What 493 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Hev

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

NHTSA ODI 11684072

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

NHTSA ODI 11645773

1) What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? I tried to park in the parking space next to it by making a slight right turn. As soon as I stepped on the brake to park, the car began to rush forward. I noticed again and again that my foot was slamming on the brakes, but the car didn't stop. My car went over the ledge between the parking lot and the store, slammed into the pillar of the building on the left, smashed all the glass in the dance studio, and hit the wall on the right before coming to a stop. It took six seconds from rushing forward to into the store. 2) How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I must have been severe injured if the car didn't stop by hitting a right-side wall of the store. And if there were people, I was not able to avoid casualites. 3) Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No, the car was towed and reviewd by car insurance. Car insurance informed that th e car will be total loss. No information about reproducing the issue 4) Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No 5) Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, that was suddenly occured 6) Request: I want NHTSA to investigate my car of sudden unintended acceleration. I would like to get EDR, X-ray of PCB board of electrical central unit(a.k.a ECU) managing brake and accelerator and car manufacturer's reliability sign-off report of the ECU board. I have a security footage taking the accident moment. I failed to upload the video. If you want, please let me know. Will send the video file with NHTSA.

NHTSA ODI 11583949

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.

NHTSA ODI 11558171

I Recently, experienced a sudden and alarming incident with my car. Out of nowhere, the car began leaking gas, which resulted in a fire. Prior to this incident, the car was in perfect working condition, and there were no signs of any issues or malfunctions. It was a completely unexpected and unfortunate event that posed a significant danger. The vehicle was towed to Hyundai Dealership of Myrtle Beach, SC in August. The service agent explained that the vehicle technician would diagnosed the issue that she would call me back with plans and pricing. She shortly called back and stated that the diagnosis was a fuel line and that it needed to be replaced, that the part was approx. $200.00 for the part and after labor totaling approx. $1025. This was agreed and plans were made for me to pick my vehicle up by 3:00pm. She later called back and stated that the fuel pump was replaced but that the car was still leaking gas and would result in more diagnosis and repair fees up to $6,000 or more. I questioned the original diagnosis and she explained She would have to hand the matter over to Management. I spoke with Mgt. several times on the repair and mis diagnosis who claims it was not their fault and that they found hidden damage that the fire caused. Since then I have been told I would get some type of help and that He has written a letter to Coorp. and received a response that they were sending an Inspector out to look at my car. It has been over 60 days now without my vehicle and they have explained that they have reached out to Hyundai Corporation and submitted a notice for recall or help with this matter and no response yet.

NHTSA ODI 11554047

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a fuel odor entering the vehicle. The contact stated she drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road and exited the vehicle. The contact stated she noticed a leak under the hood on the passenger side of the vehicle. The contact stated she restarted the vehicle and the vehicle caught fire. The contact stated that a neighbor used a garden hose to extinguish the fire. A police or fire report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed fuel line that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact then received a call from the dealer to inform her that the vehicle was still leaking fuel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.

NHTSA ODI 11554048

I was driving down the interstate at the speed limit of 60mph, traffic slowed down then totally stopped. I was at a safe distance to stop, i began tapping on the brakes and i had no brakes. the brake pedal was hard no give in the pedal which caused me to rear end a stopped vehicle doing 60 MPH with me and my son in the vehicle. We went by ambulance to go to the emergency room. The car was declared a total loss by AAA. This happened on September 19th 2023. My safety and my son along with everyone driving on the interstate was at risk because of total brake failure. There were no warning lights present or malfunction indicator lights warnings at all. My son and I, are lucky to be alive.

