2017 Hyundai Santa FE problems & reliability
966 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 23, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
11 complaints report injuries (18 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2017 Hyundai Santa FE vehicles were involved in 61 fatal crashes with 30 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 647 | 67% |
| Power Train → | 163 | 17% |
| Unknown / Other | 92 | 10% |
| Electrical System → | 67 | 7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 60 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 54 | 6% |
| Service Brakes → | 34 | 4% |
| Steering → | 27 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 24 | 2% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 23 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 30 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 239 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 26,000 miles (middle 50% between 6,500 and 75,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Component/System Failed: Engine assembly (Theta II 2.4L GDI) and Exhaust/Catalytic Converter. Description: The vehicle suffered a failure associated with the known Theta II engine defects. Engine oil consumption and internal engine wear directly led to unburned fuel and debris entering the exhaust stream, resulting in…”
Power Train · filed Sep 20, 2026
“My son was driving the vehicle normally. There were no issues, warning lights, abnormal feel to the drive, and no odd noises. Suddenly, all of the warning lights on the dashboard lit up, acceleration dropped and he could no longer accelerate. He pulled off the main road and there was a burning smell and the vehicle…”
Engine · filed Sep 19, 2026
“Hyundai performed recall #9C2, on 7/2/26. Since that time, the engine has a full time miss. When it is cold, it will hesitate, kick and buck. Hyundai is aware of this. Their solution is to warm the car for 3 to 5 minuets before moving. What happens if there is an emergency and you can't wait? Possible accident with…”
Engine · filed Sep 19, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- 3.3L Engine Loss of Motive Power (LOMP)
Defect Petition DP24001 · opened Feb 8, 2024 · closed May 16, 2024
- Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires
Audit Query AQ23002 · opened Nov 17, 2023 · open
- Loss of Motive Power
Defect Petition DP22003 · opened Sep 12, 2022 · closed Dec 12, 2023
Technical service bulletins
140 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE. The 10 most recent:
Certain 2012 – 2017 model year Accent, 2012 – 2017 model year Azera, 2013 – 2018 model year Santa Fe Sport, 2013 – 2019 model year Santa Fe, and 2012 – 2017 model year Veloster vehicles may exhibit an intermittent…
Z01 Letter · Warranty Program/Extension · issued May 23, 2026
Some vehicles listed below may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and DTC(s) B1763 (OCS ECU Defect), and/or B1764 (OCS Mat Defect) may be stored. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage of the sensor for…
26-BE-011H DN · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Apr 25, 2026
Some vehicles listed below may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and DTC(s) B1763 (OCS ECU Defect), and/or B1764 (OCS Mat Defect) may be stored. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage of the sensor for…
26-BE-011H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Apr 25, 2026
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co.…
DTN DL · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety…
DTN DCS · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
Certain Santa Fe / Santa Fe XL (NC) vehicles equipped with 3.3L Lambda II GDI engines may exhibit abnormal engine noise or damage. Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 26-EM-002H describes the procedure to inspect the…
26-EM-002H DCS · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Feb 11, 2026
Certain Santa Fe / Santa Fe XL (NC) vehicles equipped with 3.3L Lambda II GDI engines may exhibit abnormal engine noise or damage. This bulletin describes the procedure to inspect the engine and perform the proper…
26-EM-002H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Feb 11, 2026
Certain Santa Fe / Santa Fe XL (NC) vehicles equipped with 3.3L Lambda II GDI engines may exhibit abnormal engine noise or damage. This service procedure describes to inspect the engine and perform the proper repair…
26-EM-002H DN · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Feb 11, 2026
In response to this trend, we engineered a software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method and made it available to owners of eligible models free of charge at authorized Hyundai dealers since early 2023…
P33 OL · Other · issued Dec 19, 2025
Upon customer's request ONLY, the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 25-01-089H provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder reinforcement protector assembly and two anti-theft decals on the front…
25-01-089H DCS · Other · issued Dec 15, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2017 Hyundai Santa FE has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2017 Hyundai Santa FE?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 26,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.