Most common 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe problems
Share of the 493 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Hyundai Santa Fe complaints by model year
Best Santa Fe years: 2018, 2011. Years to avoid: 2017, 2025, 2023, 2013, 2024. Compare all years →
2014 Hyundai Santa Fe recalls (3)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
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.
Remedy: 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.
Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
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.
Remedy: 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.
Tires › Sidewall
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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe:
Scope and Timeliness
NHTSA opened Recall Query (RQ) 17-004 to investigate the timeliness and scope of Hyundai?s Theta II GDI engine recalls (Recall Nos. 15V-568 and 17V-226), and Hyundai?s compliance with reporting requirements. On November 23, 2020, the Agency entered into a Consent Order with Hyundai to administratively resolve NHTSA?s assertions of violations of law in connection with RQ17-004.
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).
Engine Fires
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003.
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.
Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando.
What 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe owners say
Engine & cooling all 277 →
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while the vehicle was at standstill to make a left turn, the brake pedal was rigid and the steering wheel seized. The contact stated the Unlock Your Steering Wheel message was illuminated. The contact stated she started to smell and saw smoke exiting from the hood. The contact was able to exit the vehicle safely and shortly after the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was filed. The contact stated a police officer came to the location of the incident but was not aware if a police report was filed. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle first to towing lot and then to a repair facility. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. …
[redacted] and is leasing the car. We received a notice of 8:18-cv-02223. I called the dealer for help. They promise to return my called to book a appointment .They never contacted me to fix the issue. The same week my fianc was helping my sister move in Baltimore. When she returning home the car turned off in the meddle of the hi way. Other car where close to hit her. That when shecalled 911. When they arrived they notice she was few asthma attack to the situation. They where nice to ask me to wait inside of they state car. I was in the car for few minutes. When a officer came over to do the report. He asked for my documentation when suddenly she hurt a big impact in the officer car.Shewas having intense headache. She was transfer to the nearest emergency room.The incident is causing a-lot financial and health issues. One of the those issue is the car. …
Brakes all 58 →
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a fuel odor entering the vehicle. The contact stated she drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road and exited the vehicle. The contact stated she noticed a leak under the hood on the passenger side of the vehicle. The contact stated she restarted the vehicle and the vehicle caught fire. The contact stated that a neighbor used a garden hose to extinguish the fire. A police or fire report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed fuel line that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact then received a call from the dealer to inform her that the vehicle was still leaking fuel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. …
The contact owned a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving approximately at 75-80 mph when another vehicle driving at high speeds crashed into the rear of the vehicle causing the vehicle to sway. The contact attempted to avoid crashing into another vehicle but crashed into a concrete divider. When the contact depressed the brake pedal, it failed to respond. As a result, the vehicle flipped over. During the incident, the seat let's failed to retract and secure the contact therefore he collided with the windshield during the impact. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to his back, ribs, and shoulder that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,100.
Steering all 52 →
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the ABS warning light, the steering warning light, and the Hill Descent control warning light were illuminated. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, another vehicle in the left turn lane was intruding into his lane. The contact stated that he slightly swerved to the right; however, the wheels locked up, and the vehicle skidded before it came to a stop, nearly causing a crash. The dealer was notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) which he related to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
My steering would work while I was driving with my kids in the car, my breaks were barely working, the hood started smoking and something under the hood in the engine caught on fire, there was a horrible smell when I was breaking and the breaks would jolt. The engine and cooling was not turning off even with my key taken out, the fan engine was running nonstop no matter what, smoking etc
2014 Hyundai Santa Fe engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 27 / 23 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 26 / 22 |
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 19 / 25 / 21 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 18 / 24 / 21 |
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 18 / 24 / 20 |
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 17 / 22 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe a good car?
Based on 493 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2014 Santa Fe rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Santa Fe at the same age. It is one of the Santa Fe years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe?
The engine & cooling — 277 complaints, 56% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the brakes (58) and steering (52).
How many recalls does the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe, the most recent from September 22, 2023 (control unit/module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Hyundai Santa Fe?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2018 and 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017, 2025, 2023, 2013 and 2024. See the full Hyundai Santa Fe years comparison.
At what mileage do 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 60,000 miles; 42% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.