general problems of the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe - part 1

The engine rod broke creating a big whole in the engine which caused the engine and underneath of car to start on fire. There was a massive recall for this same issue in 2021-2023 for the year car! it is available for inspection! yes safety was at risk, the car was on fire on the highway in the middle of rush hour. The problem was confirmed by progressive and I contact Hyundai. The car was inspected by the police and insurance company. No lights, messages and the car was running fine before the fire!.

My 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe caught fire on October 29, 2025. Prior to this, the dealership completed one recall but left another open. Hyundai denied my claim and refused to provide the inspection report. I am filing this complaint because I believe the incomplete recall may be related and I want NHTSA to review the issue.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving 80 mph, the vehicle made an abnormally loud banging sound, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood and through the a/c vents, which blocked the visibility of the roadway. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that a significant amount of oil was leaking from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 20v746000 (engine). The dealer was contacted about the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to tow the vehicle to the dealer for repair, and a case was filed. The manufacturer informed the contact that the repair could not be covered under the recall due to the vehicle having a branded title; however, the contact stated that the branded title was issued because the vehicle had sustained cosmetic damage from hailstone impact. The failure mileage was 133,000.

Engine light was blinking. Hearing grinding from the front. Steering locked up. I was able to pull over safely. Called tow truck. The mechanic diagnosed it said it needed a new engine. The car has 106,000 miles on it.

The carrier bearing failed and caused the engine to lock up while driving, thankfully we weren't on a busy road and were able to coast off the road. There was no prior light that appeared. We are just thankful it wasn't our 16 year old, newly licensed driver for whom we purchased the vehicle, driving. It has not been looked over by the dealership yet as they have failed to return any phone calls. I have made 4 calls in the last two weeks that have gone unanswered. To which one person I spoke with (not the one I needed to speak with) said 'your should go get your money back'.

My engine stalls while driving. Now engine is knocking real loud. Then stall again. My safety and others drivers safety because my engine stalls could cause a crash, wreck. Mechanic listened to engine, said engine is knocking and stalling, this is a safety issue. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, or others. No warning lights, symptoms, Monday December 30, 2024.

Nhtsa recall #20v746000 2012 Hyundai sonata manufacture recall #198 connecting rod bearing failure leading to possible road side fire. Possible risk of injury or death. Hyundai has been contacted twice about recall. Claim they have no responsibility to comply with recall. They closed the dealership where the car was purchased new. They offer two other dealers that are located in other cities. One requires driving a distance of over 200 miles. The other requires round trip ferry travel. Milage would still be approximately 150 miles plus ferry expense plus fuel expense and possible an over night lodging at $150 to $200 per night and one to two day obligation. It is a total lie that hyundri will correct their neglagence at no cost to the owner. Their first representative informed me that all transportation cost were the owners responsibilty. Reguardless of the apparent neglagence and obvious risk to the public safety, the company apparently disregarded an engine flush after maching as a cost saving practice. I believe every qualified machinest would know that metal chips left over from this prosses could not left in a finished motor. Just stupid but might have saved a few dollars. I'm a 74 year old man with health concerns and mobility problems that make sitting for hours impossible. There is no one willing or able to spend this time commitment no money laying around for this expense. Hyundi knows that. Very fast to say "not my problem. Car has very low milage. Engine check light is on. Hyundi will not guarntee if the car is safe or even able to be driven that far. The solution is very simple. . . . . . . The local deal handles many different auto brands. I'm sure the hyundi qualified mechanics are still employed. Knowing this, hyundi refuses to allow local people to install this device that does not correct the problem. Just lets the driver know it's serious. Another cost saving decision due I'm sure because they don't want to pay.

In November 2024, my car engine failed. I came out of a store, turned key, all the dash lights lit up, and loud clanging but unable to drive. Car towed several times and told by 2-3 places the engine was “out” and there was a Hyundai recall aon 2012 Santa Fe. A Hyundai dealer had my vehicle, contacted Hyundai and was told it “wasn’t in recall. ” had to pay repair entirely myself on disability income. The vehicle subsequent to this had electrical problems and the car shut off while driving countless times, even highway doing 65-70. Paid for alternator twice and new battery, two battery jump boxes, and car continues to have severe electrical issues and highly unsafe to drive. I am broke and facing losing the car altogether and suffered lack of housing for 2 months and inability to pay my bills. All invoices are not included with this complaint.

