Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Hyundai Santa Fe - part 2

In June 2026 I took my vehicle to Hyundai for a recall to the ecm module. After that my vehicle would lose power and hesitate to shift gears, and overall does not feel safe. Took vehicle back to dealer and they have told me that I have to wait for them to issue a recall fix for this now .

See all problems of the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. While the contact’s daughter was driving approximately 10 mph, the vehicle started bucking and shaking abnormally. The warning light indicating that the oil level was low had flashed on the screen. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and waited for the contact to arrive on scene. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that the oil level was extremely low. The contact added oil to the engine, and the dipstick failed to indicate the oil level until there was a quart full. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure and referred the contact to the dealer. While attempting to drive the vehicle at approximately 20 mph with the hazard light flashing on the highway, the vehicle lost drive power. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road and waited for the vehicle to be towed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after consistent oil changes, and the next oil change was not due for 11 days. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,314.

See all problems of the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe sport has never had any issues until last Friday when I took my car to the dealership for regular maintenance (oil change, tire rotation) as I always do. They also performed a software update for recall campaign 9c2. Every day since, when first starting the car after it’s been resting for a while, I’ve experienced a jerky transmission and rough shifting for a first couple minutes of driving. Hyundai has acknowledged they are aware of this issue related to the campaign and the dealership said they’ve had many customers complaining of the same problem following the recall update. However, Hyundai has offered no resolution, other than recommending the car warm up for 13 minutes after starting. Hyundai needs to correct the issue they caused, as my car was perfectly fine before it was serviced and now it’s not performing properly.

I own a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe sport 2. 4l (VIN: [xxx]). On xxx, my vehicle received campaign 9c2 (ecu software update for theta ii emissions improvement). Shortly after this update, I began experiencing a drivability issue that did not exist beforehand. Description of the issue: the problem occurs only after the vehicle has been sitting long enough for the engine to become completely cold, typically overnight. During approximately the first 1/4 mile of driving, the vehicle intermittently jumps, surges, or lurches while accelerating normally. Once the engine warms up, the symptom completely disappears and the vehicle drives normally for the remainder of the trip. There are no warning lights, no check engine light, and no diagnostic messages. The Hyundai dealer has had the vehicle for nearly a week but has been unable to reproduce the concern. Because the issue only occurs during the initial cold start and first portion of the drive, I am concerned that it may not have been tested under the same conditions in which I consistently experience the problem. I am not claiming that campaign 9c2 caused the issue, but the timing is notable because the symptom began only after the ecu update was performed. I am requesting Hyundai's assistance in determining whether: - the ecu update was installed correctly, - any required adaptation or relearn procedure is incomplete, - there are any related technical service bulletins or software updates, or - additional diagnostics should be performed during a true cold-start drive with live data recording. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Hyundai campaign 9c2 recall update: took my vehicle in to have the Hyundai campaign 9c2 recall update performed on the vehicle on June 9th, 2026. Since the update the vehicle is hesitant/jerky upon first drive of the day or anytime it sits more than a few hours. Occasionally it will do this while I am driving. I feel it is a saftey risk because this could cause my vehicle to abruptly hesitate without braking and cause someone to hit me, or worsetransmission to fail while at highway speeds. I took it back to the dealer that performed the required update around June 23rd 2026 and informed them of the problem caused by the 9c2 campaign update. I got the we don't know anything about it causing problems runaround. Even though it has been documented that dealers were notified of this problem. They then wanted to charge me a $100 diagnostic fee to see if it might be something else, I declined that because I know it is from this update. My vehicle ran perfectly fine and smooth before this update was applied and no cel lights are on. I did this update because it was required to be done by Hyundai. When I started researching why my vehicle was hesitant/jerky after the update is when I found that anyone that did this update is having these same issues, and it has been happening for a while now and Hyundai corporation has done nothing to correct this problem other than tell us to sit for at least 3 minutes or more before driving it. That does not help when it does it even after driving for a bit and possibly creating transmission problems.

