2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Electrical Problems

On June 20, 2026, while the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport was being driven on Richardson Highway near Mile 155 in Alaska, smoke and flames developed from the engine compartment without any collision. The driver stopped and both occupants exited before the vehicle became fully engulfed. The fire created an immediate risk of serious injury or death and blocked the northbound lane. There were no known prior drivability problems, warning lamps, or other symptoms before the incident. The exact failed component is UNKNOWN. Potential areas requiring investigation include the engine, electrical system, ABS/HECU brake module, multi-fuse, fuel system, and other engine-compartment components. Alaska Department of Public Safety responded. Its report states that there was no obvious cause, but that the fire appeared to have originated in the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed and preserved for the manufacturer. Hyundai inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the inspection was completed on July 11, 2026. Hyundai later stated orally that it did not find an engine defect, but it has not provided the complete inspection report, testing methods, photographs, technical findings, or a written origin-and-cause determination. Hyundai has not explained whether the ABS/HECU, electrical system, multi-fuse, fuel system, or other potential fire sources were separately examined. The vehicle sustained catastrophic damage and was a total loss. Both occupants escaped, but experienced severe ongoing psychological distress after the fire. I request that NHTSA evaluate whether the fire involved an engine, electrical, ABS/HECU, fuel-system, recall-remedy, or other safety defect. The vehicle was available for Hyundai's inspection. Its current availability for further inspection is UNKNOWN. The vehicle remains preserved and is currently available for further inspection upon request.

NHTSA ID

11753388

Incident

Jun 20, 2026

*"I am filing a complaint against Hallmark Hyundai in [XXX] regarding an active safety recall on my vehicle's ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) module.My vehicle was brought to the dealership on XXX. As of today, XXX, the dealership has held my car for 27 days without completing the safety remedy. The dealership continues to give me conflicting stories, refuses to provide an expected repair date, and is denying me manufacturer-funded alternative transportation while my vehicle is grounded for this safety defect.I am reporting this because the dealership is failing to provide a timely remedy for a critical braking safety hazard, leaving me without a safe vehicle." The warning lights came on on XXX every light on my dash is flashing. Hallmark Hyundai inspected my vehicle and said it was the abs module I have been without transportation for a whole month with no answers on when my car will be ready for pick. The advisor Devita keep telling me lie after lie I need my car immediately no way it takes a whole month to fix a recall repair I need my car I have lost my job due to this I’ve missed important dr appointments do to my car being held for a month with no answers INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11751694

Incident

Jun 23, 2026

I am reporting a severe safety failure on my 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport that perfectly matches the safety defect described in Recall 21V-303 / Campaign 205. This happened even though I had the dealer perform the official recall fuse fix back in 2024. The problem started after I left the car parked for about 3 to 4 hours. When I came back, I heard a motor (not the motor) loudly running under the hood even though the ignition was completely off. It stayed on even after starting and turning the car off. The battery in the vehicle had drained so bad it was deemed bad when hooked up to a tester at the auto parts store. After getting a new battery and trying to drive the car, the electrical system went haywire. The dashboard lit up with every brake warning light on, the speedometer stopped working, miles to empty being erratic, and the exterior rear brake lights kept flickering erratically after the car was turned off. The steering was acting abnormal and unnatural, not crisp and easy to turn as usual. There were absolutely no warning lights or symptoms before I parked the vehicle. I had it towed to my local Hyundai dealership, and their diagnostic scan confirmed major brake and chassis issues, specifically code C2402 for an ABS Pump Motor Circuit Malfunction and codes C1200, C1203, and C1206 for a loss of wheel speed data. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives, but it is currently sitting at the dealership waiting for a resolution from a Hyundai customer care case manager. The 2024 recall remedy only involved dropping the fuse amperage to mitigate fire intensity; it did not replace the module housing or prevent the internal brake fluid leak from eventually destroying the system. The defect has seemingly now fully manifested, knocking out primary braking indicators and power steering assist, presenting an ongoing safety and fire hazard while driving and parked.

NHTSA ID

11749195

Incident

Jun 22, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11738905

Incident

Sep 16, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11738419

Incident

Apr 12, 2025

The passenger-side doors do not latch properly and may open after closing. This creates a safety risk while driving. The issue occurs continually and has worsened over time. Vehicle has approximately 106,265 miles. this causes the auto door locks no to work.

