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, Dec 25, 2023
2017 Santa Fe with 115k miles had its last oil change in June. It still has another 4k before it is due again. The motor started making strange noises. I checked the oil and had to add 4 quarts! Engine started knocking bad. Left me and my family stranded 2 hours from home. I had oil issues previously before my warranty went out. Hyundai is refusing to address the oil consumption issue and replace my motor. Please help! This isn’t right.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 23, 2023
The panoramic sunroof spontaneously shattered while driving under normal conditions. It sounded like a loud gunshot and then shards of the glass fell into the car - luckily the liner caught the majority of the shattered glass. The vehicle is currently at a dealership to fix the damage. I am fortunate that no other cars were around me when the spontaneous shattering happened. The loud noise caused me to slow down considerably, and some glass shards fell backward. If the glass shards had fallen into the vehicle it could have cut me. The dealership has no idea why my sunroof spontaneously combusted, but after doing some research, I saw that Hyundai has had this happen to many other of their vehicles with panoramic sunroofs, and they have gone through a handful of class action lawsuits over the damage. As it is the holidays, I have yet to hear back from my insurance company, but I have started the process of filing a claim online - however, the online form said I would need to call since the damage is on the sunroof which fell under a specialty circumstance. There were no warnings, messages, or other symptoms before the failure. The shattered glass came out of nowhere and without warning.
Air bags, Dec 21, 2023
air bag warning light repeatedly goes on and off. code B1764, B1490, sometime both.
Electrical system, Engine, Dec 21, 2023
My engine failed with regular oil changes at less than 120k miles with NO warning. It was 9 at night and it completely shut down on the highway. The hazards, brake lights, etc were not operable! I was almost hit by traffic three times due to not being able to turn on hazards and brake lights not working. I could not even place the car in neutral. Thankfully, the local police department was finally able to assist me but it was a frightening experience and Hyundai is doing absolutely nothing about it.
Engine, Dec 19, 2023
Excessive oil consumption, loud knocking.
Engine, Dec 13, 2023
Oct 31 the car was diagnosed with very low to no oil. Dealership added oil and all problem went away. 1 month/2000 miles later, the car began to have a knocking sound while driving on the highway. I pulled over and the oil was low so I added oil to get my home. Re-entered the highway and the engine just stopped. I was able to pull safely to the side of the road.
Engine, Dec 12, 2023
after taking my Hyundai 2017 Santefe sport car to dealership and told them about engine being sluggish they replaced the sparkplugs and changed oil . Six week later the engine died as I was driving on a highway I was able to pullover but could have been worse. There was no warning lights it just died. Looking on line I seen that this company has had problems with engines failing and had a class action against them ( my vin was not part of that). Dealership never mentioned that this could happen to my car. I think the dealer was negligent in not informing me about potential problem. I now have no car to drive and I am still waiting for dealership to tell me what my options are.
Steering, Dec 12, 2023
Steering wheel sticks and will not turn or adjust until forcefully manipulated , then snaps sharply causing a change in direction of the vehicle. Dangerous to our family while driving.
Engine, Dec 11, 2023
My engine light has come on 5 times over last 6 months. Each time My car started hesitating as if it were going to just just stop in the the middle of the street. Each time I had it towed to dealership. The following were replaced: exhaust manifold, intake manifold, engine coil, head gasket. The oil consumption test could not be done because this occurred before it ever reached 1K. The engine is rapidly consuming oil. It is now at the dealership for the 5th time. Put 5 quarts of synthetic oil in car 3 days ago because dealership could not fit me in. Car began to suddenly decelerate again on MassPike . Fladhing engine light came on. Drove off ramp and had it towed. Waiting for a 5th diagnostic.
Engine, Dec 8, 2023
knocking noise. check engine light came on. took to my mechanic and its a total engine failure. ball bearings are loose and leaking oil and could have catastrophic damage at any moment.
Steering, Dec 8, 2023
The car has a steering defect. The defect causes the car to wonder from lane to lane requiring the driver to constantly make corrections. This is especially dangerous when you are between two vehicles. The car has been back to the dealer numerous times and they state that there is no problem with the steering. Hyundai National claims claims that the defect does not exist.
Engine, Dec 4, 2023
Driving on highway going about 75 mph and engine powered down and went into limp mode and that is when check engine light came on. Had my kids and myself in the car and had to switch over multiple lanes at slow and unsafe speeds on highway with other vehicles traveling 70-80 mph. Have had oil consumption issues (go through a quart a week) that no dealer would look into unless covered by Hyundai. Diagnosed that cylinder 2 is dead in engine and engine is no good anymore. Only 107,000 on vehicle.
