battery, display and transmission systems, and inspect the tires carefully before purchase.

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.