NHTSA ODI 11553264

On July 29, 2023, while driving in McAllen, Texas, our 2014 Hyundai engine failed, to wit: head gasket. Typically, this would not be a national issue and on first blush, seems related to a singular, isolated incident. However, this does not appear to be the case. Last summer, Hyundai settlement included a new engine for this car. (See class action settlement). The engine was replaced, however, it has come to light that Hyundai has set aside defective replacement motors. Indeed, there are consumers nationwide, complaining of the same. On July 29th, the unit began to catch fire, in that the wiring harnesses, and other wiring which are adjacent to and connected to the block, and its appendages, experienced extreme heat, melting, and burning. If not for my quick and necessary reaction, it is possible and likely that a catastrophic fire would have ensued. Hyundai has not corrected the original problem and has intentionally or by gross negligence, put into motion a series of events, if left unchecked, will, with little doubt, cause the loss of property and life. The engine has about 35,000 miles on it since replacement. The total mileage is approximately 129k. Case #21799766 (reported to Hyundai) initial case # 18911395 (Prior to engine replacement.

NHTSA ODI 11536005

Driving on the highway for approximately 10 minutes when the vehicle began to lose power and the check engine light came on. Immediately pulled over onto the highway shoulder and white smoke began to come out from under the hood. Exited the vehicle and the white smoke increased in amount and intensity. Less than 5 minutes from the initial loss of power, the smoke turned black and large flames engulfed the entire engine compartment and front of vehicle. Fire department arrived approximately 10 minutes after the fire began and managed to extinguish the fire. The entire engine compartment had been consumed with almost no recognizable components remaining. Car has been claimed by insurance company and is likely to report vehicle as a complete loss after their inspection.

NHTSA ODI 11532726

I was driving down the street when the engine suddenly seized up. My wiring caught fire and my starter blew apart. No warning at all

NHTSA ODI 11506575

I purchased this 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.3L V6 with what I think must be the Lambda II engine in 2020 from a Honda Dealership in Louisville Kentucky. Upon purchase, I was not made aware of any recalls, Manufacturer Communications, Investigations, or class action law suits with this model. On May 27, 2021 I took the car in for an oil change and again was not made aware of the above issues. Not enjoying my service experience at that dealership, I took my car in to a Hyundai dealership for an oil change on June 15, 2022 it was reported the engine only had 1 quart of oil. Upon leaving, once again, I was not informed of the above issues with Hyundai, specifically the engine and engine cooling in various models and engines. On October 3, 2022 I took my car into a Good Year for an oil change and was told the car had zero oil. Ironically, Good Year is who told me about the class action law suit regarding the engine and oil issues. They told me to keep checking the oil and adding oil as needed to avoid a problem. 4 days later on October 7, 2022 I was driving on a highway when all of a sudden and without warning my engine blew, my accelerator deactivated and white smoke billowed from under my hood and I could not see. Thankfully I was able to quickly pull over to the side of the highway. I feared the engine was on fire but the smoke eventually cleared. I took pictures underneath the engine (attached) and of the large pool of oil that spilled from the car (attached). The car was towed to the nearest Hyundai dealership where they told me the car experienced a catastrophic engine failure and I would need a new engine. I do not have warranty and it appears my model and year are not included in any of the recalls or investigations. However, my car did experience the exact failure and I want my year, model and engine to be included in the investigation, recalls and remediation. I would appreciate a response with advice for next steps. Thank you!

NHTSA ODI 11495941

On October 20, 2022 my husband was driving the vehicle traveling around 40mph. He said he noticed that the engine light went on and then it sounded different and the vehicle struggled to accelerate. He quickly pulled into the first parking lot that was available and he parked, turned off the car and went to get out and within seconds, the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. Had he waited and kept driving, he probably wouldn't be here today. Thank goodness my baby wasn't in the car. I can't imagine ripping a child out of her carseat while the car is on fire!

NHTSA ODI 11494415

2014 Hyundai Santa Fe are not safe vehicles as I have experienced many issues with this vehicle since purchase such as several recalls and recently the motor gave out. Due to recent class action lawsuit on this vehicle the dealer replaced the motor for free. My daughter recently reported to me the brakes appeared to not work properly and she planned to take it to the dealer on Monday, but over the weekend the brakes failed resulting in her crashing into a tree. My daughter could have been killed due to safety issues with this vehicle. The car is a total loss. These vehicles are not safe and should be pulled off the road. The first dangerous issue was the vehicle stalling in traffic as the motor malfunctioned and now the brakes. Please advise.

