What 235 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Hev

The car was being driven by our daughter south on Interstate 75 in Florida when the engine seized. It just froze. All power was lost while in the middle lane. Our daughter had to glide into the shoulder using only the momentum of the vehicle and carefully avoid traffic. The car was towed to our local mechanic who found nothing wrong with the battery, starter, alternator or oil. The oil was in fact checked prior to the trip that day. I called our local Hyundai dealer who stated that this was a "known problem". He also added that the engine would probably have to be replaced and he had "10 cars in front of mine that needed engine replacements." We are still waiting for Hyundai Corporate to agree to the repair. The vehicle only has 47,000 miles on it and has the balance of the drive train warranty. We are without a car and are currently renting a vehicle so that we can have transportation. I have no idea why this vehicle and others like it have not been recalled. This is an extremely dangerous problem with these cars. The driver, our daughter , could have been in a dangerous accident.

NHTSA ODI 11528412

On July 26, 2021, I purchased a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe SE. I purchased the vehicle with 90,168 miles on it, a current inspection, and a 3,000 bumper-to-bumper warranty. It has a 6 cylinder 3.3L engine. Since then, I’ve put 38,266 miles on it, and it’s ran without a problem. I’ve done all preventative maintenance, made my oil changes mostly around when needed in accordance with mechanics, and overall maintained the car as per recommended. On March 25, 2023, I was driving to work, and I felt a sudden loss of acceleration. I heard a knocking that I hadn’t heard before, yet no lights came on. No check engine light, no oil pressure light. My dashboard was not indicative of any problem. I ended up getting it towed to my personal mechanic, who was able to tell me that although the engine hasn’t seized up yet, it was surely not far from it. I was also informed that it was nearly empty. Now, I’ve had oil changes before and at no point has any mechanic, including those at my Hyundai dealership ever told me that I was short on oil. I had no puddles anywhere, at home or at work. I’ve had no smoke emissions from the vehicle to indicate that it was burning oil. To this day…I don’t know where 5 quarts of oil went out of my engine in two weeks. It is my belief that the only way this amount of oil could just vanish out of thin air is a glaring engine defect leading to near-catastrophic engine failure.

NHTSA ODI 11528130

As I was driving home from work at night on May 4, my engine suddenly started making noises, then the engine light started flashing and the engine stopped working and I had to coast to the side of the road. I had to get it towed back to my residence late at night. I had an independent mechanic verify the catastrophic engine failure. To date the vehicle has not been repaired due to the high cost and unavailable replacement engines.

NHTSA ODI 11527883

I was driving and all of a sudden my car quit sounded like a belt broke so I coasted to Thackers Repair and he told me a rod went right through the side of the engine so I would need a new engine. I had my oil changed every 3000 miles there was no reason for this, and I did not receive any recalls.

NHTSA ODI 11527443

Engine oil consumption is outrageous. I am having to add oil every 200-300 miles. Just had an oil change in march and have had to add oil twice. There is a recall on the 2013-2015 models for the Santa Fe and 2011-2019 for the Santa Fe sport but the 2016 model that I have is not included in this recall. The recall is specifically for engine oil consumption issues which is exactly what I am having but Hyundai wont issue a recall for the 2016 model unless it is the sport. Very frustrated and potentially going to have to spend thousands of dollars for a new motor since mine is starting to have issues related to excessive oil consumption.

NHTSA ODI 11527254

I left my house and vehicle was perfectly fine. NEVER any warning lights since I owned the vehicle. It was not due for an oil change. I was traveling about 60 mph and after about 5 miles, vehicle just stopped running. At that point, I looked at dash and all the lights were on and vehicle was completely unresponsive. No steering, brakes, nothing. I was able to drift off of road and that was it. Tried one time to restart it and nothing. Had it towed to hyundai dealer and first they said it was the starter and today, after being there for a month, they said engine had seized.