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that after an unknown emission recall was performed on the vehicle, the vehicle started sputtering at start-up and then while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a known failure after the emission recall repair. The contact was informed that the manufacturer was working on a fix for the issue. Additionally, the contact was advised that the recall repair was optional, but the contact had opted to have the vehicle repaired under the recall. The manufacturer was contacted several times, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

My 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe 2. 4l (VIN: [xxx]) is experiencing a severe safety defect involving rapid engine oil starvation. The vehicle recently failed an official oil consumption test conducted by fred beans Hyundai of abington, where it was documented that the engine consumed 1 quart of oil in just 881 miles (PA request #xxx). This vehicle is equipped with the theta ii engine, which currently has active warranty extensions (txxc and txxi) specifically covering connecting rod bearing failure. Despite the documented severe oil loss—which is the primary known cause of connecting rod bearing wear and sudden engine seizure—Hyundai corporate (case #xxx) is refusing to evaluate the vehicle under these warranties. They have improperly classified my claim as a denied "goodwill" request and are refusing to perform a connecting rod bearing clearance test to determine if the bearings have been damaged by this starvation. Because Hyundai refuses to perform the required diagnostic safety protocols, the vehicle must be driven in an oil-starved condition. This poses an imminent and severe safety risk of sudden engine seizure, stalling, and complete loss of motive power at highway speeds without warning, which could result in a catastrophic crash. The manufacturer is ignoring their own failure thresholds and putting driver safety at risk. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving and decelerating to approximately 10 mph onto an exit ramp, the vehicle suddenly stalled and failed to restart. The contact noticed that there was blue smoke coming from the exhaust pipes, and several unknown warning lights and messages illuminated, including the check engine warning light. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that a fuel injector had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 35,652.

See all problems of the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Air compressor and compression failed engine diagnostic test. Vehicle had high oil and gas consumption.

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

See all problems of the 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

I noticed a check engine light flashing on my dashboard while driving on may 27, 2026. The vehicle suddenly losing power is extremely unsafe for me and my family, and also others on the road. This is a repeated p1326 code which happened before in 2021 and 2024. Based on the receipts I have from the previous inspections from the dealer, the bearing clearance test (bct) was not done in 2024, but was performed in 2021. The knock sensor was replaced in 2024 and I was denied engine replacement. This is a repeat failure of the same condition under Hyundai motors TSB t3g theta ii. Once again, my safety was at extreme risk as the engine lost its power suddenly. It could have easily lead to a crash. In 2024, Hyundai and the dealer declined an engine replacement despite me showing the safety concerns and my possible eligibility for an engine replacement for the underlying condition.

See all problems of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

The engine powertrain system, specifically the internal engine lubrication, timing chain, and camshaft sensors. The vehicle's theta ii engine suffers from systemic, excessive oil consumption, which starved the engine of lubrication. This caused the timing chain to stretch and mechanically fail, and compromised the camshaft sensors. The vehicle is currently un-repaired and is available for inspection upon request at Hyundai of downtown la. While driving, the engine suddenly stalled and completely shut off mid-drive without warning. This caused an immediate loss of motive power and a dangerous reduction in steering and braking control while surrounded by active traffic. Operating a vehicle that randomly shuts down on public roads presents an extreme, life-threatening safety hazard to myself, my passengers, and other drivers. Furthermore, the dealership is attempting to force me to drive the vehicle for an additional 1,000 miles in this stalling, un-repaired condition to complete a corporate oil test, compounding the safety risk. The failure and safety hazard have been physically confirmed and diagnosed by an authorized dealership: Hyundai of downtown la (3850 s figueroa st, los angeles, CA 90037). Their service department mechanically diagnosed the physical failure of the camshaft sensors, a stretched timing chain, and severe engine oil starvation. There were absolutely no dashboard warning lights, check engine lights, low oil pressure lamps, or messages prior to the engine stalling and shutting off. The vehicle computer failed to trigger any diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) or dashboard warnings to alert me to the low oil level or the impending mechanical timing failure before the vehicle completely shut down mid-drive.

