NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
I have a Hyundai Santa Fé XL 3.3L 2015. I had a real danger situation with my family some months ago, when I had to pull over on a Highway after engine failure. I have this car for 11 months and all my maintenance records. Car died while I was driving putting me and my family in a danger situation. Not alerts or warnings signs. The car just died. I towed the car to a Hyundai Dealer, and after 3 weeks they reached out to me telling my engine is gone and there is no coverage/warranty/recall for that. After some research on-line I found thousands of people describing exactly the same issue. Major engine failure without any warning even with all schedule maintenance on date. I pretty confident that I am being victim of this knowing Hyundai issue and they don't care to keep people life in danger.
My vehicle engine seized while driving on the freeway. There was absolutely no warning. No lights for oil issue nothing flagged. I had no previous issues with my vehicle and I am concerned that I will have to pay for this myself .
On August 2, 2023 I was driving my truck and it completely shut off on me on the highway. I push the start button to turn the engine and it just keep turning like it wanted to start, but it didn't. Called the tow truck to take it to the shop, to then get a call after two days saying that they couldn't find out what was going on, because when they ran the test it didn't come back with any code. The clerk informed me that when he started my truck that next day, it cranked as if nothing was wrong. He drove it around about 15-20 minutes ,and it didn't do anything like what it had done the previous day before. I am very concerned because this could have been a bad outcome because I was in the highway on Wednesday. I need someone to further look into this matter.
My 2015 Santa Fe V6 AWD engine had 2 pistons seize up while driving. NO warning lights. I bought the Car with approximately 75K Miles and by 85k miles engine lights came on and engine was losing power. Local mechanic spent $2K trying to fix it but could not. Sent to Hyundai dealer where I purchased it. I spent another 2K (they covered about 3K as Hyundai would NOT cover repairs so dealer did). After month without the car, I got it back. 15k miles later (just as car turned over 100k miles) the car engine began making strange noise but no warning lights. Called AAA and thought we could make it 3 miles to repair shop but engine died in traffic. A second engine request from different Hyundai dealer was denied as "out of warrenty". No oil was leaking (and just had it changed!), no sign of issues of any kind, it just blew. Lucky no one was injured and was able to get to side of the road. I feel they issue should have been fixed at 85K and there must be a real piston issue in this vehicle.
Rod knock, engine failure. Vehicle still runs. Engine was accepted for replacement via Kearny Mesa Hyundai dealership.
Engine threw a rod. Brought it to Kearny Mesa Hyundai here in San Diego, they submitted a claim to see if corporate would grant an engine replacement and it was denied due to it being a V6
We have had issues with our 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited that culminated in effectively lose of the car. The engine has a knocking, and is leaking coolant now. This started with the car sometimes sort of stuttering when you press the gas, or sometimes sudden lose of power while driving. It now sounds like a rod may. E bad, I’m no expert. Hyundai has said I need a new engine. The car which I bought new in 2015, has 116k miles on it. It has been well kept. I have older Hyundais that still have great engines at much higher mileage. I am registering this complaint, because it seems strange to loose an engine of a well maintained car at 116K miles. I know there are investigations and recalls on the smaller Santa Fe engines. But I suspect there is an issue with the larger 3.3L engine too. I’m registering the complaint so attention can be garnered for the 3.3L engine too. I suspect I’m not the only one with 3.3L engine having an issue. Regards
Car was burning lots of engine oil and lost power, dealer said nothing was wrong with it. months later when to limp mode, lacks of power in the highway, dealer said it lost compression on 2 cylinders and that I need a new engine. I ask them if the vehicle has a recall and they said no, all my research said that this type of engine has a recall for me they are looking for any loophole in order not to replace the engine
I came through car was and proceeded to vacuum area, as I approached the area I applied my brakes and car sped up jumping the curb. I tried pumping the brakes and finally brought vehicle to a stop after applying pressure. I tried to back up, but felt I was going to damage the vacuum hoses, so I pulled forward believing I had clear area to get to the other side. As I pulled forward I didn’t realize how close I was to a brick column as it didn’t appear in my side view mirror. As a result right rear door, rear quarter panel and trim were damaged.
When passing a vehicle on the highway, engine light came on and power was reduced. After, diagnose was informed of needing new engine. Took to get 2nd opinion and same thing was needed.
