Santa Fe Plug-In AWD Struggling in Snow… Normal or Defective?

Hey everyone,

I’m in Canada and have been loving my Santa Fe Plug-In since I bought it in May, but now that winter is here, I’m having some serious concerns about its AWD performance.

We just had a big snowstorm, and I nearly got stuck twice. It feels like the AWD isn’t engaging at all.

Here’s what I tried:

  • Switched to Snow Mode
  • Drove in Hybrid Mode instead of Electric
  • Turned off Anti-Skid (but the wheels still wouldn’t spin even with the pedal floored)

I expected way better snow performance from this car. Is this normal, or is my AWD not working? Anyone else driving this model in heavy snow?

Are you using snow tires?

Ash said:
Are you using snow tires?

Yep, brand new set.

Paxton said:

Ash said:
Are you using snow tires?

Yep, brand new set.

Do you have experience driving in snow? Even if AWD wasn’t working, a FWD setup should still be able to get around.

Also, do you see any warning lights on the dash? The AWD system has a light that looks like four wheels and two axles—is that showing up?

@Ash
I’ve been driving in snow for 20 years, so yeah, this isn’t normal.

I’ve driven FWD and AWD in similar conditions before, and this feels way off.

This wasn’t the first snowstorm of the season, but it was the first time I had to drive on unplowed roads.

On my way to work, I had to stop at a light before a steep hill. I saw a small FWD car struggling, so I waited for them to clear it. When it was my turn, I was feeling confident—

  • Snow Mode ON
  • Anti-Skid OFF (just in case)
  • Pressed the gas slowly… barely moved.
  • Pressed harder to engage the engine… still nothing.

I pretty much got stuck halfway up the hillworse than the FWD car. That’s when I knew something wasn’t right.

@Paxton
Yeah, that’s definitely not normal. Sounds like AWD isn’t engaging at all. At this point, I’d take it to the dealer and let warranty handle it.