2017 Hyundai Santa FE

What owners report most often

1. Engine648
2. Power train164
3. Other or unspecified92
4. Electrical system67
5. Fuel/propulsion system60
6. Service brakes59
7. Vehicle speed control54
8. Steering27

Recalls and investigations

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

1. Engine, Jul 21, 2026

   On July 4, 2026, I was driving 2.5 hours from home. My car stopped after about an hour of travel. The car shook and the check engine light came on as the car shut down. There were no warning lights on in my vehicle. I have oil change records. My car had burned through all the oil in an hour. This is not a new problem with this model Hyundai. Every group I went to discuss the problem online all had customers who reported their vehicles suddenly started burning oil quickly which resulted in damaged motor with no warning lights in the dashboard. I had to have my car towed from out of town to the dealership. The dealership that said I had extended warranty on parts of the motor. However upon checking the motor, they said it wasn't covered. I filled out a claims report with Hyundai motors who looked into the problem and also said it's not covered under warranty. This is a known issue of Hyundai with a failure to warn of low oil in the car's warning center. This is a fault of Hyundai. I've taken good care of my car and just paid $1000 for new tires on July 2, 2026 before my trip. The dealership quoted me a price of $3500 to replace the motor with a used one. It would also require 16 hours of labor which I Believe is $200 an hour. I believe they should replace the motor due to faulty systems. My car has 107,000 miles on it, but whenever I've gone to have it checked out, everything checked out fine even at the dealership. Also, this is a known issue that Hyundai is refusing to address with their customers.

2. Suspension, Power train, Other or unspecified, Jul 15, 2026

   My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe (VIN: [XXX]) was brought to Herb Chambers Hyundai of [XXX], in December 2023 to address the Underbody Corrosion Recall/Campaign (9A0). The dealer performed the preventative service. However, the remedy completely failed because the frame was already severely structurally compromised by rust. In early 2024, I relocated to [XXX] with the vehicle. Now 2026, The front subframe sub-assembly deteriorated to a hazardous point, forcing me to spend a large sum of my own money on front-end repairs caused directly by this corrosion. Currently, the rear subframe and rear suspension components are heavily corroded and structurally disintegrated. The vehicle is completely unsafe to drive, presenting an imminent risk of structural collapse and suspension failure while in motion. Hyundai's recall remedy was ineffective and merely masked the rust. The rear subframe (crossmember/cradle) and control arm anchor points are severely corroded, rusted out, and crumbling to the touch, creating an imminent risk of suspension collapse while driving. The extreme corrosion has spread to the metal fuel line the vehicle is unsafe to drive due to the advanced corrosion . Denial of Service by Local Distributor: The vehicle is currently located in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. I presented the vehicle and documentation to the local authorized distributor, Sojitz de Puerto Rico (Hyundai of Puerto Rico). As indicated I brought the Vehicle to MVP Hyundai Humacao (XXX) and filed a claim (# XXX) However they never sent a anyone to inspect the vehicle or process a safety claim, claiming they bear no responsibility because the vehicle was imported from the mainland, Because this is a failed federal safety campaign remedy that now poses an immediate threat to my life and public safety, INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

3. Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 15, 2026

   After having the Service Campaign 9C2 ECU SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR THETA II EMISSIONS IMPROVEMENT, TSB 26-01-013H-2 done, my vehicle started having driveablity issues. On a normal, cold start the engine's RPMs go up really high, so I take my foot of the gas and the revs drop, almost stalling the car, and then the car bucks. I put my foot back on the gas pedal, and the engine revs really high again and takes off. If I try to drive normally, the car bucks and runs rough. My car also revs a lot higher during highway driving, than it did before the update. All of this is also causing terrible gas mileage. My car did nothing like this until I had the 9C2 update.

4. Power train, Jul 10, 2026

   The vehicle is in limp mode and is displaying a flashing check engine light with a P1326 powertrain code. The vehicle in question is a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport equipped with a Theta II 2.4L GDI engine at 118,000 miles. Per the service campaign T3G, listed on the NHTSA website, this vehicle is covered under warranty repair since it is a Theta II engine vehicle that is displaying an active P1326 power train code. The vehicle is under he 10 Year/120,000 miles limitations of the extended warranty. The dealer just submitted to us a quote to repair the vehicle and is stating that none of the repairs listed are covered under warranty. This includes a quote to replace the engine knock sensor, which is a warranty item under the T3G service campaign’s extended warranty.

