2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: engine stalls while driving

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 Sep 5, 2025 · Engine · CA

While driving on a steep, narrow grade with no safe shoulder, my 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport suddenly lost all forward power. The engine would rev but the vehicle would not accelerate. I was left stranded in traffic, with cars behind me and nowhere safe to pull off, creating an immediate risk of being rear-ended or rolling back into other vehicles. I had to call for a tow to avoid a serious crash. The vehicle was marked as having all recall campaigns completed, including the rod bearing inspection and knock sensor update, which were supposed to protect against catastrophic engine failure. Clearly, those campaigns were not sufficient to prevent the failure I experienced. At the time of failure, the vehicle displayed the check engine light and drivability symptoms consistent with abnormal combustion and potential bearing damage. Hyundai denied lifetime warranty coverage under the Theta II engine settlement without performing the required inspection. Instead, I was left with an estimate for engine-related repairs that exceeded the value of the vehicle, effectively rendering it a total loss. This failure is exactly what Hyundai’s recall notices describe as a risk: sudden engine failure, loss of motive power, and increased risk of crash. The fact that this happened to my vehicle despite “completed” recall campaigns raises serious concerns about whether the defect remains unresolved and whether Hyundai is adequately honoring its recall and settlement obligations. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate whether Hyundai is improperly denying warranty coverage without inspection and whether vehicles that were marked as repaired under these recalls are still at risk of catastrophic engine failure, stalling, and loss of motive power on public roads. The settlement administrator also works for Hyundai is just referring customers back to Hyundai Customer Care. They are not honoring this CLASS ACTION lawsuit and acting in BAD faith and putting lives at risk.

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 Aug 6, 2024 · Engine · 196,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact coasted off to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several warning lights had illuminated on the instrument cluster. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that a rod bearing had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that prior to the engine failure the contact observed that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact was adding approximately 1-quart of oil every week. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 196,000.

Filed Jun 12, 2024 · Engine · 45,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the RPMs dropped. There was no warning light illuminated. A Police Officer responded and there was an abnormally strong chemical odor present. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

Filed Apr 19, 2024 · Engine · 85,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop, and while driving below 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

Filed Sep 12, 2023 · Engine · 54,400 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,400.

Filed Aug 31, 2022 · Engine · 40,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle hesitated then stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact’s husband was able to maneuver the vehicle off the road and restarted the vehicle; however, the contact and her husband then heard a knocking sound coming from the vehicle before the vehicle stalled again. The vehicle was towed to Kelly Tires Services; however, the mechanic was unable to perform a diagnostic test due to the knocking sound. The dealer was notified, and an appointment was scheduled for the vehicle to be diagnosed. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The contact was advised to have the vehicle diagnosed by an authorized Hyundai dealer. The failure mile was approximately 40,000.

Filed Aug 1, 2022 · Engine · 75,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that several fluids were low. The mechanic replaced the fuel injector and other unknown engine parts; however, the failure persisted. The contact also stated that while driving at various speeds, white smoke was coming from the engine. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

Filed Jun 6, 2022 · Engine · 60,000 miles · VT

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where the engine was replaced three times however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Filed Apr 18, 2022 · Engine · 78,000 miles · AL

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle decelerated inadvertently. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle then stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle would be repaired within 2-3 months. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was associated to an unknown recall that was repaired previously. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

Filed Mar 11, 2022 · Engine · 114,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. Due to the failure, the contact initially had the vehicle towed to his home and then towed to the dealer where he was informed that either the starter had failed or the engine had failed. Upon investigation, the contact discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which he linked to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that his vehicle was not included in the recall. The contact was also informed that the dealer had informed them that the cause of the engine failure was a result of no oil in the engine. The contact disputed the claim and stated that the vehicle was well maintained and that oil was in the engine prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.