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, Jun 7, 2025
The engine is experiencing excessive oil consumption. A Hyundai dealership performed an oil consumption test 8 months ago and confirmed the vehicle is burning around 2 quarts of oil every 500 miles, which is far beyond normal operating limits. The engine is still installed in the vehicle and available for inspection upon request. This level of oil consumption puts the engine at high risk of failure while driving, which could result in a sudden loss of power, stalling, or even engine fire. The need to constantly monitor and refill oil creates an ongoing stressor and safety concern. There was no warning light or indicator before the oil levels dropped dangerously low. The Hyundai dealership that inspected the vehicle (Maguire Hyundai in Ithaca, NY) verified that the engine is burning oil at a rate consistent with known defects in Theta II engines, but stated the vehicle does not qualify for engine replacement under current recall or warranty guidelines because I am the second owner — despite the fact that I purchased it Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) through Hyundai in 2019 and I'm still under 100,000 miles.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 5, 2025
From the day we purchased this used vehicle, the check engine light came on. We had to have the catalytic converter replaced next. Now we’re having oil leak issues. Multiple oil leaks have been repaired, and I’ve most recently paid over $700 to have this issue resolved. A week after the Hyundai dealership repaired it, the vehicle is leaking oil again. We have to add oil about every 5-7 days. Today we were told that my [XXX] daughter needs to drive it until the engine goes out, and not to add any oil. This is not only unacceptable, it’s also unsafe! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Engine, May 27, 2025
The engine had no oil. No indication was given by the dashboard lights. I heard a ticking noise soon after I started my car. My husband checked the oil; it was bone dry. I still had 200 more miles before my next oil change. Needless to say, the engine would have blown up if I hadn’t payed attention to the noise coming from the vehicle. In fact, this happened about a year ago, I just thought it was a fluke. Since this is the second incident, this is not a fluke and something needs to be done. We can’t afford to have a vehicle blow up on us. There was no sign of leaking on the driveway.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 25, 2025
The act is consuming all the engine oil only after 500-700 miles. It has been recored and tested at Town Hyudnia dealership in Danville, NJ after it failed 2 engine oil composition tests but the dealership did not replace the engine nor put in a. request to Corporate Hyundai to replace the engine as it should be covered by the 2.4L engine lawsuit a fe years ago.
Engine, May 8, 2025
Engine failed and yes available for inspection. Car stalled and stuttered while driving. Problem was confirmed by an independent service center. Vehicle component has not been inspected yet. Check engine light came on two days ago
Other or unspecified, Engine, Lane departure, May 1, 2025
On April 28, 2025 my car cut off in the middle of traffic. I turned the car completely off. I was able to turn it back on and move it out of traffic. I called my mechanic and he looked at it, He checked the oil and there was oil I'm it. He drove it around a parking lot and heard a rattling noise, He tried to get it to his shop, the rattling got louder and louder, He was scared the engine would lock up, We parked it and had to have it towed to my residence. In the last 6-8 months I had to put oil in my car EVERY week. I have taken to mi mechanic several times checking for leaks. I have been to the dealer checking to see if they there has been any recalls. Due to this situation I have NO transportation. I am already financially struggling and now I have to figure out what to do I have already paid out of pocket for the ABS to be replaced as well. My sun roof I cannot open due to the rollers r stop working. This has worst experience I have has with a brand new car, I previously owned a Hyundai and had a wonderful experience.
Engine, Apr 25, 2025
Was driving down the freeway when the check engine light went on. I tried to pull over but car lost power and I heard a loud bang noise. Smoke came from the engine and the car stopped in the fast lane. Luckily i was not hit by any other cars. Once we got the car towed you can see a hole in the bottom of the engine. these 2017 hyunadi santa fe's have crankshaft failure, we even received a letter from Hyundai stating this.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 25, 2025
The vehicle started to stall/drive in limp mode. I took it to the Hyundai dealership, and they quoted me $5000 for repairs. The repair recommendations were as followed: ensure connecting rod bearings are within spec, recommending performing timing job w/replacement of intake camshaft, e-cvvt motor/gear, e-cvvt cover, and other components necessary for repairs. This engine burns/consumes oil and the engine code that shows up in P00100. All of this after I paid it off. Not within warranty anymore either. $22,000 down the drain it seems... called hyundai customer service to see if there was anything that could be done but they said there is nothing they can do and I have to fix it even though it is a manufacturing issue.