5. Other or unspecified, Jul 10, 2026

   After going to the Hyundai dealership for them to perform Service Campaign SC2 on 6/10/26, the engine is a little jumpy for the first minute or two of driving, especially low speeds through my neighborhood.

6. Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jul 7, 2026

   Hyundai Campaign 9C2 recall update: Took my vehicle in to have the Hyundai Campaign 9C2 recall update performed on the vehicle on June 9th, 2026. Since the update the vehicle is hesitant/jerky upon first drive of the day or anytime it sits more than a few hours. Occasionally it will do this while I am driving. I feel it is a saftey risk because this could cause my vehicle to abruptly hesitate without braking and cause someone to hit me, or worsetransmission to fail while at highway speeds. I took it back to the dealer that performed the required update around june 23rd 2026 and informed them of the problem caused by the 9C2 campaign update.I got the we don't know anything about it causing problems runaround. Even though it has been documented that dealers were notified of this problem. They then wanted to charge me a $100 diagnostic fee to see if it might be something else, I declined that because I know it is from this update. My vehicle ran perfectly fine and smooth before this update was applied and no CEL lights are on. I did this update because it was required to be done by Hyundai. When I started researching why my vehicle was hesitant/jerky after the update is when I found that anyone that did this update is having these same issues, and it has been happening for a while now and Hyundai corporation has done nothing to correct this problem other than tell us to sit for at least 3 minutes or more before driving it. That does not help when it does it even after driving for a bit and possibly creating transmission problems.

7. Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 7, 2026

   The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH on the interstate, the contact heard an abnormal tumbling sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact noticed an unknown object had detached from the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact determined that the detached component was the radar sensor. The Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system and the adaptive cruise control became inoperative. The contact stated that the vehicle had not been involved in a crash prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. The mechanic advised that the radar sensor could not be reattached and stated the failure was possibly caused by a crash. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

8. Electrical system, Air bags, Jul 3, 2026

   Airbag light on. La Quinta Hyundai verified light on scanned codes found active b134800 Driver airbag resistance circuit short to ground 1st stage. Testing found clock spring issue internal fault. Since this clock spring is related to driver airbag, & horn, it would seem that this would be a safety hazard that would be under warranty. The extended warranty (Z01) that I received from Hyundai doesn’t cover my problem.

9. Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 30, 2026

   We are driving on the highway and the engine just stop working but all lights are still working. I am trying to put gas but it seemed that the engine completely shuts off dangerously without warning. This put my family at risk because there were a lot of big trucks beside us. Theta II 2.0L Turbo engine just stalled I believe this has been around . Can you please help us.

10. Engine and engine cooling, Jun 30, 2026

    The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that after an unknown Emission recall was performed on the vehicle, the vehicle started sputtering at start-up and then while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a known failure after the Emission recall repair. The contact was informed that the manufacturer was working on a fix for the issue. Additionally, the contact was advised that the recall repair was optional, but the contact had opted to have the vehicle repaired under the recall. The manufacturer was contacted several times, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

11. Other or unspecified, Jun 26, 2026

    Hi, I have a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe sport and I recently went to the dealership to get my brakes done and that day they did the recall 9C2 which is a software update on the engine/transmission and the next morning when I drove my car the rpm’s were going up and my mph wouldn’t go past 15 mph for about a block down the road and the car jerked two times and then drove like normal. I call the dealership let them know about the issue and it’s never been an issue in the past and they set up a appointment I come in and they tell me if it’s not related to the brakes then I’ll have to pay $250.00 for a diagnosis test. Unbelievable I don’t believe this is a coincidence I have taken well care of my car and the past owner as well and the car doesn’t even have 100k miles. I have researched other people in the same situation as me and even read that Hyundai is recommended us to warm up our cars before driving now. It is so frustrating my car was perfectly fine until that recall and they won’t do anything about it.

12. Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 15, 2026

    vehicle serviced on 5/7/2026 for Hyundai service campaign 9C2 immediately after noticed car was not driving as it had been prior to this update, sluggish acceleration on start, chugging and then rapid sudden acceleration. returned to service dept May19. Diagnostics revealed no issues, problem persisted. returned to service dept. May22. Informed Hyundai was looking into this issue related to the 9C2 update and awaiting a new update to fix the problem. As of todayJune15 there has been no action to remedy the problem. Do not feel safe driving a vehicle that hesitates when starting to drive and then accelerates roughly. this has happened consistently upon cold start up thus far but concerned it may happen while in traffic or at other times and result in an accident.

