general problems of the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe - part 2

On July 3, 2024 my husband was driving our 2016 Santa Fe with a v6 engine on a highway. He was coasting down a hill going approximately 65mph when he heard a loud bang and saw something shoot off to the left of the vehicle. When he tried to brake, he realized the car had shut off and he did not have automatic steering or breaks. He managed to get the car safely pulled off the highway by using all his weight to stand on the brakes and turn the car. The car did not start up again. When we got the car towed home, we were looked under the hood and found that the engine had shot a rod. We found pieces of the engine/rod along the bottom of the engine bay. We called local mechanics as well as Hyundai service center and got quotes for repair ranging from $9-20k. The car was purchased in July of 2023, the engine had 97k miles on it, with 8k miles being put on from July 2023-July 2024. The vehicle passed PA state inspection on June 2, 2024 by the dealership’s service center.

Vehicle was driven on a highway approximately 45-50 mph when a loud knocking sound occured. The vehicle began to shake erratically and a bunch of lights displayed. I pulled over at a safety point and turned the vehicle off to inspect it. A large amount of smoke poured from under the hood. The vehicle sat for about 45 minutes to cool down before I attempted to start it again. The engine continued to make a loud knocking sound and kept stalling. At the given time of engine failure, I was driving on a fairly busy highway with my two toddlers where we were forced in a dangerous situation to be struck by a vehicle. Hours later, I went back to start the vehicle where I was able to get it started and drive approximately 15 mph to a safer area for the vehicle to be parked. The vehicle has been at the Hyundai bowser chippewa location in beaver falls, PA. I was denied for any assistance through Hyundai and the bbb-Hyundai due to 3 open recalls, mainly the engine knock system not being updated. All issues and diagnostics were conducted at the dealership where the vehicle is being stored. No police report has been filed, nor was an insurance claim conducted. No lights or warnings came about until the engine started to noticably fail. I didn't receive any notifications from Hyundai regarding recalls, and nothing is displayed on the NHTSA site.

On may 23, 2023 was inspected for an oil leak and was informed the oil was leaking from the drain bolt (oil pan was cracked), valve cover was leaking. Was replaced with a pan assembly-engine oil, gasket-rocker cover (with gdi high pressure pump gasket), and gasket- fuel pump. . However on oil leak continued and cause massive engine failure. Turned it in 5/26/2024 had to replace engine.

Car started to present problems at around 100k miles when it would start to hard shift any time it shifted in to 2nd gear. On several occasions it would fail to accelerate beyond 25 mph one of these instances happened while driving at speed on the interstate where pressing the gas pedal to the floor did not accelerate the car. Resently the engine would not turn over instead all of the display and indicator lights would flicker on and off rapidly. In all of these instances the car never through any codes with the exception of one time I may 2024 and were inconsistent enough that it was difficult to replicate issues when brought in for inspection. All of the above symptoms were alleviated by adding about a quart of oil every 1,000 miles or so. Again when asking about these issues the repair shops could never give a reason for why it was going through so much oil.

Car started making noise after the check engine light came on. Check engine light was on for just a few days then by the third/fourth day the car starting making noise, turned off on me a few times then just died. We replaced a few sensors and the battery and starter. Two mechanics have told me the engine is locked and needs to be replaced.

On 5/15, I was entering the highway when the vehicle refused to accelerate. I pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor, and the vehicle did not respond. I checked to see if it had stalled, but the engine was still running. I watched the rpm meter as I pushed the accelerator, and noticed that the rpm’s stayed at 1. 5 the entire time. I pulled over to the shoulder and turned off the vehicle as I was afraid of causing an accident as I was not at highway speed at the time. I turned the vehicle back on and when it was safe, attempted to reenter the highway. The vehicle responded appropriately. The check engine light had come on 2 days prior to this (5/13) and I was in the process of trying to make an appointment to get it fixed. My husband ran the engine code (p0014 and p0024). The check engine light had turned off upon restarting the vehicle but turned back on about 3 minutes after resuming driving. I took the vehicle to a mechanic to have it looked at, and they noticed that the engine had lost 4 quarts of oil. There had been no oil leakage noted at any time. They added 3 quarts of oil to the engine and noticed that the knocking sounds remained. Their determination was that the car was pretty much totaled. There were no indicator lights on the dashboard to notify me that there was low oil at any time. The only indicator that showed was the check engine light 2 days before.

The vehicle began making a knocking sound upon starting. I contacted the local dealership for a service appointment and learned that they were out a couple of months on their appointment schedule. A day or two later, my vehicle shut off while driving, I was fortunate to have enough momentum to pull of the road safely. Upon having it towed to a local mechanic, I learned that the engine seized and needed to be replaced. I contacted Hyundai and they have scheduled me for an appointment next week. Keeping my fingers crossed they will do right by me since I have always had the vehicle serviced at their Hyundai dealership. The car has approximately 118,300 miles on it.

Was driving on the highway going about 65mph when the engine just lost power. Pressing the accelerator and there was nothing happening. Had the car towed home. And then to a mechanic who told me the rod was bent. I’ve always kept up on oil changes and maintenance. I just had an oil change less than a month prior. There were no warning signs leading up to this incident.

