Hyundai Santa Fe XL Complaints

26 consumer complaints on file.

#11772079October 19, 2026
ENGINE
On September 22, 2026, my 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL experienced a sudden engine stall while I was stopped at a traffic light. The engine unexpectedly lost power, the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and appeared to lock, and the oil pressure, battery, and check engine warning lights illuminated. After restarting the vehicle, I noticed an abnormal clicking or knocking sound coming from the engine. On September 23, 2026, my wife experienced a similar incident while operating the same vehicle. These incidents created serious safety concerns. Unexpected engine stalling and loss of steering assistance could result in a collision, especially in moving traffic, placing drivers, passengers, and surrounding motorists at risk. An independent repair facility initially diagnosed engine failure. Hyundai subsequently inspected the vehicle but denied engine repair assistance, citing alleged maintenance neglect based on a gap in the vehicle's maintenance history that occurred approximately three years before I purchased it. The service manager also indicated that sludge buildup within the engine was associated with combustion-related problems occurring as the engine began failing. Prior to the initial incident, I had not observed warning lights indicating an imminent engine failure. The warning lights appeared during the initial loss-of-power event, followed by abnormal engine noise. The vehicle remains inoperable and has not been repaired. It is available for further inspection upon request, subject to coordinating access to its location. I am requesting that NHTSA document and evaluate these incidents as a potential vehicle safety defect involving unexpected engine stalling and loss of steering assistance.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732932April 22, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road, and the contact listened for the abnormal sound. The abnormal sound was persistent. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that a year prior, an unknown recall notification was received for a special engine warranty program. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a timing chain failure. The contact was informed that the timing chain needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730319April 10, 2026
ENGINE
Check engine light came on and then vehicle stalled took to shop and said the engine was needing to be replaced. Looked into issue and seen multiple issues with this engine and happening to a lot of Hyundai engines where vehicles need to get complete new engines
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700732November 21, 2025
ENGINE
Our vehicle had 145,000 miles and all maintenance and repairs performed at Hyundai dealerships. Joseph Airport Hyundai in Vandalia, Ohio replaced the timing chain at a cost of $3500. After replacing the timing chain our vehicle began consuming large amounts of oil (9 quarts over 5000 miles). The dealership has tried several repairs and the vehicle still continues to consume the same amount of oil. We now have 160,000 miles on the vehicle and need to always carry a 5 quart container of oil so it doesn't run low. This never happened until we had the timing chain replaced.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697217November 3, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Two bolts flew out of the CCVT system, blowing a hole in the valve cover and destroying all the timing components. Because of the issue, all oil spilled from the car. The other two bolts in the system were bent as well. I was driving the vehicle when this happened and could’ve been seriously hurt. I now need a new engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691250October 3, 2025
ENGINE
On [XXX], the check engine light came on in my 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL. The dealership diagnosed a complete engine failure requiring full replacement. The vehicle has only 54,000 miles. The dealer submitted a warranty claim to Hyundai, but Hyundai denied it because I could not provide receipts for every oil change, despite the fact that the vehicle has been responsibly maintained. An appeal to Hyundai’s goodwill department was also denied. This sudden and premature engine failure poses a serious safety risk. Engines from this generation (Lambda II / GDI family) are known to suffer from rod bearing failure, oil consumption, and sudden seizure. If this failure had occurred at highway speed, it could have led to loss of power, stalling, or an accident. Numerous owners have reported similar engine failures in 2016–2019 Santa Fe models at relatively low mileage, and Hyundai has already issued recalls and warranty extensions for related engines. This indicates a potential widespread defect that may not be adequately addressed. Requested Action: I am asking NHTSA to investigate Hyundai’s engine failures in the 2019 Santa Fe XL, review Hyundai’s denial of warranty coverage for vehicles experiencing these failures, and consider expanding existing recalls/warranty extensions to include this model. 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
