Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints
8,019 consumer complaints on file.
- #11540229August 23, 2023ENGINE
I was driving my 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and first noticed that when I stepped on the gas pedal, the car hesitated and then finally kicked in and would accelerate. I was approximately 60 miles from home when the engine totally failed. Luckily I was not on an interstate or I could have been in a severe accident and injured or died. I had the car towed to a Hyundai dealership, who determined it was a complete engine failure and the car needed a new engine. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms to indicate a problem.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11540263August 23, 2023ENGINE
On Tuesday, August15, 2023 while driving my daughter to graduate school in Tallahassee Florida from Buffalo New York, my 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport with approximately 84,000 miles abruptly lost accelleration on Interstate 20 in Augusta Georgia. I was fortunate that I was able to safely exit the highway without being struck by other vehicles driving at high speeds during the morning rush hour. I was able to locate and drive my vehicle to the Taylor Hyundai dealership a mile up the road at 3233 Washington Road in Augusta. Upon my arrival the service advisor asked if my car has ever has a bearing clearance test, it had not. I am thankful that they were able to squeeze me into their schedule and they were able to perform said test which my vehicle failed. I was then advised that my car would need a new engine and that the request would be sent to the Hyundai corporate office for approval. Hyundai would not provide a rental vehicle until the process is approved which I was told could take up to 12 days. I was then advised that Hyundai would reimburse me for a rental that I would have to arrange on my own. One week later, I reached out to the advisor and she has not heard anything from Hyundia corporate. I am hoping that I will not be stuck with a massive rental bill and that my car will be fixed and delivered to my daughter in Florida.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11540328August 23, 2023SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Since I have had the car, five months, there have been THREE INCIDENTS of the car braking to a stop suddenly and unexpectedly while I am driving. At no time were there other cars near me; I was not in danger of hitting anything or anyone as the road was clear. The stops were jarring and upsetting as I could not discern a reason for these sudden stops. I feel it is very dangerous to stop in the middle of the street without warning.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11540341August 23, 2023ENGINE
On 8/14/23/ I got the first oil change for my new car at the dealer. On 8/15/23 as I cruised at 65mph on a crowded Detroit expressway, I pushed further on the accelerator to get away from an aggressive driver on my tail. Nothing happened; The car engine shut down. No warning, no lights, no beeping, no alarm, no dash screen message. Dead engine in the middle lane with cars all around. After i miraculously made it to the shoulder of the freeway, The engine light and oil light came on. Not before, only after the car died. The dipstick indicated The car was out of oil. Unbeknownst to me the parts used to change the oil the previous day were defective. The oil had leaked out over the course of the day and over night. (I later discovered my driveway full of oil). THE PROBLEM, additional to the defective parts is the fact that I HAD NO WARNING THAT THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WAS IMMINENT. I HAD NO WARNING THAT THE CAR HAD NO OIL. I came close to getting killed that day, and still have nightmares. Had i known the car was oil-less, I would not have driven it. This is a car that beeps and pushes and tells one how to drive at every juncture. It tells low gas, low tire pressure, etc. WHY WOULD IT NOT WARN ABOUT THE LOW OIL OR THE IMMINENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN??? I was told the car has a “FAILSAFE” feature for the oil. HOW SAFE IS A FAILSAFE IF THE DRIVER GETS KILLED WHILE THE CAR ENGINE PROTECTS ITSELF???
