2016 Hyundai Santa Fe: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Nov 1, 2026 · Transmission · FL · crash · 1 injury

Total failure of rear differential / AWD electro-magnetic coupling. I was driving and came to a stop sign, when I went to go it jammed up sending me out of control almost killing me, As I regained control, I got about 20 ft further and hear a HUGE BOOM and my car was again out of my control I was able to slow it down by using the giant dumpster as a bracing point in my parking lot. I got out to smell a burning smell and all BLACK FLUID POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE SPOT AND A HUGE CRACK. I was hurt and my thighs are all bruised. I have pictures of the crack in the metal, it is being towed to the mechanic 7:30 AM Invoices to be added 11/2/26 THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE ON HYUNDAI SANTA FE SUV's manufactured for 2013 - 2018 models? WHY ARE THESE VEHICLES ALLOWED TO STAY ON THE ROAD I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!!!

Filed Oct 1, 2024 · Brakes, Engine · CA · fire

Driving on a slight upgrade, lost power and smoke started to come out of the vents and from under the hood. Had no brakes and by the time we were able to drift to a stop, the engine compartment was on fire. There was no warning lights. Witnesses saw fire under the car while we were coming to a stop. The car and all contents were totally consumed. Following some research on the federal safety agency vin decoder we found that this car has the same engine (GDI THETA II) that has been involved in many fires and is involved in class action suits. Even though this car has the same engine, it was never recalled. That may indicate that there are other cars out there that may have the same problem but have not been informed.

Filed Jan 24, 2024 · Engine · 95,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that upon his wife starting the vehicle, she observed heavy smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated that his wife heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion had damaged the head gasket, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 95,000.

Filed Sep 6, 2023 · Engine · WV · fire

We recently had the car to the local dealership for engine problems. It took over 3 months, but they finally determined that the camshaft was "bent" and they had to remove the engine to replace it, costing almost $5000. We had it back for about 3 months but didn't drive it much since my wife works remotely from home now. My son was driving it on the interstate and the engine threw a rod, spilling oil onto the exhaust, which caught on fire. He managed to pull over and get out of the car and by then another motorist had called 911. There was a firetruck at the exit he had just passed who showed up in just a few minutes and put the fire out before the fuel system caught on fire, thankfully. While I'm glad my son was uninjured, I'm still very upset by this, especially since they just worked on the engine. After some searching on the internet, I have found that this is a very common occurance for this vehicle (and other Hyundais) yet the company is not doing anything about it. I also read that there is a separate class action lawsuit for this particular engine (in addition to the one for the smaller 4 cylinder engines), but I'm afraid it will be settled too late to help us out.

Filed Mar 21, 2023 · Engine · AL

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is using excessive oil. Three days after getting a fresh oil change, I have to add oil to my vehicle. It continually has a fire burning smell. I've taken to a certified Hyundai facility; however, I'm always turned around and told you'll have to replace your engine soon.

Filed Oct 24, 2022 · Brakes · GA

I wish to file a complaint against Hyundai for the untimely manner in which they’ve handled recall 218. This recall has been in place for several months with many notifications that the recall exists. Yet, the company has failed to provide a solution to this highly sensitive and dangerous problem. At a moment’s notice, these cars can short circuit and burst into flames, this can be fatal and the company is not doing everything they should be to ensure their consumers are safe!

Filed Feb 8, 2022 · AZ

2016 Santa Fe - While driving on interstate all warning lights came on - antilock brake, check engine, electronic power steering, vehicle grade, outside temp blinking blank. Took to reliable shop and they said it was right front speed sensor, had that replaced still all warning lights on. Engine code that caused the lights was P2159 (Vehicle Speed Sensor B range performance) I took the car to Jim Click dealership in Green Valley they had the car for 7 days said they finally figured out that it had wires that were shorted that fed back to modules and they would have to do an overlay of these wires, so they would run new wires in the area that was bad, we got the car back after repairs and it is all working now, the car only has 86 k miles and has never been in an accident all wiring in the vehicle look still brand new. I read online of this same year of car has problems due to engine fires and suggest to park car away from anything in case it does catch fire, the article also talks about it starts with the antilock brake control module that can cause an electrical short. I am wandering if this is going to happen again because they repaired shorted wiring but did nothing to replace any bad control modules that may be causing fires in these vehicles. These repairs cost me over 700 dollars in which I think should be under warranty, But the real scary thing is I don't want to be driving down the road and have this car go up in flames. The article on the internet I read was written by Tom Krisher AP Auto Writer he also states that Kia is also also included with this problem.