Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Complaints

1,199 consumer complaints on file.

#11743387June 11, 2026
POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE
Following the completion of an official emissions recall software upgrade at Fitzgerald Auto Mall Countryside, Clearwater Florida, my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (52,000 miles) now suffers from a severe loss of motive power and erratic transmission shifting/jerking during cold starts throughout day. The vehicle continues to hesitate during cold starts, making it impossible to safely accelerate from a stop into incoming traffic. I returned to dealership on 5/29/26 to address continued driving issues. The servicing dealership states they don't have a software fix and offer no mechanical fix. The dealership states they received an internal memo from Hyundai Corporate which instructed the dealership to tell affected owners to idle the vehicle for 1-3 minutes before driving to allow system adjustments. Forcing a consumer to wait out a dangerous powertrain defect in a running vehicle to avoid a roadway acceleration/loss accident is an unacceptable safety hazard. The manufacturers recall update has actively compromised the safe operation and motive control of this vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742849June 8, 2026
AIR BAGS
I have great concern that certain vehicles of Hyundai are getting a little bit of extended warranty occupant classification system forward slash occupant detection system known issues. OCS/ODS I will try to attach a picture of the letter. As a nurse manager I find this once again appalling on Hyundai behalf, after these years pass we won't know if our air big warning lights or trouble codes or even a a passenger is detected when driving. They offered to pay if you had issues with this problem or in my case in the next four and a half years they would cover it but after that do I feel that this is my problem because they're having defect sensors and warning lights or maybe lack thereof altogether after speaking to them when I called and made a case number XXX with Hyundai Motor America. I strongly believe this should be a recall. I would never trust anybody sitting in my passenger seat, and I don't think you would either. They always try and find some way to get around doing the right thing and obviously they have problems with intermittent airbags warning lights trouble codes and this needs to be looked into if there are any risk/issues detecting or possibly never detecting a grandchild sitting in that front seat! After 5 years I will worry if anybody sits in the front seat now. I have started the process and will wait for your reply, of communicating with [XXX] our Minnesota State Attorney General's office on this matter. 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
#11741628June 2, 2026
ENGINE
I had my engine replaced in Nov 2024 due to excessive oil consumption. I was required to do an emissions update due to a recall on my car. Once the dealer did the update, it caused my check engine light to come on and now I need a new catalytic converter, which was all due to the excessive oil consumption. Hyundai dealer knows this but they are telling me I’m responsible for replacing it. It should be replaced by Hyundai not me. It was the issue with the engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740806May 29, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
After the ECM recall for a software update the car would not run correctly. It jerks and and runs rough. It almost stalls when you put your foot on the gas. I took it back to the dealer and they can not get the problem to duplicate. Noone else has looked at the problem. There were never any problems with the care until the recall. The problem occurred the day I brought the car home from the ECM update.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740536May 28, 2026
ENGINE
Hello, I was driving home from work with my six-month old in the car and the engine stalled while on the Belleville Turnpike. It seized and I was almost rear-ended by a tractor trailer hauling lumber to the lumber yard just a few streets away. I couldn't move the car and was afraid of how to even attempt to secure my car as my daughter was strapped in her car seat. An extremely nice man pulled over and began to flag vehicle to go around me. By this time, I had only my hazard lights on. I was frightened beyond belief having gone through that experience. The car was towed to the dealership who confirmed it was catastrophic engine failure(misfire of a cylinder). They stated initially with my 3rd party warrant that it would be covered and in their words " it was a good thing I had a warranty". Fast forward to two weeks after I check to see what is going on. Things have changed. Now, because I am missing one oil change receipt, they need to be paid $1400, to further corroborate the cause of the engine failure. I haven't paid and honestly don't plan on paying them anything. To date, I have spent over $2,000 on car rental fees since my car is now sitting at the Global Hyundai Dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740713May 28, 2026
ENGINE
