
03
3-13
 WARNING
Make sure the engine is off, the shift 
lever is in P (Park), and the parking 
brake is securely applied whenever 
loading or unloading cargo. Failure to 
take these steps may allow the vehicle 
to move if the shift lever is inadvertently 
moved to another position.
 CAUTION
•	Be careful when loading cargo 
through the rear passenger seats 
to prevent damage to the vehicle 
interior.
•	 When cargo is loaded through the 
rear passenger seats, ensure the 
cargo is properly secured to prevent 
it from moving while driving.
 WARNING
Cargo should always be secured to 
prevent it from being thrown about the 
vehicle in a collision and causing injury 
to the vehicle occupants. Do not place 
objects in the rear seats, since they 
cannot be properly secured and may hit 
the front seat occupants in a collision.
2nd row seat folding (if equipped) 
(from outside)
OTMA038034
Push the 2nd row seat back folding 
switch (1) located in the right side in the 
liftgate. (L : Left seatback folding,  
R : Right seatback folding)
 WARNING
Rear seat folding
Do not fold the rear seats, if passengers, 
pets or luggage are in the rear seats.
It may cause injury or damage to 
passengers, pets, luggage.   

Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster ........................................................................\
....................4-4Instrument cluster control ........................................................................\
...................4-5
Instrumen t panel illumination ........................................................................\
........... 4-5
Gauges and me
ters
 ........................................................................\
.............................. 4-5
Speedome
ter
 ........................................................................\
..................................... 4-5
T
achometer
 ........................................................................\
.....................................
 ...4-5
Engine coolant temperature gauge
 ........................................................................\
. 4-6
Fuel gauge ........................................................................\
.....................................
....4-6
Outside temperature gauge
 ........................................................................\
.............. 4
-7
Odometer
 ........................................................................\
.....................................
.....4-8
Distance to empty
 ........................................................................\
............................ 4-8
F
uel economy (for 12.3-inch cluster) 
 ...................................................................... 4-9
T
ransmission shift indicator
 ........................................................................\
................ 4-9
A
utomatic transmission / Dual clutch transmission shift indicator 
 ..................... 4-9
W
arning and indicator lights
 ........................................................................\
............. 4-
10
Seat belt warning light
 ........................................................................\
.................... 4-
10
Air bag warning light
 ........................................................................\
....................... 4-
10
Parking brake & Brake fluid warning light
 .............................................................. 4-10
An
ti-lock Brake System (ABS) warning light
 ........................................................... 4-
11
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) system warning light
 .......................... 4-
11
Electric Power Steering (EPS) warning light
 .......................................................... 4-
12
Charging system warning light
 ........................................................................\
....... 4-
12
Engine oil pressure warning light
 ........................................................................\
... 4-
13
Low fuel level warning light
 ........................................................................\
............ 4-
13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
 ........................................................................\
.. 4-13
Exhaus
t system (GPF) warning light (for gasoline engine)
 ................................... 4-
14
Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) warning light
 ........................................................ 4-
14
AUTO HOLD indicator light
 ........................................................................\
............. 4-
15
Low tire pressure warning light
 ........................................................................\
...... 4-
15
Forward Safety warning light
 ........................................................................\
.......... 4-16
Lane Sa
fety indicator light
 ........................................................................\
.............. 4-
16
4 Wheel Drive (4WD) warning light
 ........................................................................\
 4-
16
4 Wheel Drive (4WD) LOCK Indicator Light
 ............................................................ 4-17
LED headligh
t warning light
 ........................................................................\
............. 4-
17
Icy road warning light
 ........................................................................\
...................... 4-
18
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) indicator light
 ................................................... 4-
18
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) OFF indicator light
 ........................................... 4-
18
Immobilizer Indicator Light (without smart key) 
 .................................................. 4-
19
Immobilizer Indicator Light (with smart key)
 ......................................................... 4-
19
Downhill Brake Control (DBC) indicator light
 ........................................................
4-20
4. Instrument  cluster 
4  

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.   

