2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: sudden loss of power

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 May 17, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · WI

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 backup power cut off as-well to have zero power to the vehicle. Once that is completed I then Re-Start the vehicle where it operates normally again, this situation happens at least twice a week if not 3-4. It sometimes has put my passengers and myself at risk of getting into accidents or struck by other vehicle on the road. my vehicle is still under a warranty through the dealership I purchased it from, but when I ask them about it they say that because there is no prompt on the dash once I get there that they cannot do anything about it, nor do they allegedly know why it’s happening, I’ve asked a few other mechanics I know and they say that they have seen this malfunction before with this vehicle and usually it is a transmission sensor? Or a transmission speed sensor issue? I then relay this message back to the dealer ship and they still act like they don’t know what it is, I truly believe that the dealership just doesn’t want to deal with the issue and I only have 2-3000 miles left under their warranty, I do enjoy the vehicle and respect Hyundai for their great customer service.

Filed Apr 13, 2026 · Engine · FL

Failure consistent with known recall defect (the federal safety agency Recall 17V226) involving premature bearing wear resulting in engine seizure and sudden loss of power while driving.

Filed Sep 10, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · OH

Owner: [XXX] VIN: [XXX] Vehicle: 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport My daughter purchased this vehicle in April 2025 from a licensed Chrysler dealership. On [XXX], the engine suddenly seized while driving, without warning, and would not restart. This VIN was part of Recall 17V‑226 (Hyundai Campaign 162). Dealer records show the recall was closed with inspection only (“engine inspection, oil, dipstick”), not an engine replacement. The failure matches the defect description of the recall (bearing wear from restricted oil flow). Hyundai is refusing to repair it, claiming sludge and “maintenance neglect,” despite my daughter only owning it for 5 months and having an oil change at Hyundai in May 2025. This engine failure proves the prior “inspection” remedy was ineffective. Hyundai is also denying coverage under the lifetime warranty extension (TXXI), which explicitly applies to subsequent owners for bearing failures. This is a serious safety issue. My daughter lost power in traffic, and the vehicle is still unrepaired. This complaint is being submitted on behalf of the registered owner, [XXX] , by her mother [XXX] , who is the primary contact. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Aug 12, 2025 · Engine · AL

My 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport suffered a blown head gasket that required me to pay $9,000 for a full engine replacement. Hyundai is aware of ongoing problems with their 2.0 turbo motors, but the recall only covers the rod bearing failure/knock sensor issue. Many owners, including myself, are experiencing blown head gaskets, and several believe this failure is directly related to the same underlying engine defect. This is not an isolated case—numerous complaints online and in owner forums describe the same problem. Despite the high repair cost and known engine vulnerabilities, Hyundai refuses assistance because my vehicle is outside the mileage limit, even though the defect is widely reported and appears to be a design/manufacturing issue, not normal wear and tear. I believe the federal safety agency should investigate whether the head gasket failures in these 2.0 turbo engines are linked to the same defect that prompted Hyundai’s engine recalls, as it presents significant safety risks (engine overheating, sudden power loss, potential for fire). In 2018, the Center for Auto Safety formally petitioned the federal safety agency to investigate 2011–2014 Hyundai Santa Fe models (among others) due to a high number of non-collision fire complaints, including reports of melted wires, smoke, and burning odors in the engine bay . While this isn’t directly about head gasket failures, it underscores a pattern of serious safety-related issues affecting that generation of Santa Fe vehicles.

