Diagsheet

2023 Hyundai Santa Fe · symptom sheet

Brakes grind, pulse or wear early

  • 25owner reports
  • 18,756median miles
  • 1involved a crash

Newest report Sep 23, 2026 · checked Sep 25, 2026

25 of the 208 complaints on this car describe brake wear, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2023 Santa Fe.

Tick what matches of 25 reports

2
8
2
10
11
2

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the pads and rotors (10 reports) and the ABS module (7 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the brakes covers the 2023 model year as of Sep 25, 2026.

NHTSA investigations into the brakes on the Santa Fe

AQ23-002opened Nov 17, 2023
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · model years 2013 to 2018

Hyundai and kia abs module fires. Open.

NHTSA summary
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, 21V-161, 21V-160, 21V-303, 22V-056, 22V-810, and 23V-651. Kia recalls 16V-815, 20V-518, 20V-519, 21V-137, 21V-331, 22V-051, 22V-800, and 23V-652 The purpose of this AQ is to evaluate the timeliness and scoping of Hyundai and Kia’s defect decision making and adherence with reporting requirements; and understand the varying defect descriptions and remedies between these recalls.

None of these investigations covers the 2023 model year.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 15,000 and 40,000 miles, from the 9 reports that gave a mileage.

923
524
625
526

What owners wrote

“My dealership has reground the rotors on my car twice. Now with less than 40,000 mileson the car the brakes need ground again. The issue with the brakes is it causes the front end of the car to shake when the brakes are applied. This could lead to loss of control on down hill stops in slippery conditions.”

Filed Jul 3, 2026 · 40,000 miles

“My vehicle activates the emergency braking system while driving. It has happened several times now, almost causing a collision. I took it to the dealership, they held it for a week and gave it back to me telling me they could not find anything wrong with it. They did not fix anything at all. It has since done it once more.”

Filed May 27, 2026

“The front rotors need machining every 10,000 to 15,000 miles. The rotors experience exceeding distortion due heating by the brake pads. When brakes are applied, there are large vibrations in the front suspension which inhibits braking. This is especially true when braking on wet pavement where stopping distances become unsafe.”

Filed Apr 18, 2026 · 15,000 miles

“While driving to work today [XXX] on or around [XXX] on [XXX] from Riverview to downtown Tampa while doing about 68 MPH, my emergency brake deployed for about 6 seconds. The whole vehicle shook. There were no other vehicles around. Quite scary. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”

Filed Jul 29, 2025

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 1 of 25 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.