What 604 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Hev

Hampton Hyundai in Fort Walton Beach, FL is refusing to do an inspection for Recall Campaign 162 (NHTSA #17V226000). Per the safety recall campaign, if the engine is experiencing issues as described by the campaign, the dealership must perform an inspection and do repairs as necessary under the safety recall. Hampton Hyundai is refusing to do such an inspection. Instead they are quoting $16.9k for a new engine but refusing to provide any diagnostic results or answer questions on the status of the engine or recall. For a dealership to ignore a safety recall campaign is not simply an unethical business practice, it is a danger to the public and to Hyundai customers. The NHTSA must address a dealership that refuses to acknowledge safety recalls or do the necessary inspections and repairs to ensure the safety of those on the road.

NHTSA ODI 11573713

After reading through many complaints on this site for the engines seizing up and burning excessive oil, I decided to add my complaint in hopes that Hyundai will issue a recall and fix the problem. My problem: 1. My car is burning excessive oil. 2. Low oil warning lights are not displaying on dash. I'm sure the lack of oil is the root cause of the engine seizures other Santa Fe owners reported. Oil does not register on my dipstick less than 3000 miles after an oil change and the oil pressure warning light does not illuminate. There is no visible leak on my garage floor where the car is parked overnight. I've started adding oil between oil changes. I added 2 quarts this month and still registered low on the dip stick.

NHTSA ODI 11570529

its been three mos now with no waiting for ABS module overheat. recall came 2mos after purchasing car. Modules that could leak brake fluid causing electrical sort over-time. i do care giving for senior. That's not safe for me or them. There should be urgency for concern. Tks for your quick concern and fix. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] or cell [XXX] . tks INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11569950

Please see attached document for detailed description of a Hyundai dealership refusing to fix a hazardous to drive 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe.

NHTSA ODI 11565146

We have a 2013 hyundai santa fe and it has done the same thing that is described in the engine recall for the 2012 the bearings have worn out and now our engine is blown up at 120000 miles and every one that I have talked to has said the same thing they should be held responsible for this its the same engine same problem

NHTSA ODI 11563998

While driving on the interstate the vehicle suddenly shuddered and immediately died, dash lights were still on but all power was cut off. Cars around me were swerving to avoid hitting me from behind as well as avoiding cars in the inside lane. Thankfully able to coast to the narrow edge of the road without a grave incident. Restarted the car with a terrible metallic screetching noise and limp along the side of the interstate to the nearest off ramp.

NHTSA ODI 11562789

I had lightly let off my gas pedal since I was driving down a slight decline/hill. Upon reaching the bottom of the decline, I pressed the gas pedal to maintain my speed, when I heard a loud noise from my engine; all the lights on the dash lit up; and my car lost all power. These items happened simultaneously and it was very sudden and unexpected as there were no prior warnings, indications, noises, or lights. The steering wheel locked up and I was unable to control the direction of my car. The brakes locked up and were unresponsive despite depressing them with both feet. I had no control of my car and I was completely at the mercy of my car and the road. The electrical system also failed. When my vehicle came to rest, nothing in the car worked. If a child, another vehicle, or animal was stopped in front of me or had pulled out in front of me, my car would have ran right into them. If I was on the hill and this happened, my car could have verved into the ditch and I could have been ejected. My car was towed to a local auto repair shop. The repair shop owner told me that Hyundai/Kai had issued a recall and he felt my engine failed for the same reason. I had my car towed to my Hyundai dealership where it sat for 4 months before they were able to assess it. I bought this car brand new in 2013 and maintained it for 9 years without a prior incident, problem or concern. It was a great vehicle that I was planning on giving to my daughter. My neighbor bought a Santa Fe because I raved about mine all the time. The vehicle is available for inspection, along with the auto shop repair owner.

NHTSA ODI 11560816

The vehicle caught fire while driving due to unknown cause. The vehicle was unable to break as smoke began coming into the vents. Car came to a stop and the flames were present underneath the vehicle before engulfing the entire hood. Vehicle has been deemed total loss by insurance.

NHTSA ODI 11558964

Dealership verified several months ago that vehicle engine is burning oil (was initially informed of this issue about 6 months prior from a quick oil change business). In spite of documented evidence of oil changes every 3,000--5,000 miles since purchasing the new vehicle, claim filed with Hyundai for a new engine was denied (engine is 1 year past warranty). On 11/11/23, engine catastrophically failed traveling 70 mph on the interstate (loud "bang" from engine compartment followed by inability to accelerate; created hazard due to density of traffic and vehicle location in the passing lane). Was able to get vehicle to shoulder without incident. Check engine light was blinking. Had vehicle towed to Hyundai of Cookeville, TN. Since then, have struggled to get dealership to determine precise cause of engine failure. (Engine is available for inspection upon request.)

