2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints

ENGINE — Filed 07/12/2026

Driving on highway no warning lights appeared the car made a loud pop noise and heavy smoke appeared from under the hood. Immediately pulled over and noticed all of the oil poured out and was nasty looking. The car was up to date on oil change. My car was towed home and bone dry no oil and no coolant the engine now had loud knocking and needs to be replaced for failure. The car was looked at by independent mechanic. Miles on the car are 152010. I had no warnings and up until the issues the car was serviced and cared for.

ENGINE — Filed 05/28/2026

I was driving down the road ( a busy Farm to market road) and my car lost power and died. Luckily i got off of the road. I tried to start the car again, but it kept dying. I had my son in law come help me move the car to a friends house so that I could get it to the dealership. It was after hours. I regularly get my oil changed and when my SIL checked the oil there was none on the dipstick. My SIL put oil in the car. My car was coming up on being due for a oil change. I am a single woman close to 50 yrs old and take my car in for maintenance. I then had my car towed to the local dealership to have an assessment done to find out what the issues is. The dealership reported that the timing was off and that bank 1 and 2 of the camshaft needs replaced. There is a known issue with the engine of this car doing the exact same thing my car did. There were no warning lights on to indicate a problem with the car. I inherited the car for my Mother In Law that passed away. She bought the car brand new and had it serviced regularly.

ENGINE — Filed 05/08/2026

The engine failed due to complete and sudden oil loss. The vehicle is currently at Fremont Hyundai and available for inspection. Safety risk: the engine failed while driving on the highway with children in the vehicle. A check engine light appeared with no prior warning, the vehicle immediately lost power and stalled, requiring an emergency exit and tow. This is a direct collision risk at highway speed. The failure was confirmed by an independent mechanic who found zero oil in the engine and identified it as a known Hyundai defect. The vehicle was then towed to Fremont Hyundai, which is currently conducting diagnostics. The vehicle has been inspected by an independent mechanic and by Fremont Hyundai [XXX] ). No police or insurance involvement. There were NO warning lights, oil pressure alerts, or symptoms of any kind prior to failure. I purchased the vehicle in 2024 and maintained regular oil changes and checkups with receipts. The last oil change was performed a few months before the failure. No mechanic ever flagged low oil. The only warning was a check engine light that appeared seconds before the engine stalled. I have incurred $900 in towing costs as a direct result of this failure. Fremont Hyundai is now requiring me to pay $280 for a diagnostic, followed by $890 for a two-week oil consumption test. They have also stated that if the engine does not pass the initial diagnostic, they cannot help me at all. Given that the engine ran completely dry of oil, it is highly unlikely to pass. This means I am being asked to pay fees for a process the dealership already expects to fail, leaving me with no path to resolution and a car I cannot drive. The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe is included in a class action lawsuit (Cho et al. v. Hyundai Motor Company) over this exact defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE — Filed 10/02/2018

Time Belt problem. Check engine, yellow.

ENGINE — Filed 05/31/2024

While I was driving on the highway in the left lane, smoke came from the engine, then it started coming from underneath the car. The car turned off. I was forced to stop on the left lane of the highway and exit the vehicle and walk as far away as possible. I called 911, then I noticed fire coming from the engine. This was unsafe for myself as well as other riders on the highway. Firefighters came and put out the fire. Once they left, I was left by myself waiting for the tow truck to arrive. No police officers helped to keep myself safe while waiting on the left shoulder once the highway re-opened. When asked if I needed a police report, the police officer said no because it wasn't a crash. The vehicle was inspected by my insurance company and it was deemed a total loss. There were no warning signs or messages or symptoms prior to the failure at all.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — Filed 03/10/2024

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment, prompting him to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed flames originating near the firewall. The contact was able to extinguish the flames himself with a fire extinguisher. No warning lights were illuminated. A fire report was filed. A police report was not filed, and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V303000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), and the VIN was included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 126,000.

ENGINE — Filed 12/31/2023

The engine caught fire and the vehicle is a total loss. Acceleration became inconsistent at time of the incident while driving on the freeway. Once that was noticed, and at a speed of 50mph, I immediately heard a loud clicking noise coming from the engine. ALL warning lights also immediately went off. I noticed white smoke and pulled over on the freeway. Once parked, black smoke was emerging from the engine. I exited the vehicle to safety and within 30 seconds, flames emerged from the vehicle. The vehicle maintenance was kept current during the 7 months of ownership. There were no prior warnings of any issues before the incident occurred.

