2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems

We are the original owner of a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The vehicle is experiencing issues from internal engine oil consumption caused by a manufacturing defect in the GDI powertrain. In 2023, while driving under normal operating conditions, the vehicle began severely jerking, shuddering and hesitating during acceleration. This hesitation and sudden drop in power creates a severe and immediate traffic hazard, as the vehicle loses acceleration capabilities unpredictably while driving, merging, entering a highway or crossing intersections. I have since experience low oil volume due to this systemic oil consumption. On April 7, 2023 while I was under the 100,000 mile factory warranty (at 99,644), the issues were reported to the dealership but they found no issues. Since then the engine light come up regularly and we must add or change oil soon. On June 15, 2026 we took it back with the same issue and we have been told after checking it and filling it up we must repeat the process from 2023, drive it for 1000 miles without changing or adding oil, even if it dries up. This will create a safety hazard not only for the public but for my family. Now we are told the engine needs to be replaced but since we're out of warranty, we must pay $21,000. We were under warranty when we reported the issue and they purposedly led us out knowing the issues were happening to other Sonata and Santa Fe models. Now we are left with a dangerous vehicle which we cannot in good faith sell to any other family.

My car was in shop for Smog inspection and failed. Mechanic told me that the most likely reason was that the engine has issues related to failing crankshaft position sensor which triggered the check engine light. He further explained that the engine with this condition will have abnormal oil consumption. My experience is that is exactly what I wondered. No smoke in the exhaust, no oil leaks under the hood and no oil on the parking space at home nor work. Mechanic recommended I take the car to Hyundai dealer in Folsom. The service department there diagnosed my car and did not find fault with crankshaft position sensor but did find that there is a problem with timing mechanisms. They also said that the engine has difficulty starting, which I never experienced in over 50,000 I have driven it, save the time of battery replacement about 2 years ago. I decided to take my car back to my mechanic where he diagnosed it with timing issues. The abnormal engine noise was accounted for as a link to timing. In the interim I drive a rental at the rate of about $65.00 /day. I m in a quandary; if my mechanic repairs the timing issues, which may not be under warranty, does that invalidate the existing engine warranty? If I can get the warranty to cover the ongoing issues, we can save ourselves wasting time and money. If safety concerns are a priority, which is not, then we cannot sacrifice safety in the interest of celerity. In the meantime, my family are in the crossroads and I cannot accept that.

My insurance company said I have an urgent Recall on my vehicle. Recall # 251 ABS fuse replacement. NHTSA# 23V651000. I would like this replaced.

The start of this journey to Wesley Chapel Hyundai service department were 4 or 5 lights on the dashboard. I can’t remember what day I called to make the appointment-probably a week before the appointment as followed. I made appointment to take my Sante Fe Sport to Wesley Chapel for Monday 02/17/2025. The vehicle was not driven after the multiple lights came on the dashboard. That was their earliest appointment for service. On [XXX] the Santa Fe Sport was towed to Westly Chapel service department because a neighbor came over to tell us that the car lights were blinking. The car was not on. When they lifted the hood on the vehicle there was smoke and the smell of something burnt. They disconnected the battery, and the vehicle was towed by AAA to the Westley Chapel Hyundai. We live in a mobile home and park the car close to the kitchen window. This scared me. What could have been was losing my home to fire. Thankfully it didn’t happen. My question is how does an ABS ASSY go bad under 30,000 miles on a vehicle? And we are being told that some pump went bad first that caused the ABS ASSY to go bad. So also, I question how does a pump go bad under 30,000 miles on a vehicle? Should this ABS ASSY failure been covered under a recall? I have attached the Hyundai of Wesley Chapel invoice. Thank you, [XXX] & [XXX] [XXX] 33541-7345 [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The vehicle is making a loud clunking noise in the steering column when driving down the road. It is veering all over the road and when I hit a bump it’s very bad. It’s difficult to keep in the lane. I brought it to my mechanic who said it was most likely the electronic steering motor assembly. He said he would not drive it in its current condition. Hyundai themselves said that it would be dangerous to operate. On the complaint website I was looking on there was around 50 complaints that have been reported to the NHTSA already and the website said it would also be very dangerous to drive.