I noticed a Check Engine Light flashing on my dashboard while driving on May 27, 2026. The vehicle suddenly losing power is extremely unsafe for me and my family, and also others on the road. This is a repeated P1326 code which happened before in 2021 and 2024. Based on the receipts I have from the previous inspections from the dealer, the Bearing Clearance Test (BCT) was not done in 2024, but was performed in 2021. The knock sensor was replaced in 2024 and I was denied engine replacement. This is a repeat failure of the same condition under Hyundai Motors TSB T3G Theta II. Once again, my safety was at extreme risk as the engine lost its power suddenly. It could have easily lead to a crash. In 2024, Hyundai and the dealer declined an engine replacement despite me showing the safety concerns and my possible eligibility for an engine replacement for the underlying condition.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740491May 27, 2026
ENGINE
The engine powertrain system, specifically the internal engine lubrication, timing chain, and camshaft sensors. The vehicle's Theta II engine suffers from systemic, excessive oil consumption, which starved the engine of lubrication. This caused the timing chain to stretch and mechanically fail, and compromised the camshaft sensors. The vehicle is currently un-repaired and is available for inspection upon request at Hyundai of Downtown LA. While driving, the engine suddenly stalled and completely shut off mid-drive without warning. This caused an immediate loss of motive power and a dangerous reduction in steering and braking control while surrounded by active traffic. Operating a vehicle that randomly shuts down on public roads presents an extreme, life-threatening safety hazard to myself, my passengers, and other drivers. Furthermore, the dealership is attempting to force me to drive the vehicle for an additional 1,000 miles in this stalling, un-repaired condition to complete a corporate oil test, compounding the safety risk. The failure and safety hazard have been physically confirmed and diagnosed by an authorized dealership: Hyundai of Downtown LA (3850 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90037). Their service department mechanically diagnosed the physical failure of the camshaft sensors, a stretched timing chain, and severe engine oil starvation. There were absolutely no dashboard warning lights, check engine lights, low oil pressure lamps, or messages prior to the engine stalling and shutting off. The vehicle computer failed to trigger any diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) or dashboard warnings to alert me to the low oil level or the impending mechanical timing failure before the vehicle completely shut down mid-drive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740351May 27, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
After my Hyundai dealership performed a recall on emissions my Santa Fe Sport started having problems on cold starts. After it has set for a few hours when I would put into gear and start to driving the car acted as though it was trying to flood out. I have to feather the accelerator and drive very carefully for at least 1/2 - 3/4 miles. This is very dangerous and make me very uncomfortable driving. I took my vehicle back to my Hyundai dealer and the mechanic told me they were waiting for a recall to the recall. How stupid!!! It has been over a month and nothing has been done to fix the problem. Please advise!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739906May 25, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. Purchased January 2026 took to Oxmoor Hyundai Service Center March 2026. February 2026 began using oil at a measured rate of 700 miles per tank of oil. Used 3 full tanks of oil within the month of February. Oil lights and engine lights on and off and flashing during this time. March 8, 2026, engine light flashed and then stayed on continuously. Engine shook and stuttered and made a loud noise. Engine stalled while I was driving at 35-40 miles per hour. I was able to continue driving to my home with the stuttering and stalling. The next morning I drove it to the Oxmoor Hyundai Service Center. I told relayed the timeline of all symptoms I had experienced over the 2 month lifetime of my ownership. They did not attempt to reproduce the issue. They only entered "shakes in reverse" as the customer provided issue on the intake information. Service Center performed diagnostic, found cylinder misfires on cylinder 2 and cylinder 4. Replaced spark plugs to resolve Cylinder 2. Cylinder 4 continued to misfire. Used Borescope and found broken valve. They did not address the scoring on the cylinder of the valve. Recommended engine replacement. Advised it would not be covered under a warranty because the rod did not break. The oil consumption was proven with documentation from multiple Valvoline visits and the vertical scoring was present on the cylinder with the broken valve in the borescope photo. The Service Center refused to do a Boring Clearance Test or any other test that would prove the engine should be covered under an extended warranty or class action settlement. It wasn't until I reviewed HMA documents uploaded to the BBB Arbitration, that I realized that the information I initially gave to the Service Center of all the symptoms with timelines had not been entered into the system for diagnostic review by Techline. Arbitrator denied my claim under the theta settlement because the rod had not broken yet, BUT she said my engine was defective.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739585May 22, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