See all problems of the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

Hi, my name is [xxx], I bought used hyndai santafe sport 2017 from dealership in 2020. It had around 47,000 miles on it, intitially it was running fine but after driving 2 years I discovered that engine is burning oil and after the oil change right after 1000 miles I had to add a quart of oil and it was like every two weeks. I had many srevices from dealership and other auto mechanic stores but it didn't improved. I had no choice but to keep driving the card on xxx th the engine crashed with out any sign on dashboard. There was slight noise and it increase by the way car was parked on the side road from highway. The car was towed to my local mechanic and confirmed that engine is crashed. After I had to towed to dealership and I am still waiting for their response. Now we have put 43,000 miles in 6 years (91,000) total mileage. I had bought the waranty from dealership by $ 2500 which expired in 2025 currently no warranty. My question here is that the car is still under 100,000 and engine failed. What if the dealership refuse to replace the engine. What are my leagal rights. Thanks [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Vehicle: 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe | current mileage: 140,000 description of safety defect: while operating a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe at speed, the vehicle suffered a sudden, complete, and catastrophic loss of motive power in the middle of a live, active roadway without any prior warning or dashboard indicator lights. The transmission abruptly dropped out of gear and the engine shut down entirely, trapping the driver and three young children in active traffic and creating an immediate, life-threatening highway safety hazard. The vehicle was towed to sport durst Hyundai in durham, nc, where technicians confirmed a total internal transmission failure where the gears fail to engage. This exact mechanical failure mechanism directly mirrors the severe engineering defect detailed in NHTSA campaign number 22v746000 (Hyundai safety recall 236) for electric oil pump failures causing a sudden loss of drive power. Hyundai motor America corporate case management has issued a flat denial of all safety and goodwill repair coverage based strictly on the vehicle's 140,000 miles, claiming that mileage absolves them of product liability for a catastrophic drivetrain safety defect that endangered three young children. Furthermore, the franchise dealership is actively withholding the gds diagnostic failure scan codes from the consumer, calling them "internal documents" to actively suppress federal evidence of this safety failure. Further, the authorized Hyundai dealership engaged in deceptive practices by refusing to put anything in writing, and refusing my request for any diagnostic information, including any report indicating diagnostic error codes, technician summary, etc.

See all problems of the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

The vehicle is a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. It had previously been included in an engine-fire-related recall/service campaign, and Hyundai replaced the engine between approximately October 2024 and January 2025 at about 113,000 miles. About 10,000 miles and 14 months later, the vehicle developed engine/performance problems. A Hyundai dealership service center performed about $6,500 in repairs, including installation of a new transmission, and represented that the engine and transmission had a lifetime guarantee. One day after the vehicle was returned from the dealership, the engine compartment caught fire while the vehicle was being driven. The fire rapidly escalated, the vehicle exploded/burned, and the vehicle was destroyed down to the frame. The occupants escaped, but the incident created an immediate risk of serious injury or death. The failed component appears to involve the engine, engine compartment, fuel/oil/electrical systems, transmission-related repair area, or another drivetrain component. The vehicle remains may be available for inspection depending on insurance/tow/storage status. The vehicle had recently been repaired and inspected by a Hyundai dealership service center. This incident raises concern that the recall-related engine-fire risk, replacement engine, recent dealership repairs, transmission installation, or related components may have failed and created a serious fire hazard.

