2014 Hyundai Santa Fe problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (211) · Steering (44) · Vehicle Speed Control (26)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Santa Fe model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
249 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2023-09-22 · campaign 23V651000 · 1,649,478 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:hood:latch 2017-06-05 · campaign 17V358000 · 437,400 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Risk: If the hood is not securely closed or the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary latch cable, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for the recall is 163.
Tires:sidewall 2013-12-16 · campaign 13V624000 · 28 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2014 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured November 5, 2013, through November 15, 2013, and equipped with P235/65R17 103T Continental Crosscontact LX tires. The tires may have a damaged sidewall.
Risk: The damaged sidewall may result in a separation between the belt edges which could cause tread detachment or rapid air loss, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai notified dealers to suspend sales of affected Santa Fe Sport vehicles equipped with the P235/65R17 103T tires, and replace them with alternative tires. All affected vehicles were remedied prior to retail sale. Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Care Center at 1-800-633-5151.
Service bulletins (121)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2026-10-15 · 26-GI-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (pdw) sensor(s) that may trigger various dtcs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the pdw sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple false alarms. this condition may be a res
Engine 2026-10-08 · 26-EM-017H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain palisade (lx2) and santa fe (nc) vehicles equipped with lambda ii 6-cylinder engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. all internal combustion engines consume s
Engine 2026-10-07 · 26-EM-015H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. all internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operatio
Electrical System 2026-05-23 · Z01 Letter · Warranty Program/Extension
certain 2012 – 2017 model year accent, 2012 – 2017 model year azera, 2013 – 2018 model year santa fe sport, 2013 – 2019 model year santa fe, and 2012 – 2017 model year veloster vehicles may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) may be set. at hyundai, we ar
Electrical System 2026-04-25 · 26-BE-011H DN · Warranty Program/Extension
some vehicles listed below may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and dtc(s) b1763 (ocs ecu defect), and/or b1764 (ocs mat defect) may be stored. hyundai is extending the warranty coverage of the sensor for the occupant classification system (ocs) / occupant detection system (ods) to 18 ye
Electrical System 2026-04-25 · 26-BE-011H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension
some vehicles listed below may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and dtc(s) b1763 (ocs ecu defect), and/or b1764 (ocs mat defect) may be stored. hyundai is extending the warranty coverage of the sensor for the occupant classification system (ocs) / occupant detection system (ods) to 18 ye
Showing the 6 most recent of 121 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-08-06 · Air Bags“i request that nhtsa review what i believe is a misleading hyundai warranty extension involving the occupant classification system (ocs/ods), part of the air bag system. around mid may 2026, my air bag warning light began illuminating intermittently. i waited because i needed to save up the cash. around june 2026, hyundai mailed me a warranty exte…”
2026-06-17 · Engine“we are the original owner of a 2014 hyundai santa fe. the vehicle is experiencing issues from internal engine oil consumption caused by a manufacturing defect in the gdi powertrain. in 2023, while driving under normal operating conditions, the vehicle began severely jerking, shuddering and hesitating during acceleration. this hesitation and sudden …”
2026-06-05 · Engine“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 wond…”
2026-05-22 · Engine“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…”
2026-03-28 · Service Brakes“my insurance company said i have an urgent recall on my vehicle. recall # 251 abs fuse replacement. nhtsa# 23v651000. i would like this replaced.…”
2026-01-15 · Engine“my engine failed and was diagnosed as needing to rebuilt or replaced by the dealership. during the pandemic it was hard to get parts so they rebuilt it. at first it was missed diagnosed because it was a 3.3l v6 and only the 4 cylinder engines were on recall. i had check engine lights on all the time. i paid for repairs that only masked the probl…”
2025-09-22 · Vehicle Speed Control“the engine has been running rough for awhile and emissions light came on. my car was having problems accelerating, 2 years ago the light came on but didn’t stay on so the dealer couldn’t diagnose problem.…”
2025-09-15 · Engine“my daughter owns a 2014 hyundai santa fe gls, which is currently experiencing internal engine failure and abnormal engine noise. these issues directly align with hyundai’s notification regarding the extended warranty coverage for vehicles equipped with the 3.3l lambda ii gdi engine, which may experience abnormal engine noise or damage. hyundai has …”
2025-08-30 · Power Train · 🔥 fire“bien,mi auto tuvo varios problemas al mismo tiempo: 1-falla en todo el sistema eléctrico,aire acondicionado,control de tráfico ambas partes, power steering,abs,pérdida de potencia en el motor,problemas con el receptor de la llave remoto,tiene un problema eléctrico sin precedente todo ocurrió de la nada,todo ocurrió un mismo día cuando íbamos camino…”
2025-08-28 · Vehicle Speed Control“in relation to this incident, approximately 3,00 miles after an oil change, the engine oil drain plug fell out and caused all oil to leak and cause engine damage. engine oil change was at approximately 125,000 miles. drain plug fell out at approximately 128,000 miles. no warning lights or symptoms were present prior to vehicle shutting off and dyin…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.