Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints

8,019 consumer complaints on file.

#11577555March 15, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the oil warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The manufacturer provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577570March 15, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with the engine and catalytic converter and informed the contact that the engine had no compression. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, who confirmed the diagnosis and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 104,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577590March 15, 2024
ENGINE
My mil lamp light came on and all of a sudden my vehicle would not accelerate had scanner out I. My car and was told I need a new engine. Researched the theta crankahaft issues could that have caused my engine to fail? I had no warning whatsoever
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577707March 15, 2024
ENGINE
While driving car engine slowed down/lost power engine light came on, pulled over and it shutdown,. It would even try to start back up. Next day it started and made rattling noise from the engine. Towed vehicle to dealer, dealer said had a bad rod bearing and needed a new engine. Dealer and /or Hyundai would not repair this when we just paid to fix a similar issue (see below) Seems a lot of the 3.3L engines have these issues. We had a similar problem less than a year earlier, car slowed down while on interstate and would only go 35 mph. Engine would rev up but not go faster. (Danger for us and other drivers). Message came up said to take to dealer. Took to dealer said timing slipped need timing chain guides and cams' etc. $4,000 in repair. This seamed similar (Slow down etc.) to what happened this time. Seems a lot of the 3.3L engines have these issues and the dealer and Hyundai want to ignore the safety and quality issues with this engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577704March 15, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY
Sunroof exploded at highway speed glass was contained by interior fabric. Sounded like tire or gun shot . Was able to stop but frightened. Took to dealer and left it. Car has less than 3500 miles on it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577277March 14, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
See attached document for complaint
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577311March 14, 2024
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Reference Number: 11520065 This is a follow up to a previously submitted incident involving this same vehicle. My first submission was May, 2023, This vehicle experienced the exact same hazardous condition on February 26, 2024. on I-75 south. After driving on an interstate highway for about 1 hour, I noticed a traffic backup and proceeded to slow down as the traffic was nearly stopped. As I slowed my car down to nearly a complete stop, the engine suddenly surged forward with high rpm's as though the accelerator was pushed to the floor. I immediately pressed on the brake pedal as hard as I could to stop the car from surging forward and then quickly decided to put the transmission into neutral so I would not hit the car in front of me. The car eventually stopped surging and may have stalled. I finally got the car to move again by turning off the ignition and restarting it. I continued on my way and did not have a similar situation for the rest of my 30 minute highway trip. Like all the times before, the floor mat was NOT involved in this sudden acceleration. Last year when I took this car to a Hyundai dealer for inspection, they could not replicate this condition. They said that I needed a new fuel level sensor in my gas tank and a new fuel pump--neither of which I agreed to because first, the gas gauge has no relation to my surging and second, the fuel pump must be working or else I could not drive the car. This surging has occurred perhaps 7 times since I have owned this car since 2008. It is frightening to know that it could happen again with personal injuries or property damage. This condition rarely happens in city driving, but has happened at least 3 times in city driving. Seems like this situation would warrant a manufacturer recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577434March 14, 2024
ENGINE
While driving, came to a red light and stopped. When the light turned green, I pushed on the gas peddle and the car went completely black! No lights, no go, no warning, no nothing! It was the middle of afternoon rush hour, when people were getting off of work! No warning lights or problems prior warned me that something could be wrong. Up until that point, it drove smoothly, no issues at all. I had just had a routine maintenance check: oil and filter change, point checks, and anti theft installed, just a few months before, at this same dealership, and was told everything was good. The Hyundai dealership, where I had it towed, told me, after running the diagnostics, the replace engine code came up as the problem. But when I asked the service tech what could have caused it, all he said was, it could be a lot of things. I then asked the service tech as to why I had no warning at all, he responded, it could be a lot of things. They quoted me a cost from $7200 to $8000, not including tax, to replace the engine with a re manufactured engine. Unfortunately, I did not have an extended warranty, but I'm still very confused, angered, and stressed as to why I had no warning what so ever!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577319March 14, 2024
