2017 Hyundai Santa FE
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 967 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 25 Santa FE model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 14 involved a crash and 23 involved a fire. 18 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideFeb 3, 2022
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 218.
Campaign 22V056000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineSep 20, 2017
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Santa Fe vehicles equipped with 3.3L engines. The crankshaft assemblies may have been produced with surface irregularities in the crankshaft pin, causing engine bearing wear.
The engine bearing wear may cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify all owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 168.
Campaign 17V578000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchJun 5, 2017
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.
If the hood is not securely closed or the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary latch cable, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for the recall is 163.
Campaign 17V358000 on NHTSA.gov
Tires, pressure monitoring and regulating systemsMar 6, 2017
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The affected vehicles have a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that may not have been set in the correct mode during vehicle assembly, and therefore will not provide an appropriate warning in the event of an underinflated tire. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
An underinflated inflated tire can increase the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the TPMS sensors, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for the recall is 159.
Campaign 17V142000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiringNov 21, 2016
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Tucson vehicles manufactured May 19, 2015, to November 14, 2016, and 2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured November 28, 2015, to November 14, 2016. The affected vehicles may be equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result, in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected accessory trailer hitch wiring harnesses, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 13, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 153.
Campaign 16V842000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, front, warning light/devicesMar 10, 2016
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015 to February 12, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses may be damaged by the seat's height adjuster mechanism, resulting in a failure to provide an audible warning when front seat occupants do not fasten their seat belts. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Without a warning to remind the front seat occupants that their seat belts are not buckled, they may forget to buckle their seat belt, increasing their risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and reroute the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses to their proper locations, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 141.
Campaign 16V145000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
668 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Aug 16, 2023
Previous to the day of this incident there was no check engine light showing. I was driving and heard a knocking /grinding sound that progressively got worse. I was trying to get home and the engine suddenly died , all of the warning lights came on and the engine couldn’t start. Took it to the dealership. The third party extended warranty didn’t cover it because all of the oil was missing ( no oil leak was present). Still waiting to see if the dealership will repair.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 15, 2023
Upon approaching stop sign, the vehicle stalled and after restart, the vehicle ceased acceleration at intervals. This caused the vehicle to impede/slow traffic during journey. Again, at stop light, the vehicle stalled and “all” warning lights appeared. The engine failed to restart and the vehicle was towed from traffic due to engine failure. The vehicle is a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.4 with 116,000 miles. An Engine Class Settlement has been established for the model years 2010-2012 with this same issue. The vehicle will be towed to a dealership for inspection, confirmation and repair. I felt the need to make an incident report thinking maybe other reports have been filed, also, and the manufacturer reusing to admit to problem issues.
Engine, Aug 15, 2023
While driving on the highway my engine seized up and stopped working altogether. My dashboard went completely red with warning lights and I could get to the side of the road to call for assistance. The day prior while getting an oil change I was told by the mechanic that some Hyundai cars have been consuming oil quickly and that I had less than a quart left while I just was a little of the 3000-mile mark. The previous oil change I was also told I was at a very low level as well. I called the dealership about the concern and they were willing to run some tests on the car, but that afternoon the engine seized up. The car was towed back to the dealership and I was able to have the engine replaced by the manufacturer. I was very concerned for our safety when the incident happened because I was on a highway traveling at a high-speed rate (posted 60mph) but was glad to safely make it to the shoulder of the roadway.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 12, 2023
On May 2023, while my husband was taking my daughter to go to school with 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe, he noticed engine knocking noises emanating from the engine compartment. Shortly after, the vehicle's performance significantly deteriorated, and the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard, and the engine shut down. Get the car towed to the nearest auto service, the mechanic told me that there’s an engine failure as result of abnormal oil consumption causing internal damage and need to be fixed by Hyundai. I called Hyundai USA, and was told that in order to have it covered under the warranty, it needed to be repaired by an authorized dealer. However, no authorized dealer had an available appointment for at least 2 months. Finally after 2 months, I had the car towed to the authorized Hyundai service center for diagnosis and repairs. Upon examination by the certified technicians at the Hyundai service center, I was informed that it needs and engine replacement that will cost around $20,000. I called Hyundai Corporation and had escalated my case to the case manager, but the manager never called back to give me an update. Their customer service department is also frustrating to deal with. They just sort of repeat the same phrases over and over again rather than having any sort of actual conversation with you. It's been more than 2 months after the incident and they finally they can’t do anything about it because it’s outside of warranty. It’s very frustrating
Engine, Aug 12, 2023
My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe is excellently maintained with 130,000 miles on it with a faulty rod requiring engine replacement. There is a safety recall #168 for the exact same failure on the same year make and model and engine but Hyundai will not cover my engine as this recall is vin specific and mine does not qualify. Now left a loan on a car that I cannot drive.
