Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints (2017)

972 consumer complaints on file.

#11746619June 26, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11744314June 15, 2026
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743838June 12, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743206June 10, 2026
ENGINE
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743251June 10, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742869June 9, 2026
ENGINE
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743064June 9, 2026
ENGINE
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742268June 5, 2026
ENGINE
Air compressor and compression failed engine diagnostic test. Vehicle had high oil and gas consumption.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742118June 4, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
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)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740634May 28, 2026
POWER TRAIN
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740312May 27, 2026
ENGINE, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739834May 24, 2026
ENGINE
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738814May 19, 2026
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, POWER TRAIN
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738896May 19, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
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)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736987May 11, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was using an excessive amount of oil. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was no indication of a leak. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact the failure was related to combustion chamber cleaning. The manufacturer was contacted, who informed the diagnostic fees were at her expense and there was no coverage. The failure mileage was approximately 94,700.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737161May 11, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736061May 6, 2026
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated and remained on, despite no accident occurring. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who could not determine the failure and advised the contact to visit the dealer. At the dealer, the vehicle was diagnosed with a failed passenger air bag inflator that needed replacement. The dealer also found that the SRSCM (Supplemental Restraint System Control Module) required replacement due to the part shorting the inflator. The airbag was replaced, but the dealer refused to replace the SRSCM as it was no longer under warranty. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure occurred at approximately 77,000 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735603May 4, 2026
ENGINE
Engine seized up on the interstate. Vehicle has ~97,000 miles. Towed to dealership. Dealership wanted $8,000+ to replace engine. Hyundai refused to honor their warranty of 15 years/150,000 miles. Remains at the dealership, unrepaired.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735297May 2, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My vehicle had oil consumption problems that were fixed with a new replacement engine now my catalytic converter is going bad due to engine oil consumption problems and the dealer I deal with is refusing to help with this issue. There is only around 50k miles on the new engine. I would greatly appreciate your help with this Thank you!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735133May 1, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
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. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to severe engine oil consumption. The vehicle was then to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with abnormal engine oil consumption, and the dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle required an engine oil refill 800-1,000 miles before an engine oil change was due. The contact related the failure to several unknown Hyundai TSBs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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