My steering would work while I was driving with my kids in the car, my breaks were barely working, the hood started smoking and something under the hood in the engine caught on fire, there was a horrible smell when I was breaking and the breaks would jolt. The engine and cooling was not turning off even with my key taken out, the fan engine was running nonstop no matter what, smoking etc

Bien,mi auto tuvo varios problemas al mismo tiempo: 1-falla en todo el sistema eléctrico,aire acondicionado,control de tráfico ambas partes, Power steering,ABS,Pérdida de potencia en el motor,problemas con el receptor de la llave remoto,tiene un problema eléctrico sin precedente todo ocurrió de la nada,todo ocurrió un mismo día cuando íbamos camino a una excursión mi familia y yo estuvimos en un gran riesgo,todos los componentes han sido inspeccionados y no he podido aún arreglarlos porque se necesita el consecionario de este automóvil para descubrirle las grandes fallas que presenta,aún tiene 3 señales en el tablero, check Engine, Power String, ABS, todo prendió después del problema

Loss of acceleration and stuttering when I was trying to get up to speed on the interstate going up a hill. Instantly blinking check engine light. Won't go above 2000rpm or 60mph. P1326 code read glow relay short circuit

The engine has been running rough for awhile and emissions light came on. My car was having problems accelerating, 2 years ago the light came on but didn’t stay on so the dealer couldn’t diagnose problem.

In relation to this incident, approximately 3,00 miles after an oil change, the engine oil drain plug fell out and caused all oil to leak and cause engine damage. Engine oil change was at approximately 125,000 miles. Drain plug fell out at approximately 128,000 miles. No warning lights or symptoms were present prior to vehicle shutting off and dying while driving. Vehicle was then towed to shop who previously did oil change. Shop confirmed drain plug was missing and oil level was empty. I am the manager of this shop submitting this on behalf of the customer with this vehicle. We are aware of the ongoing concerns in relation to case DP22-003 and would like to submit this information as further evidence for this case

Bien,mi auto tuvo varios problemas al mismo tiempo: 1-falla en todo el sistema eléctrico,aire acondicionado,control de tráfico ambas partes, Power steering,ABS,Pérdida de potencia en el motor,problemas con el receptor de la llave remoto,tiene un problema eléctrico sin precedente todo ocurrió de la nada,todo ocurrió un mismo día cuando íbamos camino a una excursión mi familia y yo estuvimos en un gran riesgo,todos los componentes han sido inspeccionados y no he podido aún arreglarlos porque se necesita el consecionario de este automóvil para descubrirle las grandes fallas que presenta,aún tiene 3 señales en el tablero, check Engine, Power String, ABS, todo prendió después del problema

In relation to this incident, approximately 3,00 miles after an oil change, the engine oil drain plug fell out and caused all oil to leak and cause engine damage. Engine oil change was at approximately 125,000 miles. Drain plug fell out at approximately 128,000 miles. No warning lights or symptoms were present prior to vehicle shutting off and dying while driving. Vehicle was then towed to shop who previously did oil change. Shop confirmed drain plug was missing and oil level was empty. I am the manager of this shop submitting this on behalf of the customer with this vehicle. We are aware of the ongoing concerns in relation to case DP22-003 and would like to submit this information as further evidence for this case

The engine has been running rough for awhile and emissions light came on. My car was having problems accelerating, 2 years ago the light came on but didn’t stay on so the dealer couldn’t diagnose problem.

Twice in the last year the high pressure fuel line has cracked while I was driving and started spraying gas all over the engine bay.

Locked the doors normally with the remote. Went into the doctor's office. Returned to the car the driver's door would not unlock. All other doors worked normally. Could not unlock the door with either handle, the switch or the remote. The Dealer says that the door latch mechanism failed in the locked position with the door closed. This would make it very difficult to exit the car in an accident, fire or submersion. The only exit is to crawl over the high mid console and exit through the right front passenger door, this is a very difficult maneuver.

Drive side door latch does not open from inside or out. Even after removing inner door panel and manually pulling latch cables the latch remains in the locked position. This is an obvious and major safety issue where the driver is unavailable to exit the vehicle. Other years were recalled for this issue however my 2014 model is not on the recall list for some reason. Even though the very same safety issue with door latch occurs.

RECENTLY BROUGHT UP A HYUNDAI SANTE FE 2.0T AND NOW SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE REAR VIEW/BACK CAMERA NO LONGER WORKS. JUST A BLACK SCREEN WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE. I SEE IT'S A EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM POST ON FORUMS ALL OVER THE WEB. IT'S NOT A NECESSITY BUT COULD BE HAZARDOUS GIVEN THE MOMENT IT DECIDES TO QUIT.

