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
967 reports, newest first.
Engine, Mar 13, 2024
Driving on the interstate and the engine seized up. I was driving with three little children and we barely made it to an off ramp. This was extremely dangerous. After looking up the issue, I found there were 1000's of unhappy customers that drive similar models that had the same exact issue happen to them. I keep up to date all oil changes, as many other customers, but Hyundai says it's not their fault? How can companies like Hyundai sell a car that have numerous engine failures and not have a recall? I am terrified not only with the expense of the repair, but putting my children in another Hyundai, with the fear of it happening once again.
Engine, Mar 12, 2024
My vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure while driving on the freeway. It had just over 100k miles. I heard a repetitive clicking sound when pressing on the accelerator. After 2 minutes, the car shuddered and black smoke filled the cabin. When I pulled over, oil was s pouring onto the road. The car was serviced 2 weeks prior including oil change by a certified mechanic with no problems identified. I never had a check engine light. I initially had the vehicle towed to my local mechanic who found 3 ruptured holes in the bottom of the engine block. I was told that it looked like "rod failure". When I notified Hyundai corp, I was told that the vehicle was no longer under warranty due to it being purchased pre-owned and because I had surpassed 100k miles. They told me that I could file a "goodwill" claim, but that it could only be submitted via my local dealership. So I went to local dealership to discuss my situation. While there, I inquired about the projected costs of engine repair/replacement if the claim was denied and was given a copy of an estimate in the amount of $8500 prepared for another customer with the same make/model/year vehicle with similar problem - catastrophic engine failure. I decided to proceed with claim and paid to have vehicle towed to the dealership. It was only then that I was told that an initial inspection fee of approximately $200 would be assessed if repairs were not completed. Once the initial inspection was done, I was given an estimate of repairs exceeding $18,000! They also told me that Hyundai corp was requiring additional diagnostic tests in order to complete its review of my good will claim that could be performed at an additional cost of $600! At this point, I'm being asked to throw money away. This car is a lemon. My family has endured undue hardship due to this incident. I am angered that a company would not go through the effort to make things right. People do not spend $49,000 on a vehicle expecting this to happen.
Engine, Mar 11, 2024
I have always kept up on my oil changes. Driving down the road all of a sudden my engine turned off. No check engine lights or anything. Toed it to the dealer and the said the motor seized. Looking online this is a known problem. Vehicle no longer coverd by warranty.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 10, 2024
Vehicle has intermittent engine stalling, but is still running. Possible dangerous situation if making left turn with oncoming traffic. This has happened to many times since my owner ship. Bought this car used. I am 2nd owner. 33k mi when purchased in 3-2021
Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 8, 2024
I was driving down the highway when my vehicle shut off. After pulling off on the highway and opening the hood, there was a notice that the engine had overheated. Upon inspection, there was no oil nor any coolant left in the engine. I have records to demonstrate regular maintenance, and oil changes every 5000 miles
Engine, Mar 5, 2024
2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate with 88K miles experienced knocking while driving. Immediately stopped and was towed to dealership. Dealership diagnosed failure of rod bearing on cylinder 1. Motor could have seized up and caused accident on highway. Dealership has inspected. No lights or warnings present when this occurred.
Engine, Mar 3, 2024
My wife was driving our kids to school and got onto the highway when the vehicle lost power. There were no warning lights before the engine failure. The engine stopped running and she was just able to coast off of the highway. The check engine light came on as well as the high temperature and other warning lights. My wife turned the car off and let it sit for a couple of minutes while she called for help. When she started the car again there was no check engine light or other warning lights. She drove the kids to school but noticed the car was lacking power. I met her at the kids school and plugged in my OBDII reader and no issues were logged on the ECU. I drove the car to the dealership and the car had very little power. The dealership looked at the vehicle and a couple of days later they told us that we needed a new engine because ours was knocking due to failed crankshaft bearings. The block, pistons, and heads were replaced by Hyundai under warranty and not available for inspection. The dealer said that they had over 20 cars at their dealership with failed engines. It took the dealer 7 months to replace the motor under warranty due to the high volume of failed engines and difficulty finding a replacement engine. Hyundai settled a lawsuit on their Theta-2 engine (4cy) however ours is a Lamda-2 engine (6cy). The vehicle never showed a low oil warning, engine knock warning, or check engine light prior to failure. We recently sold the vehicle and saw the dealership didn't report the engine replacement on the carfax (image with short block replacement). They only listed the block replacement and didn't disclose the engine replacement. I provided example from a similar vehicle on autotrader with a carfax showing similar vehicle that I believe had an engine failure without full disclosure. Hyundai has vehicles on the road that have faulty engines that don't give warnings before failure. Hyundai dealers are not reporting the engine replacements fully to avoid a recall.
