2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Sep 28, 2026 · Engine · FL

1. 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Theta 2 Engine Failure It was available for inspection upon request at local dealer and service After engine failedXXX abruptly while driving, it was towed to the service for inspection. 2. The Theta 2 engine in countless 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe models has been a safety risk for all citizens on the roads. This has been an unannounced recall failure due to manufacture shards of metal found within the engine, causing vehicle damage and failure. My car stopped abruptly on the road. I have maintained it through due oil changes and service. 3. The independent dealership that serviced my vehicle has verbally recognized that Theta 2 engines are a safety risk, after my family and I did research to expose underlying cause of engine failure. 4. It has been inspected by Allen Turner Hyundai in [XXX]. No known national manufacturers have been present or documented in case. 5. No, abrupt stop while driving along with burning smells and smoke coming from hood of vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 17, 2026 · Engine · 157,596 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment with an abnormal burning odor entering the vehicle through the A/C vents. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and turned off. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that her father performed most of the maintenance on the vehicle and became aware that the Theta 2 engine had several failures. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 157,596.

Filed Jul 28, 2026 · Brakes, Electrical · AK · fire

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. The vehicle was towed and preserved for the manufacturer. Hyundai inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the inspection was completed on July 11, 2026. Hyundai later stated orally that it did not find an engine defect, but it has not provided the complete inspection report, testing methods, photographs, technical findings, or a written origin-and-cause determination. Hyundai has not explained whether the ABS/HECU, electrical system, multi-fuse, fuel system, or other potential fire sources were separately examined. The vehicle sustained catastrophic damage and was a total loss. Both occupants escaped, but experienced severe ongoing psychological distress after the fire. I request that the federal safety agency evaluate whether the fire involved an engine, electrical, ABS/HECU, fuel-system, recall-remedy, or other safety defect. The vehicle was available for Hyundai's inspection. Its current availability for further inspection is UNKNOWN. The vehicle remains preserved and is currently available for further inspection upon request.

Filed Jul 16, 2026 · Engine · 120,577 miles · MD

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle started to lose power while depressing the accelerator pedal, with black smoke coming from the engine compartment. The oil, check engine, and battery warning lights were displayed on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and discovered black smoke coming from under the hood. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the engine was replaced. Two weeks after the replacement, the starter failed to operate as needed, and the vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic, where the starter was replaced. Upon investigation, the mechanic discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V226000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); and associated the vehicle with the recall. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle remained with the independent mechanic and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,577.

Filed Apr 5, 2026 · CT · fire

While driving west across [XXX] , towing a 5x8 enclosed trailer, there was a smell of burnt rubber and I pulled over to inspect for a busted tire. At no time were there indicator lights on the dash. Upon bringing the vehicle to a stop on the side of the road the cabin began to fill with smoke. I popped the hood of the car with the intention of looking to see what was occurring. Exiting the vehicle and coming around to the front there were already flames coming out from under the hood. Within 10 minutes the car and trailer were engulfed in flames and have been deemed total losses by insurance. I had the vehicle serviced two days prior in Columbus Ohio and was cleared for the 4 day journey. I had the brakes done in 4 months prior in [XXX] . Had no issues getting to Columbus, no problems driving to Kansas City. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 26, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · WI · fire

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. Both occupants were nearly trapped inside when the passenger-side door would not open from the inside, delaying escape. The vehicle burned on the shoulder of a busy highway in Montana, posing danger to us and to surrounding motorists. (3) Not after this fire, but a similar problem occurred in 2023 when gasoline filled the cabin and caused the engine to stall. At that time, Hyundai replaced the engine under warranty. (4) No. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance. It is secured in a private tow lot and is available for inspection. (5) No. There were no warnings at all before or during the failure. Even as gasoline filled the cabin and the vehicle caught fire, the check engine light stayed off and no alerts appeared. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 2, 2021 · Engine · 69,000 miles · GA · fire

The contact owned a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle decelerated and stalled independently. The vehicle was restarted and while the contact continued to drive, the contact noticed that there was smoke coming from under the hood. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was pulled to the side of the roadway and the fire was intense under the hood. The contact jumped out of the vehicle and the vehicle exploded. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The contact was unaware of what started the fire. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard. The vehicle was destroyed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 69,000.

Filed Jun 30, 2021 · Brakes · 72,000 miles · MA · fire

The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while the vehicle was powered off, the vehicle had burst into flames. The fire marshals were called and the fire was extinguished. No one was injured and the vehicle was towed to an insurance lot where it was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was informed of failure and told the contact that their vehicle was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

Filed Nov 23, 2020 · Electrical, Engine · 120,000 miles · LA · fire

Having not driven the vehicle in over 24 hours, we were woken up to an explosion and the entire hood up in flames in the driveway. This happened at about 445 in the morning and the fire department was called to come extinguish it.

Filed Apr 3, 2019 · Engine · 61,650 miles · NY

Smell mixture of gas and oil after I start the engine and run for a while and run like a diesel engine and there is no power at all , there is smoke came from the dip stick after I shut off the engine

Filed Feb 6, 2019 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 44,000 miles · TX · fire

About 20 minutes after parking my vehicle at an office location, it caught on fire. I could see the fire by the right front wheel, between the tire and the body; smoke was coming from all around the hood. We put out the fire with a fire extinguisher. We could see damaged wires. I had noticed warning lights on my display panel when I got into my vehicle to start driving. I called clay cooley hyundai of rockwall and informed them of the messages: beeping followed by flashing messages about ABS, ESC, & downhill brake control; plus down below were two red circles (exclamation mark in one and the letter p in the other) and the word brake below. I asked hyundai if the car was safe to drive and they said yes. I proceeded to my 12 noon appointment in richardson, tx. About 20 mins after parking the car, the fire was noticed by an employee. The day before this, on tue, 01-29-2019, I had noticed 3 amber warning lights (ABS, ESC & dbc). I called hyundai, informed them of this and made an appointment for thur jan 31, 2019 at 9:30 a.m.

Filed Jan 2, 2019 · Acceleration, Engine · 75,000 miles · SC

While driving on the interstate, I noticed a rattling/knocking noise coming from the front of the vehicle, under the hood. The noise kept getting louder, specifically as the vehicle accelerated. I noticed that the rpms would increase, with no increase in speed & even a decrease in speed. During this time the car was using cruise control at approximately 70 MPH. As I noticed the knocking noise getting louder, I tapped the brakes & the vehicle's speed dramatically decreased to approximately 40 MPH. I tried to speed the vehicle up & the rpms increased significantly, while the vehicle speed did not. I then put my flashers on to signal there was an issue with the vehicle & the check engine light came on, along with other service lights on the dashboard. The vehicle's steering capacity was tight & the ride became extremely bumpy as the speed decreased. After abruptly stopping on the shoulder of the interstate, the vehicle started to smell like something was burning. I could smell this in the cabin of the vehicle & the noticed there was smoke coming from the hood of the car. The engine shut off, but then began to try & turn on, with the lights starting & the start up musical sound playing. It would turn on & off 3 - 4 times, so I then removed the key from the vehicle, stepped out & backed away. The smoke, thankfully, seemed to dissipate after 20 minutes. Fire & police arrived on the scene & did not find any fire, but did smell the burning smell I noticed in the cabin of the vehicle. Unfortunately, we never could get the vehicle's engine to crank again & ended up having it towed back to our local hyundai dealership.