Around three weeks ago, we start listening to a knocking noise in the engine. As soon as we heard this noise, we took it to a mechanic near our home and the mechanic told us that there was an internal problem with the engine and we needed to take it to an official Hyundai dealership to solve this problem. Moreover, they told me this is a common problem in Hyundai's cars and the dealership would do it for free. When I took it to the dealership, they told me that I had to replace the chain timing, tensioners, cvv, and many other stuff needed (I'm sending the receipt attached, see "car report 2024. Pdf"). It was going to take 10 hours of work. Importantly, this was not covered by the Hyundai warranty or recalls. I bought the car 3 years ago, and both the previous owner and I did the year service to the car. I'm sending all the receipts and carfax of the services. Best regards, andres.

6 months ago my rod bearing broke in my engine, and I needed a new engine. From the engine recall. With a broken rod bearing you get an oil consumption problem. Oil consumption ruing your cat converter. But they aren’t telling anyone that. 6,000 miles after my new engine, my catalac converter broke. These cars are dangerous. They’re not telling anyone that this is the next problem. They just put you back on the road. Not to mention bad for the environment!.

Engine knocking/failure at 75000 miles. No warning/check engine lights prior to failure. Dealership quoting $17k to rebuild engine.

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who advised that the vehicle be taken to the dealer. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, who determined that premature bearing wear had resulted in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 17v226000 (engine and engine cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 141,000.

Engine failed me driving 75 mph down I-10. Completely stalled. No warning indication lights. Car did not over heat. Just shut down and never started again. I had to coast over 4 lanes of traffic, pulled off the road using my emergency flashers for a short period until those went out as well. Car did have oil and all fluids. I had to have car towed home 3 hours from home. I have had vehicle looked at and have been told engine seized up on me. I have had this vehicle not even a year and I am a single disabled woman. I have found several others have had this issue as well and have a really hard fight to get these thinks fixed. I have put a brand new motor and had the alternator checked it passed the test. Battery did not, was drained. I bought a new battery and all electronics are working and car goes into on position with the push start but no engine life at all. No clicks, no life at all. I can hear fuel pump doing its normal things and I can do any electrical thing on inside. I have had no ride, no sleep at night, anxiety attacks over my car just stalling out now being told engine seized up 2016 Santa Fe sport 2. 0 t.

-premature complete engine failure, at approximately 72,000 miles. -luckily, was able to get vehicle to manufacturer dealership prior to complete immobilization of vehicle while on the road. -engine “bearing” failure per dealership. Requires complete engine assembly for repair. Complete engine assembly no longer available, only manufactured for 6 years, and requires 150+ parts to be assembled at dealership for “short block”. -dealer serviced maintenance documented at correct intervals. -incident occurred without any warning lights, first and only symptom was a loud knock from the engine that increased in volume and and speed with increasing rpms. -vehicle remains at dealership, pending resolution. -dealership states no active manufacturer recall on issue with this particular engine, but is aware of many other similar complaints and engine failure with this model of engine, 3. 3l lamba ii gdi engine. Desire to add my complaint to any others as this poses a safety risk to other owners. Online research reveals an active investigation by the nhsta and a class-action suit regarding this issue. Please help, and contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you.

I traded in my 2020 Toyota corola for this car at the used Toyota dealership. Our family is comfortable with the brand Toyota and Hyundai, as we’ve owned many and considered them to be great liable cars. So we thought the Santa Fe’s would accommodate for a growing family. Not only have we encountered an engine problem with this model, which came out of nowhere, unannounced within less than a year of owning the car, but we had 2 more issues with the other Hyundai Santa Fe’s that we purchased last year. All major engine problems. All within the years 2014-2017. The engine just blows out, or burns the oil too fast, and to be honest with you, I am not just disappointed that this has happened, but the lack of ownership for this issue that I, along with thousands of other sante fe owners have encountered. No recall has been made on this issue. Hyundai, you have not only disappointed us, but you’ve abandoned us on this issue. In my situation it hasn’t been one car…. . It’s been 3 in a year. The financial burden this has placed on my family has left us with minimal options of advancing. I plead with you to please investigate why this is happening, so that other families don’t have to go through the hardship and turmoil this has placed on us.

Engine light came on while driving and vehicle began to malfunction with bogging and little power to move the vehicle properly. Vehicle was towed to Hyundai dealership for diagnostics. Determining that there is rod bearing failure in the motor. Contacted Hyundai corporate who denied warranty claim citing I did not properly maintain the vehicle per owners manual although they were provided with records of proper maintenance, however it was disregarded by Hyundai warranty people as proper maintenance. I have contacted bbb and PA attorney general for assistance but to no avail. There are countless others with the same exact issues where Hyundai motor America is denying warranty claims for identical mechanical motor issues.

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the vehicle lost power and the engine began to knock and then the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that an engine replacement was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA action number: dp22003 (engine). The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

No warnings or any visible alerts. Took it to mechanic and engine is going to need to be replaced. Only 87,000 miles.

