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2017 Hyundai Santa fe sport

The Verdict

40 Proceed with Caution

The 2017 Hyundai Santa fe sport has 334 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are engine (215 complaints) and body (53 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 40/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Hyundai Santa fe sport, consider the 2016 model year which has 80% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2016 has 80% fewer complaints

View the 2016 Hyundai Santa fe sport dashboard →

40

Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution

About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Recalls 1

Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.

17V365000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the bolt for the driver's seat belt anchor might not have been sufficiently tightened ...

Risk

If the bolt was not sufficiently tightened, driver's seat belt may come unanchored in a collision, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.

Remedy

Hyundai will notify owners and dealers will verify that the driver's seatbelt anchor is properly secured, free of charge. The recall began July 7, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer servi...

Reported May 6, 2017

Get notified if a recall hits this car.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
2013273741165
2014202551042
20157195443
20161144441
201753451121510
20186056252559

By Category

Engine
215
Body
53
Brakes
45
Electrical
11
Transmission
10

By Severity

1
167
2
153
3
2
4
12

Worst Problems

Complaints

Engine 2

After a recall repair (Campaign 9C2) was performed on my vehicle, it developed a hesitation and lack of acceleration issue that did not exist before the repair. The vehicle exhibits rough or delayed gear shifting, a noticeable lack of power/acceleration, and behavior that feels like the engine is not receiving adequate fuel. This occurs both during cold start and after the vehicle has been driven and is fully warm. I returned the vehicle to the dealership (Wallace Hyundai), where the service advisor personally test drove the car with me and confirmed he could feel the hesitation firsthand. Despite this, the dealership stated no issue was found and advised warming the car up for 1-3 minutes before driving as a workaround. I tested this exact recommendation, and the issue returned even after the vehicle was fully warmed and had already been driven. Hyundai Motor America's National Consumer Affairs department has stated this is "under review" but has also described the hesitation as "normal" cold-start behavior related to catalyst warm-up. This does not match what I am experiencing, since the issue also occurs when the vehicle is already warm, and their own dealership's advisor confirmed the problem exists. I have also noticed a decrease in fuel efficiency (MPG) since the software update associated with this recall. This issue directly affects the safe operation of the vehicle — specifically the ability to accelerate reliably, including in situations like merging onto highways or pulling into traffic, where a lack of power could result in a collision. I do not consider the vehicle safe to drive in its current condition.

10d ago
Engine 2

Campaign 9C2 was installed on this vehicle and the now the vehicle is a danger to drive. My wife refuses to drive it as it bucks and jerks as well as the gas mileage has decreased from 35 highway to 28 highway. The fuel trims are way off on cold starts and the transmission now searches for the correct gear. Shifting back and forth. Just a slight touch of the accelerator and the car seems to jump forward which makes stop and go driving almost impossible.

23d ago
Body 1

Steering column sensor issue reported by Hyundai dealership. This has happened a several times before causing the steering wheel to “lock up” when driving making it very hard to turn my wheel. I have had to pull over, stop, and turn off the car and then back on again, which resets it, and I’m able to drive as normal, until it happens again. This most recent time, 6/2026, I was able to take it in to a dealership when the warning lights were on. He did a recalibration, however, later when driving, the same issue arose at high speeds, on the fwy, causing me to exit and pull over. * I noted 2- 3 warning lights came on during the malfunction.

