NHTSA Complaint #11253327 — 2014 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

08/31/2019 TRAVELED 60 MILES ON INTERSTATE HWY AND STOPPED TO GO THROUGH A FAST FOOD DRIVE-THROUGH, IDLING MY VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 10-15 MINS. MY 2014 SANTA FE SPORT 2.0L TURBO BEGAN TO EMIT SMOKE FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE ENGINE. I OPENED THE HOOD AND LOOKING FROM THE TOP TOWARD THE BACK PART OF THE ENGINE I COULD SEE THE REFLECTIVE INSULATION AT THE BACK PART OF THE ENGINE AND SMOKE WAS DRIFTING OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE AND THERE APPEARED TO BE AN ORANGE GLOW REFLECTING FROM THE REFLECTIVE INSULATION. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS WERE ON AND THE CAR SEEMED TO BE RUNNING FINE. I DECIDED TO RETURN BACK TO MY HOME AND STOPPED BY THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP ON THE WAY. SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS CLOSED, BUT HAD ONE OF THE SALES PEOPLE TAKE A LOOK AT THE ENGINE WITH ME AS I AGAIN OPENED THE HOOD. THIS ENGINE WAS NO LONGER SMOKING. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TUESDAY. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT PERFORMED A RECALL SERVICE ITEM WITH COMPLIMENTARY OIL CHANGE AND TOLD ME THAT A FIRE HAD HAPPENED ON THE SKID PANEL UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE. THEY CLAIM THAT THE FIRE WAS STARTED FROM A LARGE PLASTIC ZIP TIE THAT HAD FALLEN ON THE TURBO ENGINE MANIFOLD AT THE BACK OF THE ENGINE AND HAD DRIPPED DOWN TO THE SKID PAN CATCHING AND BURNING INTO THE PLASTIC PAN. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW A ZIP TIE COULD HAVE JUST "HAPPENED" TO HAVE BROKEN AND FALLEN IN JUST THE EXACT SPOT TO CATCH FIRE? I MENTIONED TO THE DEALER THAT I HAD READ ONLINE ABOUT RECALLS CONCERNING ENGINE FIRES ON KIA SORENTO AND HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT FOR MY YEAR MODEL VEHICLE. THEIR COMMENT WAS THAT THOSE PROBLEMS WERE ONLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE HYUNDAI SONATA. THE SERVICE WRITER SAID HE WOULD NOT REPLACE THE BURNT PLASTIC SKID PANEL AND STATED THAT THIS WAS JUST A FLUKE AND THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. I STILL HAVE MANY CONCERNS AS TO HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED AND WHAT OTHER DAMAGE IS THERE FROM THE HOT BURNING FIRE?