10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 19
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
42,927 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2014 Hyundai Santa Fe engine problems

engine problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner Comments (Page 1 of 13)

problem #249

Apr 172024

Santa Fe

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On [XXX] I purchased a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport from an auto dealer in Wichita, Kansas. When I bought the car, On [XXX], my car started making a funny noise and the engine light came on and then it quit running and would not restart. I coasted to a back street and then got a ride home. I had it towed home and then purchased a new battery, thinking that might be the issue; but the new battery didn-??t start my car. I called my dealership, as my car has a limited warranty on the engine and other parts for 24 months or 24,000 miles. Whichever comes first. At this time, I only had put 8,311 miles on the car; and had only owned it for 8 months. The dealership had my car towed to the mechanic they use. They determined that the engine had locked up. I received a call from the dealer stating they found out there was a recall on the engine through Hyundai; and stated that they have been in contact with a Hyundai dealership to have my car towed there. I contacted the Hyundai dealership and was informed they do not have a loaner car. I was paying for Lyft rides to work and getting rides by family home during this time. I received a call from the Hyundai dealership stating my car had been approved for a new motor to be installed; but it would take 3 to 4 weeks before it is shipped; and they still do not have a loaner car. I then rented a car from Enterprise on 5/11/24 for a week. On 5/15/24 I got a call from the Hyundai dealership stating my car would be ready on 5/16/24. I asked if the motor had been shipped in, and was told yes (which seemed odd since he had said a few days ago that it would take 3 to 4 weeks). I got a call on 5/16/24 that my car was ready. I went in to pick up my car and drove it a couple of days; and oil ran out. Dealership picked it up, supposedly fixed it; and now the oil light keeps coming on. I don't believe I got a new engine; and I am paying a lot of money for a salvage valued car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Wichita, KS, USA

problem #248

Jun 182024

Santa Fe

  • miles
2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 3rd owner with 54,098 miles, all maintenance records. Engine seized without warning on 6/18/2024. Hyundai states VIN is not part of published open recall for similar reason. Prior to Engine failure, Dealership updated the computer after vehicle went into limp home mode (November 2022) and a second auto repair facility replaced the anti-knock sensor under an extended warranty plan after a second Limp Home mode (Spring 2023).

- Browns Mills, NJ, USA

problem #247

May 172024

Santa Fe

  • miles
My 2014 Santa Fe was scheduled for a Recall 251 ABS Brake Failure-Fire hazard. NHTSA and Hyundai both advised owners of vehicles associated with this recall to park away from structures and recommended the vehicle not to be driven. Hyundai did not have a solution for roughly 6 months. During that time I kept my vehicle parked and away from structures as recommended for that 251 safety concern. I periodically would start the car and let it run to keep it from failing. I went through an entire winter season waiting for a solution a recall. My car just sat. Extreme weather and susceptible to dirt as it sat outside parked. Finally in May 2024 I was informed that Hyundai had a solution and parts were ready for the 251 recall repair. Well the day I was scheduled to bring my vehicle in to be repaired I went out and attempted to start the vehicle but could not. I tried to jump the battery and it still wouldn-??t start so I called the dealer and told them that I couldn-??t get the vehicle started. They would not provide a tow so I rescheduled the appointment and I called a tow service the next day. Tow came and checked the battery. The battery was fine. They jumped the battery and the vehicle turned on. the vehicle to a local dealer and they repaired the recalls. The vehicle was driven to the dealer that week. My vehicle-??s recalls were completed and I picked up the car a week later. All of a sudden when I went to start the car it would not turn over. I stalled in the lane of travel and avoided a collision. I called a private tow again, towed to the same dealer that did the recall. Engine light came on and they were able to determine that the crank position sensor failed as to the reason for stalling and intermittent starting. $600 later they repaired it. I left and the next day my car wouldn-??t start again. I associated this with the 251 recall and wear as it sat dormant for too many months. Hyundai refused to provide Goodwill or reimbursement for the crankshaft repair.

