general problems of the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe - part 1

Dealer failure to to remedy engine replacement under settlement. I am entitled under the March 1, 2022, settlement agreement (the “e2 settlement”) due to recurring theta ii engine failures caused by the oil-starvation/connecting-rod bearing defect. Vehicle stalling on highways and heavy traffic, repeated codes and failures of map sensors, vvt solenoids, camshaft position sensors, starters (×3), batteries (×2), turbo wastegate, fuel pump, evap canister, thermostats/housings, etc. — all downstream symptoms of oil starvation and bearing failure Hyundai dealers (Hyundai of palm springs and others) have continued to misdiagnose and charge me for unrelated repairs while refusing to acknowledge the covered defect in the replacement engine. Relief demanded under the e2 settlement pursuant to settlement ¶¶ 4. 1, 4. 2, 5. 1, 5. 2, and 6, I demand the following within fourteen (14) days: full replacement of the failed engine with a new or remanufactured long-block assembly at $0 out-of-pocket cost to me, including all related gaskets, hoses, sensors, turbocharger, and pcm reflash: full reimbursement of all out-of-pocket repair expenses incurred since the 2022 replacement (approximately $8,178. 50+ $150 for two maxed out triple a cards, and a new rental car for this week at $1500. 00 total to date $10,148. 50— reimbursement of all towing and rental-car expenses (receipts enclosed); compensation for diminished value of the vehicle. Confirmation that the lifetime warranty remains in full force on any future engine. In the alternative, a cash buyback of $25,000 in full satisfaction of all claims. This vehicle has suffered two qualifying theta ii engine failures, the second occurring in a warranty replacement engine. Hyundai of palm springs continued refusal to properly honor the settlement has caused extreme hardship, safety risks (multiple freeway/intersection stalls), and thousands of dollars in unnecessary expense.

On 08/15/2025 I started the vehicle and heard a ticking noise that lasted for 3 seconds and stopped. The same noise happened when I would start the car in the mornings. It never lasted more than 3 seconds and I wasn't too sure what the noise was. There was no engine lights that came on so I wasnt too worried about it. On 8/21/2025 my husband went to the store and when he came back the car shut off while backing into the driveway. He said it made a weird noise and just shut off. We tested the battery but it was still charged. We brought it to our mechanic and he called us 15 mins later saying he found metal shavings on the oil filter and the engine had seized. He recommended going to the dealer, which is 90 miles away. Around the 15th we had received the warranty extension for 15 years/150,000 miles from Hyundai talking about a knocking sound that can lead to engine seizure. So I called the dealer and they said to bring it in. We got the car towed to the dealer on 8/26/2025. On 09/04/2025 they called to let us know that they ran the test on the engine but Hyundai was not going to help due to the car having 176,000 miles. They agreed the engine seized due to rod failure but wasn't going to offer goodwill assistance, even with the service history we submitted from our carfax that showed regular scheduled maintenance recorda. We bought the car on 03/08/2025 when it was at 170,000 miles. I knew about the other open recalls and had them fixed on 06/12/2025 ( after being delayed from the dealer for 2 months because they couldn't get the parts for the auxiliary canister). Luckily the car died in the driveway and not in the middle of traffic. Hyundai has known about their lambda engines having this issue and the kdss recall was not available for this car which could have triggered a lifetime warranty on the engine. I barely had the car for 5 months.

Driving on freeway and noticed smoke. Realized I needed to pull over and brakes weren’t working. Off ramp was at an incline so car came to a stop just in time to get toddler and myself out of vehicle. Car was on fire.

I bought the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe yesterday evening. Upon leaving the dealership I promptly broke for a car in front of me. Immediately the vehicle turned off completely. I put the vehicle in the park and attempted to start the vehicle back up. The vehicle would not start up and begin leaking a prominent scent. Following this, white smoke with the same pungent smell was coming from the engine. I propped the hood and saw the smoke continue to release. I then motioned away from the vehicle and called for a tow truck. The car is now being inspected by the dealership I purchased it from the same day. I believe this is related to the NHTSA recall on 2010-2015 Hyundai Santa Fe, recall date 09/22/2023, recall number 21v303000, and Hyundai safety recall 251s anti-lock braking system fuse replace. This issue is not listed under my vehicle VIN number but it’s apparent to be the case and issue and is being inspected further by the dealership.

