2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Engine failure while on the highway. There were no warnings or check engine lights. The mechanic at a local shop stated that the engine seized up. The car had received regular maintenance up to that point.
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.
The engine is suffering from excessive oil consumption that might result in the engine blowing up. Hyundai is aware of the issue with many reports filed but has refused to address the issue.
head gasket blown without prior warning and rapid engine oil consumption. Car will power down in the middle of Hight speed traffic potentially causing an accident. Car less than 7year old.
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle was making an abnormal knocking sound with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact exited the highway and stopped at an auto parts store. The contact was advised by the store employee to have the vehicle towed to a repair shop. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that prior to the engine failure the vehicle had been consuming oil and that she had been adding oil monthly. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Total engine failure at 120,000 miles. Car shut down without warning while driving.
My car was burning oil much faster than it should have been. On [XXX], my car started making a very loud knocking noise, and my engine blew out while on [XXX] in Nashville, TN. Thankfully I was able to pull over with friends trailing me. There was a burnt smell coming from under the hood. The problem has been confirmed by my local Hyundai dealer. The service department at the dealer attempted to get my car approved for an engine replacement, and Hyundai Motor America has denied the authorization. According to Hyundai, a recall from August 9, 2018 was not addressed on my vehicle. They have documentation that proves that I was not the owner of the vehicle when the recall was issued, therefore, I was not made aware of the recall. Because the recall was not addressed, they are refusing to fix my car for free OR offer any type of goodwill assistance. I would be solely responsible for repairing the faulty engine that they placed in my vehicle, due to a recall that was issued before I owned the car. I know several people that have had to have their Hyundai engines replaced. These cars are causing massive vehicular damage and financial burden on consumers. Based on dealership quotes, this repair will cost me anywhere between $8,000 - $14,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate with 88K miles experienced knocking while driving. Immediately stopped and was towed to dealership. Dealership diagnosed failure of rod bearing on cylinder 1. Motor could have seized up and caused accident on highway. Dealership has inspected. No lights or warnings present when this occurred.
The engine in my 2017 Santa Fe failed without notice. Upon starting the vehicle on 12/12/23 it would not run and upon checking had burned through oil leaving none in engine. This resulted is burned out spark plugs and leaving the car no longer able to drive. I took vehicle to dealership where spark plugs were replaced and engine failed again on test drive with technician. Hyundai contacted multiple times and refused to asssit with repairs despite multiple engine failures.
I was driving on the highway at 65 miles per hour and my 2017 Santa Fe began to decelerate. I tried pushing hard on my petal and it would not accelerate past 30 mph. I got off the highway as safely as I could. I heard a knocking sound while driving and the check engine light came on after my car experienced this problem.
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle came to a stop in the middle of the roadway. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with an engine knock. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V578000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
Engine seizure happened while driving and the engine caught on fire. The car was well maintained and had been up-to-date on all recalls.
3.3l engine with 120k miles began making a noise and suddenly failed while driving at interstate speeds. No warning lights or messages appeared prior to this incident. All occupants, two adults and child, were placed in danger while attempting to exit the highway and were left stranded with an inoperable vehicle.
knocking noise, check engine light, and then complete engine failure in one week. There is a recall on the engine but only for a month period and we don't fall in that manufacture date.
Oil consumption issue. the car was eating 2-2.5 qts per 1,000 miles of oil. Over numerous 1,000 mile tests, it was confirmed my care was eating oil. The dealership did a combustion chamber cleaning, but the car still eats almost 1qt of oil per 1,000. I was actually told by a service advisor not to refill the oil and let the engine blow while I was driving it which is a safety issue. In my research there is a known oil consumption issue and I want Hyundai to replace my engine. I've been trying to get this rectified for almost 8k miles and am at 85K. I feel like Hyundai is trying to get me limp to 100K so my warranty is over.
I was driving down a busy road when engine seized, no warnings on dash prior to failure. Luckily, I was able to catch a break in traffic and safely cruised into an open parking lot. Otherwise, it could have easily resulted in a collision. The incident occurred on Wednesday 11/22/2023. The 2017 Santa Fe had regular oil services and did not show or indicate any signs it required attention. No check engine light, no oil pressure, light, absolutely nothing. The car simply cut out while driving at around 35-40mph. Santa Fe was towed and the dealership mentioned rod bearing failure and engine knock. The estimate to fix it was 18k which was not feasible for me at the time. Additionally, the dealership claimed it was a common problem with the make, stating they had received multiple cars that Thanksgiving weekend. I worked with the dealership, but they did not seem to want to do the replacement, so I purchased a used rebuilt engine and paid the labor to change it for approximately 8,500 dollars. I opened a claim with Hyundai and it was denied because I was the a second owner and the warranty expired at 60k and I was at 66k. I went about a month and a half without a car and it created financial and emotional burdens.
Engine seized up on the interstate with no warnings. Almost got hit by 2 semi's as I tried to get off the next exit. I had 3 small children riding with me and it was terrifying. Got it towed 100 miles to the nearest dealer and they said the engine was consuming oil and the engine seized up. They said they are "well aware" of this problem, but without any recall, the bill is entirely on me. The recall does cover most Hyundai models, but for some reason, it missed mine.. but clearly has the same issues.
Engine is overheating causing vehicle to burn through oil. I take the interstate every day, putting myself and others at risk if my vehicle breaks down. My oil sensors do not work, and do not display or illuminate. They flash on for a brief second and then disappear.
