2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
161 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2017 and 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which have 345 and 415 complaints and scores of 41 and 37. Buy a 2015 or 2016 car, which have 82 and 66 complaints and score 87 and 93; the 2013 and 2014 cars score 72 and 78 once their campaigns are closed. Read the full note on the model page. 2014 specifically: a year the record favours — 161 complaints, score 78/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Hyundai Kona, Genesis and Santa Fe Sport: what the record says, including 2014 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 161 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 13.42
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Santa FE. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at 60 mph the vehicle began to shake violently, and the engine experienced a complete loss of automotive power, the service vehicle soon, ABS and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact veered off an exit into the parking lot of an AutoZone where a diagnostic scanner displayed the code "P0302". The vehicle wa…
Both front doors stopped opening cant get in the vehicle or out of the vehicle from the front doors. Both stopped working within two weeks. The locks unlock and lock but the doors will not open. Hyundai dealership wants 8,000 dollars to replace Both door panels. This is a safety issue. If I get stuck inside the car and cant get out
On March 20, 2026, while driving, my 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (VIN: [XXX]) equipped with a Theta II 2.4L GDI engine, the car experienced a catastrophic, sudden loss of motive power. The engine suffered a total mechanical failure/seizure, creating an immediate highway safety hazard. This vehicle is part of the "In re: Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation II" settlement population due to known factory manufacturing def…
Recalls: 5 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V358000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. |
| 20V520000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) module, possibly resulting in an electrical short. |
| 21V303000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) module, possibly resulting in an electrical short. |
| 18V934000 | Engine | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2013-2014 Santa Fe Sport vehicles previously repaired under recall numbers 15V-568 and 17V-226. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned, or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, allowing fuel to leak… |
| 17V226000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,650
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine93 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes29 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Electrical System21 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Hydraulic17 complaints · typical job: Brake master cylinder or ABS module replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,520
- Unknown Or Other15 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Power Train13 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (93 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 78/100, computed from 161 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's most common problem?
93 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport cost to run per year?
About $5,184 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $25,922 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 05/06/2017. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 161 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 161 NHTSA complaints on record (13.4/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (14.3/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems