What 941 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Hev

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.

NHTSA ODI 11736061

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.

NHTSA ODI 11735603

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!

NHTSA ODI 11735297

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.

NHTSA ODI 11735133

On 4/17/26 McDonalds Hyundai of [XXX] , dealership performed an ECU update for THETA II Emissions logic improvement (Hyundai campaign number 9C2). Ever since that time the vehicle has been lurching during acceleration. This happens particularly when the vehicle has been sitting for several hours. I reported this to the dealership on 4/28/26 (Scott, service manager) and to Hyundai on 4/29/26 (Hyundai Case Management #: 42610495). I noted to Hyundai that this same/similar problem has been reported by other owners ( see [XXX] ) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11735182

While driving home on the highway from our sons hockey game at about 8:30 pm we were going about 60 mph when the car made a noise and began smoking and as we were trying to pull over on the side of the highway noticed by the reflection of a passing car that the engine on our vehicle was on fire under the vehicle. We had to evacuate the vehicle quickly and get our children out on the side of a busy highway with fire showing under the front end of the car.

NHTSA ODI 11734049

The steering left side electrical components quit working at the same time without warning. This is all related to the Air Bag clock spring a serious safety defect that disables the airbag and possibly horn. I have taken the vehicle to a Hyundai dealership for diagnostics and this is what was found. "Needs immediate attention [Primary]: SSD : STEERING OR SUSPENSION DIAGNOSIS Air Bag - Clockspring Assembly / Spiral Cable: CLOCK SPRING HAS SHORTED OUT CAUSING ALL THE BUTTONS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL NOT TO WORK This assembly consists of a clock spring, which is a coil that retracts and expands inside its housing as the steering wheel turns. Its function is to maintain electrical continuity for all the components on the drivers airbag.

NHTSA ODI 11733693

My engine just died wont start has 121099 and hyundai wont fix it

NHTSA ODI 11733368

My wife's 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited experienced a sudden crack in the engine and lost oil without any warning signs. There were no warning lights, no check engine light, and no unusual noise before the engice crack. A certified independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and confirmed the engine has no oil, whick it did a couple days before when I checked the oil and topped it off, which is the same issue described in Hyundai’s known engine safety recalls. I was never notified of any safety campaigns or recalls. I am not the first owner, so the required recall inspections and updates were never completed on this vehicle before I bought it. The sudden engine crack and loss of oil created a serious safety risk, especially because there was no warning before it happened and it almost left our family stranded two hours from home. This failure matches the symptoms described in Hyundai’s Theta II engine defect investigations. While at the mechanic shop, we were quoted $10,000 to get a new remanufactured engine put into this car. I certainly (and I know most families) don't have $10k sitting around waiting to be used for car repairs. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this vehicle should be included in the affected group, and whether this engine failure is part of the broader safety defect already identified in many Hyundai engines from the same model years. This vehicle is currently parked in our yard waiting to be repaired or sold. I would prefer it be repaired by Hyundai since one of the car plants is only 1 hour from our house. I was unaware of the current safety recall until I read it today.

NHTSA ODI 11733373

Seem like there was a recall on the 3.3L engines on the Hyundai Santa Fe starting January 26, 2017, for engine related knocking noise. My Vin is [XXX] according to the Manufacturing plate it was made in Korea released on January 04, 2017. I realize it is a 22-day window on the recall but after an oil change the motor has started knocking the oil is the right viscosity, full to capacity, and oil filter changed. I drove 200 miles after an oil change then the motor started knocking. Is there a certain stamp on the cam shafts to verify which of the 420 vehicles are affected by this recall? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11732327

My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T (Theta II 2.0L GDI Turbo engine) has been diagnosed with burned exhaust valves requiring a complete engine replacement. This is the second catastrophic powertrain failure on this vehicle in under two years. In July 2024, I paid $2,754 to replace the turbocharger at an authorized Hyundai dealership (Wright Hyundai, [XXX] ). The burned valves are consistent with carbon buildup on intake valves, a widely documented and known deficiency of the GDI fuel delivery system used in the Theta II engine family. Carbon deposits restrict airflow, cause valve seating issues, and lead to valve failure. This is an inherent design characteristic of the engine, not a maintenance-related failure. At no point during my ownership — including during the turbocharger repair — was I informed of this known issue or advised of any preventive measures such as fuel system cleaning treatments. I am additionally concerned that the dealership's diagnostic process was incomplete. The service center diagnosed the burned valves and immediately recommended an engine replacement without performing a bearing clearance test or completing the full diagnostic flowchart. The dealership has refused to perform further diagnostics unless I pay additional fees, and has refused to share documentation from a tech line case opened with Hyundai corporate. Because diagnostics were halted at the burned valve finding, a connecting rod bearing failure — the specific defect covered under the Theta II class action settlement (In re: Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation, NoXXX) — has not been ruled out as a contributing cause. Hyundai's National Consumer Affairs office (Case #XXX) denied my goodwill request without addressing either the known GDI carbon buildup issue or the fact that this is the second catastrophic failure on this engine platform. This vehicle has approximately 86,000 miles. I purchased it as a second owner in August 2020 at 42,730 miles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11731552