I was driving down the highway and noticed a sudden loss of power and a knocking sound coming from the engine that made a sound that matched the rpm's. It is available for inspection upon request however the battery is currently dead and it obviously has a serve knock. The safety of not only myself but other bystanders driving around me were at risk by my car potentially catching fire while driving. I have had one certified dealership tell me my car isn't effected by any recalls so there isn't anything they can do. There have been no formal inspections done to the vehicle. There were no warning lights on when we purchased the vehicle and no lights came on before, during or after this problem started. We have changed the oil every 3k miles and took really well care of this vehicle as we only had it for 3mo before we were forced to park it due to the engine failure.
On Friday March 22 2024 I was attempting to merge onto the highway but an individual wouldn't let me in which forced me to have to slam on my breaks. After I was able merge, roughly 2 miles down the highway I started hearing what sounded like a belt flapping under the front of my car, the noise increased into a banging I noticed I was losing speed so I pressed on the gas petal and received no exeleration. I immediately pulled to the side of the highway. No lights came on to alert that there was an issue prior. I pressed on my brake and it was rock hard and my wheel seized. I turned off my vehicle to attempt to restart it when I turned the key there once one click sound and all the alerts lights came on. I was unable to turn the wheel or press down on the brake as it was locked up. I had my vehicle towed to a mechanic. I explained what happened the mechanic said it sounded like my engine. He checked the oil and said the stick was dry and when he drained the oil it was black and had a strong odor. I'm pondering of how that can be due to I had gotten an oil change 4 monthly ago and very rarely do I drive my vehicle. I then read the recalls and reviews on my vehicle. I found the same year and style just last month a similar occurrence like mine regarding the engine. This could have caused a horrible accident which could have been fatal. Being that I am not the only one who had this experience; I think is a necessity to pull this particular vehicle to perform an investigation before this vehicle kills someone My particular car make and model has currently 6 recalls! I do not feel safe
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the camshaft assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Engine stalled back in January. Car has been at dealership ever since. I'm waiting on backordered parts to arrive to my 3rd party because so many engines are being replaced. Hyundai flat out told me that a used or remanufactured engine would eventually do the same thing. I've been told it was "catastrophic Engine failure" with shavings in my oil pan. My oil changes and upkeep were up to date which is why my 3rd party warranty company is agreeing to putting a reman Engine in. Hyundai should be made to provide new engines not remanufactured junk of the same problem. Too many people are going through what I'm going through. I have 3 more years of payments but only a year left for my warranty and still no car to drive. Here is a link to an entire group of people experiencing the same issues. My coworker also has the same year and make and was stranded on the highway last week. Her car is now at the same dealership (Hyundai of Kennesaw). I had to pay part out of pocket to get it to Kennesaw because they had a shorter wait time of 2 months vs 6 months at my local dealership. I don't have paperwork yet as I don't have my car yet. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Catastrophic engine failure on a major highway. Just over 113k miles on it. 1 day prior, the car sounded louder than usual but otherwise, was working fine. I drove several places the next day and the check engine light came on towards the afternoon (yellow, not flashing, no other lights) 30 minutes before this issue occurred. I was accelerating on a busy highway and all of the sudden it completely downshifted, oil light and battery light came on. I pulled to the shoulder and white smoke was coming from the engine, horrible smell in the cabin. Car was dripping oil. I was told it was a broken rod that punctured the engine. I could have been in a major accident after decelerating so quickly on this particular highway and I was stranded on a very small shoulder fearing the car or myself getting hit for hours. As of right now, the engine is still available to be inspected.
My 2017 Santa Fe experienced a catastrophic engine failure while driving on the highway. My [XXX] son was on his way home when the car began to make what he described as a knocking. He began to merge so he could exit the highway. By the time he made it over 1 lane, the vehicle began losing power and smoking. He barely made it to the shoulder before hearing a "loud bang" and thick, black smoke blocking his vision. Him and my [XXX] , fearing the vehicle was on fire, immediately exited the vehicle into the median. No warning lights ever came on in the vehicle, no warning, nothing. When my husband and I arrived, we found several pieces of the engine along the roadway and the oil pooled under the front passenger tire. We had the vehicle towed the next morning to the dealership, 50 miles away and a cost of $188. After almost 2 weeks we were informed by the dealership that our Engines For Life warranty denied the claim because we did not get all of our oil changes there, even though we have NEVER missed an oil change. We were quoted $21,000 for a new engine. Our service advisor informed us the point of failure for the vehicle determined to be "Cylinder 6 rod bearing failure causing rod bearing to exit vehicle at high velocity creating a hole in the block". We were also informed that this is a VERY well known issue with these engines but Hyundai had chosen to only extend warranties to select vehicles, ours was not one of them. A claim has since been filed with our extended warranty and we were told it would be an additional $600 to drop the oil pan to allow the inspection by the extended warranty company. Something has to be done. We are beyond thankful that our children were not injured but had this happened at a different time of day we could have had a significantly different outcome. There were on a highway that is very busy during the day. The undue financial hardship we have faced as a result has only further added to the stress of the situation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with the engine and catalytic converter and informed the contact that the engine had no compression. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, who confirmed the diagnosis and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 104,000. The VIN was not available.
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Quick Summary
The 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe has 464 Engine complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.