2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Complaints

Vehicle: 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Mileage at Failure: ~129,000 miles Issue Type: Engine Failure / Valve / PCV-Related Defect Manufacturer & Dealer Both Denied Repair My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe suffered a sudden engine failure at around 129,000 miles. The Hyundai dealer verbally told me the failure was caused by a faulty PCV valve, which is a known issue in Hyundai engines and can lead to severe oil loss, crankcase pressure problems, and ultimately engine failure. However, the printed diagnostic paperwork they provided listed a different reason for the failure, and the descriptions do not match what I was told verbally. This inconsistency makes me believe the cause is related to a known Hyundai engine defect that the manufacturer is not acknowledging. I contacted Hyundai Motor America directly, provided documentation, and requested warranty or goodwill repair assistance. They denied the claim even though the failure was due to a defective engine component and not misuse. This engine failure created a dangerous situation and appears to be consistent with Hyundai’s history of valve, oil system, and internal component defects. Given the mismatch between the verbal explanation and the written diagnosis, I am concerned the dealer and manufacturer are avoiding responsibility for a known defect. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate Hyundai for potential PCV-valve-related engine failures and inconsistent denial practices.

My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe suffered a crankshaft/bearing failure identical to NHTSA Recall 17V578000. Hyundai states my VIN was not included in the recall, but the vehicle has the same 3.3L engine, the same failure, and the same symptoms described in the recall bulletin. The engine has never been replaced. The defect appears broader than the recall VIN range. They are refusing to replace the defective engine.

On November 28, 2025 at approximately 2:20am, I was involved in a multi-car pile up crash on Interstate 85 south near Durham NC. At least 5 vehicles were involved and significantly damaged. At least two drivers were taken by ambulance to local hospitals. Fortunately I was not one of them. I was driving in the left lane of the 2 lane southbound interstate. It happened right in front of me and I had no chance of completely avoiding it so I veered to my left onto the shoulder to attempt to avoid a direct hit on the large Nissan SUV that was now straddling both lanes. I hit the front of the Nissan and the guardrail almost simultaneously at somewhere around 50 to 60mph which caused considerable damage to the front right quadrant and the entire drivers side of my vehicle, but my airbags never deployed and I sustained moderate to significant injury to my arms, shoulders, chest and neck, most likely due to how I was gripping the steering wheel in anticipation of the impact and from the seat belt. I did not require medical treatment at the scene but have since received treatment at home. I believe the airbags should have deployed given my speed at impact and where my vehicle came in contact with both the Nissan SUV as well as the guardrail. I believe this was a clear failure of the airbag system in my vehicle, which has since been deemed to be totaled by my insurance company.

While driving on the highway at normal speed, the vehicle suddenly lost power with no prior warning lamps or messages, placing me and other road users at immediate risk. The engine rapidly began knocking, lost acceleration, then stalled completely. I had to coast to the shoulder, which was extremely dangerous in high-speed traffic. The failure appears consistent with bearing wear and debris circulation described in Hyundai Recall 168 and TSB 17-01-071, which warn that certain Hyundai 3.3L engines can suffer internal metallic debris contamination during manufacturing. This can restrict oil flow, damage the bearings, and lead to sudden engine seizure without warning — exactly what happened in this incident. After the failure, the engine was inspected by a Hyundai dealership, but no oil sample, no debris test, and no photo documentation were provided, even though the recall procedure requires these steps when symptoms match knock/no-start failure patterns. The cause was not reproduced or confirmed by any independent mechanical test; the vehicle simply failed suddenly and has remained inoperable since. The incident created a major safety risk because the sudden loss of power happened at highway speed with no safe way to maintain vehicle control or speed. Based on known recall documentation, the symptoms match the described safety-related engine defect. The vehicle remains available for inspection. There were no injuries or police reports, but the situation definitely could have resulted in a crash. In my assessment, this is a critical safety defect related to internal engine debris and bearing failure, consistent with the known Hyundai recall pattern for this engine family

The engine of our 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport has been significantly problematic since we first purchased the vehicle in 2017. These issues have been well documented by other Hyundai owners and have resulted in class action lawsuits. After purchasing our vehicle new from dealer, it began experiencing difficulties, consuming large amounts of oil, spewing smoke from the tailpipe, leaving metal shavings in the engine oil, failing to start, and at times going into a protection mode to keep the engine from further damage and restrict speed above 15 miles per hour. The vehicle had to be towed multiple times at our own expense. Hyundai delayed replacement of the engine for months resulting in thousands of additional miles being put on the vehicle under unsafe operating conditions. Hyundai reluctantly replaced the engine in February of 2024. What appears to not be well-documented in NHTSA complaints are the impacts of these engine issues to other Hyundai components and parts. Hyundai replaced our original engine but did not replace the engine’s catalytic converter. 20 months later, the check engine light has illuminated again as a direct result of oil sludge and buildup from accelerated oil consumption. In November 2025, the dealership identified the fault code P0420 for catalyst efficiency system below threshold. We have experienced a loss of acceleration, increased fumes, and decreased fuel efficiency as a result of the catalytic converter failure, and believe the vehicle is no longer safe to drive at high speeds on freeways. The dealership has confirmed damage to the catalytic converter and has quoted a replacement fee that is $5000, almost $1000 higher than other dealerships in our area. We asked for the dealership to submit a request to HMA for goodwill assistance and were denied on November 24th. We strongly believe that Hyundai is responsible for both the damage to the catalytic converter as well as the safety concerns caused by this issue.

The contact's mother owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while the owner was driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with loss of compression in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine failure was a known failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

We had the oil changed like always and shortly after I was checking the oil and it was not even on the dipstick so I added some and checked for leaks anywhere did not see any than we had problems with it barely accelerating so took it to dealership the performed the anti knock sensor upgrade for free and when I asked about the oil consumption they said that I needed to do a engine clean and all kinds of stuff came to like $400 so I had them do it because I can not have my wife stranded somewhere after all that they changed the oil again that was another $80 they said to bring it back at 1000 miles for them to check brought it back at 700 miles already used 1.5 qts they said engine is junk but cannot get anything done about because it had at the time 120000 miles

It sounds like the rod inside are hitting need a new engine. Auto shop said need a new engine. Engine has 125000 that all no oil leak no other problems.

My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe experienced a sudden and complete engine failure without any warning signs. There were no warning lights, no check engine light, and no unusual noise before the failure. The engine stalled while trying to start, ran very rough for a second, and then completely shut off. After that, the engine would not start again at all. A certified independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and confirmed the engine suffered a mechanical failure consistent with rod bearing wear or crankshaft damage, which is the same issue described in Hyundai’s known engine safety recalls. I later took the vehicle to a Hyundai dealership. They also confirmed that the engine had failed, but said it could not be repaired under Hyundai’s programs because my vehicle was not listed in the specific recall. 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 shutdown created a serious safety risk, especially because there was no warning before it failed. This failure matches the symptoms described in Hyundai’s Theta II engine defect investigations. 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.

The engine seized back in August 2025. The engine stopped working while I was driving on a Main Street and almost caused an accident. Unfortunately I put other drivers at risk when this happened. The engine issue was confirmed and inspected by the victorville Hyundai dealership in California. There was not any warning lamps prior to this.