2013 Hyundai Santa FE Sport other reported problems

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

In October/November of 2023, while Hyundai was actively initiating Safety Recall 251 (NHTSA Campaign 23V-651), my vehicle's ABS Control Unit suffered an internal fluid leak that resulted in an electrical short-circuit. The failure caused major electronic communication errors, illuminated dashboard warning lights, and placed the vehicle into Limp Mode, rendering it unsafe to drive. Because the failure occurred prior to receiving a formal owner notification in the mail and the vehicle was un-drivable, I paid $1,300.54 out-of-pocket on November 17th 2023 to replace the failed ABS module. Hyundai Corporate has twice denied reimbursement, arguing that Recall 251 only covers a multi-fuse replacement and claiming internal fluid leaks are not covered. This contradicts NHTSA 23V-651 documentation, which explicitly identifies internal ABS module fluid leaks and electrical shorts as the core safety defect. Installing a fuse current-limiter cannot repair an already-ruined ABS circuit board or resolve a safety-mandated Limp Mode. I am reporting this to document on the official public record that Hyundai is actively denying reimbursement for the exact root-cause failure identified in NHTSA Campaign 23V-651. PLEASE NOTE: This report is submitted solely to document Hyundai Motor America's non-compliance and improper reimbursement denial for official record-keeping under Campaign 23V-651. I do not require follow-up contact from NHTSA regarding this submission.

NHTSA complaint #11757483 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Sunroof exploded while driving

NHTSA complaint #11751898 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Passengers are stuck in vehicle due to failure of doors opening from either inside, outside or both.

NHTSA complaint #11736497 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While my vehicle was at an authorized Hyundai dealership for engine warranty repair, I reported a suspension grinding noise and requested that it be inspected. This concern was raised while the vehicle was in the dealership’s possession and was communicated as a safety concern. The engine repair was completed and the vehicle was returned to me. No inspection findings, documentation, or technician notes were provided addressing the suspension concern. The repair documentation I later received does not include any reference to the suspension issue or any inspection findings related to that concern. The dealership has also confirmed that no additional documentation exists beyond the repair order. After the vehicle was returned, warning lights appeared that were not present prior to the repair. A suspension grinding noise may indicate issues affecting steering, suspension, or vehicle stability. I am concerned that the vehicle was released without inspection or documentation of a reported safety related condition.

NHTSA complaint #11728948 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

As driving, the passenger side rear wheel disconnected from the subframe. A lot of suspension parts (e.g. rear suspension mounting bolt is absent from the subframe; rear control arm toe link detached from its mounting point; severe corrosion present on subframe control arm And bushing sleeve; rusted and degraded mounting hole) were subsequently affected which significantly impacts driver and passenger safety as well as other surrounding vehicles. The mechanic indicated that if we were on the highway at a higher speed this would of caused a major accident with potential several deaths.

NHTSA complaint #11708246 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

On Aug 2, 2025, while traveling back from vacation with our family of 4, our engine failed and completely seized up on a very busy highway. The vehicle completely shut off in a lane of travel near an exit ramp, and we were unable to even pull off on a shoulder for safety. We were unable to restart the vehicle or reproduce the issue because the vehicle will not turn on. There were no warning lamps or other messages. However, the car has historically consumed an extraordinary amount of oil, even with routine oil changes and service. Two quarts of oil were added to the vehicle the day before this happened. The vehicle was towed to a Hyundai dealership and the incident was reported to Hyundai USA. We've been told the dealership can not run tests or inspect the vehicle until Aug. 21, nearly three weeks after it happened. We were told this is because they have numerous other vehicles with similar problems. This was an incredibly terrifying experience that put the safety of our family of 4, including two young children, at risk. A bystander called 911 and a state trooper arrived to set up flares and expedite a tow truck. We were told the spot we broke down is an incredibly busy part of an interstate where fatal accidents happen every other day.

NHTSA complaint #11679241 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE CAMERA BACKUP STOPPED WORKING. I'VE SEEN ON YOUTUBE THAT THESE CAMERAS WERE POORLY MADE. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE WHEN BACKING UP. I'VE CHECK WITH HYUNDAI THEY ARE VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE.

