10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 10
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
9,760 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #302

Jul 222023

Santa Fe

  • miles
A knocking noise from the engine that increases in frequency as the engine rpm increases. Reduced power and/or hesitation and vibration. Illumination of the -??check engine-?? light in the instrument cluster. Illumination of the -??engine oil pressure-?? warning lamp. My car will drive up to maybe 37mph and then the engine will seize up and go into safety mode and it becomes inoperable. THIS is a death trap if we suddenly stall out on the highway or at a higher rate of speed!!!! The dealership is basically saying oh well, it is out of warranty. I just bought this car from Banister Nissan on 6/5/2023. Less than 60 days ago.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #301

Jul 182023

Santa Fe

  • miles
While driving on freeway there was a clicking sound coming from the engine area but no other strange sounds or sensations, no warning lights or changes in the dash gauges. Finished 30 mile trip back home. Next morning when starting the car the same noise was happening so we checked oil. Oil reservoir was empty so added 4 quarts and let it sit for awhile then idle before leaving. The clicking noise seemed be random, sometimes louder and faster and sometimes not clicking at all. Approximately 15-20 miles down the freeway (about 60 mph) the RPMs spiked so I moved to slow lane and braked. At this time a large commotion from the engine that shook the car with large amount of smoke coming from behind the car and an oil trail. Car was towed to mechanic where engine failure/hole in engine was diagnosed. Waiting for appointment now at dealership. Fortunately never lost control of the vehicle.

- Sullivan, OH, USA

problem #300

Mar 232023

Santa Fe

  • miles
At 80,000 miles, transmission went out. Then, 91,000 miles the motor locked up. Hyundai refuses to repair

- Springdale, AR, USA

problem #299

Jul 162023

Santa Fe

  • miles
At ~126k miles, my 3.3L Santa Fe started knocking and then stopped running. There were no warning lights whatsoever. Regular service records are available to show oil changes/maintenance and all repairs done at the dealership. Mechanic says the engine is toast. Hyundai dealership told me no need to even bring it in bc it will not be covered.

- Martinsville , IN, USA

problem #298

Mar 122023

Santa Fe

  • miles
The engine failed in our 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe earlier this year (March). They replaced our engine after finding out it was part of the rod bearing engine failure recall. The check engine light came back on as soon as we got it back (April) and the car has not worked properly since. Shaking badly, it also died after I started it. After them telling us for two months, they were too busy for us to bring it back to them. We finally brought it back this week and dropped it off for them to fix anyway (July). The Hyundai repair people told us the problem is not covered under the warranty (vcm motor on the side of the intake) and not related to the engine recall even though the problem happened immediately after they rebuilt the engine and now we must pay $1000 out of pocket.

- Broken Arrow, OK, USA

problem #297

Jul 012023

Santa Fe

  • miles
Engine started knocking pretty bad during a trip. Just over 80,000 miles not covering due to 2nd owner.

- Sheboygan Falls, WI, USA

problem #296

Jun 192023

Santa Fe

  • miles
As I was driving my vehicle the car started to shake. I was able to make it to a gas station and then had difficulty getting the car to turn over. After several attempts the car turned over but the check engine light was flashing and the car had fumes coming out the back. I towed the car to the dealership I bought it at they determined that the fuel injectors failed and caused the engine to be flooded with gas requiring an entirely new engine to be put in the car.

- Elkton, MD, USA

problem #295

Jul 102023

Santa Fe

  • miles
Since early 2022 I have been having oil consumption tests done on my vehicle, after having an oil change and 2 months later, during my inspection, being told my oil is completely dry (no warning lights came on at all). There was an oil combustion done, which the dealer had to keep my car and put me into a rental (after me pressing the issue of a rental or loaner). I am now on my 2nd round of oil consumption test. I had an oil change done the last week of May, took it back 932 miles later because my oil light quickly came on then went off, when turning corners and coming to a stop on level ground (the light did not stay on) and it burned 3.5 quarts in 932 miles. It has gone from burning 2.5 quarts in 1,000 miles on the very first oil consumption test in 2022, to now burning 3.5 quarts in less than 1,000 miles. Last summer there was oil on my spark plugs from the oil consumption, but I had to pay out of pocket to have them replaced. This last time I went in June, the dealer stated they will contact Hyundai about replacing the engine. It has been 2 weeks and I've heard nothing yet. This is a huge safety & fire concern that I feel Hyundai is taking way to lightly! It is a huge inconvenience as well to take off work, leave work early, go into work late, pay for rides to/from the dealer, put oil in my car, etc. I asked about a loaner for times they wanted to keep my vehicle, and they responded that they do not have any available. Rentals should be covered 100% if they do not have a loaner to give us. When I was put in a rental, I had to pay the deposit because that is not covered by Hyundai. Reading about all these issues, I am not sure why Hyundai has not put out a recall on this issue, instead they continue to put us and our families at a big time risk!!!

