Acceleration complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 8% | — |
| 2025 | 8 | 6% | 17,000 miles |
| 2024 | 8 | 5% | 26,000 miles |
| 2023 | 15 | 7% | 2,000 miles |
| 2022 | 16 | 8% | 3,000 miles |
| 2021 | 7 | 4% | 0 miles |
| 2020 | 5 | 2% | — |
| 2019 | 5 | 2% | 10,000 miles |
| 2018 | 5 | 5% | 5,000 miles |
| 2017 | 54 | 6% | 7,000 miles |
| 2016 | 5 | 2% | 16,000 miles |
| 2015 | 7 | 3% | 100,000 miles |
| 2014 | 27 | 5% | 47,000 miles |
| 2013 | 21 | 3% | 14,000 miles |
| 2012 | 40 | 11% | 16,000 miles |
| 2011 | 24 | 13% | 26,000 miles |
| 2010 | 21 | 8% | 24,000 miles |
| 2009 | 51 | 14% | 27,000 miles |
| 2008 | 52 | 10% | 52,000 miles |
| 2007 | 58 | 8% | 68,000 miles |
| 2006 | 20 | 19% | 59,000 miles |
| 2005 | 44 | 20% | 22,000 miles |
| 2004 | 39 | 13% | 70,000 miles |
| 2003 | 24 | 8% | 70,000 miles |
| 2002 | 15 | 9% | 101,000 miles |
| 2001 | 14 | 7% | 80,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I engaged the adaptive cruise control at 50 MPH. This enabled the driver attention system which I had turned off at the start of my drive. The driver attention system is unable to see my eyes through my prescription corrective lenses. This caused the Hyundai to throw multiple 'failure to control vehicle/failure to watch road' warnings over the course of a few seconds; culminating with the system trying to stop the car in heavy traffic.
Over the past month, on two occasions my vehicle has emitted gasoline fumes filling my garage, and today my interior cabin smelled like gasoline. Additionally, after warming up, my vehicle experiences acceleration drop/stuttering when accelerating after idling. This happens every day. I took the car to two dealerships (San Tan Hyundai and Chapman Hyundai Scottsdale) and they weren't able to diagnose the issue.
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle independently accelerated while the accelerator pedal was only lightly depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the pedal sensor was adjusted. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
The forward attention warning (FAW) on the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe calligraphy can not be deactivated. Correction, it can be turned off for normal driving. For instance, driving around the city or not using smart cruise control. As soon as you turn on the smart cruise control it's reactivated and can't be turned off. The FAW does not work when using prescription sunglasses / non prescription sunglasses or if the sun is hitting the inside of the cabin a certain way. The FAW constantly flashes warnings and beeps at you even though you are looking forward and keeping your eyes on the road. If you look far down the road you shift your eyes up some, and the system beeps and flashes warnings to keep your eyes on the road. …
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving behind a trailer at 61 MPH with the cruise control activated, the indicator was activated to switch to the left lane, and the vehicle independently accelerated to the set speed of 68 MPH. The contact immediately depressed the brake pedal to slow down. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure had occurred several times and now occurred whenever the cruise control was activated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure; however, the contact was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,434.
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the anchor in the third row detached. The vehicle rolled while in the drive position. The vehicle failed to accelerate. While reversing, the vehicle jerked. No warning lights The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on five occasions and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 50-65 MPH, the vehicle stalled and decelerated to a complete stop with several unknown warning lights flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was restarted and operated normally. The contact drove the vehicle to the dealer where several fault codes were reset. The contact continued to experience the failure and returned to the dealer where the dealer replaced the throttle assembly and later replaced a front camera with a hard code. However, the contact stated the failure persisted. The vehicle was with the dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and provided the contact with a case number and a case manager to assist with the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 1,700.
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the RPM would be elevated while the vehicle was idling. The failure recurred while the brake pedal was depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The failure recurred approximately 3-4 times within 30 days. The failure recurred approximately 15 times within 6 months of owning the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 12.
NHTSA investigations
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003.
Frequently asked questions
Which Hyundai Santa Fe years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (58), 2017 (54), 2008 (52), 2009 (51) and 2005 (44) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 8% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Hyundai Santa Fe acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for any Hyundai Santa Fe model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Hyundai Santa Fe acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 42,000 miles; 58% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the accelerator pedal (19 mentions), followed by the cruise control (15).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.