NO power till car warms up for 5 minutes. It will be jerky on highway. The gas mileage is going down drastically, I was doing 32 miles to gallon and now it's 22mpg. All this is after the recall we just had performed. I have no power trying to avoid accidents, taking off from stopping. Car smells weird now.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739097May 20, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that occasionally, while driving at various speeds, an abnormal knocking sound was heard coming from under the hood while the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the steering wheel would shudder. The Check engine oil warning light illuminated. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHSTA Campaign: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it remains for further investigation; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to a lack of maintenance records, and the recall repairs were rejected. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the recall repairs were performed under previous ownership; however, the recall repairs were not completed. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738905May 19, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Engine code p1326. The engine went into limp mode it was only able to drive about 15 miles then check engine light came popped on and the vehicle stopped and I had the get the vehicle towed. Yes Route 60 of Hyundai in Vero Beach was aware of the issue and also I took the vehicle to Hyundai in Fort pierce where they also was well aware of the engine issue. When I received a recall letter in the mail and brought my vehicle into Route 60 Hyundai of Vero Beach. My vehicle was also apart of the Theta 2 issue class act litigation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738463May 18, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH a loud noise and smoke was suddenly present coming from under the hood of the vehicle and the engine stalled. The vehicle was towed back to the home. The contact indicated that during the failure no warning messages or lights had displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 83,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738419May 17, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
As I would be driving down the road, most of the time when getting up to speeds of either 25-30mph or 55-60mph is when the dash board lights up check BSD detection system failure, then it will rev out rpm’s to 5,000-6,000 then lose power to accelerator. I also notice on the dash board where the panel for your selected gear displays is blank and doesn’t show whether you are in park,drive neutral, ECT. After this occurs I can not drive it any longer until I safely stop the car (most of the time on a busy highway or country road Highway where once this happens it becomes dangerous due to the power loss in the accelerator) and put it in park, I’ve tried to put the vehicle in park, once fully stopped, and try to put it back into drive but the shifter is locked into park and will not let me shift the vehicle, I then have to shut the vehicle completely off and open the driver door to get the backup power cut off as-well to have zero power to the vehicle. Once that is completed I then Re-Start the vehicle where it operates normally again, this situation happens at least twice a week if not 3-4. It sometimes has put my passengers and myself at risk of getting into accidents or struck by other vehicle on the road. my vehicle is still under a warranty through the dealership I purchased it from, but when I ask them about it they say that because there is no prompt on the dash once I get there that they cannot do anything about it, nor do they allegedly know why it’s happening, I’ve asked a few other mechanics I know and they say that they have seen this malfunction before with this vehicle and usually it is a transmission sensor? Or a transmission speed sensor issue? I then relay this message back to the dealer ship and they still act like they don’t know what it is, I truly believe that the dealership just doesn’t want to deal with the issue and I only have 2-3000 miles left under their warranty, I do enjoy the vehicle and respect Hyundai for their great customer service.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738235May 16, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
am filing a formal complaint regarding an official software update provided by Hyundai that completely corrupted the infotainment/head unit system in my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. I purchased this vehicle from CarMax less than three weeks ago. The vehicle came equipped with Hyundai Blue Link, so I contacted Hyundai support to activate the service by pressing the Blue Link button inside the vehicle. Hyundai informed me that my vehicle required a software update because the current system did not contain the necessary software for Blue Link to function properly. A Hyundai representative directed me to Hyundai’s official update website and provided instructions for completing the update. Following Hyundai’s instructions exactly, I purchased and formatted a USB drive, downloaded the update using my VIN from Hyundai’s official website, properly extracted the files, and installed the update into the vehicle. During the installation process, the update failed and corrupted