Engine, Mar 3, 2024
Engine stalled multiple times while driving. Took it to the dealer, and the entire intake side camshaft bank and all 4 phasers had to be replaced. Engine only has 128K miles on it and has been serviced on schedule, so this should not be occurring.
Power train, Engine, Mar 1, 2024
My wife was driving down the freeway to work during morning commute when her 2017 Santa Fe just lost power, was only able to go maybe 20mph which during an early morning Bay Area commute is very dangerous... No engine light or any warning lights, this lasted for a couple miles until the next exit she pulled off still no warning indicators showing, she turned off the car for a few minutes, then turned it back on to continue to work there was still almost no power but no indicators on the dash, finally after a few minutes started driving normal again. The next day when she was on her way to work, she started getting an oil light, I drove 45min to her job checked and oil level was fine, turns out oil pressure sensor was bad. After that was replaced everything seemed normal for around 1month or so then noticed excessive oil consumption, needing to add 1qt every 1500-2000 mi, no oil leaking onto out driveway and can't see any oil leaks visually around engine. Oil consumption has gotten progressively worse, we keep it topped off every couple weeks. No we are getting check engine light and tapping sound on passenger side of engine. Codes P0346, P0021 and P0087, power is fine but tapping sounds bad and worried of failure while driving.
Engine, Feb 28, 2024
Catastrophic engine failure.
Engine, Feb 28, 2024
Oil changes up to date and all of a sudden oil is gone, no leaks per the servicer. Engine started knocking but it is not one that is on recall. No low oil warning lights came on or anything. Now its costing half the price of the value of the car to repair which is over $7k and its not yet paid off and I got this vehicle 08/2022. This is just sad and no on can tell me why this is doing this on so many vehicles with my car vin range.
Engine, Feb 26, 2024
Failed crankshaft rod bearing
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Feb 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V056000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine, Feb 25, 2024
Engine bearing failure, sudden and without warning. Engine started to use oil between oil changes. Loud knocking started suddenly during starting and then continuous knock while running. Identical with issues related to recall 168, but my VIN does not show that recall effects my vehicle.
Engine, Feb 23, 2024
Purchased Sante fe .August 2020.cash purchase I had the vehicle check by dealership several times regarding oil leakage ,, oil consumption..july 2023 stranded in texas after oil pressure switch replaced but no oil was put back in car.. [XXX] stranded in AR with children. The ENGINE BLEW AT exactly 100000MILES.failed Engine, towed car back to Missouri ....Napleton Hyundai indicated there is a warranty on the Engine only for Rod ?. Failed engine is a failed Hyundai consumer affairs .denied claim but agreed the car still has an e Engine warranty..only if rod is blown? The #3valve burned up no compression? July 2020 a recall was in place for the engine... August I purchase the vehicle with NO knowledge of possible Engine failure or recall.. Napleton informed and offered $500.00 towards a 12000.bill Now is 2024. I am without ,my life savings . Without a vehicle. My everyday has been disrupted .Napleton Hyundai cars are not safe .I am glad I was not traveling at night.when the car suddenly Died..it could have been a tragedy. Thank you please look into how safe and reliable the used cars are if not safe..used Hyundai SHOULD NOT BE SOLD..THANK YOU INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Feb 20, 2024
While driving at approximately 70MPH. The car went into limp mode. slowing down and eventually coming to a stop, after towing the car to a mechanic. we found out that a valve broke in the cylinder head damaging the Cylinder and engine block. Engine and Cylinder head needs to be replaced.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 20, 2024
Vehicle gave no indication oil level was low. Traveling I24 East, the vehicle began to stall, preventing any speed above 40MPH. After settling along the shoulder of the highway I checked the Oil reservoir which was completely empty. No indication was given that Oil was needed. Vehicle had not met the Month or Milage requirement for needed oil change.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 19, 2024
Oil compsumption noted and leakage noted by mechanic. Informed me could cause a fire in engine compartment. Unsafe to drive. I rented a car. . Engine burning oil, high oil consumption, oil leak. Reported to Hyundai. Took vehicle to Kerry Hyundai, Alexandria, Ky. Was informed that Hyundai won’t take care of it. Filed a complaint. Mediation through The Better Business Burrau. Claim was denied. I was not driving the car for a couple weeks. I am guardian of 2 school age children transporting to and from school and activities and was concerned for our safety. Took vehicle to Superior Hyundai, Cincinnati, Ohio for an oil change and reported an oil leak. Was informed there was no oil leak. Had oil changes at Valvoline, Newport,Ky, No report of oil leak. Walmart, Ft Wright ,Ky pointed out leak from oil pan. Replaced oil pan. Check engine light came on. Took vehicle to Konen’s Pittstop , Bellevue, Ky who repaired oil leak. Continued oil check for consumption. Again check engine light illumination. Recently Replaced spark plugs & wires, catalytic converter. Engine running rough. Valves going bad. If car stalls on highway an accident could occur. Hyundai has a recall in the same year and make but not for those manufactured in the state of Alabama. The dealership inspection was about a year ago at Kerry Hyundai, Alexandria, Ky. They only recommended oil changes. I cannot afford the additional engine repairs. Hyundai has prior knowledge of the engine defect and refuses a recall thereby endangering peoples lives.
