2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (140) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic (40) · Power Train (31)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Santa Fe Sport model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
156 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2022-02-03 · campaign 22V056000 · 357,348 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 218.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:hood:latch 2017-06-05 · campaign 17V358000 · 437,400 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Risk: If the hood is not securely closed or the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary latch cable, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for the recall is 163.
Seat Belts:front:anchorage 2017-06-05 · campaign 17V365000 · 17,160 vehicles
Defect: 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 during assembly.
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.
Fix: 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 service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for the recall is 165.
Service bulletins (198)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2026-10-15 · 26-GI-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (pdw) sensor(s) that may trigger various dtcs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the pdw sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple false alarms. this condition may be a res
Engine 2026-10-08 · 26-EM-016H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. all internal combustion engines consume some engine oil during normal operatio
Engine 2026-10-07 · 26-EM-015H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. all internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operatio
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-26 · Z05 OL · Warranty Program/Extension
certain vehicles may exhibit excessive paint peeling or bubbling of the primer/paint film on the exterior metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. this warranty extension only applies to factory-applied paint and does not cover collision-related paint
Electrical System 2026-05-23 · Z01 Letter · Warranty Program/Extension
certain 2012 – 2017 model year accent, 2012 – 2017 model year azera, 2013 – 2018 model year santa fe sport, 2013 – 2019 model year santa fe, and 2012 – 2017 model year veloster vehicles may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) may be set. at hyundai, we ar
Engine 2026-05-21 · 26-01-013H-2 DN · Service Campaign
certain santa fe (tma), santa fe sport (an), sonata (lfa), and tucson (tl) vehicles equipped with theta ii engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. the california air resources board has determined that these vehicles may be releasing air pollutants which exceed federal and california stan
Showing the 6 most recent of 198 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-15 · Engine“started car to reverse out of parking space and it started jerking as i accelerated. drove jerkily the few blocks i had to go to make it home. did not drive again but upon starting it the check engine light came on. contacted hyundai customer care who told me my car was covered under two extended warranties for a well documented engine failure on t…”
2026-10-15 · Power Train“after we had the hyundai 9c2 recall completed a few weeks ago, we immediately had rough shifting in our hyundai santa fe sport driving off the lot. problem has continued since, and is most notable after cold start/once the car has sat for an extended period of time. hyundai has released a drivability information on 5/18/26 regarding the known iss…”
2026-10-14 · Power Train“this is in reference to the hyundai 9c2 ecu software update for theta ii engines that have caused my 2017 santa fe sport to hesitate, surge and run poorly the first few minutes after a cold start! i contacted my dealership but they have not offered any resolution as of yet even though hyundai corporate is well aware of the problems caused by the …”
2026-10-12 · Fuel/Propulsion System“i was driving my car and it showed no signs of any issue but the engine light came on and started blinking so i pulled over and got it towed to a mechanic. he told me that i would need a new engine that would cost me $8000. i looked into it and found that there was a defect with my vehicles engine and that if i took it to a dealership, i could poss…”
2026-10-01 · Vehicle Speed Control“ harsh engagement or hesitation between gears 1 through 3 specifically during cold starts before the powertrain warms up. but also during driving in the highway. …”
2026-09-29 · Unknown Or Other“service campaigh 9c2 following completion of service campaign 9c2 (theta ii emissions improvement), certain vehicles may exhibit a brief hesitation or rough shifting condition during cold start operation. my 2017 hyundai santa fe sport has severe loss of power and rough jerky transmission after the update. this condition will definately cause uns…”
2026-09-17 · Engine“my 2017 hyundai santa fe was brought to a local hyundai dealership for routine maintenance on july 1, 2026. the 9c2 software update was installed, without my knowledge or consent, during this service. immediately after getting my car back, i noticed a problem starting the car (though no warning lights or alerts populated). the car seems to stall an…”
2026-09-17 · Vehicle Speed Control“campaign /service update 9c2 / tsb-25-01-087h broke my hyundai. the car hesitates idling and on acceleration. hyundai have no solution to this failed software update or acknowledging other issues it may be causing.…”
2026-09-14 · Vehicle Speed Control“i took my suv to get the 9c2 recall on 8/7/2026 performed and took it home. the next morning when i cranked it and left my driveway it acted as if the vehicle didn't recognize that i was pressing my accelerator. it sputtered and hesitated acceleration for about five minutes. it also acted as if it was not going to change from first to second gear. …”
2026-09-11 · Power Train“my 2017 hyundai santa fe sport exhibits a documented mechanical failure under active code p0420 (catalytic converter efficiency below threshold). this failure is the direct proximate consequence of a severe, long term manufacturing defect in the theta ii engine block, which has caused excessive oil consumption. following the official 1,000 - mile …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.