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, Jan 6, 2023
At approximately 94,000 miles, our 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate AWD with the 3.3L V6 exhibited ticking sounds from the engine and a loss of power, while driving at non-highway speeds. As the vehicle decelerated to pull off the road, a catastrophic engine failure occurred with loss of all power and drivability. The vehicle was towed to our local Hyundai dealership, where a diagnostic revealed that a connecting rod had punched a hole through the engine block, necessitating a full engine replacement. Maintenance was regularly performed on the vehicle, with no check engine lights or other diagnostic codes or warnings at the time of the incident. Oil changes had been regularly performed with synthetic oil and was within recommended intervals.
Engine, Jan 6, 2023
The engine is burning about a quart of oil every 100 miles. Taken our call to the repair shop, which found no leaks, and then a Hyundai dealership that confirmed no leaks but said everything looked good and gave no explanation as to why my oil light kept going on and we had to add oil non-stop.
Engine, Jan 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact had to add an additional 4-quarts of oil each week. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was no indication of an oil leak. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed that the oil level was low. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Engine, Jan 5, 2023
Internal engine failure! I still owe 16,000 on the car and only had it for a little over a year before it gave out. Haven't even had it for 20,000 miles. The final two maintenance is when the trouble began. After the oil change the service manager informed me that it looked as if someone had taken a hammer to the side of the block. Because there was not a previous oil leak prior to taking it for the oil change, they repaired the issue, but by the very next oil change we were told there was so much metal shavings in the oil, it indicated to them that the engine was failing. Not even 3 days latter while driving the power went out while driving it would remain cranked, but pushing the gas would not cause the car to move.
Engine, Jan 4, 2023
Car had engine major repair back in April at the Hyundai dealership. Now it threw a rod bearing and I'm being told it needs a new engine. I'm being told that what is wrong with my vehicle was the same problem that has a recall on the same model and year, just different engine size but there's no recall. Can we follow recall procedure number 168 please.
Engine, Jan 3, 2023
Vehicle was purchased used for my teenage daughter's first vehicle and the vehicle was purchased from a reputable used car dealership with the vehicle having a very good Carfax vehicle history report and appeared to be mechanically sound. After two months of normal use and no mechanical warnings ever appearing, my teenage daughter was driving on the highway at night when the vehicle engine suddenly stopped with vehicle losing all power and being disabled on the highway in a hazardous location that could have caused a serious vehicle accident with my daughter being seriously injured or killed by passing highway motorists due to the sudden engine malfunction. The vehicle was towed to a Hyundai dealership for inspection, and I was advised that the crankshaft was immobilized, and that the vehicle will need a new engine. With no warning lights ever being displayed or any other signs of self-evident mechanical problems, I suspect that this particular model vehicle has a serious engine defect that needs to be investigated to prevent a loss of engine power vehicular accident that could result severe property damage and serious bodily injury to the vehicle operator, passengers, and other motorists. The vehicle is still disabled at a Hyundia dealership and available for inspection.
Engine, Dec 30, 2022
The car stop running in the middle of the highway. Was taken to the dealership and they sled us to pay close to 700 for an inspection. Since then I have been part of numerous groups that report similar issues with certain types of engines.
Engine, Dec 28, 2022
The vehicle lost power and started making a knocking noise from the engine. The vehicle would not accelerate at all, then quickly increase in RPMs and throttle forward. The knocking sound increased in intensity and volume. The RPM's continued to jump as did the power and acceleration. No check engine lights ever showed. After about a year of owning the vehicle we noticed it was burning through oil at an alarming rate. At a Hyundai dealership we were told that it was normal for that engine to require oil top offs between oil changes. We had it looked at by a local mechanic and was told it is total engine failure due to an internal component and will require a new engine.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 28, 2022
***(NW Indiana)*** 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate FWD 3.3L - 64,000mi. Driven to and from work and around town. Purchased used with 31,000mi in July 2020 from Knauz Hyundai. On the afternoon of December 22nd, 2022 I went to accelerate from 35 mph at which point I heard "tick-tick-tick-tick-tick". I had never heard that sound before. I tried the accelerator again and the same "ticking" sound was there. It became progressively louder on the 15 minute ride home but only while accelerating. During this whole episode not once did any warning light come on. I got home and popped the hood to listen to it(I did video record the sound) and to check the oil. The oil was a bit low but I topped it off and then put a code reader on the vehicle. The only thing that came back was a low voltage on the battery. The next morning I started it up and the noise was even louder. After a few minutes the sound subsided a bit, albeit still loud. I was able to drive it to work so that our mechanics could hear it and all three said it sounded like a bearing went bad and that the engine might be a loss. I spoke to another friend that is a mechanic that hosts a local radio show and he said that he had a show recently about how he is seeing A LOT of Hyundai's coming in with the exact same problem. He told me about a recall from 9/19/2017 with the #17V578000. While I am not certain that this pertains to my vehicle, everyone that has read the recall says that can absolutely be the issue. I have tried calling Hyundai Consumer Affairs but sit on hold forever only to be finally disconnected from the call. I am taking it in to Hyundai on January 6th, 2023 for the ABS recall and they said they would charge me $199 to look at this issue. After reading through all of the complaints regarding this problem Hyundai needs to make it right for their "valued" customers.
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.
Vehicle speed control, Firerelated, Nov 29, 2022, fire
Vehicle spontaneously caught on fire in the engine compartment while driving in a parking lot. Within 30 minutes, the vehicle was incinerated down to the frame. Prior to this incident, a warning had flashed on the message center that the adaptive cruise control system was being disabled. It is pending insurance inspection and we are trying to contract Hyundai. The police report is not available yet, but is with the Faribault, MN, Police Department and is #[XXX]. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
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.