Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 5% | 5,000 miles |
| 2025 | 14 | 10% | — |
| 2024 | 14 | 9% | 0 miles |
| 2023 | 37 | 18% | 2,000 miles |
| 2022 | 54 | 27% | 18,000 miles |
| 2021 | 37 | 22% | 38,000 miles |
| 2020 | 85 | 39% | 43,000 miles |
| 2019 | 75 | 37% | 21,000 miles |
| 2018 | 56 | 51% | 22,000 miles |
| 2017 | 670 | 69% | 58,000 miles |
| 2016 | 153 | 65% | 87,000 miles |
| 2015 | 161 | 63% | 88,000 miles |
| 2014 | 277 | 56% | 86,000 miles |
| 2013 | 279 | 46% | 90,000 miles |
| 2012 | 234 | 66% | 89,000 miles |
| 2011 | 72 | 40% | 42,000 miles |
| 2010 | 46 | 18% | 74,000 miles |
| 2009 | 67 | 19% | 85,000 miles |
| 2008 | 70 | 13% | 80,000 miles |
| 2007 | 70 | 10% | 83,000 miles |
| 2006 | 8 | 8% | 97,000 miles |
| 2005 | 18 | 8% | 67,000 miles |
| 2004 | 38 | 13% | 60,000 miles |
| 2003 | 29 | 9% | 73,000 miles |
| 2002 | 24 | 15% | 105,000 miles |
| 2001 | 40 | 19% | 63,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Immediately following routine maintenance performed at an authorized Hyundai dealership, my 2025 Hyundai Hybrid Santa Fe Calligraphy experienced a complete loss of engine oil, which resulted in the engine shutting down while driving on a highway. While traveling at highway speed with my minor daughter, the oil pressure and engine warning lights illuminated, followed by multiple error messages. The vehicle rapidly lost power, and I struggled to safely maneuver it onto the shoulder while high-speed traffic was passing. This created an immediate and life-threatening safety situation, with a real risk of being struck by other vehicles. We were stranded on the roadside for over three hours awaiting a tow, exposed to ongoing traffic danger. The dealership later advised that the incident was caused by a faulty Hyundai-supplied part, not driver error, misuse, or lack of maintenance. …
While driving on the on ramp to [redacted] the car completely stopped and all systems shut off. There were two dash lights that flashed quickly with one being the check engine light but I did not see the other long enough to identify it. The dealership could not reproduce the issue but has the car now and is doing a more thorough evaluation. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine stopped. Yes it is available How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Extremely dangerous as it came to a stop in the middle of the road. It was late at night so at that moment no one was behind me. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? no Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? …
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, there was water leaking into the cabin of the vehicle from underneath the instrument panel onto the accelerator pedal. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the engine and outside the vehicle were extremely hot, and the temperature gauge had malfunctioned. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 100.
I am reporting an intermittent transmission/shifting issue that has not been resolved despite multiple visits to the dealership. On several occasions, when shifting my vehicle from Park into Drive or Reverse, the vehicle will not engage the selected gear and remains in Park. When this happens, the vehicle is not drivable until I place it back in Park, shut the engine off, and restart it. After restarting, the transmission will usually engage normally. I have reported this issue to the dealership multiple times. The dealership has connected diagnostic equipment to the vehicle; however, no diagnostic trouble codes have been stored, and they have been unable to identify the cause. Despite the lack of codes, the problem continues to occur intermittently. …
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that on two separate occasions while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated. The check engine warning light illuminated, and a message displayed on the infotainment screen indicating "Engine System Emergency, Take Vehicle to the Nearest Dealer". The contact was able to veer the vehicle into a parking lot where it was idled. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that no appointments were available; however, the technician used a code reader that retrieved message: "5 Volts drop to the ECM". The contact stated that the technician then pressed the START/STOP button to restart the vehicle and reset the check engine warning light. The contact stated that he was able to drive the vehicle back to his location where he parked the vehicle. …
The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that upon noticing that coolant was leaking onto the ground, he opened the hood and discovered that coolant was leaking from the radiator. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that a foreign object had struck the radiator, causing coolant to leak into the engine compartment. The dealer informed the contact that a failure caused by a foreign object was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that upon examining pictures of the failure provided by the dealer, he noticed that there were rocks stuck in and near the radiator. The contact determined that the large gaps of the front grill were allowing foreign objects to strike the radiator. …
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and the vehicle was difficult to steer. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. In addition, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was almost involved in three crashes due to the failure. The contact had to drive the vehicle onto a curb to avoid a crash on one occasion. The contact stated that during the failure, the rear hatch switch became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The dealer replaced several unknown sensors; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the failure had occurred six times. …
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while driving approximately 25-40 MPH, the RPM increased to 5,000 however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was turned off and restarted the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was advised to schedule an appointment to have the vehicle diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.
Related recalls (4)
Engine and engine cooling › Critical fasteners
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson and Santa Fe vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power and engine damage, possibly resulting in an oil leak.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 281.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Oil/lubrication › Pipes, hoses, and fittings
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Santa Fe and Santa Cruz vehicles. The oil supply pipe to the turbocharger may crack, which could result in an oil leak in the engine compartment.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the turbocharger oil supply pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
Engine
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Veloster, 2012 Santa Fe, 2011-2013 Sonata Hybrid, and 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which over time can result in engine damage.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine. If bearing damage is found, the engine will be replaced. Dealers will also install a software update containing a new Knock Sensor Detection System…
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Santa Fe vehicles equipped with 3.3L engines. The crankshaft assemblies may have been produced with surface irregularities in the crankshaft pin, causing engine bearing wear.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify all owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
NHTSA investigations
Engine seizure
There is no summary currently available
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.
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.
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.
3.3L Engine Loss of Motive Power (LOMP)
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition on February 2, 2024, requesting a defect investigation into an alleged defect of the "engine" on the following vehicle model: 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles equipped with the 3.3L V-Shaped GDI Lambda-II engines. The petition cites allegations of a loss of motive power, often resulting in an engine seizure.
Frequently asked questions
Which Hyundai Santa Fe years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2017 (670), 2013 (279), 2014 (277), 2012 (234) and 2015 (161) model years. Engine complaints make up 69% of all complaints for the 2017.
Is there a recall for Hyundai Santa Fe engine problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 25V-549 (critical fasteners, Aug 25, 2025); 22V-197 (pipes, hoses, and fittings, Mar 28, 2022); 20V-746 (engine, Dec 1, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Hyundai Santa Fe engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles; 32% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (31 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline (12).
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.