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS, hill assist, and traction control warning lights illuminated and the "BSD Cancelled" message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
During normal driving operations the car lost all power as our daughter and her 2 children were driving down the street. She called us and notified us that the car would barely run and that she had her hazard lights on and had no safe place to pull over. When she arrived back home from a few miles away the motor was making a very loud knocking and tapping noise. I immediately checked the oil in the car which we have changed on a regular basis and very recently and to our disbelief there wasn't a drop of oil on the dipstick. No indicators or warning lights had come on to tell us the oil was low. We immediately called a local Hyundai dealership, and they explained that thousands of people have experienced consumption of oil with no obvious leaks causing catastrophic engine failure in Hyundais. Upon inspection from the dealership, it was determined that the motor had spun rod bearings due to excessive oil consumption. However, we have since discovered that the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe is pending a class action lawsuit in California and no recall is current for this year and model. This could have caused serious and devastating fatalities to not only our family but others as well. Hyundai has not yet been willing to work with us for a car we purchased a little over a year ago and are still financing. The warranty did not transfer to a 2nd owner and we were not informed of this. Now the car sits at a dealership and I continue to make payments on a useless vehicle. The manufacturer of Hyundai's engine is the same for many models. However, not all models and years have had recalls yet. This puts thousands of people, like us, at risk for serious injuries, fatalities, and devastating financial loss. The public relies on their vehicles for their family's transportation and their jobs. I did my research and searched for this year, make, and model and found nothing that deterred me from finding this vehicle unsafe or unreliable. Hyundai is not in good faith protecting customers.
Engine suddenly went into limp mode and jerked steering while on the highway (engine light happened AFTER). We started about 60mph, then vehicle slowed to about 30mph in a few seconds. Almost crashed into a semi-truck trying to get my car under control, then almost caused a pileup collision behind a slow-moving traffic control vehicle. Limped into town. Engine was rattling. Found the engine to be very hot under the hood. Found oil dripping underneath (research says certain Hyundai Santa Fe were recalled for this issue). Oil was low, even though I had it topped off less than a week before. It seems this may be related to large oil use resulting in engine overheat. Mechanic later disclosed to me there was oil buildup underneath and in the engine. Towed into another city to get available mechanic. Found error code P1326. Mechanic took a couple days to determine it was NOT caused by faulty sensor. (attached invoice) Towed to another city where I could have it taken into the lot (there is a long backload of cases at Hyundai). I saw about a dozen of the exact same model as my car in the service lot waiting repair (and many similar models). Told by dealership it would take 2 months to repair and there would be a diagnosis fee. This shouldn't have happened to my car. It was relatively new and low miles for an engine failure. The result was an expensive series of expenses and extremely dangerous series of near-collisions. It has been difficult to contact and navigate Hyundai corporate for help with this. They seem to have a lot of backlogs of these problems related to my model. I get put on hold for long periods. I was assigned case number and case manager who hasn't contacted me yet. I am still without a car as of today.
I was driving my 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe on the parkway and while changing lanes, I wanted to accelerate to maintain a safe speed. As I attempted to accelerate I noticed that the car was slowing down. There were no strange sounds or dashboard lights I was aware of but the tachometer read zero. We pull onto the shoulder and were eventually towed to my mechanic. He determined with some confidence that the engine had seized. It will be towed to a Hyundai service facility where it will be evaluated and diagnosed and possible fixed for free under the current warranty
Car oil consumption. Caused engine to seize. No warning no lights.
Motor had rod bearing failure loud start ups and won’t cover warranty at 92k miles
The check engine light began flashing without warning. I experienced sluggish performance and loss of power. Luckily I made it to my home. I took my car to my local mechanic and was informed my car was "burning oil" or over consuming oil. I never had an oil light indicator come on or any warnings that my car was having an oil issue. The only way to fix this is engine replacement. I called the dealership where I purchased my car and was informed that the warranty had expired. My car is sitting in my driveway inoperable. From my understanding this is not supposed to happen and is the result of poor, defective manufacturing of the engine components on the part of Hyundai. A warranty shouldn't be a consideration in the repair. Upon researching this issue I found that while there is a recall, my vehicle isn't on that list, but is on the affected list for this problem. Hyundai has been manufacturing and selling these vehicles to consumers for years with full knowledge of the problem. Out of 174 complaints on this site, 94 are related to the engine.
With out warning this car died and started smoking on a very busy road. I was almost hit several times trying to coast to the median.
Engine rod bearing are failing making noise and causing loss of power i have a v6 engine. I also had a hyundai sonata with a 4 cylinder engine that was doing the same thing and engine was covered under recall my santa fe only has 105,xxx miles.
My car have a engine lights on due the code #1326 ,Vibrations indicating excessive connecting Rod bearing wear . the caris on safe mode. I was check on line and i see that hyundai have a lots problem with the motor GDI 2.4 . some report says that the car can catch fire . also the hyundai car have a lots of recall regarding a safety issues . i think the hyundai shoud be responsible to repair all the problems this cars have because how they allowed to put the cars on the market with all these problems.
