What 191 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Hev

The contact owned a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that as his daughter was driving at 20 MPH on the highway, she depressed the brake pedal, the brakes failed to respond, and the vehicle started to smoke from the engine and into the cabin. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's daughter then tried to depress the brake pedal again, and the contact's daughter then jumped out of the vehicle on the ramp. The vehicle was coming down on the intersection unoccupied, engulfed in smoke, initially hitting a stop sign and then another unknown sign and sequentially coming to a stop. The contact then saw the vehicle at the hillside engulfed with fire and smoke and tried to break a window, however, the contact heard his daughter and stopped. The Fire Department and Police Department were on scene and extinguished the remaining of the fire and the hillside. The origin of the fire was on the engine. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was consumed by the fire and the remainder were taken to Lenzi Automotive. The contact was the only occupant in the vehicle and sustained scrapes and bruises to her elbow, finger, right thigh, buttocks, and back rib that require medical attention. The failure mileage was approximately 77,200.

NHTSA ODI 11648747

I HAD RENTED A HYUNDAI SANTE FE IN SEPTEMBER 2019. I HAD THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW WEEKS WITH NO ISSUES UNTIL I DROVE OVER THE MOUNTAINS. I HAD PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND WAS LOOKING TO PARK, COASTING THROUGH THE PARKING LOT, I THEN BACKED UP AND FOUND A PARKING SPOT. I WAS TURNING RIGHT IN AT A VERY SLOW SPEED, A VIRTUAL CRAWL INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN IT SUDDENLY REVS ITS ENGINE AND BEGAN ACCELERATING OUT OF CONTROL JUMPING OVER THE FRONT PARKING CURB AND SLAMMING INTO A CHAIN LINK FENCE. THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT STOP, I PUMPED THE BRAKES TO STOP AND WHEN IT WOULD NOT STOP, I QUICK SLAMMED THE VEHICLE INTO THE PARK POSITION TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM HITTING A TRACKER AND CAUSING FURTHER DAMAGE OR INJURY. I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE AGENT AND THEN I CONTACTED ENTERPRISE RENTAL COMPANY IN BEND OREGON. I WAS ON HOLD FOR ROUGHLY 30 MIN. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS THEY KNEW OF AND THEY ADVISED ME TO CONTACT THEIR TOW COMPANY AND HAVE IT TOWED TO THE AIRPORT IN REDMOND OREGON TO SWITCH OUT THE VEHICLES. I RESEARCHED ON MY OWN AND FOUND THAT THEIR WAS A SIMILAR INCIDENT IN LAS VEGAS, NV REPORTED IN JANUARY 31ST, 2018. THIS INCIDENT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE ISG MAY BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS CASE.

NHTSA ODI 11302893