So I’ve got the 2025 Santa Fe Hybrid, lowest trim for the hybrid version. I’ve had it for about 2-3 months now and it’s been pretty good to drive. But there’s one issue I’m dealing with. I can’t unlock the car. It hasn’t been driven since Thursday evening (and it’s Sunday night now). I’ve tried using the key fob, but every time I press a button, the green LED flashes, but nothing happens with the car. I tried the remote unlock with Bluelink, but it just errors out after a while. I even tried my digital key with my iPhone and Apple Watch, but nothing’s working. It’s like the car isn’t responding to any signals. The car’s undamaged, the Bluelink page shows everything’s fine, so I’m really confused. Why won’t it unlock? Thanks for any advice.
Edit: Problem solved! Turns out the battery was dead. I managed to pry open the cover and access the manual keyhole, got my car jump-started, and I’ll be heading to the shop tomorrow for a new battery. Thanks to everyone who helped out!
Marsden said:
Do you have an actual old-school key with your fob?
I didn’t think I had a key, and I didn’t see a keyhole on the door either.
Edit: So it turns out I do have a physical key! It’s really small though and hard to handle. I’m not sure what it’s for since there’s no keyhole anywhere on the car.
2nd Edit: You did get me googling, so thanks! Apparently, there’s a lock cover I need to remove first. I’ll update once I try that!
@Amar
Yeah, there’s a keyhole under a cover near the door handle where the touchpad is. Pry it open, use the key to unlock the door, then get your car jumped. The 12v batteries in these cars aren’t the best, so it likely drained in the 3-4 days since you last drove.
@Amar
The owner’s manual should explain how to use the mechanical key to remove the cover and unlock the door. In mine, it’s on page 5-11, titled ‘Key Cylinder (driver door).’
A key cylinder is hidden under the plastic cover of the door handle. Use the mechanical key to push the cover release button under the handle. Once the cover is off, use the key to unlock the vehicle.
Could be a dead battery or possibly a bad alternator. You might see nothing happening when you try to start the car, no lights, no response at all—that could be a sign it’s the battery.
In a hybrid, the battery’s in the trunk, but you can’t open it with a dead battery. You’ll need to climb in from the back. There’s a trim piece on the inside of the liftgate that you can remove to manually open it.
From there, you can access the battery, or jump-start it if needed. Good luck, let us know what you figure out!
@Val
Yeah, that keyhole cover was tough! But I got it open and got into the car.
I think you’re right about the battery—it looks like my factory battery is a 12V, but it’s only showing 2-3V. I borrowed a jump starter and got the car running so I can make it to work and the shop tomorrow. Also, I didn’t need to open the trunk—I found connection points under the hood in the fuse box for jump-starting. Thanks for all the help!
@Val
Aren’t you supposed to jump-start from the front, regardless of where the battery is in the Santa Fe hybrid? There’s a terminal under the engine compartment fuse cover for a booster battery connection.
Val said:
This happened with my 2024 ICE model, but it wasn’t an easy fix. It’s still not fixed, actually. My car’s been in the shop since October 22nd.
Val said: @Amar
All I know is that ‘it’s drawing power from the battery.’ Hyundai hasn’t given any answers, and the dealership’s just waiting for the engineers.
What a vague response. Well, I’ll see what happens with mine too. At least I’m still within the warranty period.