Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 279 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 279, in the owner's own words
Burning oil fast has been confirmed. I always go get frequently oil changes and top off Because it burns a lot. I never get a warning lamp When I go toc get my oil service representative tells me my oil is completely gone.
While I acknowledge that my vehicle is no longer under warranty, I remain extremely concerned about the excessive oil consumption issue. My vehicle is equipped with the Theta II engine, which has been the subject of multiple class action lawsuits and recalls due to serious engine defects, including excessive oil consumption and internal engine failure. To be clear, I have already had the vehicle inspected by a non-Hyundai dealership, which confirmed there are no external oil leaks. This indicates the issue is likely internal and consistent with the known defects associated with the Theta II engine. Given Hyundai’s awareness of these problems — as reflected in class action settlements and technical service bulletins — I believe it is reasonable to expect Hyundai to cover the cost of diagnostic inspection and consider goodwill assistance if a defect is confirmed. Hyundai got back to me but and said We have reviewed your vehicle information and have determined your vehicle is affected by Campaign TXX8. However it’s over the 150000 miles
While driving to work the gas pedal suddenly would not make the vehicle Excellerate and i was barely able to get the car on the side of the road, when i stopped and turned it off it would not start again. I had it towed to the mechanic and they have let us know it was total engine failure, and they would be attempting to get ahold of the manufacture.
2013 Santa Fe burning oil, current with regular maintenance and oil changes. At times will have to top off weekly. Between full oil changes. Doesn’t seem like I should have to do that. My engine could blow if I don’t keep oil in it. Cost me tons of money Have documented all of my oil changes, from a professional business Thank you.
The engine completely failed while I was driving. This is the second engine failure I’ve experienced with this vehicle. My first engine blew at 100,000 miles, and despite having a warranty, Hyundai refused to cover it. In a panic, I had to deplete my savings to buy a replacement engine, which only lasted six months before failing again. Hyundai still refuses to cover the second failure. The failed engine may still be available for inspection if needed. I was driving on the highway with both of my children when the engine completely shut off in the middle of the road. This left us stranded in a dangerous situation with speeding cars all around us. A sudden engine failure at high speeds could have caused a major accident, risking my life, my children’s lives, and other drivers' safety. The failure was confirmed by a service center, but Hyundai refuses to take responsibility for the defect or provide coverage under my warranty. The vehicle has been inspected by a service center, but Hyundai has refused to inspect or assist in any way. There were no warning lamps or messages before the engine shut down. The failure was sudden and unexpected, leaving me in a life-threatening situation on the highway.
O don’t appreciate someone activating my vin the same day the remedy comes out on compaign , this had been ongoing battle since 2018 when it states on the website they will replace the engine , when it had a theta engine settlement but thanks to the bearus exposures if info n loss of employee, employment data missing ti why I get denials the Chinese that infiltrated Equifax this vehicle was manufactured out of Georgia issues with dealer m notifying corporate when violation of the fair credit reporting act , off cc reports tampering with my insurance policy n these POs place there names in my policy in 2018 loss of years off n on of employment , medical n o gotta stew L pay to detain a pos car I absolutely love until they destroyed my life , nice to find a pos male in my medical records when it’s fraud , n I gotta fight every aspect of everything when I’ve been deprived hacked n comprised no data available on this vehicle hmmm , fishy to me , whew Did I spent most my time at work, home , or the dam Library this is a violation of the law privacy , national public data exposure of brokers my social , not only that my primary email was connected to blue link Hyundai n that email been hacked n comprised n I gave not been able to access shows it.connected To my old Facebook n my old cell phone orginal do not call.gov if your in violation of the Law , consumer im cheating and stealing I can’t get anywhere but why would they remove phone numbers n documents n numbers are there n etc n why would those POs put it under my alias not what’s in my drivers license now im getting identity fraud false reporting info mix n match bs tell that transgender I will hunt him down in association with this abuse I have a whole case file it will only allowed me three uploads
Unknown car was purchased in september started having engine problem in december
Engine has always burned oil and vehicle only has 72,000 miles on it.leaking black liquid/oil out exhaust pipe, blowing out Black clouds of smoke and have to keep adding oil. Whole rear end had to be replaced, timing chain and cover replaced, AC unit replaced, rear camera replaced, climate controls change settings by them selves, leaking gaskets, all this and more has been going on with this vehicle when it only had 35,000 Miles on it. Front suspension creaks for years. No way a vehicle should have all these issues with low mileage and has been very well cared for!
All of a sudden, while driving the car it started to shake. When I slowed down to stop it was shaking more and idling so low I thought it was going to shut off. Went to the mechanic we use, mis firing on multiple cylinders. After replacing the plugs it was still doing the same thing. The oil was checked, only 2000 miles from my last oil change, I was nearly out of oil. I was told that these cars run a lot of oil, and run hot. Basically getting that low on oil the engine burned up. I never got a low oil light. Its only been 2000 miles into my recent oil change. The mechanic said this is a common problem with these cars, people shouldn't go more than 2000 without at least checking oil level and probably will need oil added. I was told not to drive it anymore, it could potentially over heat or stall out.
