Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints

8,019 consumer complaints on file.

#11607545August 9, 2024
ENGINE
On 7/24/24 I was driving off the expressway near my home when as I was switching lanes the vehicle made a loud clunk noise (it was like the sound of a lock turning but louder) and stopped accelerating, eventually coming to a full stop in the middle of the lane. Since I was blocking the lane, and it was during rush hour, I called the police to have them escort me out of the lane and into the middle divide. I had my vehicle towed to my home where my personal mechanic showed up to do an inspection. He tried turning on the car, but it only made a single-clicking noise. Next, he checked the oil and discovered that the dipstick was completely dry. He advised that the engine was seized due to no oil and suggested that I reach out to the location I had my last oil change at. An independent inspector completed a diagnostic on the vehicle and concluded the following: The top of this engine was dry and there were no oil stains on the underside of the hood or pooled in the engine compartment to suggest this engine leaked or displaced oil from the fill hole area. The oil fill cap was in the valve cover, tight and properly orientated. The oil pan drain plug was tight in the pan and not leaking. No torque seal or paint had been used on the drain plug or the oil pan. There was no impact damage to the oil pan. The inspector verified the oil filter housing and cover were dry with no signs of an active leak. The inspector verified the engine had been leaking oil to an active drip from the rear main engine oil seal, valve cover gaskets and from the oil pan gasket. There was also an excessive amount of soot and wetness in the tailpipes consistent with excessive oil consumption and the inspector observed a film of oil was present on the rear of the vehicle at both sides further indicating excessive oil consumption. The inspector attempted to start the engine and verified there was only a single clunk noise audible in the engine it could not be rotated indicating it was internally seized.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11607309August 8, 2024
ENGINE
My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport has less than 100,000 miles and has been regularly serviced. On [XXX], the vehicle stopped suddenly and dangerously on the highway. No warning light engaged. Fortunately, I was able to roll to the breakdown lane without causing an accident. The vehicle had traveled 2,828 miles since its last oil change on March 30, 2024. My mechanic, Todd's Auto Repair in Beverly, Massachusetts, looked for leaks and performed an oil change. The vehicle traveled 894 miles before requiring another 5 quarts of oil on June 11, 2024. The vehicle traveled another 969 miles since last service and required 3 quarts of oil on July 25, 2024. The mechanic is therefore confident that the engine is burning through the oil at an alarming rate, with no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms present to protect the driver. I have an appointment for the vehicle to be inspected by a Hyundai dealer on August 12, 2024. The service center scheduler was resolute that there is nothing the Hyundai corporation will do for oil over-consumption. Hyundai customer Facebook groups indicate that this is a very common problem, putting drivers in peril. We welcome an inspection should you request one. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11607286August 8, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. On the second occasion, the vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was not able to be replicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11607075August 7, 2024
ENGINE
Sudden loss of engine power in traffic on highway in funeral procession. My safety was put at risk on the highway. The check engine light came on intermittently the previous week. I made six trips to the Hyundai dealer in Plymouth, MA. First told the oil was low when the dipstick was normal. Oil was changed. Check engine light came on as I left the lot. Two more trips computer reset two different ways. Engine does not have normal power going up hill. Another trip to dealer EVAP hose collapsed. Light back on and off. I paid for diagnostic fee $175, oil change then told it was CVV and timing issue with $2817.89 in parts because the tech "saw" the problem. >$3000 estimate for labor. Repair started now told CVV is not the problem metal shavings in oil OCV intake and exhaust valves and needs new engine. The car had $60,000 miles on it and was extremely well maintained. It does not have a warrantee. This is same issue as the Hyundai recall for metal debris left in oil passages of engine crankshaft during manufacture though my model is not covered by the recall. Hyundai declines to help. There is a huge personal safety and fire risk from this defective manufacturing process.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11607102August 7, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I had a tow-hitch installed and attached a cargo tray which I previously used with my 2010 Santa Fe. On June 21, 2024 at the end of the first day of our extended vacation the items on the passenger side of the cargo tray had melted. This included elements of the cargo tray itself, a Coleman chair, a brand new (1st use) Yeti cooler, cargo net and bungee cords. The following day I went to a Hyundai dealership in Charlestown, WV who verified the tow hitch was installed correctly but mentioned that the exhaust from my Turbo 2.0 engine was extremely hot and probably contributed to the melting. We were not able to find a way to elevate the tray away from the exhaust or add a shield to divert the heat. We had to discontinue use of the tray and purchase a trailer which connected several feet behind the car. As mentioned, I previously used this same tray with my 2010 Sant Fe without any difficulty or heat issues. I am concerned because of the potential for a fire with items igniting due to the extreme heat. I did not find any warnings about this nor any verbal precautions from the dealer when I purchased the car. If I had been carrying items more flammable I could potentially of had a fire start on the tray while the car was in motion resulting in more severe damage or harm to persons.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11607113August 7, 2024
ENGINE
vehicle was driving then all of a sudden there was an excessive amount of white smoke coming out of exhaust Engine was making a clicking sound before like a card in spokes on a bike and has been excessively consuming oil recently Auto shop discovered that a piston came loose and was rattling around the engine until it eventually shot through the engine
