
01
1 -7
VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS
•	This vehicle should not be modified. Modification of your vehicle could affect its 
performance, safety or durability and may even violate governmental safety and 
emissions regulations.
In addition, damage or performance problems resulting from any modification may 
not be covered under warranty.
•	 If you use unauthorized electronic devices, it may cause the vehicle to operate 
abnormally, wire damage, battery discharge and fire. For your safety, we 
recommend that you do not use unauthorized electronic devices.
VEhICLE bREAk-In pROCEss
By following a few simple precautions for the first 600 miles (1,000km) you may add to 
the performance, economy and life of your vehicle.
•	Do not race the engine.
•	 While driving, keep your engine speed (rpm, or revolutions per minute) between 
2,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm.
•	 Do not maintain a single speed for long periods of time, either fast or slow. Varying 
engine speed is needed to properly break-in the engine.
•	 Avoid hard stops, except in emergencies, to allow the brakes to seat properly.
•	 Do not tow a trailer during the first 1,200 miles (2,000km) of operation.
 WARNING
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 65 WARNING
Items contained in motor vehicles or emitted from them are known to the State of 
California to cause cancer and birth defects or reproductive harm. These include:
•	Gasoline and its vapors
•	 Engine exhaust
•	 Used engine oil
•	 Interior passenger compartment components and materials
•	 Component parts which are subject to heat and wear
In addition, battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead, lead 
compounds and other chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer 
and reproductive harm.
For more information go to https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/passenger-vehicle   

Instrument cluster
4-10
Warning and indicator lights
 Information
Make sure that all warning lights are OFF 
after starting the engine. If any light is still 
ON, this indicates a situation that needs 
attention.
Seat belt warning light
This warning light informs the driver that 
the seat belt is not fastened.
For more details, refer to “Seat Belts” 
section in chapter 3.
Air bag warning light
This warning light illuminates:
•	When you turn the ignition switch or 
the Engine Start/Stop button to the 
ON position.
 - It illuminat
es for approximately 3~6 
seconds and then goes off.
•	 When there is a malfunction with the 
SRS.
In this case, we recommend that 
you have the vehicle inspected by an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Parking brake & Brake fluid 
warning light
This warning light illuminates:
•	When you set the ignition switch or 
the Engine Start/Stop button to the 
ON position.
 - The parking brak
e & brake fluid 
warning light illuminates for about 3 
seconds and will then turn off once 
the parking brake is released.
•	 Whenever the parking brake is 
applied.
•	 Whenever the brake fluid level in the 
reservoir is low.
 - If the warning ligh
t illuminates 
with the parking brake released, it 
indicates the brake fluid level in the 
reservoir is low.
If the brake fluid level in the reservoir is 
low:
1.
 Drive car
efully to the nearest safe 
location and stop your vehicle.
2.
 With the engine st
opped, check the 
brake fluid level immediately and add 
fluid as required (For more details, 
refer to “Brake Fluid” section in 
chapter 9). After adding brake fluid, 
check all brake components for fluid 
leaks. If a brake fluid leak is found, or 
if the warning light remains on, or if 
the brakes do not operate properly, do 
not drive the vehicle. We recommend 
that you have the vehicle inspected by 
an authorized HYUNDAI dealer.   

