10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
80,010 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.

2014 Hyundai Santa Fe drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #27

Jan 022023

Santa Fe

  • miles

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

I was driving my 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS (Lambda II, V6 3.3L, 104k miles) late at night with my wife, daughter (age 2), and son (age 6 months). No notification lights alerted me to any problems. We missed our turn on the highway and had to drive through a neighborhood with a high crime volume. We stopped at a red light and the engine seized. When the light changed, I tried to start the car, but the engine wouldn't budge. We were stranded in the dark in a dangerous area. I said to my wife, "This is one of the worst places and times for a car to go kaput." Two good samaritans with car knowledge stopped to help. First, they tried charging the battery. No luck. Then they checked the oil. To our surprise, the oil tank was nearly empty (again, no notification lights alerted me, and we never saw leakage). We tried filling it with oil, hoping it might solve the engine seizure. No luck. I had it towed to my family's mechanic. Once he checked it, he immediately realized it needed replacement (once it turned on, it was making knocking sounds). He said a new engine would cost $10k-€"more than half of the car's value at the time of purchase. I called Hyundai corporate, and they said to bring it to my local dealer to get examined. They checked it and chose not to repair, giving a pretty nondescript reason for denial. They wouldn't give many details; they just said the motor suffered a mechanical failure, showed sludge, and needed to be replaced. They quoted me $9k for a USED engine. Later I learned that countless others have experienced the same problems with this vehicle. I'm preparing paperwork to seek help from higher-level Hyundai mechanics. I will update NHTSA if their response is helpful or not. I believe Hyundai and Kia are in deep water with many GDI engines from the last decade. Countless others have reported similar engine failures; a whole Facebook group documents it (FB search "Engine Failure- Kia/Hyundai"). Here's praying NHTSA swoops in and enforces a recall.

- St. Petersburg, FL, USA

problem #26

Nov 302021

Santa Fe

  • miles
Engine started to make a knocking noise right at 100k miles. We bought the car used with 78k miles on it and kept up with oil changes and tires. Once we noticed the noise we changed the oil again just to make sure everything was lubricated correctly. There were a lot of metal shavings in the oil and the noise just kept getting louder and louder so we stopped driving it and it has been sitting for about 9 months now and everyone we talk to says that the engine has blown. After looking into it, Hyundai has had many vehicles with this exact issue. This model and year needs to be covered under the engine recall that is for the Santa Fe sports and Sonatas.

- Perryville, MO, USA

problem #25

Jul 032022

Santa Fe

  • miles
While driving normally, suddenly the vehicle will jolt and the RPMs go down to zero despite the vehicle still moving. Even with the gas pedal pushed down to the floor, and being able to hear the engine 'vrooming', the vehicle will not increase speed. It is extremely dangerous to not be able to speed up when on a highway or interstate. The check engine light does not come on, the diagnostic at the dealership does not throw any codes and the issue is intermittent so no one knows how to fix it since they can't duplicate the problem on demand. Usually turning the car off and on will 'fix' the problem until it happens again out of nowhere. The vehicle is extremely unsafe; this has been happening on and off for months. We do have videos of this occurring; no one at the dealership or any friends who are mechanics have any idea of what is wrong.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

problem #24

Dec 262021

Santa Fe

  • miles

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

While driving on a busy highway on December 26th, 2021 the vehicles check engine light suddenly illuminated and began flashing. There was a sudden loss of power and unable to accelerate. No warning lamps or indications that a catastrophic failure was impending. This was an extremely dangerous situation that almost ended in a fatal accident with other drivers having to slow down and go around the car in "limp mode.". Today, on January 5th, 2022 the dealership informed us that this vehicle is part of a massive lawsuit and settlement due to defective engines in Hyundai and Kia vehicles that throw rod bearings and even catch fire. There is a claim currently pending with Hyundai to have this engine replaced. There is an estimated 3-4 week turnaround before having the vehicle returned to us. We're to wait 3-5 business days to determine if Hyundai will approve or deny the claim. It's hard to imagine they will based off of us being the original owners and receipts indicating all required maintenance. We're also expecting to have Hyundai to pay for a rental vehicle since there are no loaners available.

- Eldersburg, MD, USA

problem #23

Sep 172021

Santa Fe

  • miles
The Turbo failed and is not functional. I took the car in and found out that it needed to be replaced. They stated they would replace it but it would take a while since the turbo is currently on back order. I called every dealer in town to find out that the all had cars needed this part and that it would be a while before they get the part. One dealership advice me that he had a car since January. I think an investigation in regards to this matter is warranted. We felt something weird when we took it for an oil change. Weeks later when we went over the 100,000 mile mark, the check engine light turned on. We took it in right away.

