2010 Hyundai Santa Fe: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Mar 25, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · 145,000 miles · CA · fire

The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to immediately start, but started after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the starter, oil filter, and engine filter, and changed the oil. On a hot day, there was a loud sound coming from the vehicle, and it was noticed that the unoccupied vehicle was attempting to start independently. The contact unlocked the vehicle and opened the vehicle door, put the keys in the ignition, and continued to crank for approximately four minutes. The accelerator pedal was pumped, and the vehicle stopped. There was smoke coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle eventually stopped. There were flames coming from the vehicle. The contact called 911, an independent mechanic, her father, and the fire department. The Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire and disconnect the battery. The mechanic determined that the engine cover was burned. There were no reported injuries. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact indicated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 11E040000 (Equipment). The insurance company referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

Filed Oct 26, 2023 · Electrical · VA · fire

My 2010 Hyundai Sante Fe caught fire on 9/27/23 while I was operating the vehicle and this fire ultimately caused my electrical systems to overheat and the wiring to melt. There was no indication that my alternator was about to fail (no battery light on my dash, no issues with starting my car) and I regularly maintenance my car with oil changes, tire rotations, and I redid my whole brake system in August 2023. My safety, the safety of my passenger, as well as the safety of ALL the patrons in the building that sat above the parking garage I was located in when the fire was burning were put at risk by this incident. My passenger acted quickly enough to put out the fire before anything more serious occurred, however according to my insurance we didn't let the fire burn long enough for there to be damage... even though my electrical harness is melted from it overheating due to the fire... The dealership/insurance have inspected my vehicle and say that the fire occurred because the alternator shorted out/failed however I believe this is false and Hyundai is covering their butts. When alternators fail the car doesn't just burst into flames, typically the car just fails to turn on since the alternator is no longer charging the battery... at least that's what I've read and heard from friends that are mechanics. Hyundai and Kia have been plagued by fire problems since 2015. The Center for Auto Safety successfully petitioned U.S. regulators to seek recalls in 2018 and says that the automakers have recalled more than 9.2 million vehicles for fires and engine problems. More than two dozen of the recalls involved over 20 models from the 2006 through 2021 model years and ALL are for fire risk. This is a KNOWN issue with Hyundai cars in general. My thought is that the same issues that are listed in the most recent Hyundai recall for the Sante Fe's from 2011-2015 is what occurred in my vehicle but Hyundai is refusing to take ownership of the issue.

Filed Jul 27, 2021 · Engine · 100,000 miles · KS · fire

The contact owned a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact was calling from an insurance company and stated that while the driver was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to lose motive power and decelerated inadvertently. There was smoke coming from the air vents and flames were seen coming from the front wheel wells. After exiting the vehicle, flames engulfed the vehicle and the vehicle was destroyed. The fire department was called to the scene and a report was taken before the vehicle was towed away. No injuries were reported. The cause of the failure was not determined. Later the insurance company concluded that the fire was caused by a faulty engine. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.

Filed Apr 23, 2018 · Electrical · CO

Smoke coming from turn signal switch

Filed Apr 4, 2017 · Electrical · 117,776 miles · CA

The turn signal "clicking noise" started working continuously and independently from the actual position of the the turn signal lever and the associated lights on the panel. Electrical smoke came from the steering column from the area near the turn signal indicator handle. I removed the 10 amp fuse to interrupt the power to the turn signal and the smoking stopped. This occurred when the vehicle was started and did not change under any driving conditions.

Filed Aug 29, 2014 · Electrical, Lights · 64,755 miles · AZ · fire

Santa fe blinker switch on steering column started smoking. I have a video as evidence of the smoke and mileage of the vehicle. Hyundai refused to fix the problem at no cost even though it was a clear and present danger to me and my family. Blinkers started staying on at all times when ignition was on. Blinkers would go left and go right, but when in the center position the left turn signal stayed on or the audible part of the blinkers could be heard with no signal light. Smoke came from the steering column and the vehicle smelled and still smells of an electrical fire. I took a video that clearly shows smoke coming from the blinker switch in the steering column. Please ask if you would like a copy of the video. I called hyundai customer service and told them and I also asked to the dealership to take care of it. Both refused and said that the vehicle was out of warranty by 4,755 miles and they would do nothing even though my family was in clear danger. They charged me $179 to fix a problem that was obviously a defect in their parts and is a danger in both being engulfed in flames and getting into an accident from faulty signals and intentions being sent to other drivers on the highway.