Hyundai has issued a major recall for its Santa Fe SUV, potentially affecting a large swath of owners. The number of potential vehicles impacted amounts to 135,386 units, to be exact, built between December 23, 2023, and July 7, 2025. Worse than the scope of the recall is the possible danger involved. The recall notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that there is a risk of fire, thanks to improper wiring of the starter motor. The recall only applies to the standard Santa Fe with the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and not the Santa Fe Hybrid.
- Base Trim Engine
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Smartstream 2.5L ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
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8-speed auto-shift manual
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Front-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
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277 HP @5800 RPM
- Base Trim Torque
-
311 lb.-ft. @ 1700 RPM
- Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
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20/29/24 MPG
- Base Trim Battery Type
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Lead acid battery
- Make
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Hyundai
- Model
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Santa Fe
While Hyundai hasn’t told owners to park the cars outside or refrain from driving them, the recall says that there could be a risk of a short from the starter motor in the event of a crash. Specifically, the B+ terminal cover on the starter motor may have been installed improperly on some vehicles, and might not fully cover the terminal. Depending on the amount of vehicle deformation in a crash, that terminal could come into contact with the cooling fan assembly, which could cause a short and increase the chance of a fire.
Hyundai Has An Easy Fix
The recall notice states that owners will be notified if their car falls under the recall beginning December 1, 2025. Owners can also search by VIN on the NHTSA website to see if their Santa Fe is included in the recall. Affected owners can reach out to a Hyundai dealer, which will inspect the starter motor and reinstall the cover as necessary, and free of charge. Hyundai’s notice to dealers also states that, in the case that an owner doesn’t feel safe driving their recalled vehicle, the dealership should offer them alternative means of transportation until the issue has been remedied.
The New Hyundai Santa Fe’s Recall History
Hyundai revealed the current generation of Santa Fe in 2023, and began producing it for the 2024 model year. Since then, the 2024 Santa Fe has been subject to four prior recalls, but none affecting nearly as many units as this new one. In April 2024, Hyundai recalled the 2024 Santa Fe for an obstructed rear-view camera image. Two recalls were issued in July of last year for a roll-away risk and an airbag issue. Last November, it was for the relatively benign issues of an unexpectedly operating sunshade.
The 2025 Santa Fe has been recalled once already, in August, for potentially loose engine bolts.
In good news, though, Hyundai says it is not aware of any injuries to customers as a result of the issue behind this latest recall. In its own testing, though, Hyundai says it knows of a single “thermal event” that occurred under NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program testing. During the inspection following the agency’s front barrier crash test of a 2024 Santa Fe, the team detected smoke coming from the engine compartment. This sparked an investigation by Hyundai, which identified the issue with the starter motor, prompting this recall.
Source: NHTSA