Steering, Dec 3, 2023
While driving the vehicle there is a noticeable “locking or sticking” in the the steering wheel while driving. This issue is most notable at a driving speed over 35 mph. Due to the vehicle not having a steering fluid reservoir, it is not possible to see if the power steering fluid is below the recommended levels.
Engine, Dec 2, 2023
The engine failed all of the sudden going down the freeway at 70 miles per hour. The engine has been maintained and there were no issues with it. The engine is available for inspection. My life was put at risk as I was on the freeway and the engine stopped working all of the sudden, I actually avoided an accident while driving because of this issue. The vechile has not been inspected by the manufacture since it got towed to my apartment and my insurance will not cover mechanical issues so they have not inspected it. No lights engine lights were on prior to this incident. Please help me.
Engine, Nov 27, 2023
The engine head has cracked. It is very difficult to find a motor because it is such a common problem.
Electrical system, Engine, Nov 19, 2023
I was driving on the highway, and suddenly oil and battery light came on and engine stopped and I had to pull over. The only warning was the check engine light came on when I started it 10 minutes before the engine died.
Engine, Nov 16, 2023
The engine had oil consumption issues that were addressed with dealership. The engine then just seized up and stopped working one day while driving down the road.
Engine, Nov 14, 2023, fire
While I was stopped at a stoplight turn lane in my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe sport, smoke started to come out of my engine. I removed myself from the turn lane and got my car into a parking lot, and within a minute, flames appeared from the engine. I do not recall a warning light alerting me, as I was focused on getting the car to a safe place. I called 911 and the fire dept put out the flames as it consumed the front of my car. The whole engine area is toast, so not sure of the cause, and insurance will be processing the claim as a 100% loss. I was up to date on my service/recalls and the car had just hit 90,000 miles. We had recently checked fluid levels, so that was fine, but I did notice when driving the day before and that morning on my way to my destination, that the engine/ car seemed to be a little off or running a little rough. That may have been the precursor to the engine fire I experienced.
Engine, Nov 13, 2023
Without any warning the car stopped running was able to pull over. Called for tow to dealership who after 30 days said it was the engine. Less than 50,000 miles
Engine, Nov 10, 2023
Engine seized while driving
Engine, Nov 10, 2023
Engine failure at 145,000 miles. Has been having extreme oil consumption and taken to the dealership a dozen times. Repeatedly told there is not an issue. Car shut off at 70 miles per hour on the highway with myself and three passengers inside. The check engine light came on mere seconds before cutting off. Dealership now states there are two holes in cylinder 2.
Engine, Nov 9, 2023
My vehicles 3.3l engine suddenly seized while pulling out from a stop sign in the intersection. Thankfully a group of guys saw this and were able to assist me in moving the vehicle out of traffic. Prior to this occurring I had noticed that it had begun to burn a bit of oil but I routinely checked it. Sounds similar to issues that Hyundai has had with some of their other engines that are now being covered under an extended warranty.
Service brakes, Nov 8, 2023
When driving front right brake caliper locked up and would not release, after replacing brake pads, rotors and calipers on both front right brakes. I drove my car about a week and car brakes locked up again…I then had to have my car towed to the mechanics. Where they discovered that the ABS module was bad, this is the same part that is causing fires in many others Hyundai vehicles but somehow my car was exempt from the recall and after having issues with getting the part and having to rent a car and borrow a car for several weeks I finally got my car fixed almost $3000.00 later. Seems to me this part is a common problem for many people. Thankfully I was not in an accident due to the brake locking up, I will say I had a little fear when driving my car for several weeks after the 2 incidents.
Engine, Nov 7, 2023
The engine oil drained out almost all at once. An independent mechanic found a hole in the valve cover. He said it would be expensive to take the entire engine apart but that something had clearly come apart and flown through the engine, causing a large crack. Oil had splashed all over the top of the engine. There was no fire, but there could have been. We stopped driving it right away. We have not yet brought it in to the manufacturer, but we have read that there are many failures of this engine (3.3 liter) around this mileage (124,000). The emission control warning light had come on a few days earlier, but not the engine oil warning light.
Engine, Nov 6, 2023
11/06/2023 I was driving down the hwy when I heard a loud knocking sound coming from the engine, so stopped at a gas station only to find out that the engine had no oil in the motor and the oil warning light did not come on and the engine started losing power so we had it towed to a dealership to have them diagnose the problem and they said we are going to have to put a new engine in the vehicle in which I'm going to have to do cause I have a loan on this vehicle. Good thing we were getting off the freeway before the vehicle started to loose power and catch us right in the middle of traffic. I was not alone in the vehicle at the time of this issue.