NHTSA ODI 11556133

While driving, engine suddenly shut off. Engine light was on and I had to pull off road in traffic, almost causing an accident. Tow truck was unable to start car, while stating the battery was good The car has been at dealership for 4 months. Hyundai requested and was given all maintenance receipts from local dealership in NC, and dealership in AZ where the car was purchased.. Still waiting for word if Hyundai will replace the engine. The car sat at dealership for 2 months before they even looked at it, and was then determined the engine was frozen/blown. There were no warning lamps, symptoms or messages before this incident. Was not offered a loaner car, am unable to afford a rental.

NHTSA ODI 11553557

Hello, I'm not sure if this is something that you would handle or not. My husband and I have a Hyundai Santa Fe (husband-2015, Mine - 2013). We both bought the vehicles used and haven't had any major problems until about a year ago when both of our vehicles started drinking motor oil like people drink water. We don't have any signs of a leak anywhere. We had taken it to the Hyundai Dealerships and other mechanics and both say that Hyundai has been known to have this problem. Many years ago, I had a Hyundai Sonata which I bought brand new around 2003 and had it for many years. I never had this problem. After doing my research, I have seen where other people have had this problem with their Hyundai vehicles. I emailed several people about our situation, one being [XXX] , and received a response from Hailey, Customer Service Specialist with Hyundai Motor America and her response was for us to have Oil Consumption Testing done. She said that it would be our responsibility to pay for the testing and any repairs that need to be done since we're past the warranty and the years of our vehicles. From what the dealership and other mechanics keep saying, I feel it should be a recall for this problem due to Hyundai being aware that this has been a problem with their vehicles for years. I've known people to have cars much older than ours that never had an oil consumption problem such as this. Also, from what I read, this Oil Consumption Testing is a process that is done in stages which can be costly. Plus this Oil Consumption problem can lead to our engine dying without us knowing when it will die. With this problem, we don't have any warning that our motor oil is low or empty for our oil light will either blink or don't come on at all. I have seen mine blink, but by then the oil was already gone. My husband's oil stick had burnt and he purchased another one from Hyundai. The new one is now burnt and mine is burnt as well. This is a safety hazard. I feel that Hyundai should INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11553171

I purchased this vehicle 07/05/2022. I have had regular oil changes and maintenance. I have all of my maintenance records. I went in for an oil change on 05/15/2023 and the mechanic told me that there was only 3-4 drops of oil in the engine. I called Hyundai of Nicholasville and they told me that there was nothing they could do until the vehicle showed signs of engine failure. I was driving home from work one day in August and my vehicle would not travel over 40 MPH. I had my vehicle towed to Hyundai of Nicholasville and it has been there ever since. The mechanic at Hyundai has been trying to get Hyundai to do a motor replacement. Hyundai denied the request. We are now trying my extended warranty. I have done so much research on the motors of this specific make and model of car (2013 Hyundai Santa Fa Sport) and I have found several articles and personal testimonies of early engine failure. From the time I bought the car and put it in the shop I had only had the car for roughly 13 months and done all car maintenance on time.

NHTSA ODI 11551152

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle had lost power causing the vehicle to decrease in speed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed where it was informed that the failure was due to a faulty rod bearing. The vehicle had not been replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

NHTSA ODI 11549213

The car ran great when I bought it and did for about one month before it suddenly stalled and went into limp mode. The engine started making a loud knocking noise that kept getting worse. Only got to drive the car for a little over one month. It’s been at the Hyundai dealership for almost 3 months now still waiting on the rod bearing clearance test because there were 17 other Hyundais in front of mine. If for some reason they won’t replace it then it’s a total loss because I don’t feel safe getting back in it and especially my kids. I would rather just be reimbursed for the price of the car so I can buy a different brand all together. I don’t want the same issue to keep happening. The dealership I bought it at completely failed to mention anything about the theta II engine recall, they even told me it didn’t have any recalls and that it was a great reliable car. If I would’ve known the smallest thing about the recall I would’ve NEVER bought it, period! It’s ridiculous that a company would rather keep letting people die than fix the problem completely.

NHTSA ODI 11548903

I was driving on a highway going 65mph when my engine suddenly, and without warning, failed. My foot was on the gas pedal when it suddenly went to the floor, but my car stopped accelerating. My check engine light began blinking as well. I was in the far left lane and, without the ability to accelerate, had to merge over through 3 lanes of highway traffic in order to safely pull my car over on the side of the highway. This put not only my own safety at risk, but also that of every car around me while I tried to maneuver my car safely to the side of the highway without the ability to accelerate. There were no signs or lights illuminated prior to the incident that would of given me any warning to the impending failure. My car was towed to the closest mechanic then towed to my local Hyundai dealership. Both the mechanic and the Hyundai service department found the engine knocking and determined it was a total engine failure and my engine needed to be replaced. I discovered my engine was affected by the Hyundai engine recall 162.