Engine, Aug 11, 2023
About two months ago my son was driving home and noticed the oil light flash on and off quickly while he was driving. He immediately brought the car to our regular mechanic who instructed him to just check the oil "it might be a little low"- When my son arrived home we checked the oil and the oil was down 3+quarts. There is no engine oil leak, and the oil in the car had been changed recently and has also been changed every 3-5K miles per the manufacturers recommendation. We did a bit of research and learned that this is a known problem for thousands of Hyundai owners and that Hyundai recommended we start a case with them. We did. We had an oil consumption test performed during which we were told not to check the oil at all ourselves or it would "ruin the test". We were then told that the car was "only down a quart of oil after 1K miles and so it is fine"- The case manager told us that if the car had been down even an ounce more than a quart, we would be moved into a place where we could get some repairs done on the known defective engine. We are now left with a car that burns oil at a rate that is not normal or safe. In addition, our car makes loud popping noises upon start which we have researched and found is due to oil escaping from the engine and going to places in the car where it should not be. We don't believe the car is safe to drive because there is no consistent way to determine how much oil the car is burning and asking a customer to replace a quart of oil every 1K miles is unreasonable. There are thousands of people across the US who are experiencing this same issue. Why hasn't there been a recall?
Engine, Aug 10, 2023
My Santa Fe has just under 87,000 miles on the engine and has developed a knock. No check engine light was ever illuminated. We scheduled the vehicle for an inspection at the dealer. After a week, we were informed that we had a connecting rod bearing failure. We purchased this car second hand at 74,000 miles and have put 2 oil changes on it since owning it. This car is the primary vehicle for my wife and if this rod would have locked up while driving, it could have put my entire family at risk.
Engine, Aug 2, 2023
While driving uphill at 40 mph the car would not accelerate and the mph began slipping down to 30. There were no warning lights during or before this and no other changes while driving. A clicking/rattling noise became louder as I drove on. I made it up the hill and to the next stop light. When trying to accelerate, the vehicle would not go past 20mph and the clicking/rattling noise was very loud. I drove approximately 2 miles to get home. The next day at the dealership they stated I needed a new engine and there was no oil in the engine. I am up to date on my oil changes and never once was notified my engine had a problem during any of the inspections. We had to replace the the transmission around 90,000 miles. The car currently has approximately 113,000 miles.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 1, 2023
2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.4L automatic, took the car in for recall service. The following recall services were completed: (23-01-014H-5), (23-01-004H), (20-01-006H), (#17-01-050), (17-01-002). Service completed on 07/25/23, car was in perfect working order prior to recall service. Picked car up from dealer on the afternoon of 07/25/23, drove about 5 miles home. Next day (07/26/23), drove car about 20 miles and engine light came on. Took back to dealership 07/26/23 at about 3pm, stated nothing they did would cause engine light to come on and wanted me to leave with vehicle without checking it. Said 8/1/23 would be the earliest the could look at it to even check the code. Refused to leave with car in that state so they did check the code and stated it was a catalytic converter code and that mine might be going out. Stated that nothing was wrong with my car prior to recall services. Then they asked if my engine light was on before I brought it in for the recall service, I stated no. Then they said it could be the engine software update reading something wrong and cleared code. Told me to drive vehicle and if it came on again to bring it back. Drove car home again which is about a 5 mile distance. Did not drive car next day (07/27/23. Drove car on 07/28/23 for about 20 minutes and the engine light came back on. Called the dealership and they stated they would call me back but never did. Called the national Hyundai customer service number and explained the situation. Gave me a claim number and stated a case manager would contact me in 3-5 days. Called the dealership again on 07/31/23, and left another message with the service person but they did not return my call again. Called on 8/1/23 and asked for the service manager who stated earliest they can look at my car again is 8/7/23. Have not been contacted by a case manager yet as of 8/1/23. Hyundai forams online clearly state other owners having same issue as mine after having the Hyundai software updates completed.