NHTSA ODI 11526707

Car lost power/pressure will not accelerate and has an engine knock

NHTSA ODI 11523513

While driving my Santa Fe sport I have an issue with loss of power when accelerating. I was getting on the freeway and attempting to merge with freeway traffic. When I was pressing the gas to accelerate the car the RPM's rose but my speed would not. I had to pull off as my vehicle could not get up to speed. It has happened twice now and only when trying to get on the freeway. No warning lamps. It is terrifying and dangerous. My Santa Fe engine was replaced around 84,000 for the failed engine issue it has about 134,000 (50,000 on new engine) now. I am concerned that this engine is possibly defective as well. My MPG has declined and now this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11523321

2016 Sante fe and this is not the first engine I seen go back I seen 2011 ,2012 ….. and this one 2016 happen to me. Had oil oil change done have record of it but no sign engine just blow

NHTSA ODI 11521351

This is an ongoing SAFETY ISSUE. We purchased this 2016 Hyundai SantaFe Sport used in July 07, 2022 with 98493 miles on speedometer. 30 days give or take after purchasing I checked the oil and no oil was showing on the dip stick even though the dealer we purchased the car from had changed the oil prior to selling the car. I had to add 3 1/2 quarts of oil to show on the dip stick to the first mark. I then started checking oil frequently and to date am using oil at a rate of approx. 1 quart of oil every 256 miles. On 1/19/2023 I went to my local Hyundai dealer (Jenkins Hyundai) in Bridgeport WV and informed them of the problem. The Service Writer checked the car and offered to run an Oil Consumption Survey for 1,200 to verify oil usages. On 2/23/2023 I checked the oil and found it just touching the dip stick, notified the Dealer and they said to being it in so they could add the oil during the Test. Dealership added 2.06 quarts of oil and INFORMED ME THAT HYUNDAI DENIED PA REQUEST GIVEN THAT THE VEHICLE OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. Hyundai dealer would not continue with the oil test as Hyundai Corporate wouldn't pay for labor and parts. As reported in social media, TV news, newsprint, etc. Hyundai and Kia have millions of engines with oil consumption safety issues that are catching fire, blowing engines, stranding owner/drivers in the middle of the highway, and the list goes on. The trade-in and resale value of Hyundai/Kia vehicles has diminished/reduced in value to................ I and millions of HYUNDAI/KIA owners/drivers are asking for the NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADM. (NHTSA) to please investigate and issue a RECALL for all HYUNDAI/KIA products with an oil consumption problem. Thank You.

NHTSA ODI 11520741

The engine in the vehicle is a DGI engine which Hyundai has had problems with in other vehicles. The bearings on the engine are damaged and the engine is failing. It can no longer be driven because the engine could fail as it is being driven.

NHTSA ODI 11519650

Car began to misfire. Took it to the dealership and found that it didn't have any oil in it even I just had the oil changed less than 2,000 miles before. The timing was out and the valves were bent causing the misfiring. All of this is because it was burning oil without any indication or warning. This engine has less than 100,000 miles and Hyundai won't claim this on warranty even though they have a 100,000 mile warranty on there vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11519651

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is using excessive oil. Three days after getting a fresh oil change, I have to add oil to my vehicle. It continually has a fire burning smell. I've taken to a certified Hyundai facility; however, I'm always turned around and told you'll have to replace your engine soon.

NHTSA ODI 11512945

On feb 18 2023 headed southbound on i75 I had my cruise control set at 70 and was cruiseing when I heard a loud hiss and seen smoke come from under the hood, I decreased speed and heard a loud bang and more smoke, when the vehicle stopped I stepped out and found all the oil from the engine on the ground under the car. After having it towed I looked under the car and found a large hole in the engine block.

NHTSA ODI 11508145

My engine exploded while traveling on the interstate. Apparently a rod failed and blew a hole through the engine and though the oil pan.

NHTSA ODI 11503505

My car has never had any real problems the whole 2 years I’ve had it, until one day suddenly it started making a minor sounding knocking noise and as I was driving it in the same day trying to get home the sound got worse and worse and then it stopped. Oil light came on and it was smoking only for a minute. A rod had come out from the bottom of the motor and knocked all my oil out . I’ve been told it automatically needs a new motor but costs $10,000! I know I am not the only person who has had a problem with a Hyundai motor.