Engine, Apr 17, 2025
In 2023 my vehicle’s engine seized without warning. I had brought it to the dealership in Jan 2023 to replace a recalled issue. After that my vehicle had started acting strange, prompting us to bring it in where they noticed it was extremely low on oil and “dirty” where it shouldnt be. They performed tests and required us to drive 1k miles to see how low the oil would be once brought back in, it did not make it back to the service department by the 1k miles as it completely failed beforehand with no warning light.
Engine, Apr 14, 2025
Engine let go due to a bad rod bearing
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 7, 2025
The engine in my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe (VIN [XXX] ) began knocking, losing power, and showing signs of imminent failure. These symptoms directly match those identified in Recall #168 (NHTSA Campaign 17V578000), which involves engine bearing wear due to crankshaft irregularities in Hyundai 3.3L GDI engines. However, my VIN is not currently included in the recall batch. Hyundai has denied engine replacement under warranty or goodwill, citing a gap in oil change records between 5,000 and 45,000 miles — mileage which occurred before I purchased the vehicle used at ~60,000 miles. I have since performed multiple oil changes, though not always on a tight schedule. The vehicle is now at ~89,000 miles and located at Murdock Hyundai of Logan, UT, where technicians confirmed the engine is failing. This defect poses a serious safety concern due to the risk of sudden power loss while driving. The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by Hyundai service technicians, but they declined coverage and repair despite the failure matching a known federal recall issue. There were no warning lamps initially; the knocking and loss of power began subtly, then worsened rapidly. The vehicle is available for inspection, and all failure symptoms are consistent with others affected by Recall #168. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this VIN for potential inclusion in the recall and take action to expand the recall scope, as this appears to be the same dangerous engine defect already recognized under federal recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Apr 3, 2025
I was driving home to Foresthill, CA on [XXX], got off at my exit, I was 8.5 miles from home and the engine just stopped. I pulled over, had no cell signal so I had to walk about a half mile to get a couple bars on my cell phone and called my fiancé to come get me & car home. When he started it up the next morning it made a ticking sound it never made before and the oil was very low. No oil light came on. It didn’t show sign's of over heating, no changes in temperature gauge the night before. No oil where I park my car. No sign of any issues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Apr 3, 2025
Driving at highway speeds in the left lane and without warnings or lights of any kind the engine seized up and I had no acceleration. I had to navigate through traffic now going much faster than me in the right lane with no acceleration in order to pull the vehicle safely onto the shoulder of the road. Yes this is a HUGE safety concern! The local Hyundai dealer confirmed the engine seized up.
Engine, Mar 29, 2025
motor blew up on 2/28/2025 safety was fine three different shops including two dealerships have confirmed a blown motor no warning lights or signs it was going to happen The company is denying my claim under there Extended Warranty Notification they sent me. This is happening to thousands of other customers. Lots of social media sights out there.
Engine, Mar 28, 2025
2107 Santa fe ultimate engine went to limp mode. I have 92k miles. The Vin shows no recalls. The warranty says 1st buyer. I am 2nd buyer, bought at 33k miles. I need help!!! There is no reason other than defect that my engine should have gone out! I've read plenty of things. Excessive oil consumption, rod bearing wear, crankshaft... I need Hyundai to replace my engine.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 18, 2025
Was going down the highway at 65 when my vehicle completely lost the accelerating component. Almost got rear ended so I pulled off. Then made it to work when it happened again. The engine light came on and gave 2 codes. Finally got it towed to the dealership where they have decided it’s either a new timing chain or new engine due to mechanical loss. They discovered there was no oil in the car and they have also found metal shavings in my oil. Now they are telling me I need a whole new engine. I only have 124000 miles on this car. The car was driving perfectly fine the day before and had just been to the dealer and looked over 1,500 miles before and I was told everything was perfect working condition. I am out $4000 on a car I bought a year and a half ago in October 2023.Was told my warranty only lasted a year.