NHTSA ODI 11485123

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while the vehicle was at standstill to make a left turn, the brake pedal was rigid and the steering wheel seized. The contact stated the Unlock Your Steering Wheel message was illuminated. The contact stated she started to smell and saw smoke exiting from the hood. The contact was able to exit the vehicle safely and shortly after the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was filed. The contact stated a police officer came to the location of the incident but was not aware if a police report was filed. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle first to towing lot and then to a repair facility. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

NHTSA ODI 11481156

My 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport broke down while driving home on 5/30/2022. No active warning lights at time of incident. Vehicle slowed down while driving on interstate and lost the ability to accelerate. A noise was made (may have been considered knocking). Once parked on the side of the highway, nothing happened when START/STOP button was pressed except random lights across dash (NO WARNING LIGHTS). Vehicle did not appear to be ON. Vehicle had to be towed to local Hyundai dealership. Dealership replaced the starter, performed an engine diagnostics, then parked vehicle on lot. The vehicle caught fire on 6/20/2022 after service tech exited it; considered a total loss. The vehicle was inspected by Hyundai Dealership representative, owner's insurance company, and vendor for Hyundai Motor America. HMA ruled incident as No Root Cause for engine seizing: no fault of workmanship nor manufacturer. In addition, in January 2022, this vehicle went into LIMS mode, no active warning lights were observed, and the same dealership replaced Knock Sensor. The vehicle passed engine diagnostics test.

NHTSA ODI 11474431

On June 1, 2022, the vehicle was towed into the dealership. Customer complained it stopped while running and wouldn't start. Initial engine Dx was completed. The battery and starter were replaced. Upon replacing both, the engine started, but was making a "clicking" sound. On June 20, 2022, another engine Dx was performed. Dx revealed DTC P1326 - Knock Signal Range/Performance and DTC B1688 - Cluster Ionizer Fault. Engine was under an extended warranty. Given known engine issues with these vehicles, Dealership planned to request Hyundai replace the customer's engine. Customer was the original owner and routinely serviced vehicle at the dealership. The vehicle was moved to the back of the storage lot. Several minutes after parking same, they observed smoke coming from the engine compartment. Three fire extinguishers were used in an effort to suppress the engine fire. The Fire Dept. was ultimately called to extinguish the blaze.

NHTSA ODI 11471721

Car caught fire while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11471797

I was driving to pickup my dog from daycare centre and when I arrive to house, put my car in Park then a huge amount of smoke came out from the front hood of car. The smoke got bigger and bigger within 30 seconds I couldn't see anything from front of car and around driver's seat. There was no Hazard alerts or signs on my car that my car was overheating. There was no signal or emergency shut off on the car when the overheating began. My boyfriend was in car at time. My dog was walking outside with daycare caretaker when a flame started on Driver's side engine. The flame lit and sparked into a huge flame. I ran out of car while my boyfriend yelled for everyone to back away from car before it explodes. The flame grew and engine bursted into flames, a loud explosion followed. I did not have any time to even gather what was going on before my eyes, I was trembling in shock and could not speak clearly. Immediately, I called police to come put out the fire. The fire department was transferred into my phone call. I was able to give address and they arrived on scene within 3-4 minutes. Fire department put out the flames with a water hose. The car was completely damaged, falling apart into pieces, front hood was on fire to the back seats, doors were on fire, steering wheel was gone, entire front dashboard and chairs were melted and gone in pieces. I started feeling sick and overwhelming stressed.