015 Santa Fe ultimate. 134,000 miles. Original owner. All maintenance done per manual. Wife on hwy 2 hrs. Started loud engine knocking noise. No warning whatsiever. Pulled off closet exit. Stalled. Restarted. Pulled into gas station. Trusted mechanic inspected. Stated not to drive. He had identical vehicle at shop,identical problem. 110,000 miles. Needs new engine. Noticed on fbook forum,"Hyundai engine problems". Alot of similar complaints posted. Hyundai not warranting over 100,000 miles. This could have been much worse if it had been at night,in a rural area. Shocked has not been a recall!.

Despite regular oil changes and maintenance. Engine failed due to lack of oil at 122,000 miles. Complete oil change was done at 120,000 miles. Tune up completed at 118,000 miles.

I purchased this vehicle one year ago from a used car dealership with 148,000 miles on it. Within a few months it was throwing crankshaft position, sensor codes, camshaft codes, and burning oil. I cannot bring my rpms above two without my check engine light coming on and blinking. My car will go into limp mode. Hyundai does not have my car included in the engine recall they only have the sport Santa Fe included. They released an extended warranty for 150,000 miles but by the time that was put into place my car was at 151,000 miles so it was not eligible.

During acceleration to pass car sputters and has no power. Merging into traffic is dangerous. The best shift is faulty as well . Mine is in park but it is showing it in drive and won't crank.

I am writing to express my concern regarding an ongoing and persistent issue with excessive engine oil consumption in my 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe, subject: severe oil consumption issue - 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe - VIN: 5xyzwdla1fg238718 the vehicle consumes an alarming amount of oil, approximately 1 quart every 300 miles. This rate of consumption is far beyond what is considered normal and strongly suggests a serious mechanical or manufacturing defect. I have already taken the vehicle to a mechanic to diagnose and attempt to resolve this problem. Based on their professional advice, the following parts were recently replaced: 1. Engine valve cover gasket 2. Turbo charger oil line 3. Spark plugs unfortunately, despite these repairs, the issue of excessive oil consumption remains unresolved. The rate of oil loss remains consistent and dangerously high. This was first informed by a service center when I took the car for a random check. Then, after traveling 1,000 miles, the engine oil level dropped again. After that, I am keeping an eye on that. This level of oil consumption poses a significant risk to the engine's long-term health and reliability, and it is a major inconvenience and expense for me as the owner. I am deeply concerned that a major engine component may be failing.

See attached document for complaint.

At 110k miles my sante fe sport began burning increasing amounts of oil. My mechanic says he does not know why it is burning oil. Today it has 134171k miles on it. It has been burning a quart or more of oil weekly. I drive about 200 miles per week.

The engine has basically come apart. There is a timing chain issue, the engine is not recalled and it is getting where the car cannot drive. There is a constant smell of burning electrical wires. There’s also issues with the heating and air that is related to electrical.

My car burns a lot of oil. The Hyundai dealership service center ran a controlled test and validated that my car burned a quart of oil in 1000 miles. This is not normal. It turns out that there are a lot of Hyundai owners with the exact same problem. It seems there are bad piston rings.

I am filing this complaint regarding my 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe sport, which recently suffered engine failure due to an unresolved issue related to error code p1326. The check engine light began flashing, and despite multiple visits to my local Hyundai service center (gateway Hyundai Nissan in fargo, nd), the problem was not properly diagnosed or repaired, resulting in catastrophic engine damage. The vehicle has a branded title, but I have confirmed that, according to Hyundai's warranty policies, recalls and campaigns are still applicable to branded vehicles. Hyundai has issued a recall for engine defects associated with error code p1326, yet the service center has refused to replace the engine under this recall. Instead, they are insisting on an out-of-pocket repair cost of $9,300. 56, even though the engine failure is a result of the defect addressed in the recall. This failure occurred while I'm driving with my wife and 9-month-old infant, which posed a significant safety risk. Had the service center properly addressed the issue during my earlier visits, this situation could have been prevented. I am filing this complaint to request that Hyundai be held accountable for the engine replacement as part of the recall and to prevent further safety risks for other drivers experiencing this defect. I respectfully ask the NHTSA to investigate Hyundai’s handling of this recall and ensure that customers with branded vehicles are not unfairly denied critical safety repairs. The manufacturer must ensure that engine replacements under the recall are carried out for all affected vehicles, regardless of their title status, to prevent dangerous road situations. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving home at approximately 25 mph, her vehicles engine all of seized. The contact stated that she was able to safely park her vehicle on the side of the road. The contact also noted that various unknown warning lights had illuminated on her vehicles dashboard. The contact attempted to restart her vehicle however it would not start and so the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic shop where the vehicle was diagnosed. The contact stated that she was advised that her engine had locked up and that it would have to be replaced. The contact proceeded to then have her vehicle towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed again. The original diagnosis was confirmed. The contact was informed that she would have to replace her engine. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 128,000.