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at various speeds with an occupant in the passenger’s side front seat, the air bag light off message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that a software update was needed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. After driving the vehicle, the air bag off light message was displayed. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that an unknown module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact to remove the cushion. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Coconut Creek Hyundai. Coconut Creek Hyundai Service informed the contact that the system failed to recognize the occupant due to a cushion in the seat. The dealer informed the contact to replace the cushion with another cushion. The manufacturer was contacted, and opened a case, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 16,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577047March 13, 2024
AIR BAGS
Had an accident where driver side front of vehicle was hit. The severity of crash resulted in total loss. The driver was hurt and concussed due to her head hitting the side window, driver side. The vehicle was equipped with front side impact and curtain airbags and all failed to deploy. The other vehicle's side curtains were deployed.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11577076March 13, 2024
ENGINE
I have a Hyundai Santa Fé XL 3.3L 2015. I had a real danger situation with my family some months ago, when I had to pull over on a Highway after engine failure. I have this car for 11 months and all my maintenance records. Car died while I was driving putting me and my family in a danger situation. Not alerts or warnings signs. The car just died. I towed the car to a Hyundai Dealer, and after 3 weeks they reached out to me telling my engine is gone and there is no coverage/warranty/recall for that. After some research on-line I found thousands of people describing exactly the same issue. Major engine failure without any warning even with all schedule maintenance on date. I pretty confident that I am being victim of this knowing Hyundai issue and they don't care to keep people life in danger.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577082March 13, 2024
ENGINE
My 2012 Santa Fe check engine light came on a few weeks ago and put the car into engine protection mode. This car is less than 15 years old, has under 150,000 miles, has had reasonable upkeep. I am only the second owner. I was able to check the code myself and did so. It was P1326, which in a Hyundai vehicle means that there's a problem with the connecting rod bearings and it needs to be taken to the Hyundai dealership while in limp mode. I did so and they replaced the knock sensor, cleared the code, and sent me on my way. The check engine light came back less than a week later, same issue. The dealership told me that at this stage the Hyundai tech repair line suggests replacing the engine at an enormous cost. However, because my car can pass the BCT (bearing clearance test) Hyundai will not pay for the replacement of the engine because it cannot be said that the connecting rod bearings are the issue. When I asked why I needed to replace the engine, the service advisor was unable to explain which part of my engine was broken and just that it all needed to be replaced or the car would continue to show code P1326 and go into engine protection mode, rendering it unusable. This has been incredibly unsettling for me as a recently separated mother of two. I have been without my vehicle and without income for weeks while trying to contact Hyundai. They are claiming this repair has nothing to do with the THETA II engine recall out for my model year. All advisors have been pressuring me to purchase a new vehicle, but I do believe the reason I cannot use my vehicle is because of the THETA II engine defects and the P1326 code that will continue to render my car unusable. This code when cleared without fixing the problem, has caused my car to go into engine protection mode (unable to accelerate past 2,000rpm) on the freeway, which was dangerous for myself and other drivers on the road as well as terrifying.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577224March 13, 2024
ENGINE
Driving on the interstate and the engine seized up. I was driving with three little children and we barely made it to an off ramp. This was extremely dangerous. After looking up the issue, I found there were 1000's of unhappy customers that drive similar models that had the same exact issue happen to them. I keep up to date all oil changes, as many other customers, but Hyundai says it's not their fault? How can companies like Hyundai sell a car that have numerous engine failures and not have a recall? I am terrified not only with the expense of the repair, but putting my children in another Hyundai, with the fear of it happening once again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576797March 12, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576801March 12, 2024
SEAT BELTS
Seat belt won't snap on the driver side.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576874March 12, 2024
ENGINE