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11540442August 23, 2023UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STRUCTURE:BODY, VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
I was driving and heard a sound like an explosion. When I was able to safely pull over, I examined my 2020 Sante Fe and noticed the panel of glass right before sunroof exploded. No rock hit it, just exploded.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11540432August 23, 2023UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The panoramic sunroof which is made of tempered glass is a large piece above the back passenger. There is also a small piece above the windshield. The sunroof sits in between these two pieces (not made of tempered glass). I noticed a crackling sound driving my daughter to day care on Friday August 11. I couldn’t figure out what it was. The next day I was on the highway, my husband driving our car and my toddler in the back when there was a loud pop like a gunshot. We pulled over assessed the car and realized the panoramic roof was shattering. We drove it home and realized the front piece above the windshield was also shattering and there was no impact. I googled this and apparently it’s happening to a lot of people and the dealerships aren’t helping saying it’s not a manufacture defect when in fact it is. There was no impact that caused this. Anyone else would have lost control of the car and crashed hearing that loud pop or if the shade was open we could have had glass showering down on us. This is unacceptable if anyone would have mentioned this would happen I would have never bought this vehicle. I filed a claim and State Farm paid the claim to have it replaced but this car is only 2 years old and it should be under warranty and this is a definite defect. Please google panoramic roof shattering and see what comes up. I don’t think enough people have reported this although some people have commented that they have so I’m not sure if this is currently under investigation. If not please help
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11540006August 22, 2023ENGINE
Driving down the highway and vehicle just shut off at a stop light. No lights of any kind on the dashboard. Started it up stayed running, checked all the gages, everything was normal. Was waiting at the red light and it turned off again. When I started it up again noticed that the oil light was on longer than the other lights, but it went out. Pulled over and checked the oil, no oil on the dip stick. Put 2 quarts of oil in it and tried to limp home. Turned off again and wouldn't restart. No warning lights. Took it to a dealership and was told the engine was seized and they knew about the oil consumption issue, but they told me that 3.3L engines weren't covered. No I still have half my car to pay for and engine replacement costs as much as the car is worth. I currently still have the vehicle and trying to figure things out.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11540213August 22, 2023ENGINE
I have been having problems with the vehicle. Apparently it has problems with the start-stop system ; the car turns off even while driving , sometimes it turns on and off by itself while driving . Took it to the dealer and unfortunately this continues to happen. It worries me because while driving on the expressway it turned off and then on by itself leaving me without control of the vehicle for a few seconds . Another incident was in a drive thru, it turned off completely ; i hit the breaks but everything got locked / hard making me hit the yellow pole of the drive thru . Very upset with this vehicle another issue is the Ac stopped working only with 26k Miles. Still waiting for the appointment it’s been 2 weeks and no one solves this issue. My lease is also over but i want to let everyone know this is not vehicle for you. I do not recommend.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539804August 21, 2023ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
My ‘17 Santa Fe has been well taken care of with regular oil changes and we have kept up with the recommended maintenance. While driving on 8/17/2023 the car started to struggle to accelerate and I heard a knocking sound. Within moments there was total engine and power failure and I had to quickly get the vehicle off the road to avoid being rear ended. There were no warning lights on until the moment it was dying. The battery light, check engine light, and oil light came on, but then the vehicle had quickly lost all power immediately after. Once it was towed to Meineke and looked over by the mechanics there it was determined that it needs a new engine and that it had very, very little oil in it.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539808August 21, 2023ENGINE
I've owned my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.3L V6 since 2017, the last year, the engine has been consuming oil at a higher rate than normal. Performed an oil change in early June, it has burned 3 quarts of oil in two months. Last Thursday, 08/17/2023, the engine started knocking bad, and it lost power as the vehicle was being parked. Towed to a repair shop, waiting on inspection but it sounds like a camshaft knock, but it's terrible. It has 103,000 miles on it and I just paid it off last year. I don't understand how this engine isn't being recalled like the other Hyundai models. I have to say that I will no longer purchase Hyundai's or recommend them to anyone else.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539514August 19, 2023ENGINE
Husband was driving on interstate in Indianapolis, Indiana on 8/18/2023. Went to pass another vehicle and suddenly lost power. Was able to get pulled over on the shoulder and had car towed to repair shop. Mechanic advised motor seized up, unable to get the engine to even turn over. No warning lights, oil was only a quart low and have always maintained my vehicle. Have taken in for all recalls and regular maintenance. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but he was driving in rush hour traffic, with construction in the area. This could have been a very bad situation. Hyundai needs to do what is right and fix the issue. I now have to buy a new car and really not in a financial situation to do so!
