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, Dec 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. There was no warning light illuminated. An unknown dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,500.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 21, 2022
Car seems to stall on slow turns, then after 2 seconds its back to normal. Dangerous when turning to avoid oncoming traffic. This vehicle belongs to my granddaughter (Britney N. Smith) I'm driving it as it's too dangerous for her. Dealerships have no solution for this problem!
Engine, Dec 16, 2022
I am a 2017 SantaFe Sport owner. I purchased my Santa Fe in Florida in December 2016 to include all the premium options, including a 10-year powertrain warranty. I believed I was investing in a vehicle that I would have for years to come, at least 10 years. I have always taken my car to be serviced at the Hyundai Service Center and paid for all the recommended services. Earlier this year, I was about to take a long distance trip in my trusted car with my son and elder mother. As I checked my vehicle to make sure it was road ready, to my surprise, it had no engine oil although there was over 1K miles till the next oil change! The oil stick was completely dry. Feeling unsure about my car, I ended up having to make an unnecessary expense and rent a vehicle. After seeing my service advisor at Hyundai, he recommended we start an oil consumption test. After several failed tests, car rental expenses, time away from work, purchase of engine oil and oil funnels, and a recommended Combustion Chamber Cleaning, my car is still consuming the oil with over 4K miles (4 months) till the next oil change. My car was back again at the dealer for the past 3 weeks for another oil consumption test and another submission for an engine replacement. Yet, Hyundai refuses to replace the engine stating my vehicle is operating at standard. I personally don’t know of a vehicle, not even a race car, that consumes oil at the rate my Hyundai SantaFe is consuming oil. I have spoken with Hyundai, the service manager, and have proof of all of my documentation. It has been a week since I picked up my car from the service center and it consumed all 4 quarts and the oil stick is dry again. I have also done my research and learned this a known problem that have cause people’s cars to stall while driving in the highway and also causing fires. There are thousands of people worldwide affected by this same issue.
Engine, Dec 15, 2022
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine failed and started losing power. It is available at the dealership it was towed to. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I was driving with my family and had just accelerated onto the highway onramp when the engine started rattling and started losing power. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The dealer has confirmed the issue. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The dealer technician has looked over the engine to determine the issue and claimed the engine's rod bearing(s) had failed and that they did not see signs of maintenance neglect to have caused it. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? At the time, no, there weren't any warning lamps until when the engine problem actually happened and the check engine light came on. There had been a couple check engine lights over the past 2 years where the car went into limp mode temporarily. The first one a dealer couldn't reproduce as the engine light had cleared itself. The second time they replaced a sensor which may have been causing it.
Engine, Dec 7, 2022
The engine failed and is available for inspection upon request. The failure caused the vehicle to stall dangerously on the interstate and almost crashed. The problem was due to engine bearing (as diagnosed by third party repair shop) and matches a safety recall (17V578000) for Hyundai 2017 Santa Fes. The VIN, however, does not fall under this safety recall. But it should and I wish to dispute. The vehicle now is at the Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa. No warning messages appeared before stalling to my knowledge. This happened 4-5 weeks ago and has been in the shop since. There was a delay in reporting a safety problem because I tried working with the manufacturer directly. There was miscommunication and they submitted a case on my behalf to check the car for warranty but not to investigate the safety recall. Repair invoices yet to be provided. Courtesy Hyundai of Tampa should have more information: 813-356-7576
Engine, Dec 7, 2022
Cvvt timing malfunction causing over advanced bank 1 shaft to blow
Engine, Nov 30, 2022
Vehicle: 2017 Hyundai Sante Fe Sport - While driving down the highway, the day before Thanksgiving, 11/23/22, the Sante Fe began to knock and immediately began to decelerate leaving my youngest sister stranded on a dark backroad in NC in the middle of the night! She pulled over into a local church that was thankfully in the area and had to wait alone for a while. This is extremely dangerous as the road she was on was a winding road, 55 mph speed limit, steep shoulders, and the vehicle gave her no warning prior that something was wrong. After getting the car towed to a repairman we got the news that the engine has failed and that the engine rebuild alone is $10,000 (low estimate). This is not the Hyundai that I know and something must be done to rectify this.
Engine, Nov 29, 2022
Failure of Oil Pressure Switch Assembly resulting in oil leak. Not covered by warranty. Dealer repair resulted in cost of $544.94 to owner. Vehicle mileage: 63591 miles. Appears as wide spread problem with this engine type from Hyundai/Kia.
Power train, Service brakes, Engine, Nov 28, 2022, fire
I was accelerating on the highway and my RMPS shot the whole way up over 7,000 then bottomed out. I lost speed so I pulled over. Another car pulled over to inform me my car was on fire. I turned the car off and the fire went out. The car was towed to Blaise Alexander (dealership) in Altoona, PA. The mechanic reported that a connector rod went through the oil pan, engine block, and brake starter. He kept repeating to me "I've never seen anything like this before". He reached out to Hyundai to ask if they would cover repairs (starting at $13,790). Hyundai said no. I believe this incident was more than mechanical, and is related to the open recall. I attempted twice to have my car repaired under the recall but the dealership "didn't have the part".