NHTSA ODI 11503253

Similar to the other Hyundai issues the car was driving just fine down the road and coming through to an intersection lost all power suddenly. Similar thing happened with my Sonata with the connecting rod failure. Happened coming into a busy intersection that drops from 65 mph to 35 mph and is also an intersection lots of tractor trailors and garbarge trucks are drving through which could have resulted in a very bad accident. Took the vehicle to manufacturer and they are refusing to replace it even with the class action lawsuit settlement.

NHTSA ODI 11502525

Motor fundido

NHTSA ODI 11502527

I bought vehicle with 109,000 miles engine blew with 111,000 miles. It needs a new engine. This is the 3.3 v6 engine and it is out of warranty

NHTSA ODI 11492200

My wife and I were driving home from a road trip when all of a sudden the engine starts making a weird noise. No lights were on the dash and I was 5 min from a family members, so we drove there. We checked our oil and realized that there was none in the engine. My car only had 120,000 on it and we've taken it to the dealership for all oil changes and have purchased every recommended package to keep the car in tip top shape. The dealer service center said they had three cars in right now trying to get new engines.

NHTSA ODI 11489484

I was at a stop light and turned right onto the road. As I was turning, the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. And then the car stopped running. I was able to pull into a parking lot NOTE: THIS IS THE 2nd ENGINE THAT HAS FAILED ON MY CAR. Additionally, I’ve just learned there was a recall and I was never informed of it prior to today.

NHTSA ODI 11488104

Engine was using oil. Then dropped all engine oil, made noise then locked up.

NHTSA ODI 11486807

The engine control module (CPU) failed and at first the car experienced random warning lights thatwhen placed on diagnostic computer, no codes were noted. the next issue was a strong gasoline smell in the cabin. the cpu read this as a faulty fuel pressure regulator. when a second code pull was done it was reported as evaporator canister failure requires changing. The problem was in fact a leaking fuel injector rail and two injectors with defective improperly seated "O" rings. Explainig the gas smell and poor milage. "Ms. G" owns the 2016 santa fe sport with 2.0 GDI motor. There are about 80K miles The intermittent warning lights became and issue during the annual inspection/tag renewal. the DMV inspector saw the traction control, ABS, incline parking brake light and the service engine soon warnings intending to fail the car after the problemwas explained he connected his code reader, and found no codes. About April of 2022, a recal notice was recieved noting especially the 2,0 GDI MOTOR. I explained everything to the Huyndai rep. who informed me that the recall was directly related to the matters we discussed. When i described the final episode where the motor simply shut off. I explained it was towed to my shop ,again placed ot the full spectrum scanner / computer. At this time a complete systems diagnostic was preformed, ignition on - motor not running, including a complete sensor check. It was during this portion of the testing that I noticed that asensor was not reporting any data, or the existance of an oil pressure sensor. Now the ignition switch was then turned on/off the designated number of times and the car was started and a definite knock was detected. Ms. G is by no means uninformed regarding automobiles her parents restored several vintage Jags, And a 1966 330GTS Ferrari.The point being had she had any warning the vehicle was low on oil she would have checked and added as needed. In the end the Hyundai rep assured us the engine replacement was free.

NHTSA ODI 11485975

On 3/20/22 I had my car towed to Jenkins Hyundai due to mechanical issues with no prior warning. So basically, I was driving home and noticed that my temperature gauge showed in the hot zone. At no time did any lights on the dashboard come on to notify that the engine was overheating. My vehicle is a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe with only 120k miles with regular maintenance performed. At no time did any dashboard lights come on to notify that there was a issues (problem one). Additionally, prior to this I had just had my vehicle serviced at the dealership at 117k miles in which a vehicle inspection was performed. Upon Hyundai looking at the mechanical issues they stated that they found RH Head Gasket leaking into combustion chamber and upon disassembly found 3 head bolts loose and pulled threads out of the block. All block threads were found to be compromised. Lucky my car was towed to the dealership because with the head bolts loose and coming out of the engine could have lead to a more serious injury. Seems that this is a mechanical defect in the engine.

NHTSA ODI 11483923

The engine stopped while driving on a back road. There were no lights or warnings. The car is now at the dealership for diagnosis.

NHTSA ODI 11482993