24d ago
Body 1

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Multiple systems have failed sequentially — engine (replaced at ~84,000 miles), catalytic converter (replaced post engine replacement), and transmission (currently stalling, pending replacement authorization from Hyundai Corporate). The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle stalls during the first few miles of every drive before stabilizing. This creates an immediate risk of accident on public roads, particularly at intersections, highway on-ramps, and in traffic. Despite this known safety hazard, the dealership returned the vehicle to me unrepaired on June 22, 2026, and deemed it safe to drive. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Fort Mill Hyundai (805 Gold Hill Road, Fort Mill, SC 29708) has confirmed they can physically feel the stalling issue but stated they do not have sufficient data to submit to Hyundai Corporate for transmission replacement authorization. An independent mechanic also previously confirmed the engine issue that the dealership initially dismissed. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes. Fort Mill Hyundai, an authorized Hyundai dealership, has inspected the vehicle multiple times over several years. The dealership is actively coordinating with Hyundai Motor America Corporate regarding the transmission replacement. Invoice reference: [XXX], dated June 22, 2026. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes. Check engine and brake warning lights first appeared at approximately 64,000 miles. These lights recurred repeatedly every ~1,000 miles despite multiple dealership visits. Subsequent symptoms included engine hesitation and loss of power, fol INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

26d ago
Engine 2

My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe sport has never had any issues until last Friday when I took my car to the dealership for regular maintenance (oil change, tire rotation) as I always do. They also performed a software update for recall campaign 9C2. Every day since, when first starting the car after it’s been resting for a while, I’ve experienced a jerky transmission and rough shifting for a first couple minutes of driving. Hyundai has acknowledged they are aware of this issue related to the campaign and the dealership said they’ve had many customers complaining of the same problem following the recall update. However, Hyundai has offered no resolution, other than recommending the car warm up for 13 minutes after starting. Hyundai needs to correct the issue they caused, as my car was perfectly fine before it was serviced and now it’s not performing properly.

1mo ago
Engine 2

Following the completion of an official emissions recall software upgrade at Fitzgerald Auto Mall Countryside, Clearwater Florida, my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (52,000 miles) now suffers from a severe loss of motive power and erratic transmission shifting/jerking during cold starts throughout day. The vehicle continues to hesitate during cold starts, making it impossible to safely accelerate from a stop into incoming traffic. I returned to dealership on 5/29/26 to address continued driving issues. The servicing dealership states they don't have a software fix and offer no mechanical fix. The dealership states they received an internal memo from Hyundai Corporate which instructed the dealership to tell affected owners to idle the vehicle for 1-3 minutes before driving to allow system adjustments. Forcing a consumer to wait out a dangerous powertrain defect in a running vehicle to avoid a roadway acceleration/loss accident is an unacceptable safety hazard. The manufacturers recall update has actively compromised the safe operation and motive control of this vehicle.

1mo ago
Engine 2

After the ECM recall for a software update the car would not run correctly. It jerks and and runs rough. It almost stalls when you put your foot on the gas. I took it back to the dealer and they can not get the problem to duplicate. Noone else has looked at the problem. There were never any problems with the care until the recall. The problem occurred the day I brought the car home from the ECM update.

1mo ago
Engine 1

Hello, I was driving home from work with my six-month old in the car and the engine stalled while on the Belleville Turnpike. It seized and I was almost rear-ended by a tractor trailer hauling lumber to the lumber yard just a few streets away. I couldn't move the car and was afraid of how to even attempt to secure my car as my daughter was strapped in her car seat. An extremely nice man pulled over and began to flag vehicle to go around me. By this time, I had only my hazard lights on. I was frightened beyond belief having gone through that experience. The car was towed to the dealership who confirmed it was catastrophic engine failure(misfire of a cylinder). They stated initially with my 3rd party warrant that it would be covered and in their words " it was a good thing I had a warranty". Fast forward to two weeks after I check to see what is going on. Things have changed. Now, because I am missing one oil change receipt, they need to be paid $1400, to further corroborate the cause of the engine failure. I haven't paid and honestly don't plan on paying them anything. To date, I have spent over $2,000 on car rental fees since my car is now sitting at the Global Hyundai Dealership.

1mo ago
Engine 1

After my Hyundai dealership performed a recall on emissions my Santa Fe Sport started having problems on cold starts. After it has set for a few hours when I would put into gear and start to driving the car acted as though it was trying to flood out. I have to feather the accelerator and drive very carefully for at least 1/2 - 3/4 miles. This is very dangerous and make me very uncomfortable driving. I took my vehicle back to my Hyundai dealer and the mechanic told me they were waiting for a recall to the recall. How stupid!!! It has been over a month and nothing has been done to fix the problem. Please advise!