the head unit system. The display now continuously shows “Update Unsuccessful” with Error Code 106. Since the failed Hyundai update, multiple vehicle systems no longer function properly, including the backup camera, Bluetooth, hands-free calling, Blind Spot functionality, radio, map/display system, automatic headlights, and automatic radio shutoff when opening the driver door. I now have to manually operate systems that previously worked automatically. I contacted Hyundai customer support multiple times and was repeatedly transferred between departments. I was incorrectly referred to navigation support even though my vehicle has a non-navigation system. Navigation support confirmed this was a Hyundai issue and stated they could not assist. When I contacted Hyundai again, I explained every step I followed, and the representative acknowledged that I appeared to have completed the update process correctly. Despite Hyundai’s official software causing this failure
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737802May 14, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
TOOK CAR TO DEALER TO HAVE OIL CHANGED ON APRIL 29, 2026 AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD ALSO PREFORMED A SOFTWARE UPDATE, SERVICE CAMPAIGN 9C2. EVERYTIME SINCE THAT DAY AFTER THE CAR HAS SET FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THE CAR IS RESTARTED DRIVEN IT STALLS AND SURGES REALLY BAD SEVERAL TIMES LASTING FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. IT ALSO CAN DO THIS AT RANDOM AT ANYTIME BUT NOT CONSTANT LIKE IT DOES WHEN FIRST STARTED. THIS IS VERY DANGEREST FOR OBVIOUS RASONS AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED. ALTHOUGH THERE IS OTHERS REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEMS ON LINE AND A PERSON MAKING THE SAME COMPLAINT WHILE I WAS WATING AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAY "THEY ARE UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND I WILL HAVE TO LEAVE MY CAR FOR UP TO THREE DAYS OR MORE TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND THEN THEY WILL LET ME KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE” AND WHAT THE COST WILL BE. I ONLY HAVE THE ONE VEHICLE AND THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE A LOANER VEHICLE SO NEEDING MY CAR EVERY DAY I CAN NOT DO WITHOUT IT. DUE TO THE FACT THAT HYUNDAI REFUSES TO ACKNOWLAGE THE PROBLEM. THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE A RECALL TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737803May 14, 2026
ENGINE
The engine seized up and hyundai refused to approve my claim al though i had the extended warranty. Reason for the denial because a recall in 2019 was not performed. I had purchased the vehicle in 2023 used from Rick case honda.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737489May 13, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Car randomly dies. Constantly needing oil due to it leaking. Check engine light on
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737327May 12, 2026
ENGINE
I was driving on a main road at 55-60 mph with my daughter and grandchildren in the car and had a sudden loss of power. I was almost hit from behind. The check engine light started blinking. And the car went into limp mode. I had to limp it to the nearest place to safely get off the road so as not to put my family in any other danger.There is not enough shoulder on the road to pull over safely. It was very stressful. Was able to get it in someone's driveway and then eventually towed to Auburn,NY Hyundai/Chevrolet where it is currently. It would not turn over to start again. It does have battery power. I am waiting to hear from the service techs as to what they think is wrong. They advised me that there is a $199 per hour diagnostic fee. I also told them that we noticed metal flakes in the oil when we checked it. I feel I should mention that the vehicle went into limp mode a few weeks ago also and the dealership told me the knock sensor was bad. I had that replaced at that time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736898May 10, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
THIS IS AN UPDATE TO EXISTING NHTSA ODI COMPLAINT #11735718 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, TXXI Theta II engine defect. UPDATE: On May 7, 2026, Hyundai Case Manager acknowledged in writing "Your case is important to us" and "2.4L THETA concerns" for Case #42623761. This is written admission the vehicle has the TXXI defect covered by warranty extension to 120,000 miles. I gave Hyundai 48 hours to provide written authorization for oil consumption test per their TSB 22-EM-003H. After 3 days they are silent. They refuse email communication despite documented language barrier. Current Vehicle Status: - Active DTC P0010 causing loss of power and stalling risk - Oil Consumption: 1 liter per 600km, which is 3x Hyundai failure threshold in TSB 22-EM-003H - 95,772 miles, under TXXI 120,000 mile warranty limit - U.S. Spec vehicle covered by TXXI Warranty Extension Hyundai is violating Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act by refusing to honor written warranty for known safety defect. The P0010 defect causes sudden loss of power while driving. Requesting immediate NHTSA intervention to compel Hyundai to perform warranty repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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