Collision Avoidance complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 | 19% | — |
| 2025 | 24 | 18% | — |
| 2024 | 23 | 15% | 16,000 miles |
| 2023 | 40 | 19% | 1,000 miles |
| 2022 | 23 | 11% | 39,000 miles |
| 2021 | 24 | 14% | 21,000 miles |
| 2020 | 21 | 10% | 5,000 miles |
| 2019 | 14 | 7% | 70,000 miles |
| 2018 | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2017 | 11 | 1% | 130,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 1% | 106,000 miles |
| 2015 | 8 | 3% | 73,000 miles |
| 2014 | 8 | 2% | 62,000 miles |
| 2013 | 7 | 1% | 60,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2010 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2009 | 1 | 0% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The vehicle has a feature that puts a message on the dashboard that reads "Consider taking a break " that is not able to be adjusted by the consumer or the dealer. This message can come up repeatedly and has an audio portion that overrides the audio in the vehicle. Weather conditions, back roads, and unmarked lanes of traffic will trigger this message and without the ability to adjust the sensitivity or the ability to turn it off, it is a very dangerous situation. I have had it go off multiple times in a drive when there is a strong side wind and the vehicle is being pushed around and it can be very, very difficult to safely drive when this is visually and auditory messages keep coming up on the dash without any option to adjust it. On back roads or in situations where there is snow covered roads, this message can be nonstop and go off 50 times or more in a 90 mile drive. …
-On [redacted] I was drivng on a highway while using cruise control. The car suddenly applied the brakes hard. I tried 4 times to use the accelrator and each time the brakes were applied hard again. -The car behind me laid on its horn and managed to shift to another lane thereby avoiding a rear end collison. -Fortunately I was driving in an outside lane and got the car to the shoulder. -I turned the engine off and then started the car again. -There were no warning lamps or messages that I can recall. It happened quickly. -This incident came very close to causing at least vehicle damage and possibly physical harm to the occupants of my car and the car behind me. -I took my car to the dealership which is Crown Hyndai in St. Petersburg, Florida. They were unable to recreate the problem so the issue is still outstanding. …
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 Hyundai Bluelink system in my car, which interfaces with interfaces with almost all other computer-controlled systems on the car and through which software updates can be received and installed fails to work on an intermittent basis and the onboard system gives no warning when the Bluelink system has an outage or other malfunction. Large numbers of Hyundai vehicles suffered Bluelink outages beginning in early February 2025 so that system such as Collision-avoidance, emergency braking functions, and "SOS" crash notifications and owner assistance required functions cannot be relied upon. Some owners were notified by an email that their vehicles "may" have a problem and/or "might" need to have a Technical Service Bullitin done by a dealership. …
On December4th 2024 my car rolled forward into a barrier post. I stopped to get air in my tires and the Parking Allert went off as I got near the barrier post. I then parked my car. I left my car running and driver door partially opened. I dropped the valve cap between the spokes of the last tire being filled. So, I got into the car and backed up about three feet to get the cap. Parked the car got out and it rolled forward into the barrier post. I was completely out of the car but just by my driver door. I tried to get back in but it was too quick. Subsequently, I drove to work to let my supervisor know i would need time to go to the dealership. I was concerned air bags would deploy since that didnt happen. Also because the car didnt stop on its own felt the integrity of systems were questionable. So, I repeated the steps at work like the incident. Except, I stayed in the car. …
The vehicle experienced a significant failure of the Body Control Module (BCM). This resulted in multiple electrical malfunctions, including don't detected the Key, Despite the low mileage (12,000 miles), the electronic systems have proven unreliable, and the vehicle is currently undergoing warranty repairs at the dealership. "The sudden failure of electrical components could lead to a crash or leave the driver stranded in an unsafe location. I am concerned about the long-term reliability and safety of this vehicle's electronic architecture." After arriving home and shifting the vehicle into 'Park', the car began to roll backward on its own. The vehicle continued to move until it struck my garage door. This incident occurred unexpectedly after the transmission was supposedly secured in Park. It was necessary to apply the brakes to make it stop. …
On May 15th, I was involved in a serious accident caused by a malfunction in a rental vehicle provided by Enterprise a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. After reversing into a parking spot, I placed the vehicle in "Park" and exited the car to retrieve belongings from the trunk. My young son remained in the back seat. To my shock, the vehicle suddenly began to move on its own despite being in "Park." I immediately ran to the driver's side and jumped back into the vehicle in an attempt to stop it. I pressed the brake pedal multiple times, but the car would not respond. I also pressed the "Park" button repeatedly, yet the vehicle continued to move uncontrollably. The steering wheel was unresponsive, and I was unable to redirect the vehicle or bring it to a stop. The car ultimately crashed into two other vehicles. …
Early March 2025 the vehicle was put car in park, got out of car to close yard gate, turned around to walk back to car but car was rolling forward and hit the flat bed trailer causing approximately $5000 in damage. It was put in park before getting out but jumped gear before getting back in. Another common problem is slamming the emergency brake on when attempting to drive. Was at a red lite left turn stop sign with foot on the brake. When the light turned green took foot off brake & put foot on accelerator to go forward, the car slammed the emergency brake on. This has happened approx 6 times in the 1-1/2 years of ownership.
Related recalls (3)
Back over prevention › Display function
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The rearview camera may not have been installed properly, which can damage the wiring harness and cause the rearview camera image not to display.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the camera wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning January 15, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
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.
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.
Back over prevention › Software
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Santa Fe vehicles. The rearview camera image may be obstructed by a trailer parking assist message. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Hyundai will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 31, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
Frequently asked questions
Which Hyundai Santa Fe years have collision avoidance problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2023 (40), 2021 (24), 2025 (24), 2022 (23) and 2024 (23) model years. Collision Avoidance complaints make up 19% of all complaints for the 2023.
Is there a recall for Hyundai Santa Fe collision avoidance problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 25V-808 (display function, Nov 20, 2025); 24V-879 (camera, Nov 21, 2024); 24V-246 (software, Apr 2, 2024). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Hyundai Santa Fe collision avoidance problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 49,000 miles; 46% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic emergency braking (88 mentions), followed by the warnings (73).
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.