About a week ago the engine started making a strange sound when accelerating at low/mid speed through 2nd and 3rd gear. Best I could describe the sound was "a leaf in a fan blade". About 3 days after that sound started I just happened to be driving with the windows down around 10mph and heard a slight ticking sound. I returned home and immediately checked the oil. Upon opening the hood of the car I saw oil sprayed all over the left side of the engine compartment. When I checked the oil level it was completely empty, but there was standing oil on the skid plate underneath. There were never any warning lights of any kind. Both of the sounds were quiet enough that when the radio was on I couldn't hear them - thankfully I drive with it off most of the time! I parked the car for the weekend, put 4quarts of oil in it Monday morning and drove it to the dealership to drop off. They inspected it and (according to them) found a snapped cam shaft and a cracked timing cover which is where the oil was leaking from while driving. There was also a high amount of metal shavings found when they did a contamination check. This is the primary family car. We use it to go out of town almost every weekend and had just returned home the night before I found the oil leak. With how the oil was spraying across the entire engine compartment and all over the belts this could have very easily resulted in an engine fire at worse or have left us stranded on the side of a busy interstate with a bricked engine along with two adopted foster children with severe PTSD, anxiety, ADHD and extreme behavioral issues when confronted with stressful situations.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576910March 12, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment, prompting him to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed flames originating near the firewall. The contact was able to extinguish the flames himself with a fire extinguisher. No warning lights were illuminated. A fire report was filed. A police report was not filed, and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V303000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), and the VIN was included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 126,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576966March 12, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Please reference NHTSA recall number 23V651000. I am registering a complaint because the manufacturer has failed to remedy this safety issue in a timely manner. It is a fire hazard. Our vehicle is among the affected. This needs to be rectified immediately.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11577006March 12, 2024
ENGINE
My vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure while driving on the freeway. It had just over 100k miles. I heard a repetitive clicking sound when pressing on the accelerator. After 2 minutes, the car shuddered and black smoke filled the cabin. When I pulled over, oil was s pouring onto the road. The car was serviced 2 weeks prior including oil change by a certified mechanic with no problems identified. I never had a check engine light. I initially had the vehicle towed to my local mechanic who found 3 ruptured holes in the bottom of the engine block. I was told that it looked like "rod failure". When I notified Hyundai corp, I was told that the vehicle was no longer under warranty due to it being purchased pre-owned and because I had surpassed 100k miles. They told me that I could file a "goodwill" claim, but that it could only be submitted via my local dealership. So I went to local dealership to discuss my situation. While there, I inquired about the projected costs of engine repair/replacement if the claim was denied and was given a copy of an estimate in the amount of $8500 prepared for another customer with the same make/model/year vehicle with similar problem - catastrophic engine failure. I decided to proceed with claim and paid to have vehicle towed to the dealership. It was only then that I was told that an initial inspection fee of approximately $200 would be assessed if repairs were not completed. Once the initial inspection was done, I was given an estimate of repairs exceeding $18,000! They also told me that Hyundai corp was requiring additional diagnostic tests in order to complete its review of my good will claim that could be performed at an additional cost of $600! At this point, I'm being asked to throw money away. This car is a lemon. My family has endured undue hardship due to this incident. I am angered that a company would not go through the effort to make things right. People do not spend $49,000 on a vehicle expecting this to happen.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11576901March 12, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I have taken my vehicle back into the dealership because my car will sometimes unlock itself, I am constantly having to check the doors to make sure they are still locked and most of the time it has unlocked itself. Most of the time I hear it unlocking as I am walking away. It is very disturbing. It also beeps as if another vehicle is going to crash into me and most of the time there aren't any vehicles anywhere near me. The phone charger does not work, i have been having issues with this from the beginning. The steering wheel also says I have to put my hands on the wheel when I have them on the wheel. I have a video of the car going a lot of rpms and it barely moved, a golf cart passed me up. The car also locks up sometimes when I am backing up. I drive my parents to San Antonio for their Dr. appointments and am a little fearful of staying stranded either direction. My father is very ill and I am their driver. The dealer insists my car is the only one having these issues but I have read on reddit and other platforms of other Santa Fe's with similar issues. These issues do not occur ALL THE TIME, but this does occur at the most inconvenience time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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