vehicle signal
U.S. public vehicle records

2014 Hyundai SANTA FE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

493 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

60,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2014 model year. Data snapshot: . 249 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 274 of 493 complaints (55.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior7916.0%
Steering behavior6413.0%
Engine operation6112.4%
Electrical and battery issues397.9%
Transmission and shifting122.4%
Fuel system concerns51.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine
274
Steering
52
Electrical System
48
Unknown Or Other
40
Power Train
36
Service Brakes
32
Fuel/Propulsion System
27
Vehicle Speed Control
27
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Engine274
Steering52
Electrical System48
Unknown Or Other40
Power Train36
Service Brakes32
Fuel/Propulsion System27
Vehicle Speed Control27

Engine: 274; Steering: 52; Electrical System: 48; Unknown Or Other: 40; Power Train: 36; Service Brakes: 32; Fuel/Propulsion System: 27; Vehicle Speed Control: 27

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
69
25,000 to 49,999
36
50,000 to 74,999
42
75,000 to 99,999
45
100,000 to 149,999
52
150,000 and above
5
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00069
25,000 to 49,99936
50,000 to 74,99942
75,000 to 99,99945
100,000 to 149,99952
150,000 and above5

Under 25,000: 69; 25,000 to 49,999: 36; 50,000 to 74,999: 42; 75,000 to 99,999: 45; 100,000 to 149,999: 52; 150,000 and above: 5

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (69). 244 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2014
23
2015
32
2016
17
2017
36
2018
19
2019
39
2020
68
2021
58
2022
61
2023
58
2024
61
2025
15
2026
6
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
201423
201532
201617
201736
201819
201939
202068
202158
202261
202358
202461
202515
20266

2014: 23; 2015: 32; 2016: 17; 2017: 36; 2018: 19; 2019: 39; 2020: 68; 2021: 58; 2022: 61; 2023: 58; 2024: 61; 2025: 15; 2026: 6

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 79 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 64 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 61 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10726362 · 2015-06-20 (June 20, 2015)

6/20/2015 BACKED OUT OF STALL AT COSTCO, MARYSVILLE, WA. IMMEDIATELY LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND THREE ALERTS CAME ON. THERE ARE KNOWN ISSUES WITH THIS HAPPENING. BRAND NEW CAR HTTP://WWW.HYUNDAI-FORUMS.COM/DM-2013-SANTA-FE/303441-2013-SANTA-FE-XL-POWER-STEERING-PROBLEM.HTML WILL HAVE TO HAVE CAR TOWED. NOT SAFE TO DRIVE 3 ALERTS 1. ESC MALFUNCTION 2. DOWNHILL BRAKING 3. SPORT MODE......UPDATED 10/20/15 *BF UPDATED 10/26/2017*CN

Owner-reported narrative. 3,670 miles reported. Look up ODI 10726362 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10730831 · 2015-06-28 (June 28, 2015)

ON 6/20/2015, WHILE TRAVELLING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY,, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A "CLUNK" NOISE AND THE POWER ASSISTED STEERING WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. LIGHTS INDICATING A MALFUNCTION OF THE ESC AND DOWNHILL BRAKE ASSIST ALSO LIT UP. THERE WAS COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ASSISTED STEERING. I WAS ABLE TO MANHANDLE THE STEERING ON SIDE ROADS AND MADE IT HOME. ON THE FIRST BUSINESS DAY AFTER THE INCIDENT I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER WHERE IT HAS REMAINED AWAITING A REPLACEMENT STEERING COLUMN. UPDATED 11/01/2017*CN

Owner-reported narrative. 6,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10730831 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10561728 · 2014-01-27 (January 27, 2014)

DROVE NEW 2014 SANTA FE SPORT 2.0T FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE HIGHWAY AFTER BUYING IT 3 DAYS EARLIER. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT PATH WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. SF REQUIRED CONTINUOUS CORRECTION AT A VARYING DEGREE. IT IS NOT ONLY THAT THE VEHICLE WONDERS, BUT IT DOES SO MILDLY AND AGGRESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE TENDS TO SWAY AND ROCK ALL WHILE TRYING TO CORRECT FOR THE CONTINUOUS WONDERING. IT'S A VERY ODD SENSATION THAT OCCURS, JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU MIGHT GO STRAIGHT FOR A BIT THE VEHICLE WILL DART TO ONE SIDE AND IT HAS NO RH…

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10561728 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10579526 · 2014-04-14 (April 14, 2014)

2014 SANTA FE SPORT AWD - THE CAR WANDERS EXCESSIVELY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THE PROBLEM BECOMES WORSE AS THE SPEED INCREASES. THE CAR NEEDS CONTINUOUS STEERING CORRECTING JUST TRYING TO TRAVEL IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE CAR WILL DART FRONT RIGHT TO LEFT AT VARYING DEGREES OF INTENSITY. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH LESS THAN 500 MILES TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND THE DEALER CHECKED THE ALIGNMENT BUT FOUND NO ISSUES WITH IT. AS DESCRIBED BY OTHERS, THE CAR BEHAVES AS IF IT HAD WORN OUT BALL JOINTS, HOWEVER IT IS A BRAND NEW VEHICLE. …

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10579526 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10574616 · 2014-03-24 (March 24, 2014)

THE VEHICLE STALLED SO FREQUENTLY, EITHER ON FREE WAY AND LOCAL. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10574616 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10574617 · 2014-03-24 (March 24, 2014)