Engine, Jul 31, 2023
This is an OIL CONSUMPTION & ENGINE FAILRE Car was being serviced by Hyundai for oil consumption test, and failed, 1 quart of oil consumed every 400 miles. On 7/23/23, engine failed on PA turnpike while travelling 70 MPH, and almost caused an accident. At 65k miles Hyundai agreed to to conduct oil consumption test, and submit for engine replacement, First part of oil consumption test failed, and car was set for engine under Hyundai warranty, but 2 days prior to cleaning engin failed. Engine has had high pressure fuel pump replaced, and I reported gas smell from oil Catalytic convertor was replaced @ 55k miles, as oil consumed burned out convertor. Now that the engine valves are burned, Hyundai is not honoring the good faith engine replacement.
Engine, Jul 31, 2023
The engine was making a knocking sound and the check engine light came on. I did not have the time to get it to a mechanic (approx 2 days of driving with knocking) before the knocking stopped and the engine stopped. The car stalled out in the middle of the street and I was able to coast to a complete stop on the side of the road and push it to safely back home.
Engine, Jul 30, 2023
Catastrophic engine failure at 86,200 miles. Engine making chugging and ticking sound and metal flakes in oil. Normal oils changes at Hyundai dealers every 5-6k miles (or 6 months). Hyundai wouldn’t cover because 2nd owner (should have covered up 100k power train.
Engine, Jul 28, 2023
Engine failure - Engine had failure while highway driving (approx 60mph). Complete loss of power in roadway. Mechanic diagnosis indicated piston rod had disconnected and caused hole in engine block.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 27, 2023
A knocking noise from the engine that increases in frequency as the engine rpm increases. Reduced power and/or hesitation and vibration. Illumination of the “check engine” light in the instrument cluster. Illumination of the “engine oil pressure” warning lamp. My car will drive up to maybe 37mph and then the engine will seize up and go into safety mode and it becomes inoperable. THIS is a death trap if we suddenly stall out on the highway or at a higher rate of speed!!!! The dealership is basically saying oh well, it is out of warranty. I just bought this car from Banister Nissan on 6/5/2023. Less than 60 days ago.
Engine, Jul 23, 2023
While driving on freeway there was a clicking sound coming from the engine area but no other strange sounds or sensations, no warning lights or changes in the dash gauges. Finished 30 mile trip back home. Next morning when starting the car the same noise was happening so we checked oil. Oil reservoir was empty so added 4 quarts and let it sit for awhile then idle before leaving. The clicking noise seemed be random, sometimes louder and faster and sometimes not clicking at all. Approximately 15-20 miles down the freeway (about 60 mph) the RPMs spiked so I moved to slow lane and braked. At this time a large commotion from the engine that shook the car with large amount of smoke coming from behind the car and an oil trail. Car was towed to mechanic where engine failure/hole in engine was diagnosed. Waiting for appointment now at dealership. Fortunately never lost control of the vehicle.
Engine, Jul 21, 2023
At 80,000 miles, transmission went out. Then, 91,000 miles the motor locked up. Hyundai refuses to repair
Engine, Jul 18, 2023
At ~126k miles, my 3.3L Santa Fe started knocking and then stopped running. There were no warning lights whatsoever. Regular service records are available to show oil changes/maintenance and all repairs done at the dealership. Mechanic says the engine is toast. Hyundai dealership told me no need to even bring it in bc it will not be covered.
Engine, Jul 15, 2023
The engine failed in our 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe earlier this year (March). They replaced our engine after finding out it was part of the rod bearing engine failure recall. The check engine light came back on as soon as we got it back (April) and the car has not worked properly since. Shaking badly, it also died after I started it. After them telling us for two months, they were too busy for us to bring it back to them. We finally brought it back this week and dropped it off for them to fix anyway (July). The Hyundai repair people told us the problem is not covered under the warranty (vcm motor on the side of the intake) and not related to the engine recall even though the problem happened immediately after they rebuilt the engine and now we must pay $1000 out of pocket.
Engine, Jul 14, 2023
Engine started knocking pretty bad during a trip. Just over 80,000 miles not covering due to 2nd owner.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 13, 2023
As I was driving my vehicle the car started to shake. I was able to make it to a gas station and then had difficulty getting the car to turn over. After several attempts the car turned over but the check engine light was flashing and the car had fumes coming out the back. I towed the car to the dealership I bought it at they determined that the fuel injectors failed and caused the engine to be flooded with gas requiring an entirely new engine to be put in the car.