Engine, Mar 13, 2025
I have only had my car 7 years and it is at 151,000 miles. I purchased it brand new in 2018. At about 15,000 miles I reported a burning smell under the hood and took kt in. The service department stated they did not smell anything. I continued to keep up with the service and had some issues with oil consumption. Hyundai did the test, but came back and advised it was okay and Hyundai's do this and it is okay. I later had an issue where it began jerking as if it were about to cut off after coming back from Virginia. I had it towed in and they advised it was nothing. Maybe bad gas. I was also told to just always check my car to put oil in it. I felt like this was crazy to have to carry around oil to put in my car within the same month of having an oil change or anytime. I have taken this vehicle in for this reason before I reached 150,000 miles and they would not give me an engine starting it necer had a recall. I explained that it has had issues where it stalled pulling out to get in traffic and I almost had an accident and it has had issues with the engine where it would jerk and hesitate. At this time, I recently went to Simpsonville for a funeral and it began the jerking and hesitation when we got into Fountain Inn. It was a lot and I was told by a mechanic that I needed a new engine. Hyundai would not help me. I called consumer affairs, I guesd with Hyundai and they took over 2 weeks and said there were no recalls and they couldn't do anything. I bought this car brand new, made sure I took care of it and this was what I got. Hyundai is a rip off and they do not guarantee anything. I will never buy from them again. Now I have been without a vehicle for over a month and not even anyone trying to get me a loaner, help with giving me a discount to purchase another vehicle or anything. I should have not had any issues with this car. I was having the exact issues of the recall vehicles but they state there were no recalls on it. Something needs to be done.
Engine, Mar 13, 2025
Vehicle has been excessively consuming oil. I have been doing regular oil changes every 3k miles and topping off when it gets low. I was driving on the highway and experienced total engine failure with no warning signs. Engine completely locked up and is at the dealership waiting to be inspected.
Engine, Mar 6, 2025
My 2017 Hyundai SanteFe (76,000 miles) stoped running late night, dark highway. Manged to pull off onto the shoulder. The engine wouldn't even turn over. After about a 2 hour wait I had the vehicle towed to my residence, eventually having it towed to the dealer from which it was purchased. After a few days the service advisor called to tell me that the entire engine needs to be replaced. That, he said, will take 3+ months because it's a manufacturer"s defect. I explained to him that I depend on my SUV for personal and professional reasons so I asked if a loaner car could be provided. The dealer, Heritage Hyundai of Towson, and Hyundai corporate (I called) both refused. Also: Aproximate Blue Book value is $15k. Hyundai's cost to replace the engine is $30k according to the service writer at Heritage.
Engine, Mar 3, 2025
I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding the vehicle we purchased in October 2022. Initially, the vehicle performed adequately with only the usual repairs. However, in August 2024, we began to hear a rattling noise coming from the engine. Regrettably, the situation has since worsened significantly. At any given moment, the vehicle can stop working entirely while driving, posing a severe safety risk. We have found ourselves having to pull over to the side of the road and attempt to restart it. To avoid being stranded, especially during the winter months, we limited our driving to within a five-mile radius of our home. By January 2025, the engine had completely failed, rendering the vehicle immobile. Upon contacting the Hyundai dealership, we were informed that there are no recalls associated with our vehicle's VIN number. It was at this point that we discovered our vehicle had already undergone an engine replacement before our purchase, a fact that was never disclosed to us. Additionally, we learned about a class action lawsuit against Hyundai for issues with smaller engines. Our vehicle, which is equipped with a V6 engine, is experiencing the exact same problems as those smaller engines. We are now left with an unusable vehicle that we still need and pay for every month. I am bringing this matter to your attention in the hope of receiving guidance or assistance. Thank you for your time and understanding.