THE VEHICLE KEPT STALLING ON FREE WAY AND LOCALLY. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10574617 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10725817 · 2015-06-17 (June 17, 2015)

VEHICLE WANDERS RIGHT AND LEFT AT 55 MPH AND ABOVE. WILL NOT MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT LINE. HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES AND THE REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER HAS BEEN CALLED IN AND HAS DRIVEN IT. ALSO HAVE TAKEN OUT A CASE #. EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT FINE BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. DEALER STATES IT IS NORMAL FOR THIS TYPE OF ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING. VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE ON THE FREEWAY. HYUNDAI IS NO LONGER WILLING TO WORK ON IT. .. .UPDATED 07/21/15 *BF

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10725817 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10882440 · 2016-07-04 (July 4, 2016)

HYUNDAI AND OTHER MFG ARE USING EDIBLE COATING ON WIRING HARNESS AND CREATING A HAZARD FOR FIRE AND LOSS OF CONTROL BECAUSE RODENTS ARE EATING THE WIRE MY SANTA FE WIRING WAS EATEN AND I LOST MY WHOLE ELECTRICAL ENTERTAINMENT SYSREM.DEALLERS KNOW ABOUT PROBLEM AND HAS BEEN FOR YEARS BUT DOES NOTHING . YOUR ONLINE SYSTEM HAS OVER 16 REPORTED PROBLEMS SOME SERIOUS. THE FIX IS SIMPLE WRAP HARNESS IN EDITABLE WRAPPING. NHTSA GOING TO WAIT UNTIL A CAR LOSES CONTROL AND KILLS SOMEBODY. CHECK CAR FORUMS THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM FOR FORD TOYOTA HY…

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10882440 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10629978 · 2014-09-02 (September 2, 2014)

THIS IS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM SHIFTING 1-2ND GEAR, AS WE SLOW DOWN TO ENTER OUR GARAGE AND WAIT FOR DOOR TO OPEN, THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD WITH HUGE AMOUNT OF FORCE, ALMOST AS IF WE ARE HIT FROM BEHIND, THEN IT GOES INTO GEAR AND PROCEEDS. HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY DAY NOW. I READ MANY CONSUMER BLOGS SAYING THIS IS AN ISSUE FOR THE SANTA FE MODELS. DEFINITELY A TRANSMISSION ISSUE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10629978 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10870236 · 2016-05-22 (May 22, 2016)

2014 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT, LESS THEN 12,000 MILES PURCHASED NEW 5/10/14. AT LESS THEN 2000 MILES DISCOVERED NO COOLANT IN RESERVOIR. 6 WEEKS AFTER DELIVERY BACK UP CAMERA REPLACED. ON 10/18/2014 WHILE SHIFTING INTO REVERSE EXTREME LOUD NOISE IN FRONT OF HOOD ON DRIVER SIDE, NAVIGATION SYSTEM GOES BLACK SIMULTANEOUSLY. COCHRAN ADVISED SAFE TO DRIVE CANNOT SERVICE CAR UNTIL 10/29/2014. SATURDAY 10/25/2014 WHILE IN PARK WITH ENGINE OFF AND NO ONE IN AUTO IT ROLLS BACK CAUSING OVER 6000.00 IN DAMAGES. AFTER 15 MONTHS, HYUNDAI EXPERT MECHANICS …

Owner-reported narrative. 11,922 miles reported. Look up ODI 10870236 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10870079 · 2016-05-20 (May 20, 2016)

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE THE END OF JUNE 2014, WHICH I THINK I GOT A LEMON. MY GAS RELEASE CAP WOULD NOT OPEN AND WAS TOLD THAT A PART NEEDED TO BE ORDER. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO SOUTH BOULEVARD HYUNDAI YESTERDAY MORNING, SO THEY (SERVICE TECH) CAN OPEN THE GAS CAP SO I COULD PUT GAS IN MY CAR. I DON'T THINK PARTS SHOULD BE BREAKING LIKE THAT IN THE SHORT TIME THAT I HAD THE CAR, SO THE CAP WAS OPEN AND THE SERVICE TECH LEFT THE BROKEN PIECE INSIDE THE CAP, HE THEN TOLD ME THAT THE PART WILL BE IN NEXT TUESDAY, IWHICH HE DID NOT SOUND CONVINCING…

Owner-reported narrative. 19,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10870079 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11307895 · 2020-02-08 (February 8, 2020)

I AM THE PERSPECTIVE BUYER OF THIS USED CAR CURRENTLY AT A DEALER FOR SALE. CARFAX REPORT INDICATES TWO RECALLS ON THE CAR. ON 2/17/20, SALESPERSON CALLED HYUNDAI INC ABOUT THE FUEL LEAK RECALL BEING FIXED IF I PURCHASE THE CAR FIRST AND THEN TAKE THE CAR TO A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE RECALL. IS THIS PROPER PROCEDURE IN PURCHASING A USED CAR? THE CAR IS CURRENTLY BEING OFFERED FOR SALE AT A SAVANNAH, GA, CRITZ MERCEDEZ DEALERSHIP. SALESPERSON PROVIDED A CARFAX REPORT THAT INDICATED RECENT SERVICE ON THE CAR THE DEALERSHIP PROVIDED. HOWEVER…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11307895 at NHTSA ↗