13. Other or unspecified, Jun 12, 2026

    Overview Over approximately six months, I reported persistent drivability concerns to Hyundai on Perryville — specifically hesitation, engine trembling, power loss on acceleration, and eventually a flashing check engine light, particularly when the engine was cold. Despite multiple dealership visits and over $1,500 in out-of-pocket expenses, the root cause was not identified until my fifth visit: a clogged catalytic converter. Hyundai Motor America determined the repair was not covered and declined to explain the diagnostic basis for that decision. When I sought a second opinion at an independent shop (recommended by the dealership), that shop ignored my explicit instructions not to drive the vehicle, drove it, and the car broke down in their care. Their own invoice now states the vehicle needs a new motor. I am filing this complaint to document the full pattern of negligence, misdiagnosis, and failure of care by both parties.

14. Engine and engine cooling, Jun 10, 2026

    See attached document for complaint.

15. Engine, Jun 10, 2026

    My wife was driving our 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe around March 8, 2023 with our 3 children in the vehicle. She began merging onto interstate 70 when the vehicle made a noise and became undriveable. She could still steer but pushing the pedal down did not do anything. She had to carefully pull over off of the highway so that she did not get in an accident. This vehicle had to be towed to a mechanic who said the engine had seized up and that the oil is gone from the engine and that I would need to have it sent to a Hyundai dealer. This vehicle had 108,334 miles on it so it was just past Hyundai's 100,000 mile warranty. This vehicle was towed to a Hyundai dealer who confirmed that the engine was locked up and that an oil sample found metal in the oil. The dealership recommended to replace the engine with a used one for over $11,000 which I declined then charged me $160 for evaluating. No warning lights or indicators were ever showing any issues. We did notice sometimes after an oil change that they would state on the invoice that the oil was a half quart low. This vehicle was parked in a garage and never had a drop of oil leak. Hyundai recently extended the warranty for this vehicle to 150,000 miles and then declined my repair claim due to the repair not being done at a dealership. The sudden loss of power while driving was a scary incident for my family but thankfully no one was hurt.

16. Engine, Jun 9, 2026

    The engine burns oil fast. You have to replace oil on a regular bases. The car also looses fluids fast as well. This causing the engine to over heat. This causes the cylinder to head blow.

17. Engine, Jun 9, 2026

    I was told my top side of my engine failed, and they only cover bottom side engine failure. As well as pieces was missing. When I looked at the video it showed that my screws has fell off vs removed.

18. Engine, Jun 5, 2026

    Air compressor and compression failed engine diagnostic test. Vehicle had high oil and gas consumption.

19. Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 4, 2026

    Hi, my name is [XXX], i bought used Hyndai Santafe sport 2017 from dealership in 2020. It had around 47,000 Miles on it, intitially it was running fine but after driving 2 years i discovered that engine is burning oil and after the oil change right after 1000 miles i had to add a quart of oil and it was like every two weeks. I had many srevices from dealership and other auto mechanic stores but it didn't improved. I had no choice but to keep driving the card on XXX th the engine crashed with out any sign on dashboard. There was slight noise and it increase by the way car was parked on the side road from Highway. The car was towed to my local mechanic and confirmed that engine is crashed. After i had to towed to dealership and i am still waiting for their response. Now we have put 43,000 miles in 6 years (91,000) total mileage. I had bought the waranty from dealership by $ 2500 which expired in 2025 Currently no warranty. My question here is that the car is still under 100,000 and engine failed. What if the dealership refuse to replace the engine. What are my leagal rights. Thanks [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20. Power train, May 28, 2026

    My vehicle experiences severe, unpredictable harsh downshifting/surging when slowing down, specially from 3rd to 2nd and 2nd to 1st gear. The transmission kick causes unexpected vehicle hesitation and deceleration changes in active traffic: presenting an immediate crash hazard. The dealership head technician has physically test-driven the vehicle and confirmed the failure. However, Hyundai Corporate is refusing to replace the failing transmission under 10 years/100,000 mile warranty because the vehicle's computer has not yet thrown an electronic error code. The manufacture is actively trying to force me to drive an unsafe vehicle until the transmission completely fails in traffic, putting my family and other drivers at severe risk. May 28, 2026 currently milage is around 88,000. The dealership currently has the vehicle.

