Dec 9, 2024Electrical systemFire
The vehicle seat caught fire overnight, Sept 26th, and was discovered the morning of Sept 27th 2024. The fire was contained to inside the vehicle and melted parts of the driver seat and lower part of steering wheel. The vehicle interior was covered in orange dust and had extremely toxic smell inside. Insurance 3rd party inspected and declared it a total loss. A few weeks later, a neighbor and fellow Hyundai SantaFe owner mentioned that he had heard of an issue with the Santa Fe catching fire. With this new information, I called Hyundai to alert them. Hyundai opened an investigation, but closed the claim since the 3rd party that declared it a total loss had already sold it as salvage. They also denied any recalls pertaining to my specific vehicle or knowledge that electrical fire was a potential issue for this model and year. There was a recall for a tow hitch that lead to fires....but mine did not have a tow hitch. Obvious concern is that this could be a wider issue than just 1 vehicle and lives and property of those owners and others could be at significant risk.
NHTSA ODI 11629667
May 18, 2023Electrical systemBrakesEngineCrash1 injury
On Thursday, May 11, 11:45 am, I experienced a distressing incident at Moulton Elementary School in Laguna Niguel, CA, 92677. my car was parked near the school building, with the engine turned off and the gear set to park. I was there to pick up my children, and at that time, nobody was inside the vehicle. Unexpectedly, my car started moving backward as if in neutral gear, despite being in park mode. I estimate I was approximately 10 feet from the vehicle in front of the school building. The situation was alarming because numerous children were nearby, which could have resulted in a tragedy. Thankfully, no one was injured or hit by the moving vehicle. Instinctively, I attempted to stop the car by using my entire body to push against it. Unfortunately, my efforts were unsuccessful, and as a result, I sustained severe back pain. I have been on bed rest for the past five days due to the discomfort caused by the incident. Subsequently, the vehicle collided with another car, which belonged to a teacher. The incident shocked everyone, and the reason behind the car's unexpected movement remains unclear. Later, I discovered through online research that my car was actually on the recall list, but I had not been informed of this beforehand. As a result of the incident, we contacted the police, and they arrived at the scene can confirm that the car was indeed in park gear during the incident. It is vital to investigate this matter thoroughly to determine the cause of the vehicle's accidental movement and prevent future accidents. I hope that this statement provides a clear account of the accident that occurred at Moulton Elementary School. I strongly urge authorities and the involved parties to take immediate action to address the issues surrounding my car's movement and prevent any similar incidents from happening again.
NHTSA ODI 11522585