CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe has a problem with the engine stalling while driving. Both our data & the NHTSA's complaint data show a significant defect trend at low mileage.

In a 2-page letter to owners in August 2014, Hyundai claims the engine stalling only occurs under a "specific set of operating conditions".

However a class action lawsuit filed around the same time details multiple claims from Sante Fe owners that claim the engine stalling happens at any time, under any conditions.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 11
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
66,455 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Hyundai Santa Fe engine problems

engine problem

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2012 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner Comments (Page 3 of 11)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #178

Feb 272021

Santa Fe

  • 106,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated his son was driving 55 mph when he heard a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The driver pulled the vehicle over to the side of the roadway and had the vehicle towed to findlay Hyundai St. George (1405 South, sunland dr, St. George, ut 84790, (435) 688-7272) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the connecting rod failure caused the engine to be damaged. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #177

Apr 212021

Santa Fe

  • 96,128 miles
I went grocery shopping on wed April 21,2021 came out tried starting my 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe and it wouldn't start I proceeded to try again and it started making this high pitched noise, peaked out really loud a puff of smoke came out from underneath my hood and the car was completely dead. I had it towed to my mechanic where he replaced the starter thinking that was the problem which it wasn't he informed me the engine was seized up. I then had the Santa Fe towed to the Hyundai dealership where it was purchased new from the original owner all service from day one has been done at this Hyundai dealership we bought this car knowing the service records and history of car we also knew it came with a 10 year 100000 mile drive train warranty. Motor failed at 96128, would of been covered under manufactures drive train warranty if I was original owner I was told. After doing research we have discovered this is a common problem with the Hyundai Santa Fe motors locking up. Service writer advised us to contact Hyundai directly which I did my case #18222696 was told someone would call me within 3-5 business days which I haven't heard from anyone.

- Indialantic, FL, USA

problem #176

Feb 172021

Santa Fe

  • 140,000 miles
Riding on a 6 lane very busy highway when engine on my 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe just quit. Only very lucky we were able to move over to the right lane. Cars were flying past, and right lane traffic had to stop to keep from rear ending us. I called police dept to send a car with blue light to help keep us from being hit. Also called tow truck to move us to dealership. Received a letter from Hyundai Corp. Stating my car was in the recall for bearing damage. Informed the Hyundai dealership, modern Hyundai of concord, N.C. of receiving this letter. That was (10 )weeks ago. Still waiting on modern Hyundai to service my car. They keep telling me the Corp office is requesting mor E photos of the damage. Been hearing that same line for over 3 weeks now. Just keep giving us the runaround. They should have enough pictures to make a movie by now. This has been the most scariest situation, and the most disparaging I have ever dealt with.

- Kannapolis, NC, USA

problem #175

Apr 122021

Santa Fe

  • 60,519 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine). The contact took the vehicle to brown Hyundai of Laredo (2420 jacaman rd, Laredo, tx 78041) for the recall repair. Upon retrieving the vehicle, there was a leak underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was later diagnosed and the contact was informed that the map sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 60,519.

- Laredo, TX, USA

problem #174

Feb 282021

Santa Fe

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds there was an abnormal clicking noise detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the failure was due to the engine and referred contact to a local dealer. The vehicle was towed to rosen Hyundai of algonquin (771 S randall rd, algonquin, il 60102, (847) 854-6700) but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

- West Chicago, IL, USA

problem #173

Feb 182021

Santa Fe

  • 120,000 miles
My daughter was traveling on the freeway I-80 and 60 miles outside of laramie Wyoming, the engine made clunking noises the the car slowed down and she pulled over to side of I 80 this was 18 Feb 2021. She was towed to laramie tire and auto repair. They let us know they found metal shaving in the oil and oil filter and thought it was the lower engine berring that failed. And the engine would need to replaced or rebuilt at a cost of $5500 to $45000. We had the oil changed before she left on the trip to ca. After I complained to Hyundai by email then they sent me a notice of safety recall for her car. Which I got on the 3 April 2021. We owned the car since may of 2019 and did not get this notice in the 2 years we owned it. Now after a total loss of the car we paid $7,000 in May 2019, she traded it in, they would only give her $65 trade in to get another used car. If we would have had this safety recall before the engine failed all this could have been avoided. I am very disapointed in Hyundai and their notification of the safety recall.

- Bloomington, MN, USA

problem #172

Dec 272020

Santa Fe 4-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. Consumer writes in regards to engine malfunction. The consumer stated the engine failed while driving. The consumer were stranded out of state. The manufacturer was contacted but, did not offer any assistance.