NHTSA ODI 11545351

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11542027

Car engine is over heating car engine locked up care engine manufacturer recall needs to be requested on all 2013 Hyundai Sante Fe 2.0T model vehicles this is a safety risk to all customers driving this model. The car engine was diagnosed and verified by the hyundai dealership service department. There were no warnings prior to failure. The service department notified me on August 10 2023 of the services needed due to auto risk and recall statements on the hyundai model vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11541068

My engine blew on the highway almost killed me! It just stopped at 70 mph! No power nothing I had it towed and had to replace my engine! I heard I can file a complaint because of the problem with the engine! I paid $6187.31 for the replacement and took forever to get the engine due to Covid!

NHTSA ODI 11540656

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable, and the steering wheel seized. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to safely drive the vehicle into a parking lot before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that she then called her husband, and her husband was able to restart the vehicle and drive it to the residence safely. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a faulty alternator. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while driving on the highway, the failure reoccurred with several unknown warning lights illuminated before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the alternator had been replaced twice and the battery had been replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,904.

NHTSA ODI 11537914

Our family 2013 Santa Fe was leaking fuel in June 2023. Hyundai of Chantilly failed to check on Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) that were related to our 2013 Santa Fe. TSBs are circulated to “General Manager, Service Manager, Parts Manager, Warranty Manager, Service Advisors, Technicians, Body Shop Manager, Fleet Repair”. Per Recall 180: Hyundai is conducting a safety recall in the United States to confirm the high pressure fuel pipe was properly connected by Hyundai dealers to the fuel pump outlet during prior engine replacement. What is the safety recall? Certain model year 2011-2018 Hyundai Sonata, model year 2013-2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, and model year 2014-2015 and 2018 Tucson vehicles had engines replaced. In some cases, during engine replacements, the high pressure fuel pipe may have been damaged, misaligned, or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, allowing fuel to leak. What will Hyundai do? Hyundai dealers will inspect the connections of the high pressure fuel pipe to the fuel pump outlet for fuel leaking. If leaking fuel is detected, the fuel pipe will be replaced and properly installed with a new one. This procedure will be performed at NO CHARGE. My daughter mentioned to Hyundai Service Advisor, that the engine had been replaced under the recall last Spring 2023. Why didn’t the Service Advisor or Service Technician check the TSB? That should have been the first thing to do, especially when fuel lines don’t go bad that quickly. The level of incompetence at Hyundai of Chantilly Service Department is staggering. I paid over $1300 at Hyundai of Chantilly, most of which is covered by a recall. Now, I’m in the process of requesting reimbursement from Hyundai Motor America, which could take 120 days to process/receive. Why should customers have to do research to find out whether their vehicle was impacted by a recall? Hyundai should be fined civil penalties for failures in fixing recall issues.

NHTSA ODI 11530755

loss of compression - cylinder 2

NHTSA ODI 11529893

I was driving down the highway on my way out of town with my son was going 60 miles down the highway in my engine field in the middle of the highway. My car just shut off and I had to cut through traffic to get on the side of the road. Praying that me and my son were safe. Then my car started smoking.

NHTSA ODI 11528426

The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that her husband was driving at 55 mph while depressing the accelerator pedal but the vehicle failed to accelerate and began to decelerate its speed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to park on the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The driver was unable to restart the vehicle, and he saw smoke exiting the hood. The contact and her husband exit the vehicle safely before the vehicle was engulfed in fire. The fire depart extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. The contact called the police department and also filed a police report and deemed the vehicle was a total loss The contact stated no one sustained any injuries nor sought medical attention. The contact called the insurance company and had the vehicle towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

NHTSA ODI 11527369

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11526172

I was driving down the highway when the car suddenly just jolted stalled and misfired. I put on my hazards and jerked to get a read since the engine light came on. After 4 diagnostic tests and 3 different mechanics the codes read misfire in cylinder 2. Spark plugs were installed new, but after further inspection and 3 pressure tests the problem was scoring to the cylinder wall, not the cylinder coil itself. The final test was by a Hyundai dealer, but he did not tear down the engine further to find exact cause. He initially suggested an oil change, but I have been getting oil changes every month before service is due as oil is burning off and not lubricating essential mechanical parts. I have records of monthly changes. I also had several issues with brake fluid leaks regardless of tube installation per another recall for ABS system. I visited dealer under the advise of Hyundai customer service telling me I was under an extended warranty up to 150,000. After visiting dealer I was told the warranty does not cover my power train issue but only pertaining to rods and bearings. However, according to best practice guide 162 and class action I am still eligible for free inspection as a returning customer which was denied. I had no notice or knowledge of a bad engine when purchasing vehicle. I was told of ABS system recall and a no cost inspection. The previous owner serviced the recall 162 so it’s showing as closed, but as a returning customer I believe it to still be active and deserves further review. A tow would be required to inspect the vehicle at any dealership or repair shop.

NHTSA ODI 11526256