NHTSA ID

11728573

Incident

Mar 1, 2026

Knock sensor p1326 service code engine light on

NHTSA ID

11721227

Incident

Mar 1, 2002

What happened: While driving in Montana on September 21, 2025, the cabin suddenly filled with gasoline fumes and the accelerator pedal stopped responding. After pulling over, flames erupted from under the hood and the vehicle was completely destroyed within minutes. The passenger-side door could not be opened from the inside at first, delaying escape and creating a serious safety risk. No warning lights or messages appeared before or during the fire. (1) While driving, gasoline suddenly filled the cabin and the accelerator pedal stopped responding. Within seconds, the vehicle caught fire. The cause appears related to the fuel system, and possibly the ABS module. The vehicle was completely destroyed but remains available for inspection in a private tow lot. (2) The fire spread extremely quickly. Both occupants were nearly trapped inside when the passenger-side door would not open from the inside, delaying escape. The vehicle burned on the shoulder of a busy highway in Montana, posing danger to us and to surrounding motorists. (3) Not after this fire, but a similar problem occurred in 2023 when gasoline filled the cabin and caused the engine to stall. At that time, Hyundai replaced the engine under warranty. (4) No. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance. It is secured in a private tow lot and is available for inspection. (5) No. There were no warnings at all before or during the failure. Even as gasoline filled the cabin and the vehicle caught fire, the check engine light stayed off and no alerts appeared. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11690004

Incident

Sep 21, 2025

Hello, To whom this may concern, The ABS light turned on the dashboard on a Tuesday evening. My wife kept driving. In the next couple of days, it would feel like the car was all over the road, under braking. It seemed very hard to take off. On Friday, I was outside and heard the car was making a noise. As an automotive technician, I knew the ABS module was cycling nonstop. I pulled the fuse out of the fuse panel to make sure it wouldn't catch fire. We took the car back to the dealer when the bulletin came out for these cars catching fire due to an ABS issue years ago. I went to the dealer on that Saturday and informed them of the ABS module cycling nonstop. They told me that the bulletin had been done already and there was nothing they could do for me. I called Hyundai customer support, and they forced me to pay a diagnostic charge of $220 to tell me it was a failure internally in the ABS module and that they wouldn't cover the repairs. I found it very surprising that Hyundai only had to change a fuse to prevent cars from catching fire. It doesn't make sense to me how the NHTSA allowed them to only change a fuse and not the module that Hyundai said was faulty. This puts every car that I drive next to in danger, with the module going off nonstop while I drive down the road. This has all happened in the last month. Please hold Hyundai truly accountable for this nonsense. It is unacceptable that they can get away with just changing a fuse to prevent a fire, and not fix the actual issue, the ABS module. Thank you,

NHTSA ID

11676047

Incident

Jun 24, 2025

I own a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T which has had door latch issues.  Recently, the front passenger side door latch needed to be fully replaced due to a failure which caused the door to be loose latching and the latch sensor always showing open.  I paid out-out-pocked for this repair as the Hyundai dealership said there are models which this exact issue was identified, but they said the parts extension had not been placed for my exact vehicle.  They were also confused as to why this was not being covered as they see so many of these same repairs. Now, less than one month later, the front driver's side door is now experiencing lock issues in which a loud grinding noise is occurring when the vehicle attempts to lock or unlock the door.  Additionally, the door does not unlock some of the time from the external and the manual door handle on the interior is getting harder and harder to open.  Both of these issues are consistent with other recalls for other Hyundai models and consistent with the door latch module and actuator failure.  I would like to file a complaint regarding this issue as it seems to be a common issue with Hyundai models using this door latch module.  I believe the parts extension and repairs for these door latches should be covered by Hyundai especially as this becomes a large safety issue with driving the vehicle with concerns of door latch stability and security.