- Green Bay, WI, USA

problem #171

Mar 162021

Santa Fe

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that a rod had gone through the engine block and the engine needed to be replaced. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure and was informed to take the vehicle to a Hyundai dealer as the vehicle was impacted by the recall. The contact contacted conicelli Hyundai (1208 ridge pike, conshohocken, pa 19428) and was informed that the remedy was not yet available. The failure mileage was 90,000.

- Devon, PA, USA

problem #170

Dec 292020

Santa Fe

  • 69,999 miles
Was driving around 20mph on a service road, when I heard a loud noise from under the hood. All the dash lights turned on and the truck shut off. No power steering and no power brakes. I put transmission in neutral and coasted towards side of the road. Tried to start, but nothing happened when I turned the key. Had towed to dealership. They said total engine failure. 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe 3.5 liter 2wd. 69,900 miles. 10year/100K mile warranty. Original owner. All maint. Has been performed. They are declining warranty due to "exceptional maintenance neglect". we have provided them with all the documation. They declined it twice. Now I'm being shoved off to Hyundai lawyers.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #169

Oct 012020

Santa Fe

  • 144,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine). The contact stated while starting the vehicle there was an abnormal odor of smoke. The detected local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000. VIN tools confirms parts not available.

- Fayette, AL, USA

problem #168

Jan 262021

Santa Fe

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact experienced a knocking sound and oil leaking from the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Omaha, NE, USA

problem #167

Mar 022021

Santa Fe

  • 120,000 miles
The rod bearing went out in my 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe with no warning.

- Largo, FL, USA

problem #166

Mar 012020

Santa Fe

  • miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that an abnormal humming noise would intermittently emit from the engine upon start-up, without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact then received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Canton, OH, USA

problem #165

Feb 172021

Santa Fe

  • 146,000 miles
Driving my 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe, on harris blvd. In charlotte a multi 6 lane road. Tried to speed up to move into the center lane when everything died. Motor shut down with traffic zooming by. No warning of any kind. Was able to coast into far right lane, where we sat scared to death someone was going to plow into us. Car would not restart. Called police to sit behind us with blue light, and called tow truck. Had car towed to Hyundai dealer, who later reported engine was seized, and would cost $7600 for a used engine. I had received a recall campaign 198, id 20V746000 notice just days before this mishap, but dealer knew nothing about a recall. Even though it is all over the internet. My wife and I came very close to a disaster that day because of a known motor defect for this model and Hyundai continues to state remedy not availlable. Guess they're waiting on someone to get killed, which is going to happen.

- Kannapolis, NC, USA

problem #164

Dec 152020

Santa Fe 4-cyl

  • 116,125 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and could not be restarted. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who informed him that the engine had thrown a rod. The mechanic immediately linked the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine). The contact called lakeland Hyundai (1500 w. memorial blvd, lakeland, fl 33815) and holler Hyundai (1150 orlando ave, winter park, fl 32789) and was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was then referred to the manufacturer who also informed him that the vehicle was not under recall. The contact was then referred to NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 116,125.

- Apopka, FL, USA

problem #163

Jan 112021

Santa Fe 4-cyl

  • 98,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 65 mph, there was an abnormally loud knocking coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and waited a little while before restarting the vehicle and continued driving to her destination. The contact arrived her destination and then decided to have the vehicle towed back to her residence. The contact later drove the vehicle to the local dealer advantage Hyundai (440 plainview rd, hicksville, NY 11801) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

- Bethpage, NY, USA

problem #162

Dec 082020

Santa Fe 4-cyl

  • 150,000 miles
I was informed by Hyundai in December 2020 that their was an important safety recall on my 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe (VIN: [xxx]). the notice stated that his was very important and needed to be fixed because it could cause a crash. It is now the end of February and I have still not been contacted with a remedy. This is unacceptable. They should just replace the whole motor rather than risking our lives unnecessarily. We purchased the car new expecting that Hyundai would use the highest quality parts. Apparently they did not. We want Hyundai to resolve this safety risk immediately. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Wamego, KS, USA

problem #161

Feb 012021

Santa Fe

  • miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

problem #160

Sep 132020

Santa Fe

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle start to make an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine. The vehicle started shaking. The contact pulled the vehicle to side of the roadway, turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the failure persisted. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure, and stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

- Colorado Spring, CO, USA

problem #159

Oct 212020

Santa Fe

  • 112,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph and approaching a stop sign, the vehicle began to shake with an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact coasted the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway and turned off the vehicle off. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact contacted her husband who arrived and haul the vehicle on a trailer back to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired nor diagnosed. Bay Lincoln (641 w 15th St, panama city, fl 32401, (850) 785-1591) was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Ponce De Leon, FL, USA

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