ENGINE — Filed 08/02/2022

Premature engine failure due to bearing. Car has oil consumption problem causing a ceased engine. Car stalled going 40 mph under a intersection, managed to pull over and car started fire and smoking. Fire Smothered itself.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 04/22/2022

Summer of 2020,my engine needed to be replaced for an unknown reason, that work was done at the Herb Chambers Hyundai service department. On 4/22/2022 my car hesitated to start, it did start, I traveled about 12 miles and my engine light came on. I traveled about 3 more miles and then my car stalled in the middle of the highway, I headed to the breakdown lane very quickly. As soon as I put the car in park, the car started to smoke, I ran down the highway on foot, called 911, I turned around and my car was engulfed in flames. This whole incident went awry very quickly, about 5 minutes. I am writing in as I was offered $16000.00 as a settlement for my vehicle and all losses from Hyundai. My insurance company is offering about $1500.00 more than Hyundai. Hyundai is not even performing an inspection which was not what they communicated initially. I was told an inspection needed to be done prior to any settlement decision. Their is a known recall, I understand, recall #205, which I had not yet been notified of. I want to reiterate that no inspection on Hyundai's part was done to confirm damage/recall issue. At this point I do not have a vehicle and not in a position to buy a new car.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 04/06/2022

The car was parked for about 4 hours and suddenly catches fire and reports says it was ABS anti brake system and i got my car burnt. Is there any help Hyundai can assist me.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 08/27/2021

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2015 was making sounds when vehicle was off. The ABS warning lights were lit on the dashboard (3 warnings in total) once car was turned on. Drove home hoping the sound would go away but it did not. Once home the sound continued without the vehicle being on. Opened the hood and listened for the location of the sound. It was the ABS module on the left. This part then caught on fire while parked and off (keys were out).

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 06/29/2021

The contact owned a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 25 mph, when he lost control of the vehicle and multiple warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated while attempting to park on the side of the road, he saw smoke entering the AC vents. The contact and his son (front passenger) were able to exit the vehicle before it exploded. The contact stated the fire was located in the front of the vehicle. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire, but was unaware if a fire report was filed. The police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The insurance company deemed the vehicle total loss. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact stated two days after the incident, he received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V303000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) and associated the failure with this recall. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

ENGINE — Filed 04/17/2021

My car engine caught fire on 04/18/2021 and totaled my car. I just received a recall notice from Hyundai for this issue via the USPS yesterday 06/29/2021. I had only 60,000 miles and expected to own this car another 3-5 years. I am out a new car payment and this could have burned my condo down as I was 2 blocks away from it driving home and routinely park in my garage.

SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 11/13/2020

ABS failed while merging causing a collision that ended up totaling my car.

AIR BAGS — Filed 03/26/2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT 5 MPH, WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE IMPACTED THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED LEFT WRIST AND RIGHT SHOULDER SPRAIN AND DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION AT THE MOMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVABLE, THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO IMPOUND LOT. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,400. *DT