My 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is consuming a quart of oil and more within a 7-10 day time period. I took it to my local Hyundai dealership but it's not covered by a recall for this and there are No open recalls.
The engine went on fire and smoke’s up. I had to remove the battery and get out of the car before it burn. Luckily I am okay but the engine seized
The car has class action repair due to faulty engine crank shaft. The oil passages in the crankshaft causing rapid wear to the connecting rod bearings. The car stopped and broke down in the middle of the highway and engine broke down. The engine completely seized. I contacted Hyundai but they don’t wanna replace the engine. The class action lawsuit agreed to replace the engine but they don’t wanna help with my case
I purchased a used 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe from a Dealership in January and the engine locked up in July. I originally had the vehicle towed to my ASE Certified Mechanic and they advised me the engine was locked up and also that there was a RECALL on this model year's engine. I then had my Santa Fe towed to the local Hyundai dealership, King Hyundai. There is a Recall on the engine and I entered my VIN# on Hyundai's website and it said my vehicle was AFFECTED under the "Sonata and Santa Fe Sport Engine Recall". I had it towed to King Hyundai in Deerfield Beach, FL. They initially denied my claim and requested prior Maintenance Records which I did not have because I recently purchased the vehicle. They said they needed prior records, so I was able to obtain the records from CarFax and it showed my vehicle was also maintained at the same King Hyundai dealership on a regular basis. I filed a claim with Hyundai Corporate and they are giving me the run-around and denying my claim. I did not drive the car excessively as it only has a 4 cylinder motor and it was not neglected. There was a $210 Million dollar fine against Hyundai by the NHTSA in 2020 for their handling of this EXACT SAME issue: the handling of the engine recalls on this same Model year Hyundai Santa Fe and they are still doing what they were fined a $210M Civil Penalty for doing a few years ago, so obviously they did not learn their lesson. The Hyundai consent order is for three years, with an option for NHTSA to extend for an additional year. “Customer safety is our highest priority and we are taking immediate action to enhance our response to potential safety concerns,” Brian Latouf, chief safety officer, Hyundai Motor North America said in a statement. “We value a collaborative and cooperative relationship with the U.S. Department of Transportation and NHTSA, and will continue to work closely with the agency to proactively identify and address potential safety issues.” Please help! Thanks
My wife was driving the vehicle and it was operating perfectly fine. As she was making a turn and accelerating the check engine light and other lights turned on. She started to experience loss of acceleration and was fortunate to get out of traffic where she turned off the vehicle. She let it sit for a little bit and then attempted to start it. It would not start so I came to try to help and when I attempted to start it, the engine would not turn over. We had it towed to our mechanic and he indicated that the engine was seized up. This vehicle is always serviced and babied by my wife. As I mentioned there was no warning, I.e. no rough idle, no loud noises, no leaking fluids,etc.. Prior to the catastrophic failure it was a very smooth and great driving vehicle. After searching this issue it appears that the 3.3 liter V6 that was in our vehicle has several recalls and accounts of similar failures. Had this happened on the highway it could have caused a serious accident. Given the number of complaints online and allegations, it is reasonable to assume that Hyundai was aware of an issue and they either failed to investigate it, or failed to communicate it. Had there been some sort of recall to address this issue we would’ve had it resolved, but there wasn’t anything tied to our VIN despite us having one of the plagued engines. Please help ensure that they are held responsible for this known liability so that the consumers aren’t. It is not only a financial matter, it is causing risk to safety for any owners that have this engine on the road.
I was stopped at a red light and proceeded to turn right when my car shut down. I was able to pull over and turned my car off. It wouldn’t turn back on. I had it towed and they found the engine is locked up.
The engine on our 2013 Santa Fe Limited has seized. We have maintained this vehicle with regular oil changes, breaks, tires, and anything else our trusted mechanic has recommended. While driving, the car slowed down considerably and was not accelerating. No dashboard lights appeared. This was during evening rush hour and became very dangerous. I pulled over to the shoulder and called for help. Once the tow arrived, we started the car and the check engine light came on. I checked the oil, it looked good. Tow truck driver took it to the dealership. Dealership said the car had no oil and that the engine has seized. I saw that there was oil before the driver took the car. So, that's not possible. The dealership said they added oil and that we would need a new engine. After discussing with the dealership my very expensive option, I have been researching the recalls and problems others have been having with the exact same thing happening. If there was no oil, why wasn't the oil light coming on? Why am I not due for an oil change for 1000+ mile? Putting my family at risk in a well maintained car that should last 75k-100k more miles is a huge problem. I will continue to fight this until myself and others receive the proper care from Hyundai.
The engine component that failed was the connecting rod. The situation was that the engine seized randomly in the middle of an airport tunnel as I was attempting to pick up my parents and leave. There were no warning lights, no abnormal engine sounds, and no unusual activity beforehand. I have heard from a certified Hyundai dealer that this problem is becoming common on my vehicle and that they have, in fact seen several cases where the engine randomly seized. I do not have access to the engine that seized anymore as I have replaced it with a used one so I would not be able to provide it for investigation. I am not sure if a Hyundai manufacturer has checked the problem out.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the pedal extended to the floorboard and the stopping distance was extended. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who flushed the brake lines and replaced the brake master cylinder, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer, but no further information was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the vehicle was also experiencing excess oil consumption. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The failure mileage was 115,000. The VIN was not available.
