12 complaints reported

2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Electrical System

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
12
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Sep 2026

Needed to use horn in an emergency situation and that's when I found out my horn no longer works. 20,000 miles on 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Sep 2026
Jul 2026

Horn completely out, yes available. I was unable to warn another driver from entering my lane several times. Warn a pedestrian from stepping out into traffic. Confirmed by the dealer. The horn was Inspected replaced at my own cost on March 2025 by December 2025 the part is no longer operational. I asked the dealer to honor the warranty they declined saying the mileage was passed the warranty terms.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2025
Mar 2026

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Horn How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My horn stopped working - cannot use it when driving to warn other drivers - safety issue Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not reproduced, but dealership has confirmed the horn stopped working on three separate occasions. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Dealership - three times Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No. Hyundai dealership said my fuse blown on three separate occasions causing the horn to stop working. My horn stopped working a few months ago, then about a month ago and again last week - all due to blown fuses to which the dealership has no explanation.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2026
Jan 2026

While driving after dark, a different car traveling in opposite direction almost caused head on collision while driving in the wrong lane. Driver of the Santa Fe attempted to activate horn on vehicle to alert other vehicle that they were traveling in the wrong lane/direction, but horn failed to sound. Driver was narrowly able to avoid physical collision as a result. Driver took vehicle to dealership and it was determined both high and low horns had failed again (total horn system failure), and the dealership replaced under warranty. This is the second time in less than 2 years of ownership the horns have failed and needed to be replaced. Dealership stated horn failure is common in the 2023 Santa Fe, but is only covered under the 5 year/60000 mile warranty despite being a known defective part. Hyundai should offer a voluntary recall to repair affected vehicles with redesigned parts as the horns failing is a known issue and failure can result in severe safety risk while driving.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2025
Dec 2025

Both horns on my 2023 Hyundai Santa FE have failed 3 times. The first set was covered under warranty (3/24), the second set cost $499.64 (3/25). Now both horns are nonfunctional after just being replaced this Spring. After reviewing many complaints on the Hyundai community form, it is very obvious there is a major issue with their horns ( and not just the Santa Fe model). Twice this week I was in need of my horn to alert other drivers but instead had to make quick maneuvers to avoid an incident. My vehicle currently cannot pass a state inspection.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2025
Nov 2025

At stop sign and car with auto start stop on and at the time of releasing the brake, car was not able to start engine. Car had to be shifted to parking position to start engine.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Nov 2025
Aug 2025

horn has stopped working twice. Had it replaced under warranty in January of 2024. Same incident happened where horn of vehicle does not work. Seems to be a systemic issue. This is a safety related issue and this needs to be addressed with the manufacturer.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2025
Jul 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the horn was inoperative. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the horn needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,600.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2024
May 2025

horn has stopped working. Seems to be a systemic issue when looking online in Forums etc... I have scheduled the problem to be fixed and it is not a fuse issue. It will be a month before the dealership is able to get me in to assess the problem. This is a safety related issue and this needs to be addressed with the manufacturer.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2025
Feb 2025

Every time it rains, one of the dual tone horns will fail. I have had the horn replaced 2 times. I am beginning to have a problem with the horn again after this last rain. It is a matter of time before it fails completely after a rain and becomes unusable. I feel this is a significant warning feature that MUST be reliable.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Feb 2025
Aug 2024

A few times recently our car has had a hard time starting even though it's only a year old. It's like it's having a hard time turning over. And then when driving, it has a hard time accelerating - it almost feels like the car is in neutral while trying to drive. It jerks and shimmies to the point where you have to pull over to see what's going on. We were on a pretty busy road and couldn't accelerate to the point of safely merging into traffic. An online forum said it was a "loose ground" that's causing the acceleration issues.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2024
Jun 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the horn was inoperable. The lower horn sound had dissipated. Then shortly after the higher horn stopped working. There was no sound when the horn pad was depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed the contact about the cost for the repair, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2023 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2024

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe has 12 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.