NHTSA ID

11657371

Incident

Apr 28, 2025

Parts of the ABS system under the hood burned, while the vehicle was parked in my garage, affecting electrical and other parts. I found information online about a recall for this same problem. I have never received a notification of this recall before. I went that same day [XXX] to my local dealer. They gave me an appointment for service for the next day and left the vehicle with them on 04/03/2025. I called the dealer after one week and they told me they already verified the vehicle and notified Hyundai company and are waiting for them to approve the repair. I called the dealer again today 04/23/2025, after 3 weeks and the they told me they are “still waiting for Hyundai Company to approve the repair. That they don’t know how much time this may take and that it may take a lot more time”. In the meantime, and after the bad and risky experience, I have one car less in my house. I understand this is a process but also, considering that this was caused by a factory defect I understand they should be responsible and solve the problem in a timely manner. Thank you. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11656372

Incident

Apr 1, 2025

Car hesitates, lagging at stop lights/slow traffic has completely shutdown while moving in traffic. Several episodes include complete shut down unable to crank following a stop multiple times in last 7 months. 2 Hyundai Dealerships have not been able to duplicate or repair specific issues or stop from occurring. Other repairs were attempted by Dealerships in efforts to correct problems. Car has been towed 5 times under extended warranty.75K- 83K miles. Battery discharge warning still appears even after new battery, plus other engine parts were replaced. Anxiety PTSD is my status.

NHTSA ID

11651548

Incident

Jul 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, several warning lights randomly illuminated. The ABS and check engine warning were among the lights that were illuminated. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions for the same failure but no cause for the failure was found. No further information was available. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 21,000.

NHTSA ID

11480210

Incident

Oct 1, 2015

Mileage

21,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS WIFE TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO CRANK OR START-UP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS JUMP STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO RICK CASE HYUNDAI (3550 WESTON ROAD, DAVIE, FL 33331, (954) 377-4100) WHERE THE BATTERY AND BATTERY CABLES WERE REPLACED HOWEVER, 7 MONTHS LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000.

NHTSA ID

11385736

Incident

Dec 2, 2019

Mileage

41,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V520000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE CONTACT STATED THAT PEARSON HYUNDAI (9530 MIDLOTHIAN TURNPIKE, RICHMOND, VA 23235) AND WEST BROAD HYUNDAI (8903 W BROAD ST, RICHMOND, VA 23294) WERE CONTACTED AND INFORMED HER THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO REMEDY THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT PARTS WERE AVAILABLE HOWEVER, THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALERS AGAIN AND THEY STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS WARNING AND OTHER WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN SHE WAS NEAR THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEYFOB, THE DOOR LOCKS OPENED AND CLOSED AUTOMATICALLY. UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THE PUSH TO START BUTTON FAILED TO START THE VEHICLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ID

11378351

Incident

Sep 15, 2020

Mileage

140,000 mi

HAVING NOT DRIVEN THE VEHICLE IN OVER 24 HOURS, WE WERE WOKEN UP TO AN EXPLOSION AND THE ENTIRE HOOD UP IN FLAMES IN THE DRIVEWAY. THIS HAPPENED AT ABOUT 445 IN THE MORNING AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO COME EXTINGUISH IT.

NHTSA ID

11375881

Incident

Nov 21, 2020

Mileage

120,000 mi

THE WIRING HARNESS WHICH CONNECTS TO THE BRAKING SYSTEMS DOWN HILL AND TRACK, AND ABS BREAKING AND WARNING LIGHT OF ONCOMING CARS WHEN PASSING WIRES WHICH ARE MADE OF SOYBEAN BASED CAUSING WIRING TO BE EATEN BY RODENTS. SECOND TIME TO FIX ANOTHER $55 DOLLARS. THIS IS SCARING ME WHEN DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11308940

Incident

Jan 28, 2020

Mileage

52,006 mi

ON JULY 5, 2019, THE CAR SUDDENLY STALLED WHILE IN MOTION IN CITY DRIVING. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO RE-START THE CAR: IT DID NOT RESTART, NO CRANKING OF THE STARTER. I THEN PUSHED THE HAZARD LIGHT BUTTON: NO RESPONSE. THERE WAS NO ELECTRIC POWER, I.E., NO LIGHTS, NO RADIO, NO A/C, NO STEERING, ETC. AFTER 2 MINUTES, I RE-ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE CAR, BUT IT DID NOT START, NO CRANKING. THE HAZARD LIGHT BUTTON THEN WORKED. ELECTRICITY CAME BACK ON. AAA CAME AND JUMPED THE BATTERY, BUT CAR NO START. CAR WENT TO HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP. SERVICE MANAGER, THE ENGINE SEIZED BECAUSE OF MAJOR BREAKDOWN. "WE COULD NOT TURN THE ENGINE MANUALLY." HE STATED: "WE HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE IN OTHER HYUNDAI, BUT YOUR VEHICLE WAS NOT IN RECALL." PLEASE URGENTLY INVESTIGATE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. IF I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, OR HIGH SPEED CITY DRIVING, THE SEIZED CAR COULD HAVE FLIPPED, ENDANGERING MYSELF, PASSENGERS AND OTHER NEARBY VEHICLES AND PEOPLE.