My engine caught on fire in the middle of the night ([xxx] on [xxx]). The fire department was called by my building’s security and they came to put out the fire. The security footage shows that the car engine caught on fire for no apparent reason. The fire department did not identify any foul play or vandalism nor did the security camera footage. Unfortunately since my car has been paid off, I only had liability coverage and could not get the coverage to assess. I had to junk the car. No one was hurt but there was broken glass and some parts around the parking lot due to fire and fire department having to shatter and pry open the engine bay. Please advise if someone can help me in my situation. Also this should be made aware to Hyundai. There was a recall but I was never notified. Nor does any recall history show up for this. See article: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I have complained about this previously to recall, and it's doing it again. My engine shut off while driving its happened on the fred harrman bridge twice now. All the dashboard lights come on and the engine shuts off I had to put it in neutral and restart it. It very dangerous and scarey experience. Also one of my passerger head light doesn't come on sometimes and the back driver side tail light. I can get out and hit it then it will come on. I have been pulled over by the police for it once before I told them it works just hit it. He did told me to get that fixed and gave me a warning. I can't afford to eletbeledtrical done little alone an engine please help. Call should have the first report as well.

I took my 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe into the dealership on March 7, 2024. The engine had failed due to the failure of the connecting rod bearing that is under recall. On April, 6th 2024 I was called that my car was ready. As I got into the car there was a coffee cup, a water bottle, and a long nose plier left in my vehicle. Then I noticed that the tire pressure warning light was on. I went back to the service department, and they went to refill the air. Note the paperwork shows that it had already been done. I got the car back and proceeded to leave, I traveled about two blocks before turning around. The right front turn light was out, and the car made a vibrating noise, and didn't have the same feel as before I had the engine problem, they took it back in to look at the vehicle again. They fixed the turn light. Told me the problem with the tpms was the batteries inside it. As for the vibration and poor handling I was told the vehicle needed new motor mounts, and said they would fix it for three thousand dollars. Looking up the part numbers of these motor mounts, they are labeled as engine mounts, the engine is what was replaced. None of these problems existed before I brought my car in. The last item on the paperwork was that of a multipoint inspection. If they had inspected my vehicle, these problems would have been found before returning my car to me. I don't feel safe driving my car.

Purchased this used 2012 Santa Fe directly from Hyundai last January (2023) we have had to continually fill it up with oil. Two months ago, driving to work and the car stops accelerating and felt like the “power was going out”. I was on a busy highway early in the morning when it died on me. Took it to a nearby mechanic and it threw engine failure pins. There was no oil so we added more oil and it drives but will not exceed 50 mph and goes out at any given time.

My 2012 Santa Fe check engine light came on a few weeks ago and put the car into engine protection mode. This car is less than 15 years old, has under 150,000 miles, has had reasonable upkeep. I am only the second owner. I was able to check the code myself and did so. It was p1326, which in a Hyundai vehicle means that there's a problem with the connecting rod bearings and it needs to be taken to the Hyundai dealership while in limp mode. I did so and they replaced the knock sensor, cleared the code, and sent me on my way. The check engine light came back less than a week later, same issue. The dealership told me that at this stage the Hyundai tech repair line suggests replacing the engine at an enormous cost. However, because my car can pass the bct (bearing clearance test) Hyundai will not pay for the replacement of the engine because it cannot be said that the connecting rod bearings are the issue. When I asked why I needed to replace the engine, the service advisor was unable to explain which part of my engine was broken and just that it all needed to be replaced or the car would continue to show code p1326 and go into engine protection mode, rendering it unusable. This has been incredibly unsettling for me as a recently separated mother of two. I have been without my vehicle and without income for weeks while trying to contact Hyundai. They are claiming this repair has nothing to do with the theta ii engine recall out for my model year. All advisors have been pressuring me to purchase a new vehicle, but I do believe the reason I cannot use my vehicle is because of the theta ii engine defects and the p1326 code that will continue to render my car unusable. This code when cleared without fixing the problem, has caused my car to go into engine protection mode (unable to accelerate past 2,000rpm) on the freeway, which was dangerous for myself and other drivers on the road as well as terrifying.

Coincidentally after 11-months after a software update for that knock sensor now I do have a problem with that knock sensor by having to be replaced. Total cost of repair: $643. 90 (vehicle broke down, my SUV went into limp mode meaning loss of power/acceleration, I needed a tow. The engine malfunction indicator light in the dashboard was blinking on & off. ).

I took my 2012 to baytown Hyundai for a recall update. Mpi inspection (1) had no problem with the car before taking it in. They did inspection then it started running super slow would not pick up speed. They were going to give me a loner car. The mechanic tried update again then the car drove ok. Didnt even leave the parking lot engine light came on turned around he checked with bdo. Code p200a came up. They are saying it's my responsibility to fix it. There were no codes when I brought my car in. I read I should not drive the car with this code could damage it more . My heart is bad I have to get back and forth t my doctor appointments. How are they not responsible . It's to dangerous to drive it now. Please help. Me.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and oil warning lights were illuminated before the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, the oil displayed full. The contact then stated that the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that no oil pressure was detected, and the contact was informed by the technician of the NHTSA campaign number: 20v746000 (engine) which was associated with the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