NHTSA complaint #11176676 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS OVER LAST MONTH MY VEHICLE RPM SHOOT WAY UP AND THE ENGINE REVS UP WHEN EXCELLERATING FROM A STOPPED POSITION. COULD BE A STOP LIGHT, TO MAKE A TURN OR FROM BACKING UP AND GOING INTO DRIVE. LASTS ABOUT 15-30 SECONDS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE VEHICLE JERKS FORWARD. THERE ARE NO CHECK ENGINE OR ANY OTHER LIGHTS THAT COME ON. I HAVE TAKEN TO TWO SEPARATE SHOPS AND THEY SAY THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE ENGINE LIGHT DOESN'T COME ON. I CARRY SMALL CHILDREN IN MY VEHICLE AND I AM CONCERNED OF OUR SAFETY. I HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE REPORTS OF PEOPLE'S VEHICLES ACCELERATING ON THEIR OWN AND CAUSING CRASHES.

NHTSA complaint #11163986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

NOTHING HAS HAPPENED YET BUT ABS,ESC,DBC AND PARKING BRAKE LIGHT ALL ON. I HAVE LOOKED THIS UP AND IT SEEMS THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY OF THESE VEHICLES. I'M JUST WONDERING WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED, FOR ALL THESE SYSTEMS ARE SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES. I'M BRINGING MINE TO THE DEALERSHIP MONDAY BUT WAS TOLD I WOULD MORE THAN LIKELY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT OF THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #11160955 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

HYUNDAI IS UNABLE TO TRANSFER OWNERSHIP WHEN YOU BUY A USED VEHICLE IN REFERENCE TO THE BLUE LINK CONTROLS. THE ORIGINAL OWNER WILL MAINTAIN REMOTE CONTROL OF THE DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK FEATURES AS WELL AS REMOTE START AND STOP FUNCTIONS. YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO PURCHASE THE SAFETY FEATURES AND UNABLE TO CONTACT EMERGENCY SERVICES SHOULD THE NEED ARISE. I AM ABLE TO PROVIDE FULL EMAIL CONVERSATIONS WITH HYUNDAI BLUE LINK WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY UNHELPFUL UP TO THE POINT THEY STOPPED COMMUNICATIONS WITH ME BY IGNORING MY REPEATED INQUIRIES. I DO NOT KNOW WHO TO FILE A VEHICLE COMPLAINT WITH. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS FIXED SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE 9 MONTHS AGO.

NHTSA complaint #11113097 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

SANTAFE WON'T START. EVERYTHING COMES ON DASH AND RADIO AND AC BUT CAR WON'T EVEN TURN OVER. I TALKED TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID THIS HAS BEEN A REACURING PROBLEM. JUST WONDERING WHY NO RECALL IF IT KEEPS HAPPENING. I CAME HOME AND WHEN I TRIED TO LEAVE IT WOULDN'T START. WAITED AND IT STARTED. THEN I GOT UP THE NEXT DAY AND AGAIN WON'T START.

NHTSA complaint #11104533 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHILE VEHICLE PARKED, THE SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED. THERE WAS NOTHING CONTRIBUTED TO THE EXPLOSION, NOTHING HIT THE SUNROOF IT JUST LOOKS LIKE IT BULGED OUT AND SHATTERED. GLASS FELL INSIDE THE VEHICLE ON DRIVER

NHTSA complaint #11101300 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

SUV STALLED OUT ON EXPRESSWAY AT 50MPH. THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD TAPPING NOISE THEN ENGLINE AND OIL LIGHT APPEARED ON DASHBOARD. I COASTED DOWN THE EXIT RAMP NEARLY BEING HIT BY MERGING TRAFFIC. THE BRAKES BECAME HARD AND COSTED TO STOP SIGN. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO NEXT BLOCK TO MY HOME BY PLACING CAR IN PARK AND RESTARTING . THE ENGINE AT THIS POINT SOUNDS LIKE A WOODPECKER TAPPING ON WOOD. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND AWAITING WARRANTY REPAIR.AUTHORIZATION. THIS EVENT MIRROR THE RECALL ISSUED BY HYUNDAI AND NHTSA#17V-226. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR THIS RECALL AND WAS TOLD 30MIN LATER THAT MY ENGINE WAS AFFECTED. I FOUND OUT THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MY CRANKCASE OFF NOT JUST DO AN OIL CHANGE. I AM STILL WAITING ON WORLD HYUNDAI TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #11101480 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