- Orlando , FL, USA

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problem #22

Apr 102021

Santa Fe

  • miles
Hyuandi recalled Santa Fe 2.4L engines. Ignoring and refuses to acknowledge many 3.3L Santa Fe-€™s SAME engine failures as they have had lawsuits over. I-€™m reaching out AGAIN demanding investigations EVERY FAILED ENGINE REPORTED. Denying accountability For the safety of their customers! My engine blew driving onI-40 interstate. I was accelerating to pass a vehicle. During my attempted acceleration I lost all petal pressure and my foot went to the floor. The RPM-€™s spiked up 5-6k. the oil pressure escalated rapidly. My car seemingly stalled out. Losing ability to keep moving. What looked like steam coming out of the passenger side front wheel well. Assumed that was from a liquid hitting the hot brakes. After sitting for a few moments, I attempted to restart the vehicle. turning it off & it never came back on. Following failure to start back up. I checked the oil level. ALARMINGLY- it was completely dry. While inspecting the car on the side of the busiest highway! there was no large apparent leaks, where the oil would-€™ve run out. This is a direct display of the motor burning the oil over time. The Hyuandi dealership is responsible for the maintenance and my cars inability to run. As the oil-€™s mysterious disappearance is from a malfunction in the engine. the REASON my car ran out of oil. MONTHS prior to its mysterious disappearance the oil was changed & NO concerns of malfunction or failure to run, we-€™re reported after my maintenance by the SAME dealership who blames me. Denying the truth. Blaming me for -€œlack of servicing-€ the vehicle they serviced AND WAS NOT DUE OF ONE. Hyuandi-€™s ignoring their engine problem. Putting their customers and many other drivers lives AT RISK. and I-€™m highly disappointed in the service from both hyuandi, all dealerships, and the refusal to acknowledge THEIR responsibility for ME NO LONGER HAVING A RUNNING VEHICLE. Not offering a replacement engine. Expecting ME to drop $6,000 which is half the price of my cars value. I WANT ANSWERS!!!!!!!

- Marion, AR, USA

problem #21

Jun 022021

Santa Fe

  • 40,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 10 mph, the vehicle loss motive power. The contact stated that the ABS and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed but was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact was awaiting a response. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #20

Oct 012020

Santa Fe

  • 118,000 miles
All wheel drive system does not engage. Was told by Hyundai service team that this is a recurring problem in the Santa Fe and a very expensive fix. I myself have seen hundreds of people with this issue on various forums. Car only has 123,000 miles as of 12/21/2020

- Drums, PA, USA

problem #19

Nov 282020

Santa Fe

  • 85,000 miles
There is a significant leap or jerk when it shifts from 1st to 2nd gear. Seems to happen when the car is cold. I have taken it to the local Hyundai dealership that claimed it didn't do it when they drove it. After picking it up from them, the car ran beautifully for about two weeks. They don't claim to have done anything but from I can find out about this problem is that they reset the computer but it doesn't fix anything. This is a safety hazard. The car jerks violently when starting off at a stop light and jerks violently when it comes to a stop as downshifts. I have been able to make it stop when I put it in park, turn off the engine and then turn it back on. Seems to reset the computer and it's ok for a week. I believe Hyundai does know about this problem with the Santa Fe and the elantra. They just have not come up with an updated software program that will fix this hazardous situation. The other problem is the blind side detection becomes disabled when it is raining making that a hazardous situation as well.

- Pahoa, CA, USA

problem #18

Nov 212020

Santa Fe

  • 113,000 miles
11/21/2020 around 12 pm we were pulling out on to the highway in heavy Saturday traffic in between roswell and norcross. As we were accelerating to get onto the road the engine seized and we couldn't get the car to respond. The pedal was being pushed to the floor and the car wouldn't respond. There were no dashboard warning lights or any loud engine noises to say there was an issue. No smoke or steam. We were able to direct the car onto a side street but the car stopped in the middle of the side street. The car electronics started going crazy, the navigation screen and interior lights kept turning themselves on and off like it was a computer rebooting. We smelled something burning so I turned the car off and we got out of the car.. I let the car rest for a few minutes and tried to turn it back on so we could get it in to a safer position and get help but the car wouldn't restart. We even tried using the battery jumper box to try to get it restarted but it wouldn't respond. Had the car towed to the dealership. This car has a theta gdi engine that is currently part of a recall but when I look up my VIN the recall doesn't show up.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #17

Jul 062020

Santa Fe 4-cyl

  • 99,000 miles

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

When at highway speeds car will suddenly lose gears [go from 6th to 4th] and not be able to reach speeds above 60mph or get out of 4th gear. This has happened now 3 times in the last 3 weeks

- Manteca, CA, USA

problem #16

Jul 222019

Santa Fe

  • 1,222,532 miles
Stopped at red light. Everything shut off, engine would not start or engage.no warning lights took it to the dealer, where they said it was major engine failure and they had to contact Hyundai engineering. They could not tell what went wrong. Hyundai want to split the cost of repair because the car was not under warrenty. It now February, Hyundai has not admitted that they have an engine problem. They have try to replace the engine twice, only to have them fail. They now going to try a differnt engine type. It now time to replace car. I have an case # 16797233 with Hyundai customer service, which has not been very helpful

- Newhall, CA, USA

problem #15

Jan 132020

Santa Fe

  • 86,400 miles
Automatic gear not shifting properly when accelerating after coming to a complete loss stop. I had the same problem last year 2019 in the month of February. I took it to the Hyundai on jefferson ave ( newport news / Virginia). They found that it was an engine default for most of the 2014 model. The engine was replaced and not even a year I had the same problem again.