Engine, Jul 10, 2023
Since early 2022 I have been having oil consumption tests done on my vehicle, after having an oil change and 2 months later, during my inspection, being told my oil is completely dry (no warning lights came on at all). There was an oil combustion done, which the dealer had to keep my car and put me into a rental (after me pressing the issue of a rental or loaner). I am now on my 2nd round of oil consumption test. I had an oil change done the last week of May, took it back 932 miles later because my oil light quickly came on then went off, when turning corners and coming to a stop on level ground (the light did not stay on) and it burned 3.5 quarts in 932 miles. It has gone from burning 2.5 quarts in 1,000 miles on the very first oil consumption test in 2022, to now burning 3.5 quarts in less than 1,000 miles. Last summer there was oil on my spark plugs from the oil consumption, but I had to pay out of pocket to have them replaced. This last time I went in June, the dealer stated they will contact Hyundai about replacing the engine. It has been 2 weeks and I've heard nothing yet. This is a huge safety & fire concern that I feel Hyundai is taking way to lightly! It is a huge inconvenience as well to take off work, leave work early, go into work late, pay for rides to/from the dealer, put oil in my car, etc. I asked about a loaner for times they wanted to keep my vehicle, and they responded that they do not have any available. Rentals should be covered 100% if they do not have a loaner to give us. When I was put in a rental, I had to pay the deposit because that is not covered by Hyundai. Reading about all these issues, I am not sure why Hyundai has not put out a recall on this issue, instead they continue to put us and our families at a big time risk!!!
Engine, Jul 9, 2023
While driving my 2017 Santa Fe, a ding from the instrument cluster preceded the vehicle stalling during a turn in a busy intersection. The vehicle would not respond to attempts to restart. I had the vehicle towed to the local Hyundai dealership for inspection. I authorized a teardown of the engine. They reported their findings to Hyundai Motors America (HMA) for authorization under an extended warranty. That request was denied. I have read the case, Davy Cho v. Hyundai Motor Company, Ltd., 8:22-cv-00448, (C.D. Cal.). My vehicle is in the correct year range and engine class represented in the suit. This vehicle is also under NHTSA investigation (DB22-003) for a separate defect that can cause the vehicle to stall without prior notice. The Hyundai dealership has now quoted $19,900 to repair. This is a gently driven and well maintained vehicle. I have reached out several times to HMA who states, the vehicle is beyond the original manufacturer's warrantee. I have tried several times to have the case reviewed. I'm told these decisions are final. HMA Case # 21352488 I was lucky to have had the traffic lights and traffic in a condition that I could drift through my turn, apply hazard lights and get assistance from the Police Dept. who closed the road allowing me to coast the vehicle backwards off the interstate bridge to place me and my vehicle in a safer place to manage. In different circumstances, this could have been catastrophic.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 7, 2023
Hyundai corporate's engines on some vehicles has oil dissipating out of thin air. 2 to 3 quarts of oil can vanish between regular interval oil changes. Hyundai is lying saying that this is "normal." It is not. The other issue is the oil indicator light may just pop on and off but it does not stay on when the vehicle has several quarts of oil that dissipated not warning the driver they have a serious problem. This leads to a safety concern because the vehicle could just stop working because the driver has no idea the oil is low. I urge the NHTSA to take action on this since so many vehicles with Hyundai are affected. Thank you.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 6, 2023
Hello. I don't know if this is even something you look into, but I wanted to see. Yesterday when I came home from work my oil light came on and all of my oil suddenly dumped in the driveway. I am thankful I was at home because this could have been a nightmare somewhere else. I had my car towed and was advised that the rear main seal needs replaced as well as the oil pan gasket. I don't know if this is a safety issue, but if my engine would have seized on the highway that could have been a nightmare. Oil maintenance has been at regular intervals. There was no warning until my light came on in the driveway and then the immediate dump of oil. I'm happy to answer any other questions. Thank you. Brooke
Engine, Jul 5, 2023
While driving, approximately 3 miles from home the engine catastrophically failed by throwing a rod through the engine block, dumping oil on the road in a cloud of smoke.