The 3. 3 liter v6 gdi engine failed while driving at approximately 136000 miles. Heard a ticking noise start shortly after leaving home, and had hesitation and shaking upon acceleration from a stop sign, but saw no warning lamps. Went around the block back home to find out the ticking noise was under the hood. Motor oil was almost 3 quarts low, but only 2/3's of the way through the service interval. Checked for leaking, saw none dripping, but did see oil on the under of the rear differential. I then let the car run for minute or so in the garage and looked for leaks. I saw no active leaking and ticking was quieter, so I drove to a close gas station to get a little gas and test drive, still no warning lights. On the way back, about a mile from home, the engine light came on, despite the ticking sound being gone. Within a quarter mile, at the next stop sign, I let off the brake to accelerate and the car started rolling backwards, causing the vehicle approaching from behind to swerve into the turn lane. The vehicle was no longer running, and wouldn't restart. Towed to local mechanic and was told 2 days ago the engine was seized, and replacement was needed. I have not contacted any dealership or the manufacturer, as I the second owner and do not have a warranty. However I have spent the last 2 days reading seemingly 1000s of articles and forum posts related to this engine, whether it be in a Hyundai or a kia. Several of the articles I have read about this 3. 3 liter gdi lambda -ii engine and it's horror stories, referenced this NHTSA site as a place where complaints can be made, so here I am. Many articles describe the same problem. . Hesitation. . . Ticking. . Sudden mysterious oil loss. . . Little, if any warning. . . Complete failure while driving, putting safety at risk. With the problem with engine so blatantly rampant, it is my fear that after I scrap this vehicle, there will be a recall. Over the phone quotes, and online pricing have ranged from $7500-20000 for repair.

My 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 3. 3l engine started ticking sound while driving in residential are with the speed below 25miles. Within seconds, engine started screaming and dropped power in the middle of the road. It is a huge security and life threatening risk. I was lucky that I was driving in residential area with very slow speed, and just imagine if it happens in the middle of the freeway cruising at 65mph. It is at 107k miles and not sure what to do at this time. Hyundai better recall there 3. 3l v6 engines and help us our here. My vehicle is now dead and I have nowhere to go to get help because it a huge cost to get it fixed.

Sudden loss of engine power in traffic on highway in funeral procession. My safety was put at risk on the highway. The check engine light came on intermittently the previous week. I made six trips to the Hyundai dealer in Plymouth, MA. First told the oil was low when the dipstick was normal. Oil was changed. Check engine light came on as I left the lot. Two more trips computer reset two different ways. Engine does not have normal power going up hill. Another trip to dealer evap hose collapsed. Light back on and off. I paid for diagnostic fee $175, oil change then told it was cvv and timing issue with $2817. 89 in parts because the tech "saw" the problem. >$3000 estimate for labor. Repair started now told cvv is not the problem metal shavings in oil ocv intake and exhaust valves and needs new engine. The car had $60,000 miles on it and was extremely well maintained. It does not have a warrantee. This is same issue as the Hyundai recall for metal debris left in oil passages of engine crankshaft during manufacture though my model is not covered by the recall. Hyundai declines to help. There is a huge personal safety and fire risk from this defective manufacturing process.

Engine has goes on out at 99000 miles has seized up .

We were on our way home from the children's hospital in philadelphia for my daughter (4 hours away from home) and my 2015 Santa Fe with the 3. 3l motor began to knock. My dad (who is very mechanically inclined) pulled over at a gas station and checked oil and other fluids. It was low, even though I just had oil changed 900 miles before and it was checked before our trip to the hospital. We bought oil and put it in. Knocking was still there but was not as loud. We got back on interstate. Few miles up the road it completely lost power, extreme knocking, no lights on in the dash or any gauges out of normal range. He checked oil and it was completely empty but there was no oil trail or anything. We coasted into a crossover and that's when he saw the connecting rod under the car.

