Why Is the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Taking So Long? Explore the 2026 Supply Chain Crisis

[Green Economy News — Reporter Jang Chang-hwan] “Waiting for the car felt like waiting to be discharged from the military,” said A, a man in his 30s from Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, recalling the lengthy wait to take delivery of his Hyundai Santa Fe.

Four years ago A put down a 100,000 KRW deposit (approximately $75) and waited for the vehicle. When reports of an imminent facelift surfaced, he considered canceling. Hyundai persuaded him to stay by offering delivery priority.

Expecting a quicker handover, A chose to keep his order. After a dealer warned the delay would be longer than anticipated, he ultimately accepted a gasoline model instead of the hybrid. Despite holding first priority, he didn’t get behind the wheel until 36 months later.

Demand for certain flagship and popular models has surged recently, and supply is struggling to keep pace. For example, the Hyundai Casper EV lounge trim is experiencing about a 12-month delay, while the premium trim can be delayed up to 25 months.

The production bottlenecks trace back to booming demand for AI-related chips and heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Semiconductor manufacturers are reallocating capacity and equipment toward higher-margin AI chips, disrupting the supply of automotive-grade semiconductors. At the same time, a spike in buyers opting for hybrid variants rather than EVs has outstripped the availability of model-specific components.

A Hyundai spokesperson told Green Economy News on the 10th that the primary cause of delivery delays is the imbalance between supply and demand. “Popular models such as the Santa Fe hybrid are seeing demand that far exceeds supply, which prolongs waiting times,” the spokesperson said.

A Hyundai dealership representative echoed that comment, noting that wait times for in-demand models like the Santa Fe hybrid vary by color and option packages. “Unless canceled orders appear, delivery typically takes a long time,” the dealer said.

Consequently, more buyers are turning to used cars or new models with available stock, since some vehicles on dealer lots can be delivered immediately.

“Deliveries across the Mini lineup have been relatively quick,” a BMW Mini dealer told Green Economy News. “Even in the longest cases you’re looking at a month or two. Most models are in stock and there aren’t many option permutations, so we can turn inventory over quickly,” the dealer said.