ENGINE — Filed 01/17/2021

2015 HYUNDAI SANT FE LIMITED 3.3L AWD, PURCHASED NEW FROM DEALERSHIP, 129,280 MILES. ROUTINE OIL SERVICE WITH MOBIL 1 SYNTHETIC AND WIX FILTERS SINCE PURCHASED. TRAVELING 75MPH ON I-10 (FLORIDA) WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON. NOT TOWING, TRAVELING STRAIGHT. AS THE VEHICLE STARTED UP A SMALL GRADE IN THE ROAD, THE CRUISE CONTROL SURGED (AS NORMAL TO MAINTAIN VEHICLE SPEED) I HEARD A BANG, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, OIL LIGHT CAME ON, ENGINE DIED IMMEDIATELY. I IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND LOOKED OUT THE PASSENGER WINDOW TO MERGE ONTO THE SHOULDER AND NOTICED AN ORANGE GLOW OUTSIDE (IT WAS NIGHT). ONCE STOPPED, OPENED HOOD AND NOTICED SMELL OF OIL, OIL POOLED IN THE UNDERBODY FAIRING. CHECKED OIL DRAIN PLUG AND FILTER, AS I HAD AN OIL CHANGE 700 MILES PRIOR. BOTH WERE STILL PROPERLY INSTALLED. TOWED TO LOCAL MECHANIC, DIAGNOSIS WAS SEIZED ENGINE. INSPECTED ENGINE BLOCK AND NOTICED FIST SIZED HOLE IN BLOCK (SEE PHOTOS). TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, WAS INFORMED THEY HADN'T SEEN THIS BEFORE ON THIS ENGINE. I INFORMED THEM I CURRENTLY DRIVE A 2001 HYUNDAI ELANTRA WITH 220K MILES ON IT AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING/MAINTAINING CARS FOR 30 YEARS AND I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE EITHER. WAS INFORMED THAT THEY SUSPECT IMPROPER OIL MAINTENANCE. OIL AND FILTER BOTH REPLACED EVERY 5000 MILES. ALWAYS MOBILE 1 SYNTHETIC AND WIX (GOOD QUALITY FILTERS/OIL). I SUSPECT HYUNDAI HAS ENGINE RELIABILITY ISSUES. NO PRIOR ENGINE ISSUES NOTICED. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS PRIOR. NO OIL LIGHTS ON PRIOR. WE JUST COMPLETED A TRIP TO NASHVILLE, TN (860 MILES ROUND TRIP) AND WERE RETURNING FROM JASPER, FL (460 MILES ROUND TRIP). OIL AND FILTER REPLACED RIGHT BEFORE TRIP. TIRES BALANCED AND ROTATED. IN OTHER WORDS, I MAINTAIN MY CAR.

SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE — Filed 08/24/2020

TL* THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE WAS BURNING OIL AND NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. THE OIL WAS CHANGED IN HOPES IT WOULD REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO HERB CONNOLLY HYUNDAI, 520 WORCESTER RD, FRAMINGHAM, MA 01702, AND WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL WAS PERFECT ON ARRIVAL AND WAS NOT REPLICATING THE FAILURE OF THE SMOKE. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO MIRAK HYUNDAI, 1165 MASSACHUSETTS AVE, ARLINGTON, MA 02476, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT TOO MUCH OIL WAS ADDED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT WAS TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NO REMEDY AVAILABLE FOR THE OPEN RECALL OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V520000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000. PART DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECTED. - (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS

ENGINE — Filed 12/15/2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 5-10 MPH, SMOKE AND FLAMES APPEARED FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND CONTACTED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A POLICE TOW YARD. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE IF THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED. DON MOORE HYUNDAI (3200 VILLA POINT, OWENSBORO, KY 42303, (270) 685-5555) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.

AIR BAGS — Filed 12/01/2019

WHILE EXITING THE HIGHWAY AT A RATE OF 20MPH ON A DECLINE, WE BEGAN TO SLIDE IN THE SNOW, AS WE SLID I BEGAN PUMPING THE BRAKES TO SLOW US DOWN BUT THE HILL MADE US GAIN SPEED EVEN THOUGH THE WHEELS WERE NOT SPINNING. AFTER SLIDING DOWN HILL FOR CLOSE TO 100 YARDS, WE MADE IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE DRIVING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE MADE DIRECT IMPACT WITH THE SIDE OF THE MINIVAN. IMPACT WAS HARD ENOUGH FOR THE FRONT BUMPER OF MY VEHICLE TO BE COMPLETELY RIPPED OFF, MY RADIATOR CRACKED, THE MINIVAN IS TOTALED AND ALL THE AIRBAGS WENT OFF IN THE MINIVAN, BUT MY AIRBAGS NEVER DID RESULTING IN MY CHIPPING MY TEETH ON THE STEERING WHEEL, AGGRAVATING A FRACTURED WRIST, HURTING MY RIBS, AS WELL AS MY PASSENGER HITTING THEIR HEAD HARD ENOUGH TO GIVE THEM A PHYSICIAN DIAGNOSED CONCUSSION PUTTING THEM OUT OF WORK FOR 2 DAYS AND GIVING HER WHIPLASH. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY STANDARDS AND REPUTATION OF HYUNDAI WITH THE PLAN TO BE HAVING CHILDREN, WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD CHILDREN YET.