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606911August 6, 2024
ENGINE
My stepson was driving the car and it stopped running while at a red light in a left turn lane on a busy intersection. When he went to try to start it, it wouldn't turn over. Fortunately 2 officers showed up on scene to protect my stepson and his friends from an accident by blocking the lane behind the car. I arrived at the site of the incident and tried to start the car. When it wouldn't turn over I checked the oil and there was none on the dipstick. We just had numerous seals replaced on the engine within the last 8000 miles. We had it towed to a trusted shop that we frequent. They said that the motor was seized and there was no evidence of leaks. I called the local Hyundai dealer and I was told there was no coverage for the engine. Looking online I found many complaints from other people that have had the same issue with the same 3.3 liter engine. The engine was resealed due to leakage, however I had never needed to top off the oil since I bought the car. I have the oil changed every 3,000 miles or so. The shop that resealed the engine never took the heads off and stated that they did not see any evidence of major engine issues when they had the oil pan off. According to my stepson, there was never any warning and no lights on the dash.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606913August 6, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My driver side passenger door will not open from the inside or the outside. You can hear the locking mechanism lock and unlock, however the door is stuck shut. It locked my 2 year old in. Put her in, drove about 15 minutes down the road then was no longer able to open her door. This is obviously not safe for anyone of any age. There are multiple forums of multiple people with the same issue with a malfunction of Hyundais doors. Hyundai needs to make their vehicle safe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606401August 5, 2024
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle was making an abnormal knocking sound with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact exited the highway and stopped at an auto parts store. The contact was advised by the store employee to have the vehicle towed to a repair shop. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that prior to the engine failure the vehicle had been consuming oil and that she had been adding oil monthly. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606567August 5, 2024
ENGINE
I was stopped at a red light and proceeded to turn right when my car shut down. I was able to pull over and turned my car off. It wouldn’t turn back on. I had it towed and they found the engine is locked up.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606591August 5, 2024
ENGINE
head gasket blown without prior warning and rapid engine oil consumption. Car will power down in the middle of Hight speed traffic potentially causing an accident. Car less than 7year old.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606626August 5, 2024
ENGINE
2018 Hyundai Santa Fe SE with 98000. miles lost power while driving, would not accelerate. No warning prior to event. No check engine light prior.Had the vehicle towed to Dealership for diagnostics. Dealership technician pulled codes P0018; P0300; P0302; P0304; P0306. I was told the repairs needed were: Replace left intake camshaft, CVVT, and timing chain tensioner. I had requested the dealership contact the National Consumer Affairs for Hyundai Motor America to put in a claim on the 100,000. mile warranty. After several weeks they declined to fix or offset the repair costs for this claim. they stated the following; "HMA Is Declining To Provide Assistance Due To The Malfunction Being Out Of Warranty Caused By The Time In Service And Mileage Of The Vehicle. No Goodwill Assistance Is Being Offered At This Time." I believe that that this issue is a common occurrence after reading many other customer complaints with the same issues. Why would HMA state "no assistance at this time". It appears that they would rather ignore this concern until the car is past the warranty period.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606303August 3, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The door on the drivers side does not lock. It appears that something came out of place causing the door to remain unlocked even with the use of the fab. The car is not drivable because the door swings open. It has happened in a few occasions where the lock appears to get stuck but was always fixable. On this occasion it was not. Thankfully, I was parked when this occurred.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606012August 2, 2024
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Misfire code P0302 Injector failed open, flooded cylinder with fuel. Gas in the oil Possible cylinder failure Lack of compression
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606096August 2, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, WHEELS
Abs system is randomly locking up calipers causing a dangerous speed wobble. Dealership can't re create so won't diagnose. Have had to replace all brake calipers and components were near new but ruined because of abs applying brakes when unnecessary. Vehicle is very unsafe to drive, pulled hard to left at one point veering me into oncoming traffic. Independent mechanic has made caliper release by manually releasing abs system. Same results were not found by releasing pressure at master cylinder making abs the obvious culprit. No warning lights but I just replaced two cracked rotors on rear at 130k miles. That should not happen. Has caused hub readings of 270 on three different tires at 3 different times. Santa fe has recall on this system for every year but mine, very curious as to why not. If this was not a dealership only part , it might not be such a big issue, but being it is main source of stopping a 4000 lb vehicle, I have concerns. Hyundai dealership was very condescending and of little to no help. I have an Independent are certified mechanic who is happy to talk with you if needed. Please help, as of right now am.making payments on an unsafe vehicle with not much hope of it being fixed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11606225August 2, 2024
AIR BAGS
