2013 Hyundai Santa Fe: engine failure

Filed Jun 30, 2025 · Engine · MO

While I acknowledge that my vehicle is no longer under warranty, I remain extremely concerned about the excessive oil consumption issue. My vehicle is equipped with the Theta II engine, which has been the subject of multiple class action lawsuits and recalls due to serious engine defects, including excessive oil consumption and internal engine failure. To be clear, I have already had the vehicle inspected by a non-Hyundai dealership, which confirmed there are no external oil leaks. This indicates the issue is likely internal and consistent with the known defects associated with the Theta II engine. Given Hyundai’s awareness of these problems — as reflected in class action settlements and technical service bulletins — I believe it is reasonable to expect Hyundai to cover the cost of diagnostic inspection and consider goodwill assistance if a defect is confirmed. Hyundai got back to me but and said We have reviewed your vehicle information and have determined your vehicle is affected by Campaign TXX8. However it’s over the 150000 miles

Filed Jun 4, 2025 · Engine · OK

While driving to work the gas pedal suddenly would not make the vehicle Excellerate and i was barely able to get the car on the side of the road, when i stopped and turned it off it would not start again. I had it towed to the mechanic and they have let us know it was total engine failure, and they would be attempting to get ahold of the manufacture.

Filed Mar 21, 2025 · Engine · NC

The engine completely failed while I was driving. This is the second engine failure I’ve experienced with this vehicle. My first engine blew at 100,000 miles, and despite having a warranty, Hyundai refused to cover it. In a panic, I had to deplete my savings to buy a replacement engine, which only lasted six months before failing again. Hyundai still refuses to cover the second failure. The failed engine may still be available for inspection if needed. I was driving on the highway with both of my children when the engine completely shut off in the middle of the road. This left us stranded in a dangerous situation with speeding cars all around us. A sudden engine failure at high speeds could have caused a major accident, risking my life, my children’s lives, and other drivers' safety. The failure was confirmed by a service center, but Hyundai refuses to take responsibility for the defect or provide coverage under my warranty. The vehicle has been inspected by a service center, but Hyundai has refused to inspect or assist in any way. There were no warning lamps or messages before the engine shut down. The failure was sudden and unexpected, leaving me in a life-threatening situation on the highway.

Filed Mar 8, 2025 · Brakes, Electrical · NE

O don’t appreciate someone activating my vin the same day the remedy comes out on compaign , this had been ongoing battle since 2018 when it states on the website they will replace the engine , when it had a theta engine settlement but thanks to the bearus exposures if info n loss of employee, employment data missing ti why I get denials the Chinese that infiltrated Equifax this vehicle was manufactured out of Georgia issues with dealer m notifying corporate when violation of the fair credit reporting act , off cc reports tampering with my insurance policy n these POs place there names in my policy in 2018 loss of years off n on of employment , medical n o gotta stew L pay to detain a pos car I absolutely love until they destroyed my life , nice to find a pos male in my medical records when it’s fraud , n I gotta fight every aspect of everything when I’ve been deprived hacked n comprised no data available on this vehicle hmmm , fishy to me , whew Did I spent most my time at work, home , or the dam Library this is a violation of the law privacy , national public data exposure of brokers my social , not only that my primary email was connected to blue link Hyundai n that email been hacked n comprised n I gave not been able to access shows it.connected To my old Facebook n my old cell phone orginal do not call.gov if your in violation of the Law , consumer im cheating and stealing I can’t get anywhere but why would they remove phone numbers n documents n numbers are there n etc n why would those POs put it under my alias not what’s in my drivers license now im getting identity fraud false reporting info mix n match bs tell that transgender I will hunt him down in association with this abuse I have a whole case file it will only allowed me three uploads

Filed Oct 28, 2024 · Engine · SC · fire

The engine went on fire and smoke’s up. I had to remove the battery and get out of the car before it burn. Luckily I am okay but the engine seized

Filed Oct 24, 2024 · Engine · SC

The car has class action repair due to faulty engine crank shaft. The oil passages in the crankshaft causing rapid wear to the connecting rod bearings. The car stopped and broke down in the middle of the highway and engine broke down. The engine completely seized. I contacted Hyundai but they don’t wanna replace the engine. The class action lawsuit agreed to replace the engine but they don’t wanna help with my case

Filed Aug 11, 2024 · Engine · MO

My wife was driving the vehicle and it was operating perfectly fine. As she was making a turn and accelerating the check engine light and other lights turned on. She started to experience loss of acceleration and was fortunate to get out of traffic where she turned off the vehicle. She let it sit for a little bit and then attempted to start it. It would not start so I came to try to help and when I attempted to start it, the engine would not turn over. We had it towed to our mechanic and he indicated that the engine was seized up. This vehicle is always serviced and babied by my wife. As I mentioned there was no warning, I.e. no rough idle, no loud noises, no leaking fluids,etc.. Prior to the catastrophic failure it was a very smooth and great driving vehicle. After searching this issue it appears that the 3.3 liter V6 that was in our vehicle has several recalls and accounts of similar failures. Had this happened on the highway it could have caused a serious accident. Given the number of complaints online and allegations, it is reasonable to assume that Hyundai was aware of an issue and they either failed to investigate it, or failed to communicate it. Had there been some sort of recall to address this issue we would’ve had it resolved, but there wasn’t anything tied to our VIN despite us having one of the plagued engines. Please help ensure that they are held responsible for this known liability so that the consumers aren’t. It is not only a financial matter, it is causing risk to safety for any owners that have this engine on the road.