1mo ago
Engine 1

NO power till car warms up for 5 minutes. It will be jerky on highway. The gas mileage is going down drastically, I was doing 32 miles to gallon and now it's 22mpg. All this is after the recall we just had performed. I have no power trying to avoid accidents, taking off from stopping. Car smells weird now.

1mo ago
Engine 1

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH a loud noise and smoke was suddenly present coming from under the hood of the vehicle and the engine stalled. The vehicle was towed back to the home. The contact indicated that during the failure no warning messages or lights had displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 83,000.

2mo ago
Body 2

am filing a formal complaint regarding an official software update provided by Hyundai that completely corrupted the infotainment/head unit system in my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. I purchased this vehicle from CarMax less than three weeks ago. The vehicle came equipped with Hyundai Blue Link, so I contacted Hyundai support to activate the service by pressing the Blue Link button inside the vehicle. Hyundai informed me that my vehicle required a software update because the current system did not contain the necessary software for Blue Link to function properly. A Hyundai representative directed me to Hyundai’s official update website and provided instructions for completing the update. Following Hyundai’s instructions exactly, I purchased and formatted a USB drive, downloaded the update using my VIN from Hyundai’s official website, properly extracted the files, and installed the update into the vehicle. During the installation process, the update failed and corrupted the head unit system. The display now continuously shows “Update Unsuccessful” with Error Code 106. Since the failed Hyundai update, multiple vehicle systems no longer function properly, including the backup camera, Bluetooth, hands-free calling, Blind Spot functionality, radio, map/display system, automatic headlights, and automatic radio shutoff when opening the driver door. I now have to manually operate systems that previously worked automatically. I contacted Hyundai customer support multiple times and was repeatedly transferred between departments. I was incorrectly referred to navigation support even though my vehicle has a non-navigation system. Navigation support confirmed this was a Hyundai issue and stated they could not assist. When I contacted Hyundai again, I explained every step I followed, and the representative acknowledged that I appeared to have completed the update process correctly. Despite Hyundai’s official software causing this failure

2mo ago
Engine 2

I was driving on a main road at 55-60 mph with my daughter and grandchildren in the car and had a sudden loss of power. I was almost hit from behind. The check engine light started blinking. And the car went into limp mode. I had to limp it to the nearest place to safely get off the road so as not to put my family in any other danger.There is not enough shoulder on the road to pull over safely. It was very stressful. Was able to get it in someone's driveway and then eventually towed to Auburn,NY Hyundai/Chevrolet where it is currently. It would not turn over to start again. It does have battery power. I am waiting to hear from the service techs as to what they think is wrong. They advised me that there is a $199 per hour diagnostic fee. I also told them that we noticed metal flakes in the oil when we checked it. I feel I should mention that the vehicle went into limp mode a few weeks ago also and the dealership told me the knock sensor was bad. I had that replaced at that time.

2mo ago
Engine 1

THIS IS AN UPDATE TO EXISTING NHTSA ODI COMPLAINT #11735718 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, TXXI Theta II engine defect. UPDATE: On May 7, 2026, Hyundai Case Manager acknowledged in writing "Your case is important to us" and "2.4L THETA concerns" for Case #42623761. This is written admission the vehicle has the TXXI defect covered by warranty extension to 120,000 miles. I gave Hyundai 48 hours to provide written authorization for oil consumption test per their TSB 22-EM-003H. After 3 days they are silent. They refuse email communication despite documented language barrier. Current Vehicle Status: - Active DTC P0010 causing loss of power and stalling risk - Oil Consumption: 1 liter per 600km, which is 3x Hyundai failure threshold in TSB 22-EM-003H - 95,772 miles, under TXXI 120,000 mile warranty limit - U.S. Spec vehicle covered by TXXI Warranty Extension Hyundai is violating Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act by refusing to honor written warranty for known safety defect. The P0010 defect causes sudden loss of power while driving. Requesting immediate NHTSA intervention to compel Hyundai to perform warranty repair.

2mo ago
Engine 2

Immediately following the implementation of Service Campaign 9C2 and TSB 25-01-087H - ECU Update for THETA II Emissions Logic Improvement, the vehicle exhibits poor drivability (staggering/missing/hesitation) until the engine warms up. This is most noticeable just prior to the shift from first to second gear.

2mo ago
Engine 1

COMPONENT FAILED: Theta II 2.4L GDI engine connecting rod bearings. Vehicle has 95,000 miles. Engine available for inspection in [XXX] . SAFETY RISK: Engine knock + limp mode at 1500 RPM caused sudden loss of power on highway. Oil consumption 1L/700km risks catastrophic engine seizure while driving. CONFIRMED BY DEALER: Independent service center confirmed DTC P0010 from metal debris. Hyundai Motor America Case #42623761 confirmed recall coverage but refuses remedy. INSPECTION: Manufacturer aware via Case #42623761. Local Hyundai dealers non-responsive. No police/insurance inspection. WARNING SYMPTOMS: Engine knock started at ~94,000 miles. Check Engine Light with DTC P0010. Progressive oil consumption. Limp mode activated at 95,000 miles. HYUNDAI VIOLATION: Hyundai confirmed via email they refuse to honor Safety Recall 162 / Service Campaign 966 Lifetime Warranty for VIN [XXX] despite all symptoms matching recall description. Request NHTSA compel Hyundai to authorize Bearing Clearance Test and engine replacement. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2mo ago
Engine 1

Hair line creak in oil pan. Creak has caused excessive oil consumption and leaks on pavement. Issue was confirmed by Antwerpen Hyundai and oil pan was replaced on 4/28/2026 at a cost of $520.00. As above reported to dealer. Problem started, 1st. noticed about 9 to 12 months.

2mo ago
Engine 2

My ABS Lights the triangle with the ! In the middle goes in and off the down hill control light and the sweet control light all go on when the ABS light goes on my oil was completely dry had to add two quarts while the engine was ticking when started and when accelerating it was making a clicking noise I still had 3000 miles before needed an oil change but like I said it was bone dry and then the drivers seat was going back and not wanting to come back up I’ve only had the car 42 days and it’s having all kinds of problems

2mo ago
Body 1

The vehicle is experiencing a massive paint adhesion failure (white pearl paint), which is peeling off in large sheets from the hood and roof. This is a severe manufacturing defect. At highway speeds, paint flakes fly off, posing a significant safety hazard to other drivers and obstructing visibility. Furthermore, the exposed metal is prone to rapid corrosion, which compromises the structural integrity of the body panels. Despite contacting Hyundai Motor America (Case #XXX), the manufacturer has refused to provide a timely resolution or cover the repair cost of $4,650, as estimated by an authorized dealer." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

3mo ago
Body 1

Abs, traction control lights, emergency braking lights on .. tire sensors are bad. Causing intermittent issue with the lights. For 3 years I've been trying to get my ABS/traction control fixed at Hyundai, that dealership refused to acknowledge there was an issue. I had a code from a car place since I live over an hour away and they said they couldn't use it since it wasn't from them. I have an extended warranty there. Went to another dealership and was immediately told it was the tire sensors. That he used to work at the other dealership and they saw it all the time. I now see Palisades have a tire sensor issue. Heck I've been dealing with this for years, and apparently so are many other Hyundai owners, according to this Hyundai employee. Now they're trying to overcharge me and saying my warranty will only cover a quarter of what they want. My deductible is only 100 if I don't get the work done at the original place, the one that said there isn't a problem. I've had it with Hyundai. They are unsafe and don't care about customer service.

3mo ago

334 total

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