Hello. My sunroof glass was shattered while I was driving with a large boom sound. My vehicle has a total mileage of less than 70000 miles an it was under extended warranty. Hyundai refused to bear the repair cost.
Owner states his 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe developed an engine noise, and the check engine light came on. The vehicle was stopped and restarted after 30 minutes, but the engine noise continued. The dealer replaced the engine; however, the owner is seeking rental reimbursement. Also, the vehicle was crashed in the dealer's possession and determined a total loss.
My vehicle was taken from my residence due to the individual being able to take apart my steering wheel column and starting my vehicle. This is very alarming to know that my vehicle can be stolen anytime with this trick that is being shown all over social media and the news channels.
While driving home from a meeting I began to hear a knock. It sounded like a stick was hitting my fan. There were no warning lights on at this time. Once I turned the corner onto my street, the car died, luckily I was able to just coast home. After getting home, I checked the oil and there was 0 oil in the car. I knew that this is bad. We just had an oil change completed a month ago. I went to the store and purchased some oil and filled the car, which allowed me to start the car and pull into my driveway. I had a fried come over and take a look at it with me, we heard 2 separate sounds, a deep knocking sound and a tinging sound. We decided to try and take it to a shop to get them to look at it. On this drive the car completely died and was unable to start the car. Had the car towed to the shop. They replaced the starter and were able to start the car but heard all of the knocking as well. They advised me to see if there was any recalls for engine oil consumption. I called Hyundai and they do not have any active recalls on this vehicle for engine oil consumption. This seems to match all of the other incidents from many others. This truly needs to be investigated and a recall needs to be issued. This is extremely frustrating!
The engine failed at 103000 miles, right after the warranty expired. We were quoted twice as much as it is worth to repair it.
I was driving on the highway when I heard a noise and my vehicle locked up and died. I was able to pull it over and have it towed to the nearest Hyundai dealer. They confirmed it is the same issue they’ve seen with many of these vehicles where the issues with oil cause the bearings to degrade and lockup the engine. There’s nothing they can do unless we provide all the receipts for our oil changes.
2015 Hyundai Santa Fe engine stalling or shutting off unexpectedly while driving. Hyundai didn't approve the request sent by West Huston Hyundai to replace an Engine due to lack of maintenance; however, the West Huston Hyundai service department did recalls and oil changes recently (18 Jan. 2023), and another service was done a few months ago in August 2022.
While driving on the interstate at approximately 70 miles per hour, the engine powered down and would not restart. A mechanic advised me the engine seized and would need to be replaced, due to lack of oil in the engine. The oil had been changed at regular intervals, and there was no indication of an oil leak or low pressure. I have reviewed Investigation DP 22-003 and believe I have experienced a similar defect.
Oil consumtion issue. Same issue on their 4 cylinder motor. No indicator to tell you there is low oil. Engine fails. In addition, they do not manufacture the engine for replacement. I was instructed, by law they have to manufacture parts for 10 years. It is within 10 years and they haven't made parts for this motor for some time now. I request that this be investigated, as from searching the internet there are many people that have similar issues with the 3.3 liter engine. Hyundai should be force to recall them, just like they did for the 4 cylinder. In addition, their ingition system is flawed and can be easily stolen. Yet another reason why they should be forced to recall the vehicles.
Low beam headlights are very dim. I have taken it in to be checked and have had the bulbs switched out numerous times. It does not help. They said the inside of the headlight assembly is flaking off and that both of the headlight assemblies need replaced. I can not afford to do that! It is a defect on the inside of the assembly its self. I have to drive with my brights on if I drive it after dark. It is very dangerous.
The facts are this: This 2015 Santa Fe Limited only has 100,725 miles on it. I have had it for 70,000 of those 100,000 miles as I am the second owner. I have always had the oil changed at no more than 4000 miles and had all of my servicing done. Two Hyundai dealerships confirmed the issue is the same as with all of the engine issues Hyundai has had in the past and I’m lucky it didn’t stall. No dashboard warning but luckily I heard the noise and brought it in to check before I was possibly injured due to an engine seizing up. The second dealership confirmed as I took it there without telling them what the first dealership told me. Both said it would cost $20,000 for a new engine. It is obvious that this is the same engineering/Manufacturing/parts defect, and a replacement at no charge is deserved and justified. Here are just a few of the recent complaints lodged that match my exact issue: NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11508780 NHTSA ID Number: 11508037 NHTSA ID Number: 11506729 NHTSA ID Number: 11500108
Check engine light came on. It was a Sunday so we took it to the local auto parts shop and they said it was a pressure valve but they couldn’t say exactly which one. We made an appointment to have it checked but when we tried to drive it just a short distance (about a mile) it started stalling so we took it back home (about a mile back). By then it smelled like it was burning so we decided to have it towed rather than risk driving it to the repair shop. However by the time the tow truck came the next day, the car would not even start. The car has less than 70,000 miles and has been regularly maintained, but we are being told it needs a new engine and we have to pay for it. We bought from the dealership and it was only leased prior to that. We thought when we got it it was still covered under the originally warranty but we are now told that was not the case and it is not covered by the warranty. With the number of engine problems on these specific cars it seems very unlikely that this is something that we should be held responsible for but we are not sure how to hold Hyundai accountable.