I filed a complaint when the first engine seized. It's a miracle we got off the road safely that day. While it was at the dealership, the engine was replaced with a used engine and covered by my extended warranty from vroom. I believe the cost was approximately $14,000. I was told the engine had around 30,000 miles on it. I've put around 20,000 miles on this engine and the same thing happened again. This time, the engine had been knocking for a few months. When it started knocking, I took it to the dealership because the new extended warranty by Hyundai was in effect and I assumed it would be covered. Immediately, autonation Hyundai in savannah, GA said it would not be covered because it was a used engine. I don't understand why when the engine can be traced and the mileage known by the number on the engine. On xxx, my [xxx] granddaughter took her driving test in the vehicle. About 2 hours later, the engine seized with her driving. We were on the same road and it was about the same time of day. Once again, it was a miracle we got off the road safely. I just talked to Hyundai and we'll see what they say. From the stories I've seen, they'll do anything they can to avoid covering these engines and they get away with it. The people who get hurt the most from this are the ones who can least afford it. I'm a [xxx] widow raising my 5 grandchildren by myself and believed I was getting a good vehicle, mainly due to the report by consumer reports magazine. Even after the first engine failed and was replaced, I still wasn't in a financial position to get another vehicle and assumed if something happened again, it would be covered under the extended warranty Hyundai was made to provide. Obviously, that means nothing. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Driving to work at 0730 on 20 may, I put my foot down to accelerate from 40mph and nothing happened, I tried again thinking foot placement and the engine died. All ligjts went out, engine turned off and I free coasted for 100 -150yards. Once stopped I mangaed to get the hazard lights on, and get out the vehicle. I was 30yards from traffic lights on a 3 lane road. Once pushed from the road, the car showed lights and internal radio etc, but no noise on the push start. There was no noise from the engine prior to this, there was no dash lights showing issues and no warning. I was then towed 4hrs later to a garage where the diaognostics show engine failure and new engine required. A service 4000k miles ago and the car had used 5. 5quarts of oil. All eveidence ive mainated the vehicle is online. 1st garage advices not driveable due to 10ks of miles of damage.

See all problems of the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

The 9c2 campaign software update introduced dangerous vehicle hesitation and unpredictable gear changes in active traffic, presenting and immediate crash hazard.

I was driving down the road and came to a stop at a stop light. After accelerating again my car lost the ability to increase speed above 20 miles/hour and would not shift gears. I was heading to the turn lane to get on the interstate and quickly had to change lanes to find an area to pull over as I could not reach highway speeds. I turned the car off. I turned the car back on and the problem resolved. This is the second time this has happened. I have seen this problem mentioned dozens of time on reddit message boards including Hyundai buybacks on some of these vehicles. It doesn't sound like Hyundai has any idea what is causing this issue. This issue should be looked into further.

The engine has 1205 miles on it and seized up. Autofair hyundia of manchester denied us. We did get a warning light a couple days before. But to late just the dealer inspected it.

See all problems of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

The contact's daughter owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received a notification for an unknown emissions recall. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it remained for three weeks, and an ecu software update was completed. The vehicle was then driven to the contact's residence. Upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle jerked and chugged while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

See all problems of the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe 🔎.

We were at full stop with auto hold feature enabled. Car lurched / jumped forward with no depression of the gas pedal. This caused us to strike the car in front of us.

See attached letter for complaint.

I was told my top side of my engine failed, and they only cover bottom side engine failure. As well as pieces was missing. When I looked at the video it showed that my screws has fell off vs removed.

The engine (2016 Hyundai Santa Fe 2. 0l/2. 4l theta ii gdi engine) suffered a catastrophic internal mechanical failure, specifically related to the known connecting rod bearing defect. The vehicle is currently un-driveable and is located at serra Hyundai in trussville, al. The vehicle and its failed engine are available for inspection upon request. The engine suddenly failed and lost all power while driving at highway speeds in active traffic. I was forced to coast a dead vehicle across multiple lanes of traffic to the shoulder without any acceleration capability. Yes. The vehicle experienced a complete failure, cannot be restarted, and is currently parked at an authorized Hyundai dealership the vehicle is currently at an authorized Hyundai dealership awaiting a formal corporate inspection and evaluation for engine replacement approval. It has not been inspected by police or insurance. There were no long-term warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the incident. The vehicle was operating normally until the exact moment of the failure, when the engine suddenly began knocking loudly, lost power, and stalled within seconds.

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that he received an unknown service campaign from the manufacturer indicating that a software update for emissions was needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where an ecu update was completed and an np001-sc9c2 was installed for the engine and transmission. The contact stated that when his wife drove the vehicle home from the dealer, she noticed that something was wrong with the vehicle but did not specify the failures. The contact stated that the next day, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and shifted improperly, and while depressing the brake, the vehicle accelerated forward. The contact stated that the failure persisted and became more prevalent in the morning after sitting overnight. The vehicle was then taken to the same dealer where a shift engine value reset, transmission value reset, shift adaptations were made (part number 95447-6g200). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred the next morning and has persisted every morning thereafter. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 25,051.