#11690937October 2, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine compartment, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact discovered oil leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the rod bearings had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690312September 29, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL. The contact stated that there were intermittent, but constant electrical failures with the vehicle. The contact stated that the doors unintendedly locked and unlocked. Additionally, the contact was unable to upload the software updates for the vehicle or connect the vehicle to the Emergency 9-1-1 system through the cell phone. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer was unable to find an electrical or computer failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but was unable to assist the contact. The contact believed that the computer system had been compromised. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651805March 31, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sun roof exploded. We were driving down the highway and heard a loud crack. The sun roof exploded on us and there was shattered glass from the front to the back of the vehicle. There is no evidence of anything hitting the glass and there was no weather that could have caused the damage. Cloudy skies but 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Absolutely no way to explain the incident. Both my husband and I received small cuts trying to remove the glass. Our dog was in the vehicle and luckily was not harmed in the event.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11651428March 28, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving west in I-70 near Frisco, CO. The sunroof randomly exploded, throwing glass throughout the vehicle. I was driving the car with my wife and dog, all of us got covered in glass and the exploding glass was extremely loud. We were lucky the sound didn’t cause me to drive off the road or that any of falling glass severely cut us.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11590740May 25, 2024
ENGINE
The car died out of nowhere and seized the engine. The engine is blown. I have receipts of the No check engine or oil light had came on, even up to the point of failure. The car was towed to a dealership where they confirmed this to be the case. The car's oil was checked prior to the trip and was at the full line, after the 30 mile journey, the car had used roughly 2qts of oil and was at the low level.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11589837May 21, 2024
ENGINE
On [XXX], 2024 I brought my car in for a recall that the dealership called me and advised me that I needed to get it done so I brought it in and mentioned that it was hesitating a little bit so they did the inspection and found out I needed oil They proceeded to tell me there was sludge and oil or something like that and they did an oil flush twice $600 later everything should be fine as I turn my back to walk out after paying I was told to listen for any noises so I was concerned for noises because what they did just may not be the fix. so fast forward a week and a half later I hear a subtle noise in the engine and make an appointment for [XXX]. Bring the car in to the Staten Island Hyundai dealership and was treated like a criminal with my own car! They kept on saying customer neglect and that I may need a new engine and it has to go to corporate so nothing‘s gonna happen. It’s cause it’s the weekend and I expected to hear something on Monday but weeks by and not hear nothing until they need more oil change records the last record they have was at 36,000 miles apparently they think I never took it anywhere else so they wanted anything after that and then later on after I submitted that they denied my engine replacement because I didn’t submit anything prior to that anything prior to that would’ve been cleared and it wouldn’t show customer neglect because they do the multipoint inspection every time you walk in the dealership so I was neglecting the car. Why did they not find anything on it? Keep in mind that the oil light never went on there was no oil leak and the engine light never went on so there was no indication that anything was wrong with this car until we heard subtle noise and Hyundai dealership on Staten Island told us we needed a replacement and so this has been going on for two months now and I’ve been calling places trying to get an engineering placement with no luck. 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
#11588781May 14, 2024
ENGINE
The engine seized with no warning. We had our camshaft replaced six months prior that was covered by our extended warranty. Hyundai dealer was tracking oil consumption issue prior to repair and notice consumption was increasing. We had three oil changes from November through April. Our last oil change was on 3.25 and engine seized 1,200 miles later. Hyundai offered to cover 60% of the $22,000 engine replacement. We were told that we would need to cover the cost ($2,200) for our Hyundai dealer to break down the engine for our extended warranty to inspect. Unfortunately, they have all but guaranteed that they would deny coverage due to carbon being present in the piston. We are left to cover the cost or junk our car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11578157March 18, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am writing to report an issue with Holler Hyundai located at 1150 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, Florida, 32789, concerning their handling of recall "AUXILARY CANISTER KIT INST [XXX] -" for my vehicle. Over the past year, I have brought my vehicle to the dealership three times for this recall service. Each time, I was informed that the necessary parts were on back order. Despite repeated inquiries and visits since Feb 20 2023, the dealer has failed to perform the recall repair, citing parts availability issues. This delay send unreasonable, and I believe it reflects a failure on the part of the dealer and possibly the manufacturer to address recall obligations in a timely manner. I am seeking your assistance in resolving this matter. I believe it is critical that the recall repair is performed as soon as possible to ensure my vehicle's safety. I would appreciate any intervention the NHTSA can provide. 