PURCHASED 2013 SANTA FE SPORT IN JAN 2018, WITH 60K MILES. 7K MILES ADDED, TO DATE. MAY 2018, DROVE THROUGH A CAR WASH, WATER ENTERED THE CAB THROUGH A SEAL ABOVE THE DASHBOARD. HYUNDAI SERVICE INVESTIGATED, REPLACED MOON ROOF SEAL, AND THEN REPORTED THAT THE MOON ROOF SEAL WAS NOT THE CAUSE, FURTHER INVESTIGATION NEEDED, AT A COST, TO US, OF $400. WE RESPECTFULLY DECLINED. WATER ENTERING THE VEHICLE, DURING A HEAVY RAIN, COULD PROVE TO BE VERY DANGEROUS. 6/02/18, MERGED ONTO HIGHWAY, SPEED OF 75 MPH, 9:45 AM, CLEAR SKIES, FAIRLY MODERATE TRAFFIC. WITHOUT WARNING, ENGINE LOST ALL POWER, ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, NEGATIVE RESULTS, NON-RESPONSIVE. VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW, TURNED HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS ON, AND COASTED TO THE NEXT EXIT. THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 4 CARS BEHIND ME WHEN I LOST ENGINE POWER. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY EXIT, THE FREEWAY, AND COAST DOWNHILL, TO A NEARBY CHEVRON STATION, WITHOUT CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT. (WOULD MY WIFE OR CHILDREN HAVE BEEN AS FORTUNATE?) TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAD ELECTRICAL POWER AND INITIATED A SELF CHECK, RESULTS UNKNOWN. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT/BATTERY LIGHT/OIL LIGHT WERE ALL VISIBLE ON THE DASH BOARD. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING A SELF DIAGNOSTIC TEST...A CLOUD OF SMOKE/BURNING SMELL EMITTED FROM THE AC VENT LOCATED NEAR THE RADIO. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE HYUNDAI DEALER, WHERE PURCHASED. A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND VISUAL INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED AND WAS RELATED TO PREVIOUS ENGINE RECALL. PROBLEM: MACHINING ERRORS DURING THE ENGINE MANUFACTURING PROCESS MAY CAUSE PREMATURE BEARING WEAR WITHIN THE ENGINE, THIS COULD RESULT IN THE ENGINE SEIZING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. FIX: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE ENGINE AND REPLACE THE ENGINE SHORT BLOCK, AS NECESSARY, FOR FREE. DANGEROUS, BUSY HIGHWAYS, HIGH SPEED.... FATALITIES PROBABLE.

NHTSA complaint #11099353 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THERE IS A RUMBLING NOISE AFTER COMPLETING A TURN, GENERALLY LEFT HAND TURNS. ALSO, DURING THE TURN, THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF

NHTSA complaint #11083117 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

HOOD LATCH RECALL. I BEGAN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE HOOD LATCH CABLE REPLACED IN AUGUST AFTER LEARNING OF THE RECALL. I FEEL THAT HYUNDAI MADE IT PURPOSEFULLY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET A REPLACEMENT PART. I WAS ORIGINALLY REQUESTED TO DRIVE OVER 3 HOURS TO GET TO A DEALER, AND MY REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST WENT UNANSWERED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. I WAS ASKED MULTIPLE TIMES FOR IDENTICAL IDENTIFYING INFORMATION AND RECEIPTS, AND WAS GIVEN INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER. AT THIS DATE, I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPLACING THIS PART. DUE TO MY INTERACTIONS, I BELIEVE HYUNDAI IS PURPOSEFULLY MAKING THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS PART A BURDEN ON CONSUMERS.

NHTSA complaint #11054035 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

MY 2013 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT 2.0T IS ON THE REXALLL LIST FOR ENGINE PROBLEMS; IT WAS AT DEALER LAST WEEK WHER THEY CHANGED OUT FUEL PUMP & SUPPOSEDLY CORRECTED AN ISSUE W METAL DEBRIS IN OIL GOING TO ENGINE. HAD PROBLEMS LESS THAN 48 HOURS LATER; WAS TOLD I COULD BRING IT IN OR TAKE TO GET BATTERY TESTED. NOW, 48 HOURS AFTER THAT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. I BELIEVE THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS THIS IS PART OF THE RECALL ON THIS MODEL. IT DOESN'T SOUND OR FEEL RIGHT COMPARED TO YOU HOW IT WAS DRIVING A MONTH AGO WHEN I PURCHASED USED WITH 36K MILES.

NHTSA complaint #11035540 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.