HEADLIGHTS ARE INEFFECTIVE . LIGHTS NOW ONLY LIGHT APPROX 15 FEET IN FRONT OF CAR DOES NOT LIGHT SIDE OF ROAD. I HAVE HAD THE DEALER REALIGN HEAD LIGHTS AT LEAST FOUR TIMES NO EFFECT. I HAVE REPLACE TOE BULBS WITH JUST ABOUT EVERY BULB AVAILABLE LED AND HALOGENS 55WATTS TO 100WATTS NO EFFECTIVE CHANGE. FOR THE FIRST SEVERAL YEARS THEY WERE GREAT STREET SIGNS WERE CLEARLY SHOWN NOW LANE MARKERS SPEED SIGNS ARE ONLY VISIBLE AS YOU PASS THEM. LIGHT DOES APPEAR TO PASS THRU THE LENSES NOW. I HAVE TALK TO OTHER DRIVERS WITH SIMILAR CARS THEY ARE ALSO HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE HEADLIGHT ARE FROM EARLIER MODELS 2013 AND EARLIER WITH USED H11B LIGHTS NO AUTO PARTS STORES SHOW H11B FOR 2014 SANTA FE CATALOGS SHOW H11 BULB FOR THIS CAR. I BELIEVE THE LENS HAVE DETERIORATED TO THE POINT LIGHT BARELY PASSES THRU. DRIVING IN RAIN OR FOG IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE CLEARLY HAVE TO FOLLOW THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE

I request that NHTSA review what I believe is a misleading Hyundai warranty extension involving the Occupant Classification System (OCS/ODS), part of the air bag system. Around Mid May 2026, my air bag warning light began illuminating intermittently. I waited because I needed to save up the cash. Around June 2026, Hyundai mailed me a Warranty Extension Notice stating that if the air bag warning light came on, I should take the vehicle and the letter to a Hyundai dealer. The notice contains no exclusions or limitations. I was excited because my local repair shop said it would cost $800 to $2000 depending on the issue. Relying on Hyundai's written instructions, I took my vehicle to the dealer. I was told my repair not covered under the scope of the warranty and was charged over $900. I paid under protest because I felt it was a safety risk to continue driving with an air bag warning. Although my initial goal was to receive a full refund, my main concern is that owners may rely on Hyundai's notice, only to discover the repair is denied. Some may delay repairing an air bag system because of the unexpected cost, creating a potential safety risk. I have written Hyundai July 2026 requesting a full explanation as to why my repair was excluded or a full refund but to date I have not received a response. I ask NHTSA to review whether Hyundai's warranty notice adequately discloses its actual coverage and limitations. I have attached the warranty letter, which contains no exclusions, and my repair invoice. Thank you for your attention to this matter [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Clock spring is defective/broken. This could be very dangerous as the airbag may not deploy in the event of an accident. Hyundai has used this exact part on other vehicles that have had issue and have recalled/extended the warranty to cover. Hyundai however won't fix this very dangerous issue on the Santa Fe and even wanted almost $200 just to look at the car even though the part is very obviously broken.

The low beams on the 2014 and many other year Hyundai Sant fe models do not work properly. While you are driving at night the low beams do not light up enough or shine bright enough on the roadway so you can see and drive safely ... I even installed brand new bulbs , and nothing changed as far as the brightness . The headlight housings are clear and do not have any type of damage that would prevent the bulbs from providing plenty of light on the roads . This is very dangerous for anyone trying to drive these vehicles on any kind of roads at night time .

The low-beam headlights are terrible, almost useless. I replaced both low-beam bulbs with high-quality bulbs and it did not help, at least not noticeably. The high beams work fine. The low beams are so bad that it is actually hard to see the road right in front of the car at night and the glare from oncoming headlights renders the low beams practically useless. This results with us doing most of our nighttime driving with the high beams on, even in traffic. We can't see the road without doing that.

When driving down the highway a thud was heard. The car was pulled over to the side of the road and smoke was coming from under the hood. The door locks were not working but we were able to manually pull up the lock to open the door. The smoke built up quickly and the car engulfed in flames. This put the driver and passenger in imminent danger. The car has not yet been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance representatives. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The car fire happened 12/02/2023 at 1:30 am.