- Schnecksville , PA, USA

problem #246

Apr 302024

Santa Fe

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car seized on the freeway. No warning, no lights, nothing it just died. Waiting on an explanation from the dealership;

- Port Lavaca, TX, USA

problem #245

Jan 112024

Santa Fe

  • 92,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH on a highway exit ramp, she depressed the brake pedal and the "ABS" and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not slowing and was vibrating while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the brake pedal was very soft while being depressed and the vehicle was stalling. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and replaced the brake seals and other unknown brake parts. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the brake failure reoccurred along with the engine stalling. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer and was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Naples, FL, USA

problem #244

Apr 192024

Santa Fe

  • miles
We were driving along the freeway at approximately 65 miles per hour. The car suddenly started to hesitate and then the engine cut completely out. We lost power steering and brakes when the engine cut out, but managed to get the vehicle to the shoulder of the road safely. There were no warning lights and the engine quit almost instantly. We had it towed to the Hyundai dealer and they said that the engine was destroyed and needed to be replaced.

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #243

Apr 082024

Santa Fe

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Check light flashing found dtc p1326 and the engine is knocking tech found tab Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.

- Allentown, PA, USA

problem #242

Apr 012024

Santa Fe

  • miles
Engine has excessive oil consumption. Many complaints on engines failing and Hyundai not doing anything about it. They won-??t even run tests on the car.

- Hamburg, NJ, USA

problem #241

Feb 242024

Santa Fe

  • miles
While driving engine began to sputter and power ceased, stranding my wife on a busy highway in the dark. Engine suffered 2 out of 4 cylinders failure on the highway, engine is dead. Dealership quoted $18,000 all told to fix the damages. Routine maintenance performed and on top of that, constant topping off of oil for a bad oil consumption issue. Hyundai refused to warranty or help at all in any way even after stating over the phone that it has been a known defect for some time and should be covered. Hyundai has left me with a dead car, no help to fix it or replace it and a loan still to pay off.

- Pottstown, PA, USA

problem #240

Mar 152024

Santa Fe

  • miles
What component failed or malfunctioned" Vehicle's engine is burning oil. There are no leaks and no oil left behind after it has been parked for extended periods, yet the engine is bone dry when oil levels are manually checked with the dip stick. The vehicle's engine has been the subject of numerous lawsuits and settlements for connecting rod bearing failures, so it is likely that my vehicle is in the early stages of this failure. Despite the lawsuits, settlements, and known issues, the manufacturer refuses to inspect or test for these issues under warranty. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk" One of the recalls that resulted from one of the previous lawsuits led to the installation of an engine knock sensor which is meant to stall the engine and place it into a "limp mode" when the failure is happening. If this is to happen while I am operating the vehicle (especially on the highway), it could put myself, my child, or others on the road at risk when the vehicle suddenly goes from operating at 65+ MPH to something much slower without warning. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center" The manufacturer refuses to test for these issues under warranty, despite the symptoms clearly pointing to early rod bearing failure. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The manufacturer refuses to test for these issues under warranty, despite the symptoms clearly pointing to early rod bearing failure. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" There has been no warning aside from a simple "check engine" light. Had I not manually checked my oil levels, I would not have noticed the engine was bone dry before operating the vehicle.

- Melissa, TX, USA

problem #239

Mar 032024

Santa Fe

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On [XXX] I was driving down [XXX] doing 80mph with my family in the car, including my 7month old son. As I was going down the interstate, the vehicle malfunctioned and seized up. I had to manually push to get the vehicle off the interstate to avoid getting hit. The vehicle lights all flashed on and cut off. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership to find out what is wrong with the vehicle, if needed I give permission to get information/inspect the vehicle. I am still trying to get clear answers from Hyundai about what happened to the vehicle and to get it repaired. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Meriden , CT, USA

problem #238

Mar 082024

Santa Fe

  • 185,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the oil warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The manufacturer provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

