2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

Excessive oil leaks. When I fix an oil leak another pop up. Im fixing my 4th oil leak. You can smell the oil burning. Engine is making knocking sounds. Hood latch is not working. You have to hold the hood or it will come down.

I have a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe with ~88,000 miles. I noticed on 12/18/2025 that the oil lamp light came on briefly then turned off. So, I decided to take my car in to get serviced on 12/19/2025. I was told that there is an oil consumption issue with the engine and that Hyundai would need to do a combustion cleaning, and worst case scenario a full engine replacement. Hyundai refuses to cover us under warranty because we transferred the car from my Mother-in-Law's name to my wife's name. I want to file this as a complaint to the NHTSA because a car that isn't even 10-years old AND has less than 90,000 miles should not be needing an engine replacement. Hyundai appears to be aware of the issue as my service advisor at the dealership has mentioned that several of their cars with this engine have the exact same issue. To me, this sounds like a defect and should have a recall.

I have maintained my car regularly. I use LOFSYNBLEND oil at 7500 mile intervals per car and oil manufacturer. At 70000 mile oil change the tech showed me that less than a quart of oil came out of the crankcase during the oil change. There were no visible leaks, no visible smoke coming out of the exhaust when I drove the car, and NO warning light. This was the first time that this issue was present to my knowledge. I am taking the vehicle to the dealer for an Official Oil Consumption Test.

Check engine light came on Oil Light came on then the vehicle shut off while I was driving. Safety was not good as I was driving the vehicle. I then had it towed to a shop to have it looked at. That is when I was told I would need a new motor due to a Crankshaft failure. The check engine light had come on the night before but when turning the vehicle on the next morning to take it to get looked at it was no longer on. Was driving it too the shop to have it looked at when it shut off on me while driving.

While driving- in total movement- the car completely shut off. Without any prior warning or indication. Immediately after, the car restarted, drove a couple blocks over, continuing to shut off while driving. It was then towed. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The warning lights did not appear until AFTER the car quit. They all came on & flashed & quickly went back out. Uncertain which component misfired or is affected- possibly related to an engine or fuel/ cylinder failure. Car is at mechanic for inspection. Our safety & lives were in critical jeopardy as the vehicle stopped without warning while driving in traffic congested area. It is unknown if this is a known issue or if this situation has been replicated however the current mechanic facility has experienced the same issue with this vehicle. Also strong odor of gas was experienced during shutoff.

“My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.4 has been experiencing severe oil consumption issues for a long time. I previously completed a combustion chamber cleaning service as recommended, but the problem continued. On November 10, the Hyundai dealership confirmed the engine oil was low and topped it off. On December 10, the oil was completely empty again with no warning lights. The dealer has documented the issue and recommended an engine replacement, but Hyundai is refusing to approve the repair . The vehicle continues to lose oil rapidly, creating a serious safety risk of engine failure or stalling while driving. This appears to be a known safety-related engine defect affecting this model.”

My vehicle has never missed an oil change or maintenance event yet at my last oil change my engine had burned through all its oil and no low oil light or check engine light came on. Hyundai is refusing to cover it under their warranty stating it occurred due to maintenance neglect even though all oil changes and maintenance events receipts were provided to Hyundai and are available in car fax.

# **NHTSA Complaint Answers** ### **1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?** The **engine** failed due to **sudden and extreme oil consumption** that resulted in the engine being completely dry of oil despite regular maintenance. This caused internal damage including **CVVT (Continuous Variable Valve Timing) system failure**, bearing damage, and a complete engine seizure. Yes, the failed engine is fully available for inspection upon request. The vehicle is currently located at Dick Smith Hyundai in Greenville, South Carolina, where the dealership diagnosed the failure and recommended a full engine long block replacement. ### **2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?** The engine failure occurred **suddenly and without warning**, causing the vehicle to lose power while operating. The loss of engine function created the risk of: * sudden deceleration in traffic, * inability to accelerate or maneuver, * potential rear-end collision, * complete engine stall in unsafe conditions. The vehicle had **no oil warning light** prior to the failure, meaning I had no indication that the engine was at risk until the failure occurred. ### **3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?** Yes. The engine failure was confirmed by: • **Schwab’s Automotive** in Fayetteville, NC – determined the engine suffered catastrophic internal damage and was not repairable. • **Dick Smith Hyundai** dealership – confirmed **high oil consumption and CVVT damage**, and recommended a full **engine long block replacement** (estimate: $8,160.60). The problem has been fully verified by both an independent mechanic and an authorized Hyundai dealership. ## **4.Yes.The vehicle was formally inspected by Hyundai Motor America through the dealership’s diagnostic report. Hyundai reviewed the case (Case #XXX) after receiving the dealership findings.The engine remains intact avai. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF IN

Engine went into limp mode and a knocking sound was heard. Had car inspected and oil changed but no improvements occurred. Took car to dealership and it failed engine test. Hyundai will not cover replacement under open extended warranty.

At 70,000 miles the Santa Fe was consuming oil at 1.5 quarts per 1000 miles. It is a 2.4 engine. The Hyundai dealership did an oil consumption test and verified the consumption. They want to do a combustion chamber cleaning and have me run it 1000 miles. The vehicle is unsafe because this defective engine could seize up at any time. I am trying to have Hyundai USA replace the engine asap. I have all my maintenance records and two warranties.