AIR BAGS — Filed 05/26/2016

BOUGHT BRAD NEW 2015 HYUNDAI SANTA FE IN 2015. DEALER SOLD ME ON SAFETY. I THINK IT WAS 8 TO 10 AIRBAGS. GOT IN ACCIDENT AND NOT ONE DEPLOYED. HIT SOLID POLE GOING ABOUT 35 TO 40. CAR TOTALLED NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. MADE COMPLAINT TO HYUNDAI AND NO RESPONSE.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 08/10/2017

I WAS ON GROUND FLOOR OF A PARKING GARAGE AND ALREADY IN THE PARKING SPOT---I HAD MY BRAKE ON AND WAS ACTUALLY READY TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO "PARK". THERE WAS A SUDDEN REVING OF THE ENGINE AND THE CAR BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED THROUGH A STEEL LATTICE WORK BARRIER AND THROUGH A FLOWER BED INTO AN EXTREMELY WET SURFACE. I HIT THE BRAKE AS HARD AS POSSIBLE AND BELIEVE THAT THE BRAKE FINALLY HELD. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BECAME MIRED DOWN IN APPROXIMATELY 12-14 INCHES OF MUD. I BELIEVE THE COMBINATION OF THE MUD AND THE BRAKE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACTUALLY STOP. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING THIS ACCIDENT. BOTH SIDES OF THE CAR WERE DAMAGED FROM THE FRONT FENDER TO THE REAR FENDER, INCLUDING 1 HEADLIGHT UNIT, AND THE OUTSIDE MIRROR ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR (I DO NOT KNOW FOR CERTAIN IF THE OTHER OUTSIDE MIRROR WAS DAMAGED). I LOOKED UP "SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION" ONLINE AND IT IS LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (TPS) MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT. I DO HAVE A POLICE REPORT AND PICTURES BUT CANNOT SCAN THEM AS I HAVE ON CAPABILITY TO DO SO. NO OTHER VEHICLE AND NO OTHER INDIVIDUALS WERE INVOLVED. WE HAD A WRECKING COMPANY COME TO PULL THE CAR OUT AND TAKE TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP FOR ESTIMATE AND POSSIBLE REPAIR. THE ESTIMATE THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE POLICE OFFICER FOR THE ACTUAL PROPERTY DAMAGES (STEEL LATTICE WORK REPLACEMENT AND LAWN REPAIR) WAS LISTED AS $5000. IT IS UNKNOWN AT THIS POINT WHETHER THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE AS A RESULT OF GOING OVER THE LARGE CONCRETE BLOCK THAT WAS IN FRONT OF THE PARKING SPOT. I AM WAITING FOR THE ESTIMATE TO KNOW THIS.

VISIBILITY — Filed 11/04/2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION. THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE SUN ROOF SHATTERED AND PIECES OF THE SUN ROOF GLASS BEGAN TO FALL. THERE WERE MINOR INJURIES TO THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S HEADS THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000. UPDATED 01/31/17*LJ

AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE — Filed 11/24/2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED EYE INJURIES DUE TO DOOR FRAGMENTS AND GASHES ON THE ARM. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR COMPONENTS WERE NOT STRUCTURALLY SOUND UPON IMPACT. THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED WHIPLASH AND BACK PAINS, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. ONLY THE CURTAIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE DURING THE CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE CONTACT REQUESTED THAT THE MANUFACTURER DIAGNOSE THE AIR BAG FAILURE, BUT THE REQUEST WAS NOT HEEDED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DECLARED THE VEHICLE DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.....UPDATED 07/05/16 *BF *CN

AIR BAGS — Filed 01/30/2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH MERGING INTO TRAFFIC, ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH FAILED TO STOP. AS A RESULT, THE OTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S FRONT AND REAR DOORS ON THE DRIVER SIDE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE TURNED AND CAME TO A STOP. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER RECEIVED HEAD AND NECK INJURIES, BUT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

AIR BAGS — Filed 07/02/2015

AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY....UPDATED 07/30/15 *BF THE INSURANCE COMPANY DECLARED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. UPDATED 08/13/15*JB