Major fail for a brand that was known for reliability and great value
For context, I've been a loyal Hyundai customer since 2008 and have bought eight vehicles in that time, including for my daughters. I was proud to hear from non-Hyundai mechanics that they didn't see Hyundais as much as other brands. I was excited about the 2024 Santa Fe and not-so-patiently waited to get one; I even drove four hours each way to pick up the one I wanted because they were only trickling in vehicles after hyping it up. I loved this vehicle when I got it... more than any other vehicle I owned (even my Genesis GV80)... until I started dealing with significant issues and truly bothersome feature alarms.
The biggest issue has been the transmission and Hyundai's decision to launch this cool new vehicle with "dual clutch transmission" that was portrayed as robust — I've had my Santa Fe in the shop FOUR times for this issue alone and at least a couple more due to recalls in the 18 months I've owned it. I've owned a few Hyundais that never had any issues and was only in the shop for standard maintenance, and only two others that were in the shop once or twice. In fact, I've had THIS 18-month-old Santa Fe in the shop more times than all the previous vehicles combined, not counting standard maintenance. And on my (mistaken) recommendation, my oldest daughter bought her first Hyundai completely on her own. She's had even more trouble with her 2022 Tuscon, which already shook my confidence in Hyundai's post-COVID reliability.
After another four-day (plus the weekend) stay at the shop, I decided for the first time since 2008 that I would explore other brands and look to trade this Santa Fe at my earliest opportunity. I buy new and pay a premium for reliability. I used to be able to get that with Hyundai — not anymore.