Engine, Feb 16, 2024
This vehicle hit 100,000 miles and starting not running normally. After stalling out in the middle of an interstate with a baby and elderly parent, the car had to be towed to a mechanic. Mechanic said the internal engine is failing, timing belt, timing crankshaft are going along with excessive oil consumption. The check engine light came on directly before stalling and breaking down which gave no time to try to pull off the road. Hyundai will not help seeing as how this vehicle has TWO warranty’s that expired just 1k miles ago. This is a danger to us, the owners, because we could’ve easily been involved in a major accident on an interstate due to this engine failing out of the blue. The manufacturer has not diagnosed the issues because they want $250/hr to diagnose.
Engine, Feb 15, 2024
While driving my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport at approx 50 mph, i notice the vehicle sputtering & slightly jerking as I was going up an incline on a tall bridge. I barely made it to the top when the engine light came on & the engine failed & thankfully was able to coast downhill & pull off on the side of the road. I tried several times to restart the car to no avail. I had the vehicle towed to my mechanics shop. I had already been warned by them during an oil change that my vehicle was using excessive oil & to be watchful of that which I had been. I was using about 2 quarts of oil per week prior to t he engine failing. There were NO LEAKS, the oil was just blowing through. After changing all cylinders, the engine was still not working and I was told a new engine would be needed. (I had had cylinders replaced BEFORE I knew this was going to be such a big deal) I had the vehicle towed to Hyundai Dealership in Daphne AL where weeks and weeks of inspections and negotiations went on, all to be denied repair or replacement. Hyundai knows this engine is a problem but will use any excuse to get out of replacing it. Time to file a complaint. There are MANY out there just like me, just not enough to have an official recall I guess. A recall should definitely be considered. My car has been sitting for 4 months while I tried to negotiate with Hyundai but now I have no choice but to buy an engine & have it installed. VERY FRUSTRATED!
Power train, Engine, Feb 15, 2024
I first brought my car into a Hyundai certified service center after my car shook violently and my check engine light started flashing at me. I had to pull over on the side of a busy highway which is a safety risk on it's own. the Hyundai service center "fixed" my car and I was on my way. this was In September of 2023. on February 14th 2024 the same thing happened leaving me stranded on the side of another busy highway during rush hour traffic. I got the car towed to a dealer and they are telling me I need to replace my engine since there is a malfunction with the exact same parts that they replaced in September. In September They pretty much rebuilt my engine and now, less then 6 months later, they are telling me my engine is shot and needs to be replaced. How could $6,000 worth of engine parts fail after less than 6 month? not only is that not stable financially for anyone who owns one of these vehicles, it is a huge safety risk! even if I do replace the engine in my car, when will it go out again? 5 months? maybe 6 if I am lucky? at least the last 2 times, I was lucky enough to be in the right lane already and make it to the side of the road in time. What happens if that is not the case next time?
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving and accelerating from 10-30 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, and while starting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced, and the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V578000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Engine, Feb 9, 2024
While driving in rush hour on interstate 75 on my way to work, my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe completely shut off without any warning lights or indication of any problems. I had to drift without power in my vehicle to the far right shoulder over 4 lanes of traffic. I was towed to a Hyundai dealership who confirmed my engine seized due to a rod bearing issue. A rod was thrown due to engine wearing bear.
Power train, Feb 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that during cold starts, the vehicle experienced hard shifting from first to second gear. After restarting the vehicle, the failure was corrected. The vehicle was taken to the local transmission specialist who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000.
Engine, Feb 7, 2024
Urgent Petition for Rulemaking and Safety Investigation into Hyundai 3.3L V6 Lambda II Engine Failures. See Attachment For Details