After the recent "important service campaign" involving the theta ii emissions logic improvement my vehicle no longer safety shifts into the lower gears. It will not shift into gear. I am unable to safely get up to a normal speed and the engine and vehicle start shaking. This is isolated to the initial start of the vehicle and any low speed driving after. The issue is resolved after restarting the car, suggesting it is a software issue. This issue immediately began after the ecu update for the theta ii emissions logic improvement on 5/12/2026.

Campaign 9c2 was installed on this vehicle and the now the vehicle is a danger to drive. My wife refuses to drive it as it bucks and jerks as well as the gas mileage has decreased from 35 highway to 28 highway. The fuel trims are way off on cold starts and the transmission now searches for the correct gear. Shifting back and forth. Just a slight touch of the accelerator and the car seems to jump forward which makes stop and go driving almost impossible.

My car was in shop for smog inspection and failed. Mechanic told me that the most likely reason was that the engine has issues related to failing crankshaft position sensor which triggered the check engine light. He further explained that the engine with this condition will have abnormal oil consumption. My experience is that is exactly what I wondered. No smoke in the exhaust, no oil leaks under the hood and no oil on the parking space at home nor work. Mechanic recommended I take the car to Hyundai dealer in folsom. The service department there diagnosed my car and did not find fault with crankshaft position sensor but did find that there is a problem with timing mechanisms. They also said that the engine has difficulty starting, which I never experienced in over 50,000 I have driven it, save the time of battery replacement about 2 years ago. I decided to take my car back to my mechanic where he diagnosed it with timing issues. The abnormal engine noise was accounted for as a link to timing. In the interim I drive a rental at the rate of about $65. 00 /day. I m in a quandary; if my mechanic repairs the timing issues, which may not be under warranty, does that invalidate the existing engine warranty? if I can get the warranty to cover the ongoing issues, we can save ourselves wasting time and money. If safety concerns are a priority, which is not, then we cannot sacrifice safety in the interest of celerity. In the meantime, my family are in the crossroads and I cannot accept that.

I was driving on a main road at 55-60 mph with my daughter and grandchildren in the car and had a sudden loss of power. I was almost hit from behind. The check engine light started blinking. And the car went into limp mode. I had to limp it to the nearest place to safely get off the road so as not to put my family in any other danger. There is not enough shoulder on the road to pull over safely. It was very stressful. Was able to get it in someone's driveway and then eventually towed to auburn,NY Hyundai/Chevrolet where it is currently. It would not turn over to start again. It does have battery power. I am waiting to hear from the service techs as to what they think is wrong. They advised me that there is a $199 per hour diagnostic fee. I also told them that we noticed metal flakes in the oil when we checked it. I feel I should mention that the vehicle went into limp mode a few weeks ago also and the dealership told me the knock sensor was bad. I had that replaced at that time.

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph a loud noise and smoke was suddenly present coming from under the hood of the vehicle and the engine stalled. The vehicle was towed back to the home. The contact indicated that during the failure no warning messages or lights had displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 83,000.

After the ecm recall for a software update the car would not run correctly. It jerks and and runs rough. It almost stalls when you put your foot on the gas. I took it back to the dealer and they can not get the problem to duplicate. Noone else has looked at the problem. There were never any problems with the care until the recall. The problem occurred the day I brought the car home from the ecm update.

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

The engine burns oil fast. You have to replace oil on a regular bases. The car also looses fluids fast as well. This causing the engine to over heat. This causes the cylinder to head blow.

I had my engine replaced in Nov 2024 due to excessive oil consumption. I was required to do an emissions update due to a recall on my car. Once the dealer did the update, it caused my check engine light to come on and now I need a new catalytic converter, which was all due to the excessive oil consumption. Hyundai dealer knows this but they are telling me I’m responsible for replacing it. It should be replaced by Hyundai not me. It was the issue with the engine.