Filed Jul 31, 2024 · Engine · AL

The engine component that failed was the connecting rod. The situation was that the engine seized randomly in the middle of an airport tunnel as I was attempting to pick up my parents and leave. There were no warning lights, no abnormal engine sounds, and no unusual activity beforehand. I have heard from a certified Hyundai dealer that this problem is becoming common on my vehicle and that they have, in fact seen several cases where the engine randomly seized. I do not have access to the engine that seized anymore as I have replaced it with a used one so I would not be able to provide it for investigation. I am not sure if a Hyundai manufacturer has checked the problem out.

Filed Jul 31, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · NJ

The engine on our 2013 Santa Fe Limited has seized. We have maintained this vehicle with regular oil changes, breaks, tires, and anything else our trusted mechanic has recommended. While driving, the car slowed down considerably and was not accelerating. No dashboard lights appeared. This was during evening rush hour and became very dangerous. I pulled over to the shoulder and called for help. Once the tow arrived, we started the car and the check engine light came on. I checked the oil, it looked good. Tow truck driver took it to the dealership. Dealership said the car had no oil and that the engine has seized. I saw that there was oil before the driver took the car. So, that's not possible. The dealership said they added oil and that we would need a new engine. After discussing with the dealership my very expensive option, I have been researching the recalls and problems others have been having with the exact same thing happening. If there was no oil, why wasn't the oil light coming on? Why am I not due for an oil change for 1000+ mile? Putting my family at risk in a well maintained car that should last 75k-100k more miles is a huge problem. I will continue to fight this until myself and others receive the proper care from Hyundai.

Filed Jul 11, 2024 · Engine · MI

Hyundai sent a notification a few years ago about a known manufacturing defect in the engine of the 2013 Santa Fe Sport. Stated that due to the manufacturing process of the engine, burs could be left inside that could disrupt oil flow causing it to stall. Stated a software patch would prevent this. The patch was completed. It didn't prevent this. While getting on the highway, during afternoon noon rush hour traffic, experienced total engine failure as soon as it reached highway speed. Got off the ramp onto the highway and immediately next ramp rolled to a stop at the bottom. Safety was put at risk because the vehicle lost it's engine getting on a freeway in heavy traffic. Hyundai dealers couldn't see the car for 2 to 3 months so had it towed to a non-dealership mechanic who stated the engine was a total loss with metal shavings in the oil drained from the pan. Pulled the head and found the oil at the top of the block to be in good maintenance shape but engine totally failed. No lights or warnings prior to the failure. As soon as the engine stopped there was alternator, oil pressure, and check engine light. Those came on after loss of engine Hyundai states they extended the warranty to cover this because it's a known issue but local dealerships state they have so many engine failures they won't be able to look at it until the end of September (we are at the beginning of July) and when they do get a chance to look at it there is a chance they could refuse to cover it. Contacted Hyundai customer support where they stated there's nothing they can do. Currently vehicle is being stored in my garage pending outcome of inspection that's months away.

Filed Jun 28, 2024 · Brakes · 141,884 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered with an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that several days later the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with a blown engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the contact had not yet received the recall notification. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was not related to the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 141,884.

Filed May 24, 2024 · Engine · SC

While driving at highway speed (70 mph) on 4/2/2024, the engine without any warning suffered an internal detonation caused by a crank shaft main bearing failure. This caused a vaporization of all the engine oil which was ejected through the vehicle exhaust system in a massive cloud of smoke which blinded the 18 wheeler tractor trailer traveling behind our vehicle. But for the fast response of this truck driver our vehicle would have been rear ended at high speed. Note that Hyundai USA had issued a recall a few years back regarding this Theta 2 engine failure condition that DID NOT include our vehicle. Nor did Hyundai USA inform us at anytime prior to this incident that our vehicle was in need of remediation. Hyundai USA did replace the engine under an extenuating circumstance but has declined to repair our exhaust system components that were destroyed along with the engine at the time of this incident. They have also declined towing expense / dealership diagnostic expense on the exhaust system / replacement of vehicle splash guard damaged in this incident / loss of use / transportation reimbursement. Any and all costs to us associated with this incident.