2017 Hyundai Santa FE Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2017 Santa Fe most often describe engine trouble: abnormal knocking, oil that disappears without leaks, stalling or loss of power, and in many cases a dealer diagnosis that the engine needs replacement. A second, distinct cluster involves hesitation, surging or rough shifting during low-speed acceleration, often with the dealer unable to reproduce it. Complaints are reported across a wide mileage range, with engine reports tending to appear from around 60,000-80,000 miles and transmission/drivability reports sometimes appearing much earlier.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine knocking, oil consumption and engine failure

   • 624 complaints (64%)
   • median 52,500 mi at 4.1 yrs old (114 state mileage)
   • 21 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $5,436 (median of 74 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners describe a knocking or ticking sound from the engine bay, often along with oil that has to be topped up frequently even though no leak is visible. Many report the vehicle losing motive power, stalling or seizing, sometimes with smoke, and say the dealer found metal debris or bearing damage and recommended engine replacement. Several owners mention being told their vehicle was not covered by the crankshaft recall campaign. Mostly reported between roughly 55,000 and 150,000 miles, with some cases near 36,000-75,000 miles.

   Recall 17V5780009 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for oil change records and whether any engine inspection or replacement has been done; check the dipstick and ask the seller to note the oil level, then recheck after a few hundred miles. Confirm with a dealer whether the vehicle is covered by the extended engine warranty described in the service bulletins.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving along 55mph on a 2 lane road when suddenly the car shut off. I was fortunate that it died at the top of a hill and I was able to coast to the safety of a side street. I was in a remote part of michigan and 20 miles from any service stations with my 3 children. The car would not restart. I was able to contact a tow truck who took it to my mechanic who said the engine had failed and I would need a new engine.”

   NHTSA complaint #11612852, filed 2024-09, 114,000 miles

   “My engine had been using oil at a very fast rate and I was just told that hyundai consume a lot of oil. I have had this car since 77k miles and have issues ever since I bought it. At first I had issues with it not accelerating on the interstate and then it would randomly stop while I was driving, almost like a car hiccup. I took it to the dealership, and other car shops and no one found anything wrong. Finally two weeks ago, I was on I85 and my car was driving really roughly and idling roughly as well. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11514723, filed 2023-03, 77,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Hesitation, surging or no acceleration from a stop

   • 374 complaints (39%)
   • median 12,750 mi at 1.5 yrs old (161 state mileage)
   • 15 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $5,000 (median of 28 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Complaints describe the vehicle pausing or refusing to accelerate when pulling away from a stop, at low-speed turns or when merging, followed by a sudden surge or delayed engagement. Some owners say the engine revs without the vehicle moving, and that restarting the vehicle temporarily clears it. Dealers are frequently reported as unable to duplicate the symptom or find a stored fault code. Reported from very low mileage up to about 100,000 miles, often during low-speed turns and stop-and-go driving.

   What to check: During a test drive, make several slow turns and stops from a standstill and note any pause, surge or revving before the vehicle moves; ask whether the transmission control software has been updated or the fluid serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car is sluggish on acceleration. Looking up forums it seems that quite a few are experiencing this. I just read I just read an article that said that Hyundai will be replacing some engines for this same issue due to a manufacturing defect with the crankshaft pin. On a forum.”

   NHTSA complaint #11338280, filed 2020-07, 35,000 miles

   “Taking a right turn into our driveway ,the vehicle hesitated then surged at a high speed and crashed into our home.brakes were being applied but could not stop the impact.believe the surge may be related to the turbo engine accelerating.”

   NHTSA complaint #11386838, filed 2021-01, 36,100 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Stalling or loss of power while driving

   • 248 complaints (26%)
   • median 60,018 mi at 3.8 yrs old (68 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $6,000 (median of 29 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners report the engine cutting out at speed or after accelerating, sometimes with no warning light and sometimes with the check engine light on. Several describe difficulty restarting, having to coast to the shoulder, and a dealer diagnosis of engine or fuel-system faults; a few note the shop could not find a cause. Spread from about 18,000 to 130,000 miles, at both city and highway speeds.

   Recall 17V5780002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the vehicle has ever stalled or needed a restart while driving, and have a pre-purchase scan for stored engine codes; note that complaints describe both confirmed engine faults and cases where no cause was found.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Multiple complaints about the engine stalling while driving at different speeds causing very dangerous situations the vehicle looses power steering and proper braking mine has done this once so far and I have seen multiple complaints online of the same this happening to others who own the same year make model of the vehicle”

   NHTSA complaint #11408491, filed 2021-04, 72,997 miles

   “The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled and hesitated to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine and check engine oil warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local O'Reilly's, where it was diagnosed with ignition coil #3 misfire. The vehicle was not repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11735133, filed 2026-05, 87,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Battery drain and intermittent electrical faults

   • 75 complaints (8%)
   • median 32,500 mi at 2.5 yrs old (22 state mileage)
   • 10 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,150 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Complaints describe the battery going flat overnight or after short sits despite a new battery, with the dealer unable to find a drain. Others mention intermittent warning lights, a blank infotainment screen, or accessories such as the hatch and alarm behaving erratically; some of these follow aftermarket equipment installation. Reported from a few thousand miles up to around 120,000 miles, often appearing as repeat no-start episodes.

   Recall 22V0560003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask how often the vehicle sits unused and whether the battery has been replaced; check that the ABS recall repair and any airbag warning-light warranty extensions have been completed with a dealer.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle loses all electrical power, despite having a new battery installed by dealer. Battery runs down, sometimes overnight. Dealer cannot find any issues, though something clearly is draining battery power very quickly. It has happened at least 5 times in the past 3 months. Vehicle is operated often enough to preclude such battery drainage. I am bringing it back to the dealer again on 11 june, as this occurred again today (9 june). I purchased a portable machine that jumps the car because this happens so often. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11327960, filed 2020-06, 32,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that after the completion of an unknown air bag recall repair, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the dealer determined that the front passenger's side lower seat assembly needed to be replaced due to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) failure, Part Number: B149000; however, the part was not available. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11712411, filed 2026-01, 115,305 miles
5. 5
   Brakes

   ABS warning light and brake-related recall questions

   • 103 complaints (11%)
   • median 28,150 mi at 3.2 yrs old (28 state mileage)
   • 14 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,800 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners describe the ABS warning light staying on, intermittent no-start conditions tied to the same warning, and one report of smoke and brake loss from the engine compartment. Several complaints are about the ABS module recall itself, saying the part was unavailable and the repair could not be scheduled. Reported from about 3,000 miles upward, often noted alongside other warning lights.

   Recall 22V056000

   What to check: Confirm with a dealer that recall 22V056000 has been completed, and watch for an ABS light that stays on after start-up; have the brake system inspected if the pedal feels unusual.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while at a stop light, smoke was present coming from under the hood. While attempting to pull over to park, the brakes suddenly failed and an explosion occurred within the engine compartment causing flames from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and called the fire department who came to the scene an extinguished the flames. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11459713, filed 2022-04, 54,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V056000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”

   NHTSA complaint #11459895, filed 2022-04, 75,000 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection by a shop familiar with these engines is worth the cost, along with a dealer check of open recalls and whether the extended engine warranty applies to the vehicle. Ask for maintenance records and treat unexplained oil loss as a reason to look more closely before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.