21. Engine, Forward collision avoidance, May 27, 2026

    reporting a serious safety concern involving my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport with the Theta II engine. While driving on the highway, my vehicle suddenly lost power without warning. The vehicle became unsafe to drive and I had to pull over and have it towed. There was no warning light before the failure. The vehicle has been regularly maintained. Hyundai later stated there was internal engine damage. My vehicle also shows an open engine-related recall/campaign since November 2025. I have found many similar complaints from other Hyundai owners describing sudden loss of power, excessive oil consumption, and engine problems involving the Theta II engine. I contacted Hyundai Motor America and provided documentation and videos, but I have not received a meaningful response. I am concerned this issue may represent a serious safety defect because the sudden loss of power occurred while driving on a highway.

22. Engine, May 24, 2026

    The engine in my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport equipped with the 2.4L Theta II GDI engine is experiencing severe excessive oil consumption. The vehicle consumes approximately 2–2.5 quarts of oil every 1,000 miles despite multiple repair attempts and dealership-performed combustion cleaning procedures. Hyundai Motor America and the dealership documented the condition under PA #[XXX] and recommended engine replacement. Hyundai Motor America advised me in writing that the vehicle should not be operated in its current condition because of the excessive oil consumption and pending engine replacement. Excessive oil consumption creates a risk of sudden engine failure, engine seizure, stalling while driving, and potential engine fire if oil levels drop unexpectedly. Because the engine rapidly loses oil between normal service intervals, the vehicle may become unsafe to operate without warning, placing myself, passengers, and other motorists at risk. The defect was confirmed multiple times by Capital Hyundai in San Jose, CA through two official Hyundai oil consumption tests. The dealership documented oil consumption of approximately 2–2.5 quarts per 1,000 miles and submitted the results to Hyundai Motor America under PA #[XXX].The dealership also performed multiple repair attempts, including spark plug replacement, fuel induction cleaning, combustion chamber cleaning, and repeated oil changes, but the excessive oil consumption continued. Prior symptoms included: Check engine light illumination, Cylinder #4 misfire condition, Engine noise, Excessive oil loss between oil changes, and Oil level dropping significantly within short mileage intervals. The check engine light and misfire condition first became severe enough to require dealership diagnosis on or around [XXX], when the vehicle was towed to the dealership. The excessive oil consumption issue was formally documented beginning [XXX] during Hyundai’s oil consumption testing process. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

23. Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 19, 2026

    I am submitting a complaint regarding a turbocharger failure on my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe VIN [XXX] . The vehicle experienced turbocharger-related failure symptoms including loss of power and drivability concerns. This created a potentially dangerous situation because the vehicle was unable to accelerate normally and could have caused difficulty merging into traffic or maintaining safe roadway speeds. I contacted Hyundai Motor America requesting assistance with repair coverage. Hyundai denied assistance solely because the vehicle was outside the warranty period by time and mileage, despite the seriousness of the failure. I am concerned this issue may be related to broader engine or oil-related defects reported in Hyundai vehicles, including possible oil starvation, excessive oil consumption, or internal engine contamination that could contribute to turbocharger damage or failure. I believe this condition may represent a safety-related defect because sudden power loss during operation increases the risk of a crash. I request that NHTSA review this issue and investigate whether similar turbocharger or related engine failures are occurring in 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

24. Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, May 19, 2026

    After the installation of the Service Campaign 9C2 engine update, the car now seems to surge or rev up briefly at lower speeds like it can't find the right gear or is trying to briefly accelerate. It doesn't seem to be as noticeable at highway speeds, but in residential or low speeds, it's very noticeable and a little unsettling as the car feels like it wants to briefly lunge forward. No lights are on the dash and there is no indication of any malfunction, but it did not behave this way prior to the 9C2 engine program update. I waited for a couple weeks before contacting Hyundai Corporate about this issue because I was hoping maybe the transmission or engine was relearning after a battery disconnection, but it has not gone away.

25. Fuel/propulsion system, May 11, 2026

    After conducting Hyundai Service Campaign 9C2 for an emission update, vehicle now lunges and lags when accelerator is depressed. Symptoms tend to be more present soon after vehicle is started and reappear less often after the vehicle engine is at optimal temperature. This problem was not at all present prior to the service campaign update. The vehicle had no warning lights prior to the service update. This problem causes a safety issue when acceleration is not consistently present in a time of lane merging and turning onto higher speed roads. There are no warning lamps on the vehicle currently. Hyundai customer service was contacted about problem and I requested to remove the campaign update as this safety problem was not present prior to the update. Hyundai would not attempt to do this and required me to pay a diagnostic fee of several hundred dollar to troubleshoot the source of the problem. I declined.