Engine, Nov 21, 2022
I was on my way home from work in the interstate, I started to exit the interstate and my car would not accelerate, and just died. I was going around 45 mph and there was no indication till it happened and then the check engine light came on. I couldn’t get into Hyundai since they have so many broken cars so I took it to 2 mechanics who both told me the car is immaculate condition and should not have had no oil in it unless there was a malfunction with the engine. Both mechanics told me to get it to Hyundai because my car is doing exactly what the 4 cyl that they are recalling is doing. I made apt and got car in last week. Dealer is telling me that it’s out of warranty so they won’t do anything. My daughters car is same year (different model) with same mileage and he’d engine also went out 2 months later. Something is not right with this brand of vehicles and will cause serious injuries.
Engine, Nov 21, 2022
Engine stopped working while driving; left stranded and without a vehicle after this incident and was asked to pay $11,000 to replace engine with an used engine after denied good faith repair. This is an extremely common issue with Hyundais.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle, there was a rod knock coming at 1,500 RPM. The contact stated occasionally the vehicle would stall right after being started. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine bearing was faulty, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who confirmed the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V578000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Power train, Engine, Nov 18, 2022, fire
On November 14, 2022 at approximately 0800 while traveling 495N in Massachusetts from Cape Cod my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe with 109,000 miles experienced catastrophic engine failure. I was maintaining a speed of approximately 70 MPH when without waring the 3.3L V6 engine stalled and made loud clunking noises while smoke filled up the cabin of the vehicle causing me to cough and choke, my visibility was also diminished. I was fortunate enough to pull the vehicle to the right side of the highway and did cut someone off because I panicked and could not see almost causing a serious crash. The vehicle was then towed to a Hyundai dealership in Raynham, MA. The service advisors tried helping me with getting a new engine replacement from Hyundai Corporate, Corporate would not honor their demands and now I'm without a vehicle for myself to get to and from work and for my family so they can attend school, doctors appointments and social events.
Engine, Nov 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed but no failure was found. On another occasion, the contact heard a knocking sound coming for the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was under warranty and that the repair would be covered. The failure mileage was 57,521.
Power train, Air bags, Engine, Nov 16, 2022
With no warning lights, no unusual sounds coming from engine (knocking, or otherwise) - complete engine shutoff. Driving on highway at 55-60mph during acceleration. I was able to coast to the side. Unable to restart engine for about 30 minutes. Engine able to restart, then shutoff again a few minutes later at 45mph. There have been reports of unusually high motor oil consumption with the Theta 2 engine. There are no leaks, smells, smoke (from engine or exhaust) however, I must continuously add motor oil and check levels about every 100 miles. Oil level will reduce from max line to almost empty very quickly, maybe 1-3 weeks after refilling. All service maintenance is timely and done at authorized shops (Goodyear and Hyundai dealership). Dealership will perform oil consumption test to determine if eligible for powertrain warranty. Further research shows Hyundai denied many claims related to this issue.
Engine, Nov 15, 2022
Is burning the engine oil, is bthe 2nd time I got engine oil light On in less than 1 month with this SUV. I brought in Enterprise Car Sales in Oct 2022 and they send me to a Hyundai's dealership to get some service but they said is normal in the car. Hoy is possible, mostly a brand new SUV is burning oil and i have to fill up every week with oil? So I am spending more money than I was expecting in a brand new car.
Engine, Nov 7, 2022
2017 Hyundai Santa Fe rod bearing failure occurred 10/09/22 without warning (no indicator lamp, messages or symptoms). The vehicle is currently at Keyes Hyundai in Van Nuys CA, Hyundai is refusing to cover the repair as the vehicle is over 100k miles. If the engine rod had blown while we were on the freeway this would have likely been fatal. Problem confirmed by Hyundai 11/3/22, the vehicle is available for inspection by NHTSA. Hyundai has a lengthy history of engine problems and my vehicle ought to be covered under this condition. I still owe over $4k on the vehicle and only owned it 5 years. Hyundai Corporate Care representative offered and then retracted coverage, we transported the vehicle with the assumption of coverage. Transcripts of her voicemails are attached. Please help.
Engine, Nov 6, 2022
While driving 25 mph the engine just stalled , initially it would not restart after about 30 minutes the vechile restarted but had missing sound and at this time the check engine light came on as able to drive vechile home which was 2 miles however would not go over 15-20 mph had a lot of smoke coming out of exhaust , had dealer check and stated it was engine failure and that certain 2017 Santa Fe had a recall for engine issue that was exactly like what’s wrong with this one but it isn’t included in recall is what I was told and that it would 15k to fix , I think if that make and model had a recall on the engines due to failure it should be for every 2017 3.3 l v6 engine as looking at the vechile history that is a very common issue the car had 125000 miles on that is not very many and all maintenance was maintained on this car
Engine, Nov 5, 2022
The engine suffered a bent valve resulting in engine failure and faulty motor. This problem was verified by the mechanic upon the car breaking down at a red light. The car started idling very rough and the engine light flashed. This was out of the blue and we had been getting regular service since purchasing the car less than a year ago. It only has 80000 miles. This was a safety risk considering that the car was regularly serviced and broke down at a red light putting us at risk of an accident with no warning. I am yet to get ahold of Hyundai but I will be attempting to get them to replace their faulty engine under good faith.