Driving on the highway on February 8th 2023 and my car just died, no warnings nothing! Luckily I was able to get over and not cause a crash or worse. Engine failure.
Hyundai Dealer claims cam bearing failed causing it to throw a push rod. @ 74k miles. After taking to another local shop for inspection it has no bearing failure or thrown push rod. It actually has a fail/damage piston on #4 cylinder. Timing chains etc are good and oil is still clean. They scoped the cylinder and the piston is bad. This is similar to the failures reported by others on both the v6 and 4cyl Santa Fe. It still runs it’s just loud.
I drove approximately 40 miles to a gas station and went to park in a parking spot and my passenger exited the vehicle and yelled my car was in reverse even though I thought it was in park, upon trying to again put it in park it would not go in the park position. I was stuck in reverse and the vehicle would not park without using the emergency brake. No warning lights or any other message from my vehicle regarding this issue. I then put it in drive and drove home and again was not able to put the vehicle in park, after attempting numerous times and using the interlock system I was able to put it in park. This is a huge safety concern as there could have been someone behind me when parking and not even realizing the car was not in park as it was snowy out and the car was still for a moment before reversing. Upon looking on google it looks as if others may have had this issue as well.
I have attached a PDF with all documented information including service records, tow, etc. on December 3, 2022 I was driving home on the highway at approximately 45 mph and the engine started shaking uncontrollably. I barely made it into my driveway as it is directly off the highway. I have proceeded to talk to the dealership and Hyundai Motors without any correspondence of help.
Engine failure at 50,000 miles without lamp warnings or messages (outside mechanics brought to our attention instead). Family safety at risk when car engine popped and stopped running. Engine issues confirmed by dealership after denying there were issues multiple times.
I was driving on highway and my car lost power and went into limp mode and check engine light started blinking on and off. I was driving about 60 to 65 miles a hour and it went to 25 mph with no warning. We have taken care of our car with regular oil changes at every 3,000 to 3,500 miles. We checked oil and it was 3 quarts low for the second time in between oil changes with NO WARNING LIGHTS coming on but that was a month ago. I was told that losing oil is common for these motors by Valvoline instant oil change and a private mechanic. I'm not sure what to do and after reading about all these other motors doing same thing I'm really scared and we are not financially able to fix this and we have a payment on it for 2 more years. It seems like all these motors are having same issue around same milage. I am not sure why something isn't being done to help us.
Hello, I'm not sure if this is something that you would handle or not. My husband and I have a Hyundai Santa Fe (husband-2015, Mine - 2013). We both bought the vehicles used and haven't had any major problems until about a year ago when both of our vehicles started drinking motor oil like people drink water. We don't have any signs of a leak anywhere. We had taken it to the Hyundai Dealerships and other mechanics and both say that Hyundai has been known to have this problem. Many years ago, I had a Hyundai Sonata which I bought brand new around 2003 and had it for many years. I never had this problem. After doing my research, I have seen where other people have had this problem with their Hyundai vehicles. I emailed several people about our situation, one being [XXX] , and received a response from Hailey, Customer Service Specialist with Hyundai Motor America and her response was for us to have Oil Consumption Testing done. She said that it would be our responsibility to pay for the testing and any repairs that need to be done since we're past the warranty and the years of our vehicles. From what the dealership and other mechanics keep saying, I feel it should be a recall for this problem due to Hyundai being aware that this has been a problem with their vehicles for years. I've known people to have cars much older than ours that never had an oil consumption problem such as this. Also, from what I read, this Oil Consumption Testing is a process that is done in stages which can be costly. Plus this Oil Consumption problem can lead to our engine dying without us knowing when it will die. With this problem, we don't have any warning that our motor oil is low or empty for our oil light will either blink or don't come on at all. I have seen mine blink, but by then the oil was already gone. My husband's oil stick had burnt and he purchased another one from Hyundai. The new one is now burnt and mine is burnt as well. This is a safety hazard. I feel that Hyundai shoul INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Sudden loss of power and ability to accelerate on the freeway, which was caused by a failure of the Engine Timing System. This is concerning since we had engine failure on our previous Hyundai ( a Sonata). This model of the Santa Fe isn't listed under that recall.
