2021 Hyundai SANTA FE HYBRID: complaints, problems and recalls

Visual Red Triangle code illuminated on the instrument cluster with the number 1 on the side of it. I used my OBD2 reader (Blue Driver) to retrieve the 8 AIR BAG codes. They were B1511 ,B1513, B1378, B1382, B1346, B1481, B14AE, B2618. Problem resulted after the Cowl Cross Bar Assembly (Unpainted), also known as a CRASH BAR, was replaced because of broken welds. It was replaced with a Painted Assembly that prevents access to secure ground for the Air Bags and Seat Belts. The Assembly is used to provide support in case of a crash and also serves…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11447353 at NHTSA ↗

This vehicle hesitates to a dangerous degree when trying to accelerate from a stop or rolling stop. When pressure is applied to the gas pedal, the vehicle will not accelerate until nearly a whole second later. This delay in response has created dangerous situations where merging onto a road in a predictable and smooth manner is crucial (i.e. turning right at a red light, a 4-way stop). I did not notice this problem during my test drive, but now at almost 10,000 miles, the problem has become more pronounced. No warning messages in the gauge disp…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11463716 at NHTSA ↗

The vehicle has a wireless phone charger which causes the phone to overheat. It causes so much heat that the phone shuts down to prevent damage to the phone. There is a potential risk for fire.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11464007 at NHTSA ↗

I purchased my car in May 2021. Shortly after purchase, I noticed a "clicking" sound under the car when the car was operating between 15 and 20 MPH. I took the car to the dealer, who couldn't identify what was causing the sound. The dealer subsequently replaced the front axle, but the clicking sound continued, only audible when the car was moving at between 15 and 20 MPH. On June 9, I was driving at about 40 MPH on an interstate that had only a few cars on it. I didn't notice any debris or objects in the road, nor did I feel the car hit any de…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11468519 at NHTSA ↗

While I was traveling 70-75 mph the vehicle had a sudden loss of engine and battery output performance and I began losing speed. There was a very rapid decrease in speed, and no warning chime activated per manual. “Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely, triangle warning displayed.” The vehicle would not accelerate despite pressing the gas pedal all the way to the floor and had to be coasted off the interstate through three lanes of traffic to get to the shoulder. No fault indications were present in the Bluelink app despite warnings present on the d…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11477826 at NHTSA ↗

While traveling 70 mph the vehicle had a sudden loss of engine and battery output performance while driving and began losing speed despite the accelerator being fully depressed. There was a very rapid decrease in speed, and no warning chime activated per manual. “Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely, triangle warning displayed.” Observed battery indicator rapidly deflecting left and right. The vehicle would not accelerate and had to be coasted through four lanes of traffic to get to the shoulder of the highway. While on an SOS call with Bluelink, w…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11477832 at NHTSA ↗

Refill inverter coolant comes up on my dash daily. I have taken the vehicle back to the dealership several times to get that serviced. After having the vehicle all day they tell me everything is running fine and they can’t find the problem or figure out why the message is coming up. This has been going on since I bought the vehicle in April. They assure me the vehicle is safe to drive and this won’t affect the vehicle in any way. This problem has not been resolved and I’m afraid serious damage will happen if this message keeps coming up and the…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11482721 at NHTSA ↗

While driving on the highway, when I pushed on gas pedal the car would not accelerate, I was uncertain if I was losing power of the vehicle, luckily it maintained the current speed and did not decelerate,but I was unsure at the moment if I was losing complete power, because it wasn't responding, it felt like the car was going to stall similar to when you run out of fuel. This occured for around 20 seconds, i would guess, long enough to notice that the car was not responding and continued to not respond,and to be concerned from a safety perspect…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11487859 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2022-10-31 (October 31, 2022)

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023 Genesis G80 Electric, 2021-2022 Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.

Consequence: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.

Remedy: Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioners with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 14, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 238/011G. This recall is an expansion of recall numbers 22V-354 and 22V-458.

Reported: 2023-03-17 (March 17, 2023)

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEV and Santa Cruz vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.

Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-633.

Reported: 2024-11-21 (November 21, 2024)

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV vehicles. Due to a damaged printed circuit board, the rearview camera image may fail to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 271.