Engine, Feb 11, 2025
In October I took my car to dealership for an oil consumption test and I was going through 10-15 quarts of oils between oil changes. In 322 miles I used 2 quarts of oil.Replace the engine is what I was told and manufacturer denied all goodwill. I ride around with a 5qt jug of oil and funnel in my car at all times. 10 days I was driving down the highway with my husband and child with the cruise control on, when I noticed that my tactometer was continuing to increase and the engine reving for no reason. I shut the cruise control off and the car speed slowed immediately, and when apply my foot to the gas I was not gaining any speed only slowing down. I pulled over into the break down lane and put the car in park. Once I put the car into park, it started to idle very loud and hard with the check engine, oil pressure and battery lights coming on and stalled, would not start. Had towed to personal mechanic he recommended taking it to the dealership as he was coming up with no pressure in the 4th cylinder and the 3rd at about 50%, checked with boarscope for faulty valves and saw nothing. Towed to dealership they say valve was consumed thru the engine it runs fine but not because engine needs to be replaced.
Engine, Jan 31, 2025
I am [XXX] old and live in Denver, Colorado. In August of 2021, I bought a Hyundai as a graduation gift for myself. This has easily been the worst mistake I have ever made, a decision that haunts me every second of every day. With the car chip shortage and the pandemic, car prices were at an all-time high, so it took longer than expected to find my dream car. I eventually focused on finding a car online rather than in person. My car was delivered from Vroom with the check engine light on. I had a three month warranty with Hyundai. I took the car to Schomp Hyundai, located at 100 Havana St for a diagnostic test. They said nothing was showing up, so they reset it. A month later, the check engine light came back on, so I returned, and the same thing happened. This occurred a third time before my warranty ended. There have been a total of 3 recalls on my car. In the summer of 2023, I received a letter about the "Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module" recall. I made an appointment and was able to get it serviced almost three months later receiving a warning that "an engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury" should have been taken more seriously. Until this was fixed, I did not drive my car and instead spent hundreds on Ubers, Lyfts, and public transportation, all while paying my monthly nearly $400 car note and insurance payments. The check engine light was still on, and I thought it was related to the fuse (recall). After the fuse was replaced, I learned that the check engine light was due to a leak, not the recall. Now I am being told that it is an engine issue and Hyundai Consumer Affairs (Tasha) made it seem like this would be part of the Goodwill program, they are not sure if they can fix it because I don't have warranty on the engine after they told me to take the car in and promised to fix it for me to find out I do have a warranty on the engine. & car break ins INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Jan 31, 2025
I purchased a used 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport with 77,500 miles from Auto Boutique in Columbus, Ohio, on [XXX]. On November 8, 2024, I had the oil changed and a new oil filter installed. However, on [XXX], I experienced catastrophic engine failure with only 85,000 miles on the vehicle, just months after my purchase. I was not informed by Auto Boutique that a Hyundai Engine II Class Action lawsuit had been filed against Hyundai regarding certain models, including the one I purchased. This lawsuit pertains to engine defects that could cause stalling, seizure, failure, and even fire. I have also been denied warranty repairs by Hyundai. Auto Boutique informed me that I purchased the vehicle "as is," but I was not made aware of two recalls on my vehicle related to excessive oil consumption, which can lead to a defective engine that uses too much oil, stalls, and ultimately fails. I am seeking assistance in understanding my rights and would appreciate any help in resolving this issue with either Auto Boutique or Hyundai. Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Jan 30, 2025
When driving, my vehicle had a loss of power. The check engine light came on. My mechanic informed me that I needed a new engine. I had it towed to a Hyundai dealership. They also confirmed the engine needs to be replaced. According to the vin number my vehicle's engine is not one recalled, and yet the engine has failed. It is currently back at my original mechanic. I've been told a bolt came loose and cracked the valve cover. There was no oil it it when I got it to the mechanic and there were metal shavings in the oil filter. The last oil change was Nov 2023
Engine, Jan 28, 2025
My santa fe stalled on me while I was driving had it brought to a garage. I was told that there was metal shavings in my oil and that the crank shaft was bad and I needed to get a new engine. I was told that there was a recall for this and I called the manufacturer and was told that it was not covered under the recall.