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539606August 19, 2023POWER TRAIN
I purchased a new 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe and on multiple occasions when trying to accelerate the vehicle has failed to go above 30 mph. I have put on about 6,000 miles. When I pull over and restart the car. The issue seems to resolve. This is quite dangerous when trying to get on the highway or accelerate to pass for myself, passengers in the car and others. The dealer has not been able to repeat the issue. No warning or error codes appear. After repeated returns to the dealer, the dealer has now refused to review the vehicle without a $200 charge to investigate. I am happy to make the vehicle available for inspection.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539278August 18, 2023ENGINE
while driving on a highway the engine lock up, and I was fortunate to get to the side of the road. Vary scary
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539399August 18, 2023ENGINE
My 2015 Santa Fe V6 AWD engine had 2 pistons seize up while driving. NO warning lights. I bought the Car with approximately 75K Miles and by 85k miles engine lights came on and engine was losing power. Local mechanic spent $2K trying to fix it but could not. Sent to Hyundai dealer where I purchased it. I spent another 2K (they covered about 3K as Hyundai would NOT cover repairs so dealer did). After month without the car, I got it back. 15k miles later (just as car turned over 100k miles) the car engine began making strange noise but no warning lights. Called AAA and thought we could make it 3 miles to repair shop but engine died in traffic. A second engine request from different Hyundai dealer was denied as "out of warrenty". No oil was leaking (and just had it changed!), no sign of issues of any kind, it just blew. Lucky no one was injured and was able to get to side of the road. I feel they issue should have been fixed at 85K and there must be a real piston issue in this vehicle.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539400August 18, 2023ENGINE
Blown engine in the middle of the highway. The car have been consuming excessive amounts of oil. I though that, if the car has the oil change done more often, the engine would be fine, but that was not the case.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539042August 17, 2023AIR BAGS, SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE
My car has active recalls for the brake switch (prevents brake lights from working properly) and systems related to proper airbag deployment. In addition, there is a service recall (it doesn't show in your database, but it is Hyundai Service Campaign 936 [XXX] ) related to the valve gasket literally dumping oil out to the point that it destroys the alternator - it destroyed my AC Compressor, too! That's not the main point of this, but it's relevant in general. I have been attempting to schedule an appointment to get these issues resolved, but all local dealers tell me the recalls have "expired" and refuse to even look at the car. Some legitimately stop answering the phone when I call at this point, it just rings forever. The online tool to make an appointment from the official Hyundai site has you pick a time to bring the car in, but the dealers to not allot any slots to this so none are available to select. I contacted Hyundai Corporate Customer Service to resolve this, and was told I'd need to "continue trying to work with the dealers." It was no help at all. I am trying to fix the issues myself - my car is currently half-assembled in my garage, and I am technically proficient (I hope!), but it seems ridiculous to be denied service for active safety recalls - and keep in mind, I am only trying to do it myself because the dealers refuse to and I don't want to die in a fiery car crash. I shouldn't be forced to do this. Oh, in addition - Hyundai won't reimburse me for the repairs (I bought my own alternator/compressor once work was refused)... because they aren't being done at a dealership! It'd be hilarious if it wasn't so scummy. Thank you for any help you can offer. I am legitimately losing my mind at this point. 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
- #11539194August 17, 2023ENGINE
While traveling 70mph on the expressway with my husband and 2 small children in the car, we experienced catastrophic engine failure in our 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe, which nearly resulted in an accident because of the sudden deceleration. There were no warnings indicating a problem beforehand (no lights illuminated on the dashboard or any other indications of a problem) until the car suddenly made a large knocking sound and stopped running. After being stranded on the side of a dangerous highway with our children for over 2 hours, we had to have the car towed to the nearest mechanic, 60 miles from our house, who diagnosed the problem as a failed engine due to a rod bearing failure. The rod was thrown through the engine, and the mechanic informed us it would be a minimum of $10,000 to replace the failed engine with a used one. We contacted Hyundai who told us our car was not part of the extended warranty or recalls that resulted from a previous lawsuit, and they offered us no assistance or solution. They also quoted us $8,000-$20,000 to replace the engine. In our research we have found that many other Hyundai's with a 3.3L engine have experienced this same catastrophic engine failure. We have maintained the car accordingly and even brought the car in to be serviced just weeks before we took this trip. There was absolutely no indication of a problem before this happened.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11538925August 16, 2023ENGINE
Previous to the day of this incident there was no check engine light showing. I was driving and heard a knocking /grinding sound that progressively got worse. I was trying to get home and the engine suddenly died , all of the warning lights came on and the engine couldn’t start. Took it to the dealership. The third party extended warranty didn’t cover it because all of the oil was missing ( no oil leak was present). Still waiting to see if the dealership will repair.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11539020August 16, 2023ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Had oil changed July 5, 2023, Aug. 14 check engine light came on. Took it to shop and was told Hyundai vehicles are burning oil in the engine and the diagnostic code came back as Catalytic Convert and had to add oil. Have oil spots all over my drive so was told to check oil and make sure it's not low and see if light comes back on. Repair shop checked for recalls and found none for this car, yet. Daughter has 2013 Kia Rio with same problem for past couple of years. Why do recalls take so long?
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11538914August 16, 2023FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The front collision warning/assistance system on this vehicle does not appear to be working. The dealer claims that it is working. It seems that the protocol for testing for proper function is flawed and no one is tacking ownership of this issue. They are saying that in order to test the system a near collision must be imminent and to simulate this puts the technician at risk of injury (understandable); Nevertheless, I have been in situations where I should have at least received a warning and there was none. On a test drive by the service manager with me in the vehicle the front collision assistance was verified on and active. The cruise control function was tested and worked to adjust the speed of the vehicle appropriately which tells me that assistance is available. It appears that the either the collision sensor is not recognizing collision danger or the danger message is not getting to the warning trigger and possibly the assistance trigger. This situation should be reported to the appropriate department a Hyundai for review.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0