Involved in a car accident 4/24 going 60 mph, driver cut over and made contact near driver side door, causing us to also slam into a concrete wall on passenger door. After 3 months and up to 29k in damages, insurance declared our car a total loss on 7/23/24. On 7/25/24 the recall was released. No airbags deployed but I had 2 airbag safety codes on my phone (after accident) I didn’t have the car for. 4/11 and on. POA was signed on 7/24/24 releasing car to at fault party’s insurance. Hyundai said they can’t do any investigation on the car to determine if it was a fault. Collision site and dealership was surprised airbags did not deploy. The final damage reported was the inner most pillar that was “last line of defense, cannot be repaired must be replaced” per collision site, had a crack all the way down. I was 30 weeks pregnant and now dealing with ongoing back issues and my toddler was in her car seat. Going that speed with that much damage and hit on both sides should have deployed airbags. Also interesting timing our car was totaled 2 days before official recall. All seatbelts in car “deployed” but side airbags did not. No airbags did
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11605859August 1, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I parked my 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe in a hospital parking garage on the morning of July 30, 2024. I was getting ready to leave after my doctor’s appointment. I slowly reversed my car and hit a pillar behind me. As I put the car into drive to come forward slowly, the car accelerated forward at a very fast speed. I took my foot off of the gas and kept pressing the brake pedal, but the car kept speeding forward on its own and I crashed headfirst into a concrete wall. The impact cracked the concrete barrier on the outside of the parking garage. The air bags deployed, causing fractures in my sternum and L1 vertebrae. This accident occurred near the elevators/stairs and cars were all around. IF a person had been walking in my path to get to their car, he/she would have been severely hurt or killed. I was able to frantically steer the accelerating car into a handicap parking space and crash into the concrete wall, thus avoiding other cars. If that space was not available, my car could have crashed into another car with people inside. We were just told that the car is going to be totaled. If necessary, it could be inspected before that happens. I thought that I was going to die… the car was out of control. I do not want this to happen to others with this type of car…or put others in its path at risk.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11605981August 1, 2024
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The 3.3 liter V6 GDI engine failed while driving at approximately 136000 miles. Heard a ticking noise start shortly after leaving home, and had hesitation and shaking upon acceleration from a stop sign, but saw no warning lamps. Went around the block back home to find out the ticking noise was under the hood. Motor oil was almost 3 quarts low, but only 2/3's of the way through the service interval. Checked for leaking, saw none dripping, but did see oil on the under of the rear differential. I then let the car run for minute or so in the garage and looked for leaks. I saw no active leaking and ticking was quieter, so I drove to a close gas station to get a little gas and test drive, still no warning lights. On the way back, about a mile from home, the engine light came on, despite the ticking sound being gone. Within a quarter mile, at the next stop sign, I let off the brake to accelerate and the car started rolling backwards, causing the vehicle approaching from behind to swerve into the turn lane. The vehicle was no longer running, and wouldn't restart. Towed to local mechanic and was told 2 days ago the engine was seized, and replacement was needed. I have not contacted any dealership or the manufacturer, as I the second owner and do not have a warranty. However I have spent the last 2 days reading seemingly 1000s of articles and forum posts related to this engine, whether it be in a Hyundai or a Kia. Several of the articles I have read about this 3.3 liter GDI Lambda -II engine and it's horror stories, referenced this nhtsa site as a place where complaints can be made, so here I am. Many articles describe the same problem.. hesitation... ticking.. sudden mysterious oil loss... little, if any warning... complete failure while driving, putting safety at risk. With the problem with engine so blatantly rampant, it is my fear that after I scrap this vehicle, there will be a recall. Over the phone quotes, and online pricing have ranged from $7500-20000 for repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605840August 1, 2024
POWER TRAIN
Transmission failure. Problem confirmed by dealership on 7/22. Problem arose on 7/20 with car jumping forward abrublty and started making a clicking noise and hesitating. Did not learn about recall until I logged into my insurance company website to pay my insurance and it listed a recall on my Santa Fe on 7/20. Dropped car off at dealership on 7/22 and was told later that day it would need a new transmission and the dealership was told by Hyundai to give me a loaner car until Hyundai decided what to do about my car. I filed a claim on 7/23 with Hyundai about doing a buy back. I was told I would receive a call in 2-3 business days but have yet to receive one. I called Hyundai on 7/31 and was told my case manager had left a voice mail for me on 7/29 but I have no vm or missed call. I was given my case managers direct phone number and left a vm. Today is 8/1 and my 2024 Santa Fe Calligraphy that I bought on 6/28 and drove for only 3 weeks is sitting in the dealerships parking lot and per dealership, on 7/31 they are still waiting to hear from HYUNDAI. It has 1300 miles on it and luckily I did not get stranded 400 miles away while on vacation. I am very upset that no one contacted me or when problems started to occur with this vehicle, nothing was done and the vehicles were still being sold to the public
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605550July 31, 2024
ENGINE
The engine component that failed was the connecting rod. The situation was that the engine seized randomly in the middle of an airport tunnel as I was attempting to pick up my parents and leave. There were no warning lights, no abnormal engine sounds, and no unusual activity beforehand. I have heard from a certified Hyundai dealer that this problem is becoming common on my vehicle and that they have, in fact seen several cases where the engine randomly seized. I do not have access to the engine that seized anymore as I have replaced it with a used one so I would not be able to provide it for investigation. I am not sure if a Hyundai manufacturer has checked the problem out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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