- Fort Leonard Wood, MO, USA

problem #14

Aug 112019

Santa Fe

  • 95,005 miles
First issue started when the car stalled 3 weeks ago coming off a highway exit ramp while waiting at light. Car stalled a second time while sitting in traffic shortly after. Then worked fine and had an oil change completed at the dealer on 8/2/19. On 8/11/19, car would not accelerate normally after proceeding from a red light on a state highway, check engine light came on and shortly after engine started making knocking noises that became louder after a few miles. Requested a tow truck to tow car to the dealership after noises and acceleration became extremely bad. Car dealer found metal shavings in oil pan and metal build up inside the engine. Long engine block replaced under power train warranty at 95,014 miles.

- Beachwood, NJ, USA

problem #13

Nov 012017

Santa Fe

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. While operating the vehicle, a knocking noise was heard coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to Suburban Hyundai (1814 maple lawn, troy, Michigan) where it was diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 17V226000 (engine) in 2017, but the failure persisted. In addition the contact stated that the gear shifter became stuck and was very difficult to switch from the park position. The failure would normally occur when the vehicle was not driven for several days. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 60,000.

- Rodchester Hills, MI, USA

problem #12

Oct 062017

Santa Fe

  • 50,000 miles
Vehicle stalls while sitting idling waiting at stop lights problem is intermittent and unpredictable. Engine shutters while idling as well. Vehicle loses ability to accelerate when this occurs requiring the driver to put the vehicle in park, turn the engine off, then restart the vehicle. Safety hazard in busy traffic. Additional issues with slippage sounds from the axels when turning corners. Problem may be linked to other open recalls involving manufacturer reported machine errors during the manufacturing process that causes premature bearing wear within the engine. The noted safety risk on other VIN numbered models within the same class is that it may cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash. This vehichle was just purchased from carmax Virginia three days ago. Issue was not obvious at the time of purchase. There were no open recalls for this VIN number at the time sale was made, but issue is quite present at 50,000 miles and I have contacted carmax to inform them of the issue. This particular problem seems consistent with all models of Hyundai manufactured around 2014. A national recall of the entire line should be considered to alert consumers and avoid unwanted purchases and or damaging accidents.

- Round Hill, VA, USA

problem #11

Sep 072017

Santa Fe

  • 27,000 miles
When making a left turn from a stop or rolling stop and you press hard on the accelerator the engine does not rev up and the hesitation of a second or two can leave you stranded in a lane of traffic.

- Clare, MI, USA

problem #10

Mar 132017

Santa Fe

  • 85,000 miles
Car will not start in the morning, dead battery, have to use battery charger every night. Car emits white smoke. When on freeway car will not go above 60mph, seems like it is in limp mode.

- Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA

problem #9

Oct 252014

Santa Fe

  • 11,922 miles
2014 Hyundai Santa Fe sport, less then 12,000 miles purchased new 5/10/14. At less then 2000 miles discovered no coolant in reservoir. 6 weeks after delivery back up camera replaced. On 10/18/2014 while shifting into reverse extreme loud noise in front of hood on driver side, navigation system goes black simultaneously. Cochran advised safe to drive cannot service car until 10/29/2014. Saturday 10/25/2014 while in park with engine off and no one in auto it rolls back causing over $6000 in damages. After 15 months, Hyundai expert mechanics insist auto is mechanically safe but cannot explain the loud noise this is the second filing on this car.

- Irwin, PA, USA

problem #8

Oct 252014

Santa Fe

  • 11,922 miles
2014 Hyundai Santa Fe sport, less then 12,000 miles purchased new 5/10/14. At less then 2000 miles discovered no coolant in reservoir. 6 weeks after delivery back up camera replaced. On 10/18/2014 while shifting into reverse extreme loud noise in front of hood on driver side, navigation system goes black simultaneously. Cochran advised safe to drive cannot service car until 10/29/2014. Saturday 10/25/2014 while in park with engine off and no one in auto it rolls back causing over $6000 in damages. After 15 months, Hyundai expert mechanics insist auto is mechanically safe but cannot explain the loud noise this is the second filing on this car.

- Irwin, PA, USA

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