Engine failure out of nowhere 110,000 well maintained. Driving on montgomery road early afternoon Monday 1/29/2024. All of a sudden check engine battery and oil indicator lights all came on and vehicle died. Had towed to shop and told engine failure.

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated, and there was white smoke emanating from the exhaust pipe, after which the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the cylinder head bolts, resulting in damage to the cylinder head gaskets and requiring a replacement engine. 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 87,000.

Sudden catastrophic engine failure with no explanation from the service department at the dealership. Service was well maintained, no oil leak, all service done via the dealership but at 102k miles, engine failed suddenly. This is the v6 3. 3l engine. Hyundai has agreed to replace it but it is on back order with no eta.

I own a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe and today the car just slowed down and then shut off, with no warning on a bridge, it was so scary being on that bridge and the car just stopped. I get it towed to Hyundai dealership and they informed me my engine possibly seized but need a diagnostic test and it will be 4 to 6 weeks due to all the engine problems on there Santa Fes. So I have been reading on this site and the same thing is happening to others. I hope Hyundai does the right thing.

Engine seized at 116000 miles on one of the busiest roads in town in below zero weather. I was nearly hit by an SUV and also an oversized load semi. I'm so thankful the towing guys showed up within the hour. There was no warning when this happend, no check engine light or oil light on. Two days before, on the last time it had beenbdriven I walked out to find it had started on it's own. It was Friday night, so I wasn't sure what to do yet. The vehicle was making a cl8cking sound durimg accelation on the Sunday morning the seize occurred, so I made plans to call the mechanic first thing Monday morning. It seized before I had the chance. I just lost all power to accelerate and had to pull over. The car took several minutes and many attempts to even turn off. Then never restarted again. I had thought a belt had broken, but our mechanic informed us the engine seized. Please investigate these 3. 3 litre engines, they need to be recalled. We refuse to make this some other families problem, or to pay Hyundai one dime more of our money, or waste our time, energy or emotions on diagnostics and fighting them. We could not trade it in, so we lost the trade in value and had to finance our next vehicle. We are arranging this Hyundai to just be sold to a salvage yard for parts. It is otherwise useless.

I have always taken good care of my car, regular oil changes, kept coolant levels up etc. I was driving home from work when my car began to overheat, so I immediately pulled over and turned it off. Made an appointment with a mechanic, had it towed there due to overheating, and found out my engine was blown completely. No prior issues.

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that upon his wife starting the vehicle, she observed heavy smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated that his wife heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion had damaged the head gasket, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 95,000.

I purchased this vehicle less than a year ago from a dealership, used. I noticed the oil consumption after the first few months was unreasonably high. I have to keep a large jug of oil in my car and add the oil at least every two weeks or so depending on the miles I drive. I noticed other Hyundai owners complain of the same issue and some being resolved. However, my VIN is showing no open recalls at the moment.

Have had car for 8 months, just hit 70,000 miles and now need to replace my timing chain kit. Will cost 1,500 to 2,000 estimated.

See attached document for complaint.

I am not sure what is wrong with my Hyundai Santa Fe 2016 because it is at the dealer at this moment waiting for a diagnostic test. I started the vehicle and heard a revving-up noise. I went to the doctor and on my way back to the house I accelerated and heard a rattling sound and the oil light, the check engine light, and the battery light all came on. The car slowed down and when I tried to accelerate again there was no acceleration power. I drove the car as far as I could go, then it stopped in the middle of a road. Thank god I was in my subdivision. I had to ask a ups truck driver to push it to the curb. It was towed to the dealer 12/26/2023. That was the earliest appointment because it was the christmas holiday weekend. This is my only form of transportation. I am so glad I was not on a main street. Unknown because I am waiting for the diagnostic test results. I am requesting a manufacturer's warranty because I am under 100,000 miles. I did file a claim with my insurance but haven't heard from them as yet.

Engine seized while driving.

Engine is consuming oil at an alarming rate. After 2000 miles, 3 quarts of oil was consumed.

Engine threw a rod and damaged the whole engine. No warnings. Same exact issue my friends 2015 did. Her engine was replaced.

Engine threw a rod.

Engine caught fire while driving. Vehicle is a total loss as fire department did not arrive for 20 min. Currently at a copart yard in gainesville, GA. Lucky I was on a rural road and my dog and I were able to get out of car. Only injury is cough that has not gone away after 4 weeks. No warning lights, but did smell what seemed like burning brake fluid prior to fire. Both Hyundai and farmers insurance have inspected the car. Of note is that Hyundai replaced the engine at around 60k miles due to engine oiling issues.

The vehicle will not accelerate over 30mph. I was entering the interstate on ramp and am not able to accelerate to the speed limit. The cars approaching had to slow down significantly to avoid a rear end collision. This happens every time whether I am at a stop light on a normal roadway or entering the interstate. There are never any warning lights or sensors indicating that there is a problem. I have completed all of the recalls and system updates required by the manufacturer. I have completed the oil consumption and engine cleaning multiple times and it has not helped the issue.