Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
There was a low noise when I got in the vehicle in the morning. I looked at the engine and it was coming from the abs system. I took it to the mechanic shop and the noise was even louder, the abs part on the passenger side of the firewall in the engine blew up and catch fire. Luckily they were able to put the fire down right away. I'm glad that didn't happen while driving or while in the driveway of our house were there's more vehicles parked. There was an Abs light on the dashboard due to an abs sensor for the rear right wheel.
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, several warning lights randomly illuminated. The ABS and check engine warning were among the lights that were illuminated. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions for the same failure but no cause for the failure was found. No further information was available. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 21,000.
I own a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T which has had door latch issues. Recently, the front passenger side door latch needed to be fully replaced due to a failure which caused the door to be loose latching and the latch sensor always showing open. I paid out-out-pocked for this repair as the Hyundai dealership said there are models which this exact issue was identified, but they said the parts extension had not been placed for my exact vehicle. They were also confused as to why this was not being covered as they see so many of these same repairs. Now, less than one month later, the front driver's side door is now experiencing lock issues in which a loud grinding noise is occurring when the vehicle attempts to lock or unlock the door. …
Hello, To whom this may concern, The ABS light turned on the dashboard on a Tuesday evening. My wife kept driving. In the next couple of days, it would feel like the car was all over the road, under braking. It seemed very hard to take off. On Friday, I was outside and heard the car was making a noise. As an automotive technician, I knew the ABS module was cycling nonstop. I pulled the fuse out of the fuse panel to make sure it wouldn't catch fire. We took the car back to the dealer when the bulletin came out for these cars catching fire due to an ABS issue years ago. I went to the dealer on that Saturday and informed them of the ABS module cycling nonstop. They told me that the bulletin had been done already and there was nothing they could do for me. …
What happened: While driving in Montana on September 21, 2025, the cabin suddenly filled with gasoline fumes and the accelerator pedal stopped responding. After pulling over, flames erupted from under the hood and the vehicle was completely destroyed within minutes. The passenger-side door could not be opened from the inside at first, delaying escape and creating a serious safety risk. No warning lights or messages appeared before or during the fire. (1) While driving, gasoline suddenly filled the cabin and the accelerator pedal stopped responding. Within seconds, the vehicle caught fire. The cause appears related to the fuel system, and possibly the ABS module. The vehicle was completely destroyed but remains available for inspection in a private tow lot. (2) The fire spread extremely quickly. …
On June 20, 2026, while the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport was being driven on Richardson Highway near Mile 155 in Alaska, smoke and flames developed from the engine compartment without any collision. The driver stopped and both occupants exited before the vehicle became fully engulfed. The fire created an immediate risk of serious injury or death and blocked the northbound lane. There were no known prior drivability problems, warning lamps, or other symptoms before the incident. The exact failed component is UNKNOWN. Potential areas requiring investigation include the engine, electrical system, ABS/HECU brake module, multi-fuse, fuel system, and other engine-compartment components. Alaska Department of Public Safety responded. Its report states that there was no obvious cause, but that the fire appeared to have originated in the engine compartment. …
Car hesitates, lagging at stop lights/slow traffic has completely shutdown while moving in traffic. Several episodes include complete shut down unable to crank following a stop multiple times in last 7 months. 2 Hyundai Dealerships have not been able to duplicate or repair specific issues or stop from occurring. Other repairs were attempted by Dealerships in efforts to correct problems. Car has been towed 5 times under extended warranty.75K- 83K miles. Battery discharge warning still appears even after new battery, plus other engine parts were replaced. Anxiety PTSD is my status.
Engine code p1326. The engine went into limp mode it was only able to drive about 15 miles then check engine light came popped on and the vehicle stopped and I had the get the vehicle towed. Yes Route 60 of Hyundai in Vero Beach was aware of the issue and also I took the vehicle to Hyundai in Fort pierce where they also was well aware of the engine issue. When I received a recall letter in the mail and brought my vehicle into Route 60 Hyundai of Vero Beach. My vehicle was also apart of the Theta 2 issue class act litigation.
The passenger-side doors do not latch properly and may open after closing. This creates a safety risk while driving. The issue occurs continually and has worsened over time. Vehicle has approximately 106,265 miles. this causes the auto door locks no to work.
As I would be driving down the road, most of the time when getting up to speeds of either 25-30mph or 55-60mph is when the dash board lights up check BSD detection system failure, then it will rev out rpm's to 5,000-6,000 then lose power to accelerator. I also notice on the dash board where the panel for your selected gear displays is blank and doesn't show whether you are in park,drive neutral, ECT. After this occurs I can not drive it any longer until I safely stop the car (most of the time on a busy highway or country road Highway where once this happens it becomes dangerous due to the power loss in the accelerator) and put it in park, I've tried to put the vehicle in park, once fully stopped, and try to put it back into drive but the shifter is locked into park and will not let me shift the vehicle, I then have to shut the vehicle completely off and open the driver door to get the …
NHTSA investigations
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
During this Preliminary Evaluation (PE), the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) assessed the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of non-crash vehicle fires caused by both engine failures and failures of other vehicle systems/components in model year (MY) 2011-2014 Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles equipped with Theta II and Lambda II engines (approximately 1.3 million vehicles).
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
In a letter dated June 11, 2018, the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a safety defect investigation into non-collision related fires on model year (MY) 2011-2014 Kia Optima and Sorento, and Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles. In a letter dated July 24, 2018, CAS requested that MY 2010-2015 Kia Soul vehicles be added to the petition.
Electrical complaints in other Santa Fe Sport years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the electrical system of the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 13% of the model year's 164 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 7 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.