04
4-11
Dual-diagonal braking system
Your vehicle is equipped with dual-
diagonal braking system. This means you 
still have braking on two wheels even if 
one of the dual systems should fail.
With only one of the dual systems 
working, more than normal pedal travel 
and greater pedal pressure is required to 
stop the vehicle.
Also, the vehicle will not stop in as short 
a distance with only a portion of the 
brake system working.
If the brakes fail while you are driving, 
shift to a lower gear for additional engine 
braking and stop the vehicle as soon as it 
is safe to do so.
 WARNING
Parking Brake & Brake Fluid warning 
light
Driving the vehicle with a warning light 
ON is dangerous. If the Parking Brake 
& Brake Fluid warning light illuminates 
with the parking brake released, it 
indicates that the brake fluid level is 
low.
If this occurs, we recommend that 
you have the vehicle inspected by an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) 
warning light
This warning light illuminates:
•	When you set the ignition switch or 
the Engine Start/Stop button to the 
ON position.
 - The ABS warning ligh
t illuminates 
for about 3 seconds and then goes 
off.
•	 Whenever there is a malfunction with 
the ABS.
Note that the hydraulic braking 
system will still be operational even if 
there is a malfunction with the ABS.
If this occurs, we recommend that 
you have the vehicle inspected by an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Electronic Brake Force 
Distribution (EBD) system 
warning light
When the ABS warning and 
Parking Brake warning lights are on 
simultaneously, it may indicate a 
problem with the Electronic Brake Force 
Distribution system.
If this occurs, we recommend that 
you have the vehicle inspected by an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.   
![HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2021  Owners Manual 04
4-15
AUTO HOLD indicator light
This indicator light illuminates:
•	[White] When you activate Auto Hold 
by pressing the AUTO HOLD switch.
•	 [Green] When you stop the vehicle 
completely by dep HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2021  Owners Manual 04
4-15
AUTO HOLD indicator light
This indicator light illuminates:
•	[White] When you activate Auto Hold 
by pressing the AUTO HOLD switch.
•	 [Green] When you stop the vehicle 
completely by dep](/manual-img/35/41163/w960_41163-112.png)
04
4-15
AUTO HOLD indicator light
This indicator light illuminates:
•	[White] When you activate Auto Hold 
by pressing the AUTO HOLD switch.
•	 [Green] When you stop the vehicle 
completely by depressing the brake 
pedal with Auto Hold activated.
•	 [Yellow] Whenever there is a 
malfunction with the Auto Hold 
function.
If this occurs, we recommend that 
you have the vehicle inspected by an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
For more details, refer to “Electronic 
Parking Brake (EPB)” section in chapter 
6.
Low tire pressure warning 
light
This warning light illuminates:
•	 When you set the ignition switch or 
the Engine Start/Stop button to the 
ON position.
 - The low tir
e pressure warning light 
illuminates for approximately 3 
seconds and then goes off.
•	 When one or more of your tires are 
significantly underinflated. (The 
location of the underinflated tires are 
displayed on the LCD display.)
For more details, refer to “Tire Pressure 
Monitoring System (TPMS)” section in 
chapter 8.
This warning light remains ON after 
blinking for approximately 60 seconds, or 
repeatedly blinks ON and OFF in 3 second 
intervals:
When there is a malfunction with the 
TPMS.
If this occurs, we recommend that 
you have the vehicle inspected by an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer as soon as 
possible.
For more details, refer to “Tire Pressure 
Monitoring System (TPMS)” section in 
chapter 8.
 WARNING
Safe Stopping
•	 The TPMS cannot alert you to severe 
and sudden tire damage caused by 
external factors.
•	 If you notice any vehicle instability, 
immediately take your foot off the 
accelerator pedal, apply the brakes 
gradually with light force, and slowly 
move to a safe position off the road.   

Before driving ........................................................................\
............................6-4Before entering the vehicle ........................................................................\
................6-4
Bef ore starting ........................................................................\
..................................... 6-4
Ignition switch ........................................................................\
...........................6-5Key ignition switch ........................................................................\
............................... 6-5
Ke y ignition switch positions ........................................................................\
.............. 6-6
S
tarting the engine
 ........................................................................\
............................... 6
-7
Engine Start/Stop button ........................................................................\
.........6-9Engine Stop/Start button positions ........................................................................\
..6-10
S tarting the engine ........................................................................\
.............................. 6-
11
Turning off the engine
 ........................................................................\
........................ 6-
12
Remote start
 ........................................................................\
....................................... 6-
13
Automatic transmission  ........................................................................\
..........6-14Automatic transmission operation ........................................................................\
....6-14
L CD display message (button type) ........................................................................\
.. 6-19
P
addle shifter (Manual shift mode)
 ........................................................................\
.. 6-20
Good driving pr
actices
 ........................................................................\
....................... 6-
21
Dual clutch transmission ........................................................................\
........6-23Dual clutch transmission operation ........................................................................\
..6-23
P arking ........................................................................\
............................................... 6-
30
LCD display message (button type)
 ........................................................................\
. 6-30
P
addle shifter (Manual shifter mode)
 ....................................................................... 6-32
Good driving pr
actices 
 ........................................................................\
...................... 6-
33
Braking system ........................................................................\
........................6-34Power-assist brakes ........................................................................\
...........................6-34
Disc br akes wear indicator ........................................................................\
................ 6-34
Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) 
 ........................................................................\
......... 6-35
A
uto Hold (if equipped)
 ........................................................................\
..................... 6-
39
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
 ........................................................................\
........... 6-43
Electronic S
tability Control (ESC)
 ........................................................................\
.... 6-44
V
ehicle Stability Management (VSM) 
 ...................................................................... 6-4
7
Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC) 
 ........................................................................\
......... 6-48
Do
wnhill Brake Control (DBC) 
 ........................................................................\
......... 6-48
Good br
aking practices
 ........................................................................\
...................... 6-51
Four wheel drive (4WD) ........................................................................\
..........6-52Four Wheel Drive (4WD) operation ........................................................................\
...6-53
Emer gency precautions ........................................................................\
.................... 6-58
R
educing the risk of a rollover
 ........................................................................\
.......... 6-59
6. Driving your vehicle
Driving your vehicle 
6  