On my Driver/passenger seat the recline switch with not go back only forward. The dealer explains to me that just diagnosing the issue is 250 then the switch is going to cost me over $800. If replace the Power Seat Switch for $49.99 and the Power Seat Switch Knob only cost $ 15 plus dollars, also to replace the motor $200-300 now my air bag light is on not sure if it's because of the seat functioning or not, my kid's car seats are right behind the seats so its concerning to me. Looking online they are hundreds of people complaining of this, but no action has been taken such as a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11729938

The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe equipped with a Rockland Electric Mobility Scooter Lifter, Part Number: 10101194. The contact stated that after the mobility scooter lifter was installed on the vehicle, the vehicle experienced electrical failures. The A/C became inoperable, and the hatch opened intermittently. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked approximately a month after the lifter installation, the alarm sounded intermittently during the day. The contact observed the vehicle from the residence, but did not notice any abnormality. The contact installed the mobility scooter on the vehicle in the evening. The contact stated that the vehicle alarm sounded at night, and the contact noticed that the vehicle had caught on fire and there were flames coming from underneath the hood by the engine and firewall location. The vehicle was significantly burned from the front end to the trunk. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. A fire department report and a police report were filed. There was no property damage. There was no physical injury sustained. The contact sustained mental trauma, causing headaches and the right side of the lip to quiver. The contact had called Gregory Fox, an investigative reporter and anchor at WESH 2 News(NBC), who notified the manufacturer of the failure. The manufacturer followed up with the contact and informed the contact that a third-party investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the fire incident. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard, where a third-party investigation was conducted, and the manufacturer informed the contact that the fire was caused by the Rockland Electric Mobility Scooter Lifter. The vehicle was totaled. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11729701

On April 2, 2026, the engine in my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe failed catastrophically while my wife was driving. The vehicle lost power suddenly and completely. There was no warning and no prior symptoms. She was able to pull over safely in a residential area. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Hyundai dealer, where the service representative suspects connecting rod bearing failure—the same failure mode described in NHTSA recalls 17V226 and 17V578 affecting other 2017 Santa Fe vehicles with the Theta II 2.4L engine. The engine is available for inspection upon request. My VIN does not appear in the recall population, yet the failure is identical to the documented defect. This suggests the recall scope was insufficient. One week prior, we drove this vehicle on a 500 mile family road trip with our child. The failure that occurred could have happened at highway speed. We are lucky to be alive. No warning indicators appeared before the failure. The vehicle has been regularly maintained. The problem has been preliminarily confirmed by the dealer as suspected bearing failure, pending teardown.

NHTSA ODI 11729427

ENGINE. IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. NO IT WASNT REPRODUCED OR CONFIRMED BY A DEALER, BUT HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A COUPLE AND ALSO ME SEEING THAT THE ENGINE WASNT ABLE TO MANUALLY BE CRANKED AT ALL. NO INSPECTION WAS DONE BY MANUFACTURR, POLICE, OR INSURANCE, BECAUSE IT DIDNT CAUSE A ACCIDENT. JUST ENGINE LIGHT WHICH HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLED THEY COULDNT FIX IT, BUT THAT WAS JUST STAYING ON ALL THE TIME FOR QUITE SOME TIME. NO FINALLY I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THIS CAN BE INVESTIGATED ON TO BE A RECALL SINCE THE ORIGINAL MILES ARE ONLY ABOUT 68000 AND SHOULDNT HAVE THESE PROBLEM AT THIS LOW MILEAGE.