Hyundai sent a notification a few years ago about a known manufacturing defect in the engine of the 2013 Santa Fe Sport. Stated that due to the manufacturing process of the engine, burs could be left inside that could disrupt oil flow causing it to stall. Stated a software patch would prevent this. The patch was completed. It didn't prevent this. While getting on the highway, during afternoon noon rush hour traffic, experienced total engine failure as soon as it reached highway speed. Got off the ramp onto the highway and immediately next ramp rolled to a stop at the bottom. Safety was put at risk because the vehicle lost it's engine getting on a freeway in heavy traffic. Hyundai dealers couldn't see the car for 2 to 3 months so had it towed to a non-dealership mechanic who stated the engine was a total loss with metal shavings in the oil drained from the pan. Pulled the head and found the oil at the top of the block to be in good maintenance shape but engine totally failed. No lights or warnings prior to the failure. As soon as the engine stopped there was alternator, oil pressure, and check engine light. Those came on after loss of engine Hyundai states they extended the warranty to cover this because it's a known issue but local dealerships state they have so many engine failures they won't be able to look at it until the end of September (we are at the beginning of July) and when they do get a chance to look at it there is a chance they could refuse to cover it. Contacted Hyundai customer support where they stated there's nothing they can do. Currently vehicle is being stored in my garage pending outcome of inspection that's months away.
While driving at highway speed (70 mph) on 4/2/2024, the engine without any warning suffered an internal detonation caused by a crank shaft main bearing failure. This caused a vaporization of all the engine oil which was ejected through the vehicle exhaust system in a massive cloud of smoke which blinded the 18 wheeler tractor trailer traveling behind our vehicle. But for the fast response of this truck driver our vehicle would have been rear ended at high speed. Note that Hyundai USA had issued a recall a few years back regarding this Theta 2 engine failure condition that DID NOT include our vehicle. Nor did Hyundai USA inform us at anytime prior to this incident that our vehicle was in need of remediation. Hyundai USA did replace the engine under an extenuating circumstance but has declined to repair our exhaust system components that were destroyed along with the engine at the time of this incident. They have also declined towing expense / dealership diagnostic expense on the exhaust system / replacement of vehicle splash guard damaged in this incident / loss of use / transportation reimbursement. Any and all costs to us associated with this incident.
I was driving on the backroads on my way into town. I passed a vehicle and then slowed down to regular speed, when I tried to accelerate again my car would not accelerate. It began making like a clanking noise before it completely slowed down and I pulled over. I turned it off right away and had a friend come give us charge thinking it was the battery. It turned on but when I tried accelerating it would not and began making a weird noise and white smoke came out of the engine somewhere. I had to get it towed back to my house. No check engine lights turned on or any warning lights. My car has not been drivable for a month.
I was driving along and without any notification the engine stopped running causing me to have to try to get the car off of the road. It would not start back up and I had to have it towed to my house.
Engine failed in the middle of a 2 lane highway. There were no warning lights on at the time of failure. Vehicle needed to be towed to owners home and engine is “ blown “ and vehicle has been rendered no longer drivable. Vehicle only had 128,322 miles at time of engine failure. Police needed to be contacted to assist with getting car out of lane.
I was driving the vehicle on the left lane of the freeway and the acceleration suddenly gave out. The car began to slow even when I pushed on the gas. Heat gage was fine and no lights went on. I quickly got over 4 lanes of traffic to the next exit and was able to pull over to the side of the road. White smoke began to billow out of the hood on the offramp and all the emergency light indicators came on at once. I turned the car off and the smoke turned black. I popped the hood and flames leapt out from under the hood. I jump out of the car and ran, leaving everything behind. I got safety away from the car and called 911. All of this happened within 2 minutes of losing acceleration. I typically have my two children in car seats in the car for school drop off and, [XXX] , they weren't with me. The fire overtook the front quickly and spread to the main cabin. By the time the fire department arrived (appx. 5-7 min) the car was completely engulfed. Nothing was salvaged. There is a fire report with the fire department. The police were not called. The car had gone through a full inspection and oil change one month prior and had no warning signs or issues. I lost a number of things in the car, including my purse, work items, kid's items, car seats, etc. Just after the incident, I developed a cough and severe headache that lasted two days. I also twisted my knee while running away, exacerbating an old injury. I am also dealing with acute mental health symptoms and am seeing a psychologist. I have not yet returned to work due to brain fog and exhaustion. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My engine failed at an intersection exiting highway. Found out this is a recalled engine. Vehicle stalled, without any warning. Lights came on after the stall. Vehicle would not restart. Had to wait at intersection for tow truck. Vehicle currently at reed hyundai Missouri, under going a 6 month wait to be told crankshaft part of engine failed. Hyundai not wanting to cover their recalled engine.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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