- Chester, VA, USA

problem #237

Feb 082024

Santa Fe

  • miles
While driving, came to a red light and stopped. When the light turned green, I pushed on the gas peddle and the car went completely black! No lights, no go, no warning, no nothing! It was the middle of afternoon rush hour, when people were getting off of work! No warning lights or problems prior warned me that something could be wrong. Up until that point, it drove smoothly, no issues at all. I had just had a routine maintenance check: oil and filter change, point checks, and anti theft installed, just a few months before, at this same dealership, and was told everything was good. The Hyundai dealership, where I had it towed, told me, after running the diagnostics, the replace engine code came up as the problem. But when I asked the service tech what could have caused it, all he said was, it could be a lot of things. I then asked the service tech as to why I had no warning at all, he responded, it could be a lot of things. They quoted me a cost from $7200 to $8000, not including tax, to replace the engine with a re manufactured engine. Unfortunately, I did not have an extended warranty, but I'm still very confused, angered, and stressed as to why I had no warning what so ever!

- Lexington, KY, USA

problem #236

Apr 202022

Santa Fe

  • miles
Same issue with my Santa Fe Sport with the engine burning oil. It left me stranded on a back road up hill when it just slowly stopped accelerating and shut off. I had it towed to Hyundai dealership who wanted me to purchase a brand new engine. After talking to a friend who is a mechanic he told me about the lawsuit going on. I confronted Hyundai with this new information I had gotten. I was able to get the engine replace but I-??m appalled at Hyundais sketchy way of trying to bypass this. Had not for my friend told me then I would have paid for a new engine! Dealership kept my vehicle for 4 months because they were out of stock in engines due to the amount of vehicles having the same issue! Wow now the truth unfolds. Shortly after getting the car back the check engine light came on. When reversing the vehicle would buck and seem like it wanted to stall out. Autozone hooked up computer and said torque converter code showed. Autozone said if I just had my engine replaced then the dealership didn-??t install it right or broke something during the process. I took it back to Hyundai and they verified converter code and said I needed a new transmission! Prior to the engine issue this car NEVER had problems. The second the engine was replaced everything went wrong! Seems very sketchy. The car started losing power when driving. I was on the highway and it would not accelerate. I was terrified I was going to get hit by all the other vehicles. Cars were dodging me and slamming on breaks and honking horns. I managed to make my way to pull over. Got the transmission replaced like I was told and the converter replaced. Car is still doing the same thing. Hyundai said I needed converter replaced AGAIN two months after they replaced it. Now everyone at Hyundai was fired-?? wonder why. Now I took it back to Hyundai again, car has not been driven in over a year. Now they are saying no issue with converter it-??s the transmission! Hyundai needs to be out of business. They put us in danger!

- Danbury, CT, USA

problem #235

Nov 152023

Santa Fe

  • miles
Knock Sensor did its job and heard something in the engine and put the car in "limp mode". Car was "bucking" and would not go above 15mph in Atlanta area rush hour traffic. Barely coasted home. Towed the car to local dealership. Dealership stated the car passed the rod bearing test, so not eligible for a new engine, or any other repairs. But, they stated it does NEED a new engine. Said it needs a new knock sensor (we pay!) and new spark plugs (just replaced 2 months prior - once again, we pay!), and they stated oil is low (oil change done 1 month prior). Dealer stated nothing can be done until the engine completely fails/does not pass rod bearing test. We are expected to drive a dangerous car (assuming it will drive as it won't start at this point). Car has been sitting at the dealership since 11/15/23. Our other car is a Hyundai as well. That engine failed completely but luckily I was on a side road and not in traffic. Hyundai does NOT care about consumer safety.

- Cumming, GA, USA

problem #234

Feb 172024

Santa Fe

  • miles
I discovered the vehicle had an internal engine leak after finding that the engine oil was low after manually checking it. There was no warning light that came on to show the low engine. After refilling the oil and driving the vehicle for a couple of days, the engine developed a knock. The vehicle subsequently shut down and will not restart. This occurred while driving and I was unable to have enough momentum to pull to the side of the road safely.