Engine, Nov 5, 2022
This engine has burned oil since 90,000 miles. Burning about a quart every 500 miles
Engine, Oct 19, 2022
At ~114k miles, the engine failed without warning. While driving on the freeway in overdrive, at ~65 mph, the vehicle struggled to down shift or accelerate further. I exited the freeway in <quarter mile and pulled into a parking lot, putting the car in park. The oil light, check engine light, and oil pressure lights came on simultaneously, and the car shut off. A local mechanic diagnosed the issue as a thrown rod. No check engine light, oil pressure, or oil change light alerted me of an issue. All scheduled, routine oil changes were performed through the life of the vehicle.
Engine, Oct 19, 2022
2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO HIGH OIL LOSS AND ENGINE FAILURE.
Engine, Oct 9, 2022
THE ENGINE AT 65,000 MILE CONSUME OIL THAT LEADS TO ENGINE FAILIER I REPORT IT TO HYUNDAI USA AMERICA THEY GIVE ME A CASE NUMBER GOT BACK TO ME AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A NORMAL ISSUE I TOOK THE CAR TO THE NEW ROCHELLE HYUNDAY NEW YORK THAT DEALER DID 3 TEST EVERY TEST AT 1000 MILE THE CAR CONSUME 2 QUARTS OF OIL THE DEALER REPORT IT TO HYUNDAI DENIED TO REMEDY THE ISSUE NOW THE CAR AT 90,000 THE CAR CONSUME 3 QUART HYUNDAI HAVE REPLACE THE ENGINE TO OTHER HYUNDAI CONSUMERS THEY DO NOT WANT TO REPLACE THE ENGINE I NEED HELP ON THIS PROBLEM
Power train, Engine, Oct 5, 2022
My 2017 Santa Fe's engine seized in 2019 at about 46K miles while I was going up a large hill. The entire vehicle began shaking, the oil light came on and then the vehicle lost power in bumper to bumper traffic. Fortunately a large truck behind me moved to act and nudged me up the rest of the hill with his truck so I could pull over safely. Hyundai replaced that engine after a few months and then replaced the turbo because they noticed that was failing even after engine replacement. This was prior to the class action lawsuits. My vehicle is now at about 64K miles with less than 15 on the new engine and turbo. In Fall of 2022, I got an oil change, took a quick short road trip later that day and on the way back with my family, the engine oil light came on. We pulled over and saw that the oil had mostly leaked out so we found a good Samaritan who helped get us oil to top it off so we could get home safely. I took it back to the oil change location the next day, thinking they had made a mistake and they advised the leak was due to my turbo failing. They took several pictures of the source of the leak and told me to get it to the dealer ASAP to prevent further leak, risk of fire or engine seizure. I towed the vehicle in.Hyundai advised it would be 6 weeks before they take a look at my vehicle. In addition, they offered no recourse or alternative transport while waiting for a determination despite the extended warranties that apply to my situation. They sent me a form to allow them to start the repair with no estimate attached and with a total waiver of my rights to join a class action suit but they haven't even looked at the vehicle. Not only am I worried about my safety, with a second engine failure, I am also worried they are sneaking in clauses to strip consumers of their rights.
Engine, Sep 28, 2022
On July 9th 2022, as I am headed out of town, with my daughter & her friend I was driving on back roads to another state. I went to pass a vehicle & as I did my car was not wanting to accelerate as it should to properly pass a vehicle. I made it in front of the other call, but it was getting sluggish & not wanting to accelerate. It actually started slowing down rather suddenly as I got in front of the car. I pulled over to check my oil, even though I recently had it changed. (This suv has an oil consumption issue that I have to top off often. I know to keep an eye on these things, due to driving older truck before. I even go back to the oil changing company, and they top off for free, but asking what I was doing with all the oil.) The oil was fine and there should have been no problem, so I proceeded to pull out and attempt to go again and barely made it to a place to pull over as it was jerking, and the lights were coming on and it did not want to accelerate. It was a very scary feeling with kids in the car as well. I had to wait 1 hour for help. I had to leave it overnight until I could get it towed to my mechanic. He said that it was my engine, & he did not want to mess with it because he knew there were recalls on these and I need to reach my dealership. Being that my dealership is 1 hour away I called several different ones & they were all full. I called the HYUNDAI service & they got me an appt at my dealership and I had it towed. It was towed in 7/19/2022 the 1 year anniversary of being bought.They told me 1st of September before they could even look at it. Now every week, they say they can't look at it until the next week. I have paid car & insurance payments. I do not have a dependable ride. Had to cancel 1 vacation and maybe another. I live an hour from work. With no help insight, no loaner or rental, it has been a struggle. I have seen several people with these cars having their engine seize as well. Asked about trade & they said its worth $500 owe14,000