ABS, DOWNHILL, AND TRACTION CONTROL INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATE ON THE DASH. HYUNDAI DEALER SAYS A REAR WHEEL BEARING/WHEEL SPEED SENSOR IS FAILING AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY SAID THEY'VE SEEN THIS MANY TIMES AND WHEN LOOKING ONLINE THESE SEEM DESTINED TO FAIL ON MY HYNDAI SANTA FE'S 3-6 YEARS INTO THE VEHICLE LIFE. THERE IS A TSB FOR THIS ISSUE THAT SAYS IT RELATES TO SEA WATER, BUT IT MAY JUST BE ANY WATER/WET CONDITIONS. I BELIEVE A RECALL IS NEEDED FOR THIS ISSUE.

There was a recall with the abs slipper slope and traction this left these warning symbols stay on constantly. I was told by Westside hyundai in Jacksonville this would cost me over $200.00 but I shouldn't have to pay for something that was recalled that left my vehicle this way. Also the drivers identified seatbelt doesn't click it will come loosen and out unless you hold down the button then put the seat belt in and let go of the button.

Front seat passenger seat belt retractor is locked. Dealer says seat belt and retractor needs to be replaced at a cost of $900. How many owners are going to spend that much money to replace the most important safety device in the vehicle? Soon after I purchased the vehicle in 2014, the same thing happened to a rear passenger seat belt.

WHILE DRIVING UP A STEEP WINDING ROAD MY CAR BEGAN MAKING A FLUTTERING NOISE LIKE A PADDLEBOAT. THERE WAS A LOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL WITH A SMALL SQUEAK TO ONLY THE LEFT, IN THE PLAY OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALERSHIP HAS LET ME KNOW I NEED TO REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFT. WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES THE STEERING SHAFT GO OUT, ISN'T THAT A COMPONENT THAT HAS A LONG LIFE? THE NOISE WAS MORE INTENSE DRIVING UP THE ROAD THAN GOING DOWN. AS REACHED A CITY LEVEL THE DRUMMING NOISE WAS STILL HAPPENING, BUT INCONSISTENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTED A STRONG VIBRATION THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ALSO BEGAN INDEPENDENTLY PULLING TO THE SIDE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIRES WERE PROPERLY ALIGNED AND THE VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

Back in March my landlord lost his keys then Someone started to enter my unit illegally I filed numerous police reports to ensure safety for me and my two small children but wasn’t taken serious was forced and admitted into the hospital for trying to protect me and my children losing custody as well and my car was left parked on a city street, my house possessions were all damaged as well and I believe a rodent or someone left the windows down purposely for a rodent to gain entrance to my vehicle and living area as well, my vehicle tires kept needing repairs the interior had some kind of infestation and something was wrong with the ventilation system in the car and I didn’t feel safe driving the vehicle nor did I feel that the vehicle was worth the 413 monthly payments which I never missed payments on up until this incident. I tried to go through my car insurance company and local Hyundai dealer for a replacement of my vehicle and nothing was done to protect my safety or health also my banking information was compromised and I lost financial control and was unable to make payments for the last two months because of this I reached out to Santander consumer which is my finance company to express my concerns and they was unable to stop the repossession, I feel horribly scammed and is wondering if there is anything that can be done to stop me from further loss if anything is needed further feel free to contact me

AIR STAYS AT WARM WHEN DRIVING IN HEAT AND WON'T COOL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 HYUNDAI SANTA FE EQUIPPED WITH CONTINENTAL CROSSCONTACT LX TIRES, SIZE: 235/65R17. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSIVE NOISE AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE TIRE WITH A SPARE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V624000 (TIRES). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE DOT NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE AND TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.

RETURNING HOME ON A HIGHWAY, WHEN I VEER TOWARDS THE LEFT, THE FRONT-RIGHT TIRE AND RIM STARTED SEPARATING SO I STOPPED THEN LOOKED AT THE CAR AND SAW THE TIRES WERE RIPPED APART! IT OCCURRED TO ME I SMELLED AROUND A HALF HOUR BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. THE DEALER AND THE 24 HOUR TOWING TRUCK SAID IT WAS MY FAULT BUT LATER, THE MECHANIC SAW SOMETHING ELSE; UNFORTUNATELY, THEY STILL CHARGED ME @ $300.00! *TR