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

VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY BURNED IN A SKI AREA PARKING LOT IN MAINE. FIRE STARTED AT REAR LEFT (DRIVER'S SIDE) OF CAR. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES IN THE MORNING AND PARKED FOR OVER 4 HOURS WHEN LOCAL POLICE AND FIRE WERE NOTIFIED OF A CAR BURNING. BY THE TIME I RETURNED TO THE CAR, THE FIRE HAD BEEN EXTINGUISHED. ALTHOUGH NO CAUSE OF ORIGIN WAS DETERMINED, IT APPEARS THE FIRE IGNITED FROM AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE IN THE REAR LEFT. THE BACK HALF OF THE VEHICLE WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED. MUCH OF MY PERSONAL PROPERTY WAS SALVAGEABLE AND ANY BAGS WHICH BURNED/MELTED DID SO FROM THE OUTSIDE IN, A FURTHER INDICATION THAT THE VEHICLE FIRE STARTED WITH A VEHICLE ISSUE. IT WAS THE FIRST DAY THE CAR EXPERIENCED ABOVE FREEZING TEMPS IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS. I NOTE THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS A CANADA ONLY RECALL OF 2013 HYUNDAI SANTA FES FOR RISK OF FIRE WHEN SALT GRIME ENTERS THE REAR PARKING SENSORS (WHICH MY VEHICLE HAD) AND SHORT CIRCUITS - IT APPEARS THE RISK OF FIRE DUE TO THIS ISSUE CAN OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND OFF. FORTUNATELY, NOBODY WAS HURT AND ONLY MY PERSONAL PROPERTY WAS IMPACTED - THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY HOUSE GARAGE, A HOTEL GARAGE, WHILE DRIVING, ETC. A THREE YEAR OLD CAR BURNING FOR NO APPARENT REASON, SEEMS LIKE A POTENTIAL PUBLIC SAFETY RISK, AND SHOULDN'T HAPPEN TO A CAR OF ANY AGE. HAPPENED IN A SMALL RURAL AREA - NO FIRE DEPT REPORT, POLICE SAID THEY WOULD WRITE A REPORT BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED. THE CAR IS CONSIDERED A WRITE-OFF BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. FOLLOWING IS A LINK TO THE CDN RECALL INFO: HTTP://WWW.AUTOFOCUS.CA/NEWS-EVENTS/LATEST-RECALLS/HYUNDAI-RECALLS-13-700-SUVS-FOR-FIRE-RISK

NHTSA ODI 11065937

DRIVING IN THE FAR LEFT LANE ON THE INTERSTATE AT ROUGHLY 55 MPH I ATTEMPTED TO AVOID A DRIFTING CAR AS I CORRECTED THE STEERING WHEEL AND ACCELERATOR FAILED TO RESPOND. AS A RESULT I STRUCK A VEHICLE STOPPED ON THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE. THE AIRBAGS IN THE OTHER VEHICLE DEPLOYED. THE AIRBAGS IN MY VEHICLE DID NOT DEPLOY. THE FRONT END COLLISION WAS BAD ENOUGH THAT THE SUV WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. THE ADJUSTER ALSO FOUND THAT THE FIREWALL HAD SPLIT AND APPEARED TO BE FAULTY. DUE TO THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING DURING THE COLLISION I SUFFERED A CONCUSSION AND VARIOUS OTHER INJURIES AS WELL AS LOSS OF HOURS AT WORK, LOSS OF PAY, MEDICAL BILLS AND EXPENSES IN ADDITION TO OWNING MONEY ON MY CAR LOAN AS THE INSURANCE DID NOT COVER THE COST OF THE LOAN.

NHTSA ODI 10971940

WHILE DRIVING HOME, MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE CLUNKING NOISES, WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF EXITING THE HIGHWAY, FOR SAFETY REASONS, THE CAR CUT OFF ON THE EXIT RAMP. BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE; A PASSERBY SHOUTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE THE POLICE WERE ON THE SCENE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP TO AWAIT A TOW TO MY PLACE OF RESIDENCE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10949004

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE ROAD ABOUT NOON ON DEC. 22. THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 70. I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. I WAS NOT TURNING, JUST GOING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AS THE GLASS SUNROOF SHATTERED AND FELL IN ON MY DAUGHTER AND ME. THERE WAS NO OTHER CAR NEAR ME. NOTHING HIT MY CAR. I CALLED HYUNDAI WAS TOLD THAT IT WASN'T COVERED BY THEM AND WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY TO HAVE FIXED. I WAS STUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH THE GLASS LITERALLY FALLING IN ON US. I CLOSED THE COVER AND WE DROVE VERY SLOWLY (ABOUT 15 MILES) TO A PLACE WHERE WE COULD VACUUM UP THE GLASS. IT WAS IN BOTH THE FRONT AND BACK SEATS. WE CUT OUR HANDS TRYING TO CLEAN IT UP BUT WE HAD NO CHOICE. THE GLASS CONTINUED TO FALL AS WE DROVE AND RAIN WAS PREDICTED. WE HAD TO DO OUR BEST TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE IT ANOTHER 30 MILES TO PLACE TO GET IT WORKED ON. IT'S BEEN 24 DAYS (YES, RENTAL CAR FEES!) AND I STILL AND WAITING ON MY CAR. I DON'T WANT THE SUNROOF ANY LONGER BECAUSE I'M SCARED IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN BUT I THINK I'M STUCK WITH IT. THE MAN AT THE REPAIR PLACE BELIEVES IT WAS A FAULTY PRESSURE REGULATOR. I DON'T HAVE ANY RECEIPTS FOR THE REPAIRS YET BECAUSE I STILL DON'T HAVE MY CAR BACK. IT WAS VERY SCARY AND NOT SURE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO SOMEONE DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY IF THIS OCCURS.

NHTSA ODI 10820253

I WAS DRIVING EAST TO AN AVE, BUT ANOTHER DRIVER HIT ME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN THE DRIVER HIT MY CAR WE SPINNED HALF WAY. THE PASSENGER SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE GOT HURT ON HER ARM. THE ACCIDENT WAS SORT OF BIG. THE CAR DOOR ON PASSENGER SIDE AND THE DOOR BEHIND THE PASSENGER WAS DENTED IN. GETTING HIT THAT HARD SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED THE AIRBAG AND THE HYUNDAI EMERGENCY CALLING SYSTEM. HOWEVER NONE OF THEM WERE WORKING WHEN THE CAR WAS HIT. ACCORDING TO HYUNDAI THEY HAVE MORE AIRBAGS THAN ANY OTHER COMPANIES BUT EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE MORE, THE AIRBAG DIDNT DEPLOY WHICH MADE THE PASSENGERS ARM GET HURT. ALSO THE DRIVERS KNEE GOT HURT EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A SO CALLED "AIRBAG." HYUNDAI SANTA FE DID NOT DO WHAT IS MEANT FOR ITS SAFETY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10595718