NHTSA ODI 11466451

The contact owned a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving approximately at 75-80 mph when another vehicle driving at high speeds crashed into the rear of the vehicle causing the vehicle to sway. The contact attempted to avoid crashing into another vehicle but crashed into a concrete divider. When the contact depressed the brake pedal, it failed to respond. As a result, the vehicle flipped over. During the incident, the seat let's failed to retract and secure the contact therefore he collided with the windshield during the impact. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to his back, ribs, and shoulder that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,100.

NHTSA ODI 11465105

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 30 mph during rainy weather, the contact was attempting to get into the right-hand lane out of the way of a speeding vehicle approaching from the rear. The brake warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the brake pedal failed to respond when depressed. As a result, she crashed into the rear of a vehicle in front which caused her vehicle to come to a stop. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact was injured by the impact hitting her head on the steering wheel. The contact stated that she was driven to the hospital by her husband where her injuries to her forehead were treated. The contact mentioned still having side effects from the accident, she suffers from migraine headaches. The vehicle was drivable, but that the vehicle engine began to stall at stop signs or traffic lights. The vehicle has been at the contact's residence for 4 months since the accident and was not drivable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11453416

On December 31, 2021, at approximately 12:30pm CST, I was driving my fathers 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe down I-94 in Michigan City/ LaPorte area of Indiana. In the vehicle was my father, my wife and my brother. I was driving at approximately 70-75 mph and I started hearing a rattling noise when I accelerated. It sounded as if the vehicle had a loose heat shield on the exhaust, so I didn't think too much of it. About 45-60 seconds after that, all the dash lights came on and I pulled off to the side of the highway. I turned the vehicle off and waited about 30 seconds and tried to start it back up, which it did not do. I then noticed smoke coming from under the hood, so I told everyone to get out of the vehicle and I popped the hood latch. I opened the hood and tried to determine where the smoke was coming from, however it was coming from under other parts in the engine, so I could determine what exactly was smoking. I then saw a flame. I told everyone to get back and I immediately called 911. Within 10-15 minutes, a firefighter pulled up in a pick-up truck. He assessed the situation and spoke with my father. Ten minutes after that, other firefighters showed up with an engine and extinguished the fire. By that time though, the fire had completely engulfed the entire front end of the vehicle. We spoke with the police officers after a short wait, a tow truck came and picked up the vehicle and we were picked up by other family members.

NHTSA ODI 11446081

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

NHTSA ODI 11438941

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that after driving the vehicle at 55 mph, the vehicle was parked for a few hours. When the contact attempted to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start up. The contact lifted the hood of the vehicle and noticed that there were ashes on the battery. The contact also stated that he noticed melted wiring around the abs system. The contact had the vehicle taken to the dealer who stated that the abs system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 19,755.

NHTSA ODI 11423557

[XXX] and is leasing the car. We received a notice of 8:18-cv-02223. I called the dealer for help. They promise to return my called to book a appointment .They never contacted me to fix the issue. The same week my fiancé was helping my sister move in Baltimore. When she returning home the car turned off in the meddle of the hi way. Other car where close to hit her. That when shecalled 911. When they arrived they notice she was few asthma attack to the situation. They where nice to ask me to wait inside of they state car. I was in the car for few minutes. When a officer came over to do the report. He asked for my documentation when suddenly she hurt a big impact in the officer car.Shewas having intense headache. She was transfer to the nearest emergency room.The incident is causing a-lot financial and health issues. One of the those issue is the car. The has done some repair but dint replace all parts. Now the car is having a house calling system leaking. We got in contact with the dealer. They dint offer solution but more problem. They dint want to provider another car while our gets fix. we only have one car and we depend of it. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11422466

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE PASSENGER’S SIDE TIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OIL FROM THE ENGINE WAS LEAKING ONTO THE BRAKES CAUSING THE SMOKE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS DAMAGED. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GOSSETT HYUNDAI SOUTH (2660 MT MORIAH RD, MEMPHIS, TN 38115) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RELATED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V226000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11416622