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.

During routine vehicle operation when entering an interstate highway, , the vehicle developed a loud knocking sound from engine bay along with high rpm abnormal shifting. Vehicle was stopped as soon as possible in the safety lane when it stalled and shut off. No warning lights were present during the time of failure. Vehicle was towed to home of residence.

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle continued to lose motive power and then stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the engine control software update was not performed, and the vehicle did not qualify for an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. Additionally, the contact observed white smoke coming from the engine and an abnormal oil burning odor. The check engine and oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 148,000.

Engine replacement can be avoided you should use fuel injector cleaner every 3000 miles, sediment clogs injectors, and pistons which fuel leaks into oil pan, causing oil/fuel mixture to burn, creating overheating, which leads to oil burning, and eventually engine seizing. If you use fuel injector cleaner every 3000 miles this will prevent needing to replace motor.

My wife was driving the vehicle on Monday afternoon and everything was fine and today she started the vehicle and the engine started to sound weirdly, she called me over the phone and she popped up the hood like I told her and she put her phone near the engine gave a little gas and I heard like there was no oil in it, she turned the vehicle off like I told her to do, waited like 5 minutes for the oil to settle and the oil level was half. I'm waiting for tomorrow Wednesday the 27th of March to call any Hyundai dealer near me to see what they say about this situation.

Engine with rod bearing failure occurred at 108k miles. No check engine light warning came on to notify with engine knock sound as the only indicator that there was a mechanical issue. Regular oil changes have been done on the vehicle however oil levels were low when checked on the day of engine failure (no low oil light came on). 3. 3 l v6 engine is not covered under Hyundai’s ksds software update (campaign 966) and extended warranty however issue is the same as other covered models and years.

While driving down the highway the engine stopped. Towed it to a mechanic. They told me the engine seized up and that this was happening alot with Hyundai vehicles.

Out of the blue, the engine started knocking badly. Immediately pulled over and checked engine oil which was extremely low. (this was odd since I regularly check oil levels and keep up with oil changes. ) I happened to be very close to an oil change shop, drove over and they did an oil change. They found silver and gold metal shavings in the old oil and topped off with new oil. The knocking was muted but came back by the time I got home. I have not driven the car since. Seems to have the same fate as many other Hyundai vehicles in the current recall, but this has the 3. 3l engine. I've also found there is a petition to add the 3. 3l engine to the recall.

The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle lost motive power and was unable to exceed 15 mph. The contact was able to arrive to the intended destination, where the failure persisted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the knock sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

Recent cold weather starts in the morning (40-50 degrees fahrenheit) have caused my car to have poor or stalled acceleration. It will occasionally not go past 20 or 40 mph while the rpms rev high. The dtc error code would read p2565 as a pending code. An independent mechanic changed out my transmission fluid and switched out my boost pressure sensor but the problem is still there. Hyundai says that they need to replicate the problem but it does not occur when I take it to them so it's very hard to have this intermittent issue diagnosed by them. This is a very dangerous issue in my opinion if your cars engine revs high without accelerating and can potentially cause serious accidents and injury. I know I'm not the only person experiencing this issue as I've read on online forums of other car owners describing the same issue. Please issue a safety recall before someone is seriously injured or dies as a result of this intermittent issue.

My 2015 Santa Fe limited with 44,000 miles developed a knocking sound coming from the engine. No lights appeared on the dashboard, no low oil pressure warning, etc. I was able to drive it to my local dealership, but the brakes were very jerky and the car shut off when I pulled into the parking lot. I was told I needed a new engine, but was denied Hyundai paying for it because the 5 years/100,000 mile warranty had expired. I called corporate and pointed out many instances of excess oil consumption, recalls, and extended warranties due to engines. I was told that my engine didn’t qualify and I would have to pay to have it fixed. I was also given a phone number for a class action lawsuit because Hyundai knows of these kinds of engine problems on my make and model.

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.

My 2015 Santa Fe has metal in oil so my engine not working it went out.

2015 3. 3 engine Santa Fe motor seized 115,000miles, no lights, no low oil indicator, no check engine light, no noise except 6minutes prior!.