- Aston, PA, USA

problem #294

May 312023

Santa Fe

  • miles
While driving my 2017 Santa Fe, a ding from the instrument cluster preceded the vehicle stalling during a turn in a busy intersection. The vehicle would not respond to attempts to restart. I had the vehicle towed to the local Hyundai dealership for inspection. I authorized a teardown of the engine. They reported their findings to Hyundai Motors America (HMA) for authorization under an extended warranty. That request was denied. I have read the case, Davy Cho v. Hyundai Motor Company, Ltd., 8:22-cv-00448, (C.D. Cal.). My vehicle is in the correct year range and engine class represented in the suit. This vehicle is also under NHTSA investigation (DB22-003) for a separate defect that can cause the vehicle to stall without prior notice. The Hyundai dealership has now quoted $19,900 to repair. This is a gently driven and well maintained vehicle. I have reached out several times to HMA who states, the vehicle is beyond the original manufacturer's warrantee. I have tried several times to have the case reviewed. I'm told these decisions are final. HMA Case # 21352488 I was lucky to have had the traffic lights and traffic in a condition that I could drift through my turn, apply hazard lights and get assistance from the Police Dept. who closed the road allowing me to coast the vehicle backwards off the interstate bridge to place me and my vehicle in a safer place to manage. In different circumstances, this could have been catastrophic.

- Gastonia, NC, USA

problem #293

Jan 202023

Santa Fe

  • miles
Hyundai corporate's engines on some vehicles has oil dissipating out of thin air. 2 to 3 quarts of oil can vanish between regular interval oil changes. Hyundai is lying saying that this is "normal." It is not. The other issue is the oil indicator light may just pop on and off but it does not stay on when the vehicle has several quarts of oil that dissipated not warning the driver they have a serious problem. This leads to a safety concern because the vehicle could just stop working because the driver has no idea the oil is low. I urge the NHTSA to take action on this since so many vehicles with Hyundai are affected. Thank you.

- Olive Branch , MS, USA

problem #292

Jul 052023

Santa Fe

  • miles
Hello. I don't know if this is even something you look into, but I wanted to see. Yesterday when I came home from work my oil light came on and all of my oil suddenly dumped in the driveway. I am thankful I was at home because this could have been a nightmare somewhere else. I had my car towed and was advised that the rear main seal needs replaced as well as the oil pan gasket. I don't know if this is a safety issue, but if my engine would have seized on the highway that could have been a nightmare. Oil maintenance has been at regular intervals. There was no warning until my light came on in the driveway and then the immediate dump of oil. I'm happy to answer any other questions. Thank you. Brooke

- Uniontown, OH, USA

problem #291

Jul 052023

Santa Fe

  • miles
While driving, approximately 3 miles from home the engine catastrophically failed by throwing a rod through the engine block, dumping oil on the road in a cloud of smoke.

- Sault Ste. Marie, MI, USA

problem #290

Jun 282023

Santa Fe

  • miles
Was driving my 2017 Santa Fe Ultimate 3.3L v6 at a low speed on residential streets. With only 110,000 miles without warning or indicators the engine failed. Regular schedule oil changes were preformed. Hyundai wouldn't offer any goodwill financial help with a engine replacement, stuck with a car loan and work working vehicle.

- Vallejo, CA, USA

problem #289

Jun 282023

Santa Fe

  • miles
Check engine light came on, made an appointment to bring to the mechanic. 1 mile into the trip, engine lost power. We had to tow to the mechanic. Synopsis: hole in block caused by catastrophic engine failure at 120,000 miles. When check engine light occurred, oil was at correct level; and vehicle has always been maintained properly.