NHTSA ODI 11727762

The vehicle is burning oil even when oil changes are done routinely. Then all of a sudden I have total loss of power will not go over 35 miles an hour. And climbing hill would not go over 20. It just happened no warning lights on dash So now I have a car that is still owning 8 grand on. So now a lawn ornament. I have seen on different formats. That there is hundreds having the same issue. Hyundai is not fixing the issue for any of us

NHTSA ODI 11727792

I purchase the 2017 Santa Fe Sport in October of 2023 with just short of 80K miles. It was in great condition and had no issues. I have maintained it according to Hyundai specification and regular on schedule oil changes with recommended 5w-20 full synthetic. At approximately 100K miles, I experienced an oil pressure light on the dash, when checked, the engine was approximately 2 quarts low. From this point on, the engine started consuming oil at an increasing rate all while I maintained regular maintenance. First, 1 quart a month, or about 1200 to 1500 miles, then to 1 quart every 2 weeks or 800 miles. I maintained weekly checks on the oil level and on the evening of 3/24/2026, I had added a quart, bringing the level to the midway point between the high and low dipstick markings. On the afternoon of 3/24/26 while driving on the highway in heavy, but at speed limit, traffic on the highway, I experienced a loss of power and a check engine light. I was able to exit the highway but the car started to run very rough and unable to idle. Luckily, there was no traffic approaching when I turned off the exit and made a left into parking lot to shut off the vehicle. I will be having it towed to a dealership in the next few days for their analysis.

NHTSA ODI 11727630

Bottom brake lights will not work but top high brake light works. I was stopped by police three times. They state all three brake lights must operate.

NHTSA ODI 11727182

Service Campaign Update 9C2 was installed. Since then erratic shifting occurs including up and down shifting without change in acceleration and deceleration or lag. This lasts between 1-5 minutes after initial vehicle start-up. This is dangerous when vehicle attempts to pull out into traffic. Hyundai has been aware of the issue as early as December 2025 but no notice of corrective action has been received.

NHTSA ODI 11727271

These vehicles are not suitable to be on the road, and you NHTSA and Hyundai are doing NOTHING ABOUT IT. These vehicles are EATING oil, a quart every 200 miles. My daughter(college) can't even go on a short road trip to another city without adding oil. The engines in these crap cars are blowing up left & right. There are numerous Facebook page groups for these and sister Kia vehicles with the same 2.4 engines. Thousands upon thousands of posts about engine oil and engines blowing up, no one doing anything about it. My daughter's car is beautiful, but worth NOTHING due to this issue, so we are out thousands of dollars on this. We are about to go to WAR with Hyundai on this and I'm sure we'll get nowhere. If we're lucky, they'll install a rebuilt engine...BUT IT"S THE SAME CRAP ENGINE!!!!!!! So we are ALL back to square ONE and NHTSA is doing NOTHING. This is a well known FLAW for years now.

NHTSA ODI 11726528

After performing regular oil changes, and even a new fuel pump sensor, I experienced an issue. Last oil change was within the past two weeks. Driving home from the mountains, I heard a knocking sound from the engine bay. I narrowed it down to all gears above 2500RPM, increasing knocking with RPM speed. I took it easy on the engine, mostly coasting down the mountain. Suddenly during acceleration on an uphill, a pop sounded, and copious white smoke started coming from the engine bay. I pulled over despite having no power brakes but I was fortunate to be near an off ramp in a rural area. Trying to troubleshoot roadside, i noticed fluid on the tie rod, but I wasnt able to determine what kind of fluid it was. When I try to start the car, there is one single click, the engine wont even attempt to turn over. Oil, battery and check engine lights are all on. After towing, I found that the fluid leaking from the vehicle is oil. The vehicle is currently at a transmission shop, but from my research, this isnt a transmission issue but a blown rod bearing the Hyundai engines are know for. I will be contacting a dealership to see if they will at least confirm my diagnosis.

NHTSA ODI 11725726

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe on March 11, 2024, from a private dealer with approximately 46,000. The contact was informed that the vehicle had only one owner who had leased the vehicle. Recently, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The mechanic retrieved a Carfax report and discovered that the vehicle had five previous owners and there were several mileage discrepancies. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 46,000. However, it was discovered that the last known accurate mileage on the vehicle was 113,000.

NHTSA ODI 11724587

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil after approximately 1,500 miles, 2 weeks after an oil change was performed. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle was sluggish while attempting to accelerate. The check engine warning light has been illuminated since purchasing the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with turbocharger failure. The contact was informed that the turbocharger needed to be replaced. There was no oil found on the dipstick when the oil level was checked. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The dealer determined that an oil consumption test was needed. Additionally, a cleaning of the oil system and an oil change were recommended. The vehicle was not repaired because it was not under recall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed to determine the cause of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11722183

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate to 40 MPH. In addition, the Hill Descent Assist and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was turned off and restarted, and the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that previously, there was a delay with the engine cranking with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was taken to alternate dealers; however, the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11722313

Engine failed at approximately 95000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11719008