Engine will randomly cut off and it would do that even when in drive like it wasnt getting gas. The dash board would light then continue going would start right back away and has done that ever since. I purchased it I also had the O2 censor replaced as well. The tires are awful the suspension. Electrical problems I have to hit my headlight to come on before I leave when it's dark. Sometimes when I first start driving it pulls me to the right not like wheel balancing . But pulld then back to driving . One last thing I went in for recall update or something. The mechanic say hell do the update and drive the car if it has a problem going in drive they had to replace a sensor or something my car wouldn't move they were going to fix it and give me a loaner car . The guy said let me try something he did then the car started to drive. They were supposed to replace something and didn't. My engine light came on and stayed on I complained to him he just cleared the code it came back on and has been on every since. I told him it want on before I got here he said well it wasn't from anything they did. But it was.

My oil pressure sensor light wont turn off sometimes blinks on and off or stays on and I am concerned because it could be engine component or electrical. I have nott aken it to Hyundai dealer do do an inspection.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, she heard an abnormal popping sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The contact was unaware of a warning light being illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The mechanic advised the contact that there had been a recall for the year, make and model of vehicle however, the VIN was not included. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 20v746000 (engine). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 199,000.

Driving on highway and car engine light came on then car engine kicked down like it was going to stall then drove normally then kicked down again . Kept kicking down , drove it home and shut it off. The car starts but is knocking and the engine light comes on and blinks constantly .

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact had a recall remedy completed where a sensor for the was placed NHTSA campaign number: 20v746000 (engine) the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph when the vehicle suddenly cracking noise came from underneath the vehicle at the same time the stability began to shake and it sounded as if something was dragging underneath. The dashboard began to get hot to touch. The contact pulled off to the side of the road where the vehicle loss all power. There were no warning lights the vehicle was towed to their home. The contact then towed the vehicle to the dealer who diagnoised that the rod bearing fractured and detached causing a whole in the engine. The engine and rod bearing needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

In June 2021 vehicle experienced engine failure at approximately 152,000 miles. VIN# not under Hyundai engine recall however Hyundai covered new engine replacement under warranty extension due to failure. In November 2022 received notice for mandatory knock engine sensor detection campaign, vehicle had approximately 163,000 miles. Was told this must be performed to prevent catostrophic engine failure. Once campaign was installed in December 202 vehicle immediately went into drive safe mode and engine light came on. Returned to dealership 2 more times and each time vehicle went into drive safe mode with engine light. Diagnosis was the new engine was defective and needed to be replaced. New engine has under 12,000 miles. Vehichle is now unsafe to drive as it's in drive safe mode and needs engine replacement. Hyundai only agreed to cover 85% of the new engine cost as a goodwill. This is not satisfactory to the customer as a brand new engine, under 12,000 miles and 14 months failed and I do not feel I should be responsible for 15% of the cost to replace a defective engine. The fact that the engine light came on and vehicle went into drive safe mode immediately following the ksds campaign installation means there was an existing defect in the engine that was only detected once the campaign was installed.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and a bearing test was preformed; however, the vehicle failed the test. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the vehicle had experienced the failure stated in NHTSA campaign number: 20v746000 (engine) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer stated that they were holding the engines for vehicles under the recall. The contact mentioned that an unknown software update was performed and the vehicle was serviced under TSB: txxm. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 174,067.

The engine blow when I was driving smoke was come out in the bottle.

After driving for a short time, the engine stalls while driving. We have taken the car to 4 different mechanics, including the Hyundai dealer and the issue has not been fixed. The car stalls every time it is driven.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact jumped started the vehicle however, the vehicle stalled again. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where he informed the contact that the engine had seized. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Engine stalled, shutting down both power steering and power brakes, restarted, stalled again and then never started again, while driving 70 mph on a major extremely busy thoroughfare (sr202 in jacksonville, fla. ) in 05/13. Had vehicle towed to regular mechanic 05/16 who said engine blown, but under recall. Then towed to jenkins Hyundai 05/19. They inspected vehicle, confirmed engine replacement based on TSB 21-01-022h testing (they gave me a copy) for recall 198. Jenkins then contacted me, replacement was denied approval by richard matiyow PA#100891, because it listed as "scrap", that 198 is only a "recall campaign, not a safety issue", engine would cost $12,000,00. I found the 198 safety notice online and took it to them, they said they couldn't do anything, I would need to contact Hyundai corp. Contacted Hyundai 06/01, assigned case number 19771248. Valerie from hmausa (833-462-8722 x 65434) emailed asking for info, I returned email same day (06/01). Valerie then emailed 06/07 and I responded both via phone and email same day. Jenkins Hyundai has since called asking what I intended to do. I called valerie and she confirmed vehicle listed as "scrap", but that Hyundai does safety recalls on rebuilt title vehicles to talk to dealer again. I uploaded to hmausa photos of my insurance, registration, tags and even photos of my car at jenkins, copied also to PA@hmausa. Com (the prior approval email for dealers) on 06/15. Told jenkins "valerie confirmed safety work on rebuilt title vehicles", but they are waiting on hma approval. It has now been 4 months and nothing. I emailed center for auto safety 08/18 and they confirmed repair is required by federal law even on salvage title. I emailed jenifer kruger @dot. Gov 08/19 about noncompliance and again on 08/24, uploaded to hmausa. New hma #20221366, received 08/30 (maria) "response in 48 hours". Nhtsa #550737, spoke with ann marie (1-888-327-4236). As of 09/07 still nothing.

