VehicleVerdict

2017 Hyundai Santa Fe engine problems

The 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe has 648 engine complaints filed with NHTSA — 53% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

648

Engine complaints

53%

Share of year

1

Crash-involved

1

Related recalls

Engine complaints by year

Santa Fe engine complaints by model year648 complaints2001: 46 complaints2002: 24 complaints2003: 29 complaints2004: 38 complaints2005: 18 complaints2006: 8 complaints2007: 71 complaints2008: 70 complaints2009: 67 complaints2010: 45 complaints2011: 72 complaints2012: 234 complaints2013: 279 complaints2014: 277 complaints2015: 160 complaints2016: 154 complaints2017: 648 complaints2018: 56 complaints2019: 67 complaints2020: 74 complaints2021: 36 complaints2022: 52 complaints2023: 37 complaints2024: 10 complaints2025: 10 complaints2026: 1 complaints
Santa Fe engine complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

17V578000EngineSeptember 20, 2017 · 420 units

Defect

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Santa Fe vehicles equipped with 3.3L engines. The crankshaft assemblies may have been produced with surface irregularities in the crankshaft pin, causing engine bearing wear.

Consequence

The engine bearing wear may cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Hyundai will notify all owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 168.

What owners report

“Car began to smoke from engine compartment. Stopped car in a driving lane on interstate 78 where construction barriers had closed both shoulders. Car then burst into flames. Car was a total loss before fire trucks were able to arrive. Just prior to the fire the Warning light for the abs system…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · December 15, 2022 · fire

Common questions

How many engine complaints does the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe have?

NHTSA has 648 complaints about the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe engine — 53% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe engine?

Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for this model year is tied to the engine: 17V578000.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.