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
#11551384October 23, 2023
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the panoramic sunroof fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11528966June 26, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SEAT HEATER:WIRING HARNESS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HAND HEATER:WIRING HARNESS
2019 HYUNDAI SANTA FE XL- I feel something should be done against Hyundai. I could have easily been killed by their failure in one area. Vehicle wiring harnesses. Are you aware that the wiring systems in many of their vehicles are made from Soy. Soy is a product that is made of Soy Beans and guess that rodents such as mice, chipmunks and squirrels love. Soy Beans. I have had three instances where rodents have chewed the wiring in my vehicle. The one time I could have been killed. To be honest I thought I would be when cars could come behind me and screech on their brakes. I was driving in heavy traffic coming back from Chicago and my vehicle stopped right in the third land of a heavy interstate highway with semis and such passing me at 60 plus miles of hour. The traffic was so thick at times I could not get out of the car and there I sat stalled. I eventually had my vehicle towed to my mechanic and a red squirrel got under the hood of my vehicle at some point and chew the heck out of the wiring. That was the second time. The third time happened today. I could have easily been killed when my call stopped on the busy intestate. Setting there with my flashers going in the middle lane not moving with vehicles going around me at high speeds. I have over $1,000.00 in costs repairing rodent chews on my vehicle. It is not just myself, look on the net. This issue is ever going with Hyundai. The company needs to reimburse me for costs incurred on this and but more so your office needs to look into having Hyundai fix this. They need to replace all the wiring harnesses in their vehicles with normal wiring like USA cars use if theirs are made with rodent attracting products. I have other vehicles here and have had for years and not one of my other vehicles have had so much as a rodent issue with those setting side by side the Hyundai. In fact I am to the point of selling it and taking a loss as the stress on wondering if it will happen again and create a financial strain on my is overwhelming. I had dozens of USA vehicles and
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11517507April 17, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Paint is peeling on a 2019 Santa Fe limited 4 years the paint should not be peeling
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495411November 30, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Purchased vehicle 7/25/2022 at the end of October battery was dead we jumped it. Then when it got cold it would not start jumped it and started. Went bought a new battery the battery in car when we bought it was a 630cca parts store didn’t have a listing for my battery so matched it and got one with 640cca. Next morning would not start. Tried jumping it wouldn’t start that way. Called Hyundai parts department and asked what battery should be in it said at least 660cca, so we got a 750cca a week or 2 later Today 11/29/22 was cold snow morning wouldn’t start. The problem is my car doesn’t start below 32degrees. Very upsetting I buy a new vehicle that reliable and it doesn’t seem reliable it. I’ve also read earlier forums and I read numerous complaints about this issue. I try looking up the battery for this model and it say’s discontinued so what am I supposed to do. I need a reliable car for my family not one that will leave me stranded and calling in to work or kids to not go to school.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11474682July 19, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
I contacted my local Hyundai dealership to have this recall fixed but was told they couldn't take my car in until October 27th 2022 at Kerry Hyundai, 6149 Hopeful Church Rd, Florence, KY 41042 If it's just a fuse replacement why do I have to wait over 3 month to have it fixed. I'm a fulltime rideshare driver and now I don't feel safe driving passenger around, the change of an engine fire and/or brake failure with passenger in my car could turn fatal. I was even told be the person in the service department that there was no risk of fire in vehicle do to this recall...
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11472684July 7, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V056000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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