Instrument cluster
4-12
 WARNING
Electronic Brake Force Distribution 
(EBD) system warning light
When both ABS and Parking Brake & 
Brake Fluid warning lights are on, the 
brake system will not work normally 
and you may experience an unexpected 
and dangerous situation during sudden 
braking.
If this occurs, avoid high speed driving 
and abrupt braking.
We recommend that you have the 
vehicle inspected by an authorized 
HYUNDAI dealer as soon as possible.
NOTICE
Electronic Brake Force Distribution 
(EBD) system warning light
When the ABS warning light is on 
or both ABS and Parking Brake & 
Brake Fluid warning lights are on, the 
speedometer, odometer, or tripmeter 
may not work. Also, the EPS warning 
light may illuminate and the steering 
effort may increase or decrease.
If this occurs, we recommend that 
you have the vehicle inspected by an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer as soon as 
possible.
Electric Power Steering (EPS) 
warning light
This warning light illuminates:
•	When you set the ignition switch or 
the Engine Start/Stop button to the 
ON position.
 - The electric pow
er steering warning 
light illuminates for about 3 seconds 
and then goes off.
•	 Whenever there is a malfunction with 
the electric power steering.
If this occurs, we recommend that 
you have the vehicle inspected by an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Charging system warning 
light
This warning light illuminates:
When there is a malfunction with either 
the alternator or electrical charging 
system.
If there is a malfunction with either the 
alternator or electrical charging system:
1.
 Drive car
efully to the nearest safe 
location and stop your vehicle.
2.
 Turn the engine o
ff and check the 
alternator drive belt for looseness or 
breakage.
If the belt is adjusted properly, there 
may be a problem in the electrical 
charging system.
If this occurs, we recommend that 
you have the vehicle inspected by an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer as soon 
as possible.    

Instrument cluster
4-14
Exhaust system (GPF) 
warning light (for gasoline 
engine, if equipped)
•	This warning light illuminates, when 
accumulated soot reaches a certain 
amount.
•	 When this warning light illuminates, it 
may turn off after driving the vehicle 
at more than 50 mph (80km/h) for 
about 30 minutes (above 3rd gear 
with 1500 ~ 4000 engine rpm).
If this warning light blinks in spite 
of the procedure (at this time LCD 
warning message will be displayed), 
we recommend that you have the 
GPF system checked by an authorized 
HYUNDAI dealer.
NOTICE
If you continue to drive with the GPF 
warning light blinking for a long time, 
the GPF system can be damaged and 
fuel consumption can worsen.
Electronic Parking Brake 
(EPB) warning light  
(if equipped)
This warning light illuminates:
•	When you set the ignition switch or 
the Engine Start/Stop button to the 
ON position.
 - The EPB warning ligh
t illuminates 
for about 3 seconds and then goes 
off.
•	 Whenever there is a malfunction with 
EPB.
If this occurs, we recommend that 
you have the vehicle inspected by an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
 Information
The Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) 
warning light may illuminate when 
the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) 
indicator light comes on to indicate that 
ESC is not working properly. This does 
not indicate malfunction of EPB.    
![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.   

Instrument cluster
4-20
Downhill Brake Control (DBC) 
indicator light (if equipped)
This indicator light illuminates:
•	When you set the ignition switch or 
the Engine Start/Stop button to the 
ON position.
 - The downhill br
ake control indicator 
light illuminates for about 3 seconds 
and then goes off.
•	 When you activate the system by 
pressing the DBC button.
This indicator light blinks:
When Downhill Brake Control system is 
operating.
This indicator light illuminates yellow:
Whenever there is a malfunction with 
Downhill Brake Control system.
If this occurs, we recommend that 
you have the vehicle inspected by an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
For more details, refer to "Downhill 
Brake Control (DBC)“ section in chapter 
6.
AUTO STOP indicator light  
(if equipped)
This indicator light illuminates:
When the engine enters the Idle Stop 
mode of ISG (Idle Stop and Go) system.
When the engine automatically starts, 
the AUTO STOP indicator on the cluster 
Illuminates to white.
For more details, refer to "ISG (Idle Stop 
and Go) system" section in chapter 6.
 Information
When the engine automatically starts 
by the ISG system, some warning lights 
(ABS, ESC, ESC OFF, EPS or Parking 
brake warning light) may turn on for a 
few seconds. This happens because of 
low battery voltage. It does not mean the 
system has malfunctioned.