My engine blew after owning it for 16 months. I couldn’t find all of my oil change receipts so my warranty denied it. So I started digging and found there’s so many other people with 2015 Santa Fe’s with blown engines. I took care of my car and have never had any issues with my cars before. I started speaking to others who have the same issues as me. The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe sport engine was recalled. i was driving to a repair shop with rhe only indication of an issue was an off engine noise then all of a sudden my engine blew and went into limp mode. At some point the amount of people I have seen with a blown engine should be an indication that’s it’s the engine not the driver.
1. Tranny went out at 115,00 miles. 02/22. Replaced $2400.00. 2. Engine went out, 125,000. 10/22. Yet to be fixed. MANY 2.4L HAVE DONE THIS.
While I was driving, the car began to jerk and stall and the check engine light came on. I was able to drive about 3 more blocks then the car cut completely off. The car cut off in the middle of the street with myself and my children inside. We had to walk home and send for a tow truck. My car only had 78,000 miles. This same thing happened with my 2013 Sonata a few years ago. There seems to be a pattern of the motors cutting off while driving. This has caused loss of control of the car and the inability to steer or move the vehicle.
This vehicle is an All Wheel Drive. While approaching an intersection right before coming to a stop the vehicle's rear differential locked up. Attempted several times but the vehicle would not move forward. The vehicle would drive forward but would move in reverse. I drove the car in reverse back to the house. We lifter the car and the rear differential lock while moving forward but works moving backwards. My wife is afraid that even if they fix this issue what if its a defect and the rear axel locks up at higher speeds the outcome would be different.
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the engine started making an abnormal sound. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled off the roadway and stopped the engine and had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rod bearing was damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V568000 (Engine). The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Engine replaced during recall 10 months prior. New fuel line on new engine begins leaking fuel onto exhaust vehicle smoking no warning lights or indicators
I bought a Santa Fe Sport made by Hyundai Theta Engine Settlement Ext Warranty on March 18, 2022. Also, I did the maintenance and changed the oil after about three months. On August 29, my vehicle shut off while driving without any alarm and did not start again. Imagine what a severe accident may happen to me; thankfully, no one was injured. I towed the car to the Hyundai Wolfchase dealership, in Cordova, TN, and they set an appointment for October 20, 2022. After waiting 50 days, I towed it again there, and their inspections showed the engine seized, and the estimation for repair is $8,200.00. I contacted Hyundai's customer care to use the vehicle warranty that can recall the engine for a vehicle less than ten years old. But they declined my request due to Campaign 953 software that should be installed in my car!!! I did not know about it, and it was not my fault that this car did not have this alarm system.
My engine failed while I was driving with no warning. No lights or system check warnings prior. That day I was driving on a road at 50mph as I was accelerating I started to hear a knocking or sputtering noise, within 6 minutes of the noise starting my engine failed. I was driving at an incline with cars behind and beside me. I lost all engine power, my gas pedal went limp, and my brakes tightened. My engine light, battery light, and oil light came on and my exhaust from the rear was Smokey. Luckily I was able to pull over with out causing an accident. I turned the vehicle off and waited for a tow. My car electronics turn on but the engine will not start. The mechanic it was brought to confirms that the engine needs to be replaced. My 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe limited only has 47,692 miles and was serviced regularly. It had an oil change and passed the NYS inspection Jan 25, 2022 and engine failed August 7, 2022. Many similar issues with other owners of this vehicle, this engine should have been recalled, Hyundai won’t tell me if I’m entitled to the extended warranty coverage from the many lawsuits they’ve had from these vehicles.
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.
Was driving like normal all of a sudden engine started loosing power and than started hearing grinding noise. Than engine overheated than RPM died brakes failed and slowly my car stopped in incline I was able to dodge a serious collision by taking safety precaution . Than my car did not start. Turns out engines has been seized due to mechanical failures in my engine. I performed oil change regularly and coolant was perfectly filled. There was no negligence from our end as a driver. My vehicle had 98k miles which was mentioned on Hyundai warranty that it's Powertrain warranty coverage is valid for 100k miles. I was denied my warranty because they mentioned I'm not a primary owner. How does a secondary owner affect this warranty? Secondary owner did not modified the engine to be declined warranty. How did that happen I have serious concern about Hyundai engine.