06
6-21
The manual shift mode also changes 
back to automatic shift mode in one of 
following situations
 - When the accelera
tor pedal is gently 
depressed for more than 6 seconds 
while driving
 - When the vehicle s
tops
 Information
If the [+] and [-] paddle shifters are pulled 
at the same time, gear shift may not occur.
Good driving practices
•	Never move the shift button from 
P (Park) or N (Neutral) to any other 
position with the accelerator pedal 
depressed.
•	 Never move the shift lever/button into 
P (Park) when the vehicle is in motion.
Be sure the vehicle is completely 
stopped before you attempt to shift 
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
•	 Do not move the shift button to N 
(Neutral) when driving. Doing so 
may result in an accident because 
of a loss of engine braking and the 
transmission could be damaged.
•	 Driving uphill or downhill, Shift 
to D (Drive) to drive forward or R 
(Reverse) to drive backwards, and 
check the gear position indicated 
on the cluster before driving. If you 
drive in the opposite direction of the 
selected gear, the engine will turn 
off and a serious accident might be 
occurred due to the degraded brake 
performance.
•	 Do not drive with your foot resting 
on the brake pedal. Even light, but 
consistent pedal pressure can result 
in the brakes overheating, brake wear 
and possibly even brake failure.
•	 When driving with shifter paddles, 
slow down before shifting to a lower 
gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may 
not be engaged if the engine rpms are 
outside of the allowable range.
•	 Always apply the parking brake when 
leaving the vehicle. Do not depend on 
placing the transmission in P (Park) to 
keep the vehicle from moving.   

Driving your vehicle
6-26
OOSH069012L
Transmission high temperature 
•	Under certain conditions, such as 
repeated stop-and-go launches 
on steep grades, sudden take off 
or acceleration, or other harsh 
driving conditions, the transmission 
clutch temperatures will increase 
excessively. 
•	 When the clutch temperatures are too 
high, the “Transmission temp. is high! 
Stop safely” warning message will 
appear on the LCD display, a chime 
will sound, and the transmission 
shifting may not be smooth.
•	 If this occurs, pull over to a safe 
location, stop the vehicle with the 
engine running, apply the brakes and 
shift the vehicle to P (Park), and allow 
the transmission to cool. 
•	 If you ignore this warning, the driving 
condition may become worse. 
You may experience abrupt shifts, 
frequent shifts, or jerkiness. 
•	 When the message “Trans cooled. 
Resume driving.” appears you can 
continue to drive your vehicle.
•	 When possible, drive the vehicle 
smoothly. 
Type A Type B
OTMA060009OOSH069013L
OTMA060010
Transmission overheated 
•	If the vehicle continues to be driven 
and the clutch temperatures reach 
the maximum temperature limit, the 
“Transmission Hot! Park with engine 
on” warning will be displayed. When 
this occurs the clutch is disabled 
until the clutch cools to normal 
temperatures.
•	 The warning will display a time to wait 
for the transmission to cool.
•	 If this occurs, pull over to a safe 
location, stop the vehicle with the 
engine running, apply the brakes and 
shift the vehicle to P (Park), and allow 
the transmission to cool.     

06
6-33
Good driving practices 
•	Never move the shift lever/button 
from P (Park) or N (Neutral) to any 
other position with the accelerator 
pedal depressed.
•	 Never move the shift lever/button into 
P (Park) when the vehicle is in motion. 
Be sure the vehicle is completely 
stopped before you attempt to shift 
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
•	 Do not move the shift lever/button 
to N (Neutral) when driving. Doing 
so may result in an accident because 
of a loss of engine braking and the 
transmission could be damaged.
•	 Do not drive with your foot resting 
on the brake pedal. Even light, but 
consistent pedal pressure can result 
in the brakes overheating, brake wear 
and possibly even brake failure.
•	 Always apply the parking brake when 
leaving the vehicle. Do not depend on 
placing the transmission in P (Park) to 
keep the vehicle from moving.
•	 Exercise extreme caution when 
driving on a slippery surface. Be 
especially careful when braking, 
accelerating or shifting gears. On a 
slippery surface, an abrupt change 
in vehicle speed can cause the drive 
wheels to lose traction and may cause 
loss of vehicle control resulting in an 
accident.
•	 Optimum vehicle performance and 
economy is obtained by smoothly 
depressing and releasing the 
accelerator. WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS INJURY 
or DEATH:
•	ALWAYS wear your seatbelt. In a 
collision, an unbelted occupant 
is significantly more likely to be 
seriously injured or killed than a 
properly belted occupant.
•	 Avoid high speeds when cornering or 
turning.
•	 Do not make quick steering wheel 
movements, such as sharp lane 
changes or fast, sharp turns.
•	 The risk of rollover is greatly 
increased if you lose control of your 
vehicle at highway speeds.
•	 Loss of control often occurs if two or 
more wheels drop off the roadway 
and the driver over steers to reenter 
the roadway.
•	 In the event your vehicle leaves 
the roadway, do not steer sharply. 
Instead, slow down before pulling 
back into the travel lanes.
•	 HYUNDAI recommends you follow all 
posted speed limits.