Filed Jul 16, 2025 · Engine · AZ

On June 22 2025 while driving on Interstate 17, the vehicle engine started to lose power and the engine light started to flash on and off. Pulled over and the vehicle stalled and was not able to turn on again. The vehicle is available for inspection. Safety was a concern as we had to change over 3 lanes as we were losing power. The problem has been confirm that the engine has failed and they are numerous TSBs out for engine failure on the Theta II engines, vehicle also qualifies for 15yr/150K engine warranty. The vehicle engine is branded which is a manufacturer defect and never was replaced. The vehicle was towed by AAA to a AAA repair shop and said diagnosis was given thereafter vehicle was towed to dealership which it currently sit at. However Hyundai denied claim because service record was not provided (I was not the owner of vehicle on the years they are requesting) I do have my records from when I owned the vehicle however service advisor stated I did not need to provide my records since they dated back to where I didn't owned vehicle. I purchase vehicle from a dealership. If any more information is needed please advis. I would just like my engine replaced.

Filed Jul 16, 2025 · Engine · MD

Engine failure and metal debris and timing belt slipped time. Loss of power and we parked it flashing engine light. Massey Hyundai said it’s not a recall but when I research there’s a lot of engine failure recalls so I’m not quite understanding what the situation is and we still owe money on the vehicle. They basically told us to junk it. This has been the worst situation I have ever went through with a vehicle. I’ve never owned a Hyundai and I probably never will ever buy another Hyundai. I just wanna know why my engine failed and nobody can tell me why Massey hundai cannot tell me why. they just want me to remove it from their service center or they’re gonna charge me $500 to dispose of it. I’ve never heard of such stuff in my life. This is too overwhelming, especially when it happened. My daughter just had reconstructive foot ankle surgery and has pins in her foot. We were stranded an hour and a half away from home at a doctors appointment for a check up for her foot. Our Insurance towed it, but left us standing and hundred degree weather which was a complete nightmare, especially when you have someone that can’t walk and just had surgery not that that’s any of your fault. I just want to know why my engine failed why there was metal debris why can’t no one tell me. $10,000 for a new motor or charge you $500 to remove it from our lot. I can’t even lie about this stuff. It’s insane. I still owe money on the vehicle. I had to refinance it during Covid. If you could just like, give me some sort of information I don’t even know where to turn to at this point and if I can’t turn to the dealership, who do I turn to.

Filed Apr 4, 2025 · Engine, Fuel system · WV · fire

The engine was replaced under a recall related to an engine knock code. About two weeks later, the vehicle lost all power while driving. The dealership confirmed a failure in the high-pressure fuel line and that the turbo had failed at the same time. The same visit revealed oil leaks, and shortly after, the vehicle began emitting white and black smoke. Their technician stated the failures were due to “consequential damage from engine failure.” The problems have continued to return, and I’ve been told the vehicle is unsafe to drive. Hyundai is now refusing to fully cover the cost of repair, offering only 15% off, despite all of the damage being directly linked to the replacement engine. I transport children in this vehicle. My safety and theirs have been at risk multiple times because of these unresolved and ongoing failures.

Filed Mar 29, 2022 · Engine · 21,000 miles · NM

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while his caregiver was driving the vehicle approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle went into a reduced power protection mode at 20 MPH automatically. The check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and diagnosed however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified about the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000.

Filed Nov 1, 2021 · Engine · 61,499 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated she received a recall notification for the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V303000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repair; however, upon picking up the vehicle from the dealer, her husband noticed that several unknown warning lights were illuminated and the windshield was cracked. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but the dealer advised the contact's husband that they could not repair the vehicle and he would be referred to another location for repair. The contact stated that as her husband was driving to the residence, the vehicle inadvertently lost power at the stop light. The contact stated that her husband was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. Then the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 61,499.

Filed Jul 18, 2019 · Engine · 108,500 miles · MD

Blown theta ii gdi engine at 108,500 miles... Well-maintained car. Car suddenly lost power and started shaking on the highway. A piston broke apparently. Hyundai won't repair. I can submit reports from the dealership when I get them.

Filed Mar 20, 2019 · Engine, Transmission · 15,000 miles · WI

The vehicle lost power when accelerating to go on interstate, it just had new software put in.I went to the dealer right away. They said that they could not work on it till the next day. I called hyundia and they know about it. Ido not think this vehicle should be on the street. They should fix the problem with the connecting rod, not software.