NHTSA ID

11229823

Incident

Jul 5, 2019

Mileage

78,000 mi

ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER PARKING MY VEHICLE AT AN OFFICE LOCATION, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. I COULD SEE THE FIRE BY THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL, BETWEEN THE TIRE AND THE BODY; SMOKE WAS COMING FROM ALL AROUND THE HOOD. WE PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. WE COULD SEE DAMAGED WIRES. I HAD NOTICED WARNING LIGHTS ON MY DISPLAY PANEL WHEN I GOT INTO MY VEHICLE TO START DRIVING. I CALLED CLAY COOLEY HYUNDAI OF ROCKWALL AND INFORMED THEM OF THE MESSAGES: BEEPING FOLLOWED BY FLASHING MESSAGES ABOUT ABS, ESC, & DOWNHILL BRAKE CONTROL; PLUS DOWN BELOW WERE TWO RED CIRCLES (EXCLAMATION MARK IN ONE AND THE LETTER P IN THE OTHER) AND THE WORD BRAKE BELOW. I ASKED HYUNDAI IF THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE AND THEY SAID YES. I PROCEEDED TO MY 12 NOON APPOINTMENT IN RICHARDSON, TX. ABOUT 20 MINS AFTER PARKING THE CAR, THE FIRE WAS NOTICED BY AN EMPLOYEE. THE DAY BEFORE THIS, ON TUE, 01-29-2019, I HAD NOTICED 3 AMBER WARNING LIGHTS (ABS, ESC & DBC). I CALLED HYUNDAI, INFORMED THEM OF THIS AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THUR JAN 31, 2019 AT 9:30 A.M.

NHTSA ID

11174728

Incident

Jan 30, 2019

Mileage

44,000 mi

2014 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT- BRAKE LIGHT/ ABS LIGHT/ HILL DESCENT CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON IN VEHICLE AND AFTER A DAY OR TWO NEVER TURNED OFF. TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS ASKED TO MAKE APPOINTMENT. THE NEXT DAY A TRIANGLE WITH EXCLAMATION POINT LIGHT TURNED ON ALONG WITH A STEERING WHEEL WITH EXCLAMATION POINT LIGHT AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE AT THIS TIME. DROVE MYSELF HOME AND AFTER PARKING I TURNED VEHICLE OFF BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO MAKE HUMMING NOISES LIKE SOMETHING WAS STILL RUNNING. RESTARTED CAR AND THEN TURNED OFF ENGINE AGAIN AND THE NOISE STOPPED. I WENT INSIDE MY HOUSE AND LESS THAN 5 MINUTES LATER THERE WAS A LOUD BANGING ON MY FRONT DOOR- A NEIGHBOR THAT RAN UP TO INFORM ME MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I COMPLETED REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON THIS VEHICLE AND IT ONLY HAD 35,000 MILES. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SITUATION SO THAT NO OTHERS GO THROUGH THIS DEVASTATING SITUATION THAT I FACED TODAY.

NHTSA ID

11163149

Incident

Dec 22, 2018

Mileage

35,000 mi

I HAD 2 ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I BELIEVE THAT THESE MIGHT BE A COMMON RECALL ISSUE. THE BACK UP CAMERA ON MY HYUNDAI SANTA FE 2014 SPORT STOPPED WORKING ENTIRELY I COULD STILL DRIVE MY CAR BUT IT THE SCREEN TURNS BLUE WHEN I PUT IT IN REVERSE. AND I HAD ANOTHER ISSUE I USED MY EMERGENCY BREAK IN MY CAR AND THE BREAKS JAMMED, I DID DRIVE MY CAR BECAUSE IT WASN'T COMPLETELY LOCKED UP IT WAS JAMMED AND IT CAUSED MY REAR BREAKS AND ROTORS TO GET SO HOT THAT THEY WERE SMOKING, AT THAT POINT I DID HAVE TO GET MY CAR TOWED BECAUSE I DODNT WANT TO RISK A FIRE.

NHTSA ID

11143007

Incident

Oct 14, 2018

Mileage

50,000 mi