- Columbus, MN, USA

problem #288

Jun 192023

Santa Fe

  • miles
The engine seized without warning or notice. No warning lamps came on to indicate anything wrong with the oil pressure, engine, or anything else. I received notices for low gas from time to time, but never anything concerning the engine. I heard engine noises the day before the engine seized. The next day it failed. The car was inspected by the dealership and Hyundai to determine whether the cost would be covered by them and this is what was reported to me in the cost for repair: -??Engine Rebuild/Replace: 3.3L LONG BLOCK, GASKETS, AND FLUIDS This is the entire process needed to either rebuild or replace the vehicle's engine. This is a process needed when the vehicle's engine is in need of serious repair.-?? I was denied coverage because my VIN number was not on the recall list for 2017 Hyundais. I believe it was recall 168. When I looked into it, I read exactly what happened to mine. My safety was a concern because the engine stopped while I was driving and I had to coast into a safe area without causing an accident. I was told by the dealership that this was a common problem for 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe-??s but the recall is not for all of the Hyundais this problem has happened to. I was told by a former employee of Take5 that Hyundais burn oil quicker than most cars. I can-??t confirm that the issue was from a lack of oil, but from what I-??ve read, that could be the main issue. I believe a warning on the quickness of oil consumption should be put out as well as an improved warning system/sensors for this make and model.

- Lafayette, LA, USA

problem #287

Jun 272023

Santa Fe

  • miles
This car is using a quart to quart and a half of oil every thousand miles!

- El Paso, TX, USA

problem #286

Jun 112023

Santa Fe

  • miles
Engine failure occurred. Engine began making a knocking noise. The check engine light failed to initiate. No warning lights of any kind came on.

- Wildomar, CA, USA

problem #285

May 162023

Santa Fe

  • miles
2023 Hyundai Santa Fe with the 3.3L Lambda engine. At 99,625 miles, while driving at highway speed, the engine suddenly sputtered with partial loss of power and a loud clicking/banging noise coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights/check engine lights/oil lights. Drove one mile and parked it in the driveway. Had it towed same day to dealer and after it was inspected it and found to have metal shavings in the oil pan and a catastrophic engine failure (again, NO warning lights on the dash!). Proved to the dealer that all maintenance and oil changes were performed correctly and within prescribed time periods/mileage. Dealer will replace the engine with a Hyundai remanufactured -- not new -- engine under warranty but this "new" engine will only be warrantied for 375 miles which the balance of the original 10 yr/100,000 mile warranty.

- Collegeville, PA, USA

problem #284

Jun 182023

Santa Fe

  • miles
Driving 65mph, loss of power and cel light came on. Manged to get vehicle home. Did not notice any engine noise. Checked cel code. P1326. Did investigation on code and found long list of issues, including excessive oil consumption. Checked oil and found none on dipstick. No oil light was illuminated. Have had no issues with oil loss prior till today. Oil changes every 5000 miles. Bought vehicle in 2020 with 57000 miles(currently 110000) and was not aware of service code 953, so not sure if vehicle is updated. Vehicle is currently parked and will be towed to nearest dealership, but from reading prior complaints, and as Hyundai will not replace the motor, most likely a waste of time. Will join class action lawsuit over this. Aware of ABS recall and was going to schedule that service, but vehicle is currently not drivable.

- Edinburgh, IN, USA

problem #283

May 262023

Santa Fe 4-cyl

  • miles
Right after warranty was out. My car starting using oil. There are no leaks just horrible oil consumption. We did a consumption test and it showed my car using one quart of oil every $315.94 miles. The dealership wants to do a combustion chamber cleaning for $849.06. Then stated this may not fix it. If not a new engine is needed. I was wondering if there is a recall for this problem with my vehicle. I have tried to reach Hyundai but they have not returned my emails. I was supposed to hear from Hyundai costumer affairs in 3/5 days from June 3. Still have not heard from them. I need to get Hyundai to remedy this situation. It is outrageous, I have heard of several people across the nation having this problem. My case #[XXX] is what Hyundai gave me. Need to find out what I can do about this or if you can help me? Thank You for your time [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- El Reno, OK, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »