One driver is putting Hyundai USA on blast for selling her wife a purported lemon. The TikToker, Melissa Lee (@missyhalleonig), delineated the transmission problems her spouse experienced with a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe she recently purchased.
In a video that’s accrued over 620,000, the couple says they’ve had the dealer look at the car numerous times. Despite documentation of these issues, notably the inconsistent nature of the car’s transmission, they say that Hyundai seemingly kicked the can down the road when it comes to the problems with their new purchase.
Two tows, two months
Lee begins her video speaking into the camera in a pop-up circular video insert. She narrates: “reasons I regret buying our 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe.”
Then, the clip transitions to her standing in front of the car. “That’s my wife’s Hyundai Santa Fe. Why was she maybe a 10 minute walk from our house. When she calls me to tell me that the car is broken down,” Lee says.
She continues to share the problems with the newly purchased vehicle: “Couldn’t get it back into drive, she couldn’t get it into park. She couldn’t get it to turn off. And I’m like I’m sorry, what?”
Her video then transitions to a photo of the car’s dashboard where a litany of warning signs populate various screens. Another text overlay explains what these warning signs indicate. “Kim’s app says it’s the Powertrain issue. This says transmission! This car isn’t even a month old!” Lee wrote.
Transmission issues fall under powertrain problems. And Hyundai’s warranty covers the engine, driveshaft, and transmission of its cars up to 10 years, or 100,000 miles—whichever comes first.
Lee continued to talk about the issues with her wife’s new car, which seemed to be a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation. “By the time we got it towed to the dealership the light’s had gone off and they told us they couldn’t fix what they couldn’t diagnose,” she says.
At the dealership
Their video then cuts to them at a Hyundai sales lot and service center because the issue occurred again. “So where are we? The Hyundai dealership,” Lee explains. “Why? Because for the second time in 45 days, my wife’s 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe has had all the dashboard lights. And we have to go back to the dealership again.”
At this point in the clip, Lee’s wife joins in to discuss their gripes with the car. “The girl in the service department said…they can’t look at it. They said I can be on the schedule for July if I wanted to,” she says.
In an almost comical turn of events, their car won’t start—they can’t even leave the driveway of their home. “She has the keys, gets in the car, will not start. Wouldn’t even unlock at first. We’re gonna have to get it towed back to the dealership for the second time,” Lee says. “Mind you, she’s owned it for less than two months.”
Lee then directs her commentary at the auto manufacturer: “Hyundai, anytime you want to chime into this conversation now, you let me know.”
In a “final update” on their vehicle, however, it turns out that Lee and her spouse were able to find out what was wrong with their car. The problem: it needed a new battery. They couldn’t understand why a brand new car would need a battery swapped out. However, they said they were only able to get the battery swapped after consistently pestering the dealership and Hyundai corporate to look into the matter.
2024 Transmission issues
Lee and her wife aren’t the only 2024 Hyundai owners who’ve had issues with their Santa Fe.
These YouTubers hopped on a video to discuss reported problems with the car’s dual-clutch transmission (DCT) recall. The vehicle they’re sitting in: a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe and the title of their clip says it all. “RECALL UPDATE! — The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe is Being RECALLED for Transmission Issues Like we Had!” Redditors referenced this video as well, with numerous folks stating they wished the brand would use its old torque converter transmission technology.
Hyundai drivers in this forum also discussed the transmission problems purportedly plaguing the popular crossover SUV. Multiple people referenced that they’ve heard about issues with the Santa Fe’s dual-clutch transmission, with others mentioning they’ve had negative experiences as well.
The Car Guide also wrote about what seems like a widespread issue with the 2024 Santa Fe’s transmission. In its piece, the outlet indicates that some 8,000 vehicles have already been affected in Canada. Around a tenth of affected vehicles’ transmissions are directly linked to software woes. “First, 806 units of the all-new 2024 Santa Fe are being recalled due to a software problem that could cause the transmission to become damaged,” the site reported. “As a result, the vehicle could move when it’s parked and the parking brake isn’t applied.”
According to The Car Guide, drivers should bring their cars to a Hyundai dealership, which will then determine if the transmission needs to be replaced.
@missyhalleonig We bought our 2024 from @Hyundai USA on April 9th. It’s back at the dealership. For the 3rd time. DO NOT BUY THE 2024 HYUNDAI SANTA FE!!!! #santafe #hyundai #lemon #ripoff #recall #lgbtfamily #twomoms #fyp #foryourpage #newcar ♬ original sound – Melissa Lee
Hyundai hate
Several users who responded to Lee’s video who didn’t seem like big fans of the Korean automaker.
One person simply stated: “Do not buy a Hyundai or Kia. You will regret.”
“I’m so glad I bought a Subaru ascent instead of a Hyundai Santa Fe,” another TikTok user penned.
However, another commenter thought the problem was first gen models. They argue that whenever there’s a redesign of a car’s model, that first year will be plagued with flaws. “Why I never buy the first year of a redesign,” they wrote.
Someone else replied that auto manufacturers have become so unreliable that they will never stray from tried-and-true brands: “I genuinely do not understand buying any car other than a Toyota or a Lexus. I will never consider any other vehicle.”
“I’ll always stick with my Toyota,” someone else replied.
One TikToker said that the issues with Hyundai vehicles are rooted in where they’re assembled. “My dad is a mechanic, he says all machines have problems, and cars are just machines. It’s interesting to note though alot of Hyundai/Kias built IN Korea as opposed to the US dont have the same issues,” they claimed.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Hyundai and Lee via email for further comment.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