- Henderson, NV, USA

problem #233

Nov 222023

Santa Fe

  • miles
* Unresolved Engine issues * My car no longer feels safe to drive * The problem has been confirmed by a dealer * I'm not sure if the vehicle or component was inspected by anyone outside of the dealership service area. * I wasn't due for an oil change until November 28 however on November 7th, my oil light appeared so I took the car to an auto center near my home which was Goodyear. They found that there was no oil in my tank and tested it for leaks. There were no external leaks. I made an appointment with the dealership and they confirmed an issue with the engine. They made some repair and advised that I drive no less than 1,000 miles and up to roughly 1,025 miles then return for service. I confirmed with the service technician that this engine is under warranty so when I return, I would like to have the engine repaired.. NOTE: I have dealership documents to share if needed. I returned within the required milage at 1,008 miles. As I was headed to the dealer, the service technician called me to say that I had to have an oil change on that day, and then return later after an ADDITIONAL 1,000 miles. My warranty will expire in a little over 3 weeks and I haven't been able to reach the 1,000 mile requirement for their testing purposes. Now that the car hasn't been driving too smoothly and also recently began to be very loud while idling, I don't feel safe driving it. At this point I want Hyundai to exam the engine and repair the engine now before the warranty runs out. Otherwise they aren't really honoring the warranty if they impose obstacles to consumers, denying them their use of the warranty. I've reached out to Hyundai, however I don't know how quickly they will act or if they will acknowledge my letter at all. I'm contacting you in an effort to get assistance in having this engine repaired as soon as possible.Thank you in advance for your assistance.

- Catonsville, MD, USA

problem #232

Mar 232023

Santa Fe

  • miles
For months there was a knocking/rattling sound coming from under my hood-?? I never got my oil changed at Hyundai. I always went to 10 minute express for my oil changes. The one time i do decide to go to Hyundai for an oil change/ inspection my car engine seizes 2 months later. Found out it seized due to no oil, there was no low oil pressure light on no warning light nothing. Hyundai doesn-??t and won-??t fix the issue. Mind you I-??ve been keeping my car maintenance every 3 months when it comes to an oil change. The day i decide to use Hyundai is the reason why my car stopped working. After taking the dead car to Hyundai they said after 200,000 miles the engine drinks a lot of oil. Again nobody told me this til after. I-??m very upset with Hyundai cause they don-??t see their fault in this. Since I-??m not the original owner it-??s nothing they can do. I got extended warranty on it and it was a waste of money

- Anniston, AL, USA

problem #231

Feb 022024

Santa Fe

  • miles
unknown==Vehicle suddenly lost heating inside of car---stalled --lost power steering---avoided oncoming traffic---stuck in middle of the road---was able to restart to get home My first thought was t-stat was bad----but no indication of overheating on dash.I proceeded to change t-stat anyway.Upon removal of thermostat I found my coolant was contaminated with oil.It was sludge.An off white sludge that looked like glue. Consulted dealer and was told it sounds like a big job.As I am retired and fighting cancer at this time, there is no way I can afford a large repair bill.Don't know what to do. thank you [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Holyoke, MA, USA

problem #230

Jan 092024

Santa Fe

  • miles
Vehicle stopped while driving on the highway at night. No warnings or service lights. Vehicle just recently had an oil change and there were no signs of potential engine failure reported. After towing to meineke to run a diagnostic, I was informed by Hyundai corporate to have it towed to a Hyundai dealer, since they showed I have an extended warranty. After having it towed to Hyundai, it was confirmed again it needs a new engine, but the warranties don't cover it. No one is explaining how a powertrain warranty and extended warranty isn't covering engine failure when that is what it's intended for. Carfax show all proper maintenance conducted on vehicle.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?