Santa Fe Hybrid

Make
Hyundai
Segment
SUV

There are all sorts of automotive recalls ranging from relatively minor issues to potentially deadly ones. Nevertheless, automakers are legally obligated to investigate potential problem areas and, if necessary, issue a recall in coordination with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). But this latest one is something we've never seen before.

Some examples of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe crossover, according to NHTSA recall documents, have an odd problem: the driver's digital gauge cluster could appear upside down. Yes, seriously. A total of 714 examples, 421 plug-in hybrids and 293 hybrids, could be affected by this. The good news is that there haven't been any crashes or injuries due to this problem, but it must be fixed regardless.

The feds take issue with it too because an upside-down cluster fails to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101 (there is such a standard) for "Controls and Displays." This is clearly an electronics-related issue that apparently originated from an improper resistor being installed into these clusters. The data further indicates "extremely low temperatures" will then cause the cluster information to be inverted.

The fix itself is very simple and free of charge. The Korean automaker will replace the vehicle's LCD screens. Select Santa Fes built from October 25 to December 1, 2021 are involved and Hyundai will begin notifying affected owners on February 25.

In the meantime, owners should be on the lookout for this problem. Owners who don't keep up with the latest car industry news and fail to read this article here or elsewhere could find themselves surprised one cold day. There's no reason to panic because Hyundai and the NHTSA are well aware of the situation. Still, seeing your car's speedometer and tachometer appearing upside down without warning is not something anyone would expect.

We've never heard of this problem before and, as strange as it is, it's not too serious like fire-prone EV batteries, unintended acceleration, or faulty ignition switches.