Have to put oil in the engine every 4-6 weeks. Car burns oil quickly. Exhaust smokes. Replaced pcv valve and that did did not resolve the smoking/oil consumption despite being told that was the issue. Now being told I need 1100 in engine cleaning costs to remove sludge due to the oil not circulating properly. I have to constantly monitor the engine oil. Told my warranty does not cover the cleaning to resolve issue. Car smokes often upon turning it on.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed for the recall on the vehicle. The dealer diagnosed a failure with rod bearing and a software update was needed. The vehicle was then towed to the residence since the contact had an appointment for recall. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 mph a few days later, the check engine light was illuminated and was shaking, and inadvertently shut down. The contact was able to pull off the road safely. The contact was still in the vehicle when 30 seconds a nearby driver hit the driver's side of the vehicle. The damages to the vehicle were from the rear of the vehicle to the front. The driver then drove off without talking to the contact. The contact called 911. The highway patrol arrived on the scene and a report was filed. There was no medical treatment. The contact was injured on the neck and chest area. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 159,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Got a recall notice about an engine component had it checked they said it was fine. 7 months later it lost power and throw the piston through the bottom of the engine, oil and gas poured all over the road and we had just changed the oil. Called Hyundai and talked to them. They said it would be covered for a new engine cause they had lost a class action lawsuit. It wasn’t the matter if it went out but when it would go out. I towed it to Hyundai where it sat for 4 months before inspection. Then I was told it had to many miles on it so there for it wasn’t covered. But they was quick to offer to order me a new engine at my expense. My issue is a bad part is a bad part. Mileage doesn’t matter. They figured out what mileage most of them was going out at and set a lower mileage so they wouldn’t be responsible. I’ve only had the vehicle 4 yrs and I’m disabled.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated he received a recall notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20v746000 (engine) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repair. However, the dealer inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that they did not have the adequate equipment to complete the inspection of the vehicle as instructed by the manufacturer. The contact stated while driving at 60 mph, he heard abnormal sounds coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred increasingly while driving and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence of the contact’s niece. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer where the failure was diagnosed as a fractured connecting rod and camshaft bearing failure. The dealer sent a diagnostic report to the manufacturer. However, the manufacturer declined to cover the repair under NHTSA campaign number: 20v746000 (engine). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 205,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the oil sensor flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil sensor was leaking oil onto the engine and exhaust. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the starter needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the engine seized during the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Engine stalled while driving in traffic on 1/17/2022. No warning lights or other symptoms. Hasn't been checked. First time happened but I know of other Hyundai Santa Fe with engine recall. This is a very dangerous failure.

On Aug. 9 2021 I took my vehicle into the dealer in phoenix, az. For recalls that were given to me from emissions testing. One recall was for engine knocking and premature wear of piston rods/bearings. The software update was done so the vehicle could warn me of engine failure. On or about Dec 1st 2021 my vehicle was making noise under the hood and slowing in power to safety mode. It stalled at a major intersection near my home and I slowly made it back to safety. The software that was installed failed to warn me in time to not cause engine damage. The are metal shavings in the engine oil and it will not run. If it does you can hear knocking very loudly. This recall was supposed to have the engine replaced by the dealer and no such repair was done. The dealer on Aug 9 only notified me of a leak from the radiator that was never seen before. They tried to charge me 1203. 00 dollars for a new radiator and upper and lower hoses. The leak was never there before and when I got home I inspected the garage floor and the floor was clean and dry. Now 4 months later my engine is having problems from this recall not being corrected. The dealer also has no loaner vehicle for me and I am a disabled man with one leg. Im being told I will be without a car for up to 2 months with no guarantee that the engine will be replaced at no cost to me.

My car died after an engine recall and then another recall happened unknown at this time and today the car died again in the middle of driving. Lights flashing on dashboard and had to be towed into holler Hyundai winter park for the 17th time. This car was purchased November 2021 and I have had nothing but problems. My safety has always been put at risk ever since it blew up going down the highway and liquid bursted out of the hood. Now today without warning it completely died.