2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems

Severe Issues

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. Part of Generation 3 — 2013–2018.

20162018
Complaints
1,192
per 10K Sold
89.5
US Sales
133,171
Crashes
20
Fires
40
Injuries
26
Fatalities
Recalls
6

Worst 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#1607 complaints

Engine Problems

Avg mileage:49,777 mi
Crash-related:1
Fires:12
#2147 complaints

Transmission / Drivetrain

Avg mileage:16,902 mi
Fires:3
#359 complaints

Electrical Faults

Avg mileage:26,844 mi
Crash-related:2
Fires:9
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe.

Engine Problems
607
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
12
Avg Miles
49,777
Transmission / Drivetrain
147
complaints
Crashes
Fires
3
Avg Miles
16,902
Electrical Faults
59
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
9
Avg Miles
26,844
Fuel System
52
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
1
Avg Miles
18,602
Unintended Acceleration
46
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
14,450
Brakes
34
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
4
Avg Miles
24,958
Steering Defects
26
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
28,156
Hydraulic Brakes
23
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
34,778
Engine & Cooling
18
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
109,359
Airbags
17
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
Avg Miles
38,621
Electronic Stability Control
9
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
11,956
Seat Belt Issues
7
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
5,800
Suspension Failures
7
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
39,417
Seat-Related Issues
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
11,689
Headlight/Taillight Failures
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
4
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
Body Structure
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Wipers & Visibility
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Sunroof/Moonroof
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Wheel Issues
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Instrument Cluster
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
Electrical System:Instrument Panel:Speedometer/Odometer
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Electrical System:Software
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Emission Control:Catalytic Convertor
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe

6 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~835,730 vehicles.

22V056000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module
~357,348 affected

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.

17V578000Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
~420 affected

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.

17V358000Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
~437,400 affected

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.

17V142000Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
~190 affected

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The affected vehicles have a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that may not have been set in the correct mode during vehicle assembly, and therefore will not provide an appropriate warning in the event of an underinflated tire. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

16V842000Trailer Hitches · Electrical System:wiring
~6,172 affected

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Tucson vehicles manufactured May 19, 2015, to November 14, 2016, and 2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured November 28, 2015, to November 14, 2016. The affected vehicles may be equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result, in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

16V145000Seat Belts:front:warning Light/devices
~34,200 affected

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015 to February 12, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses may be damaged by the seat's height adjuster mechanism, resulting in a failure to provide an audible warning when front seat occupants do not fasten their seat belts. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Other Hyundai Santa Fe Years

2017 Hyundai Santa Fe — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
Verdict: Severe Issues. The 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe has 1,192 NHTSA complaints, 20 crash-related, and 6 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Engine Problems with 607 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Top reported problems: Engine Problems (607 complaints, avg 49,777 mi); Transmission / Drivetrain (147 complaints, avg 16,902 mi); Electrical Faults (59 complaints, avg 26,844 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 39,144 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA complaints for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe include 20 crash-related reports, 40 fire reports, 26 injuries, and 0 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe have any recalls?
Yes — 6 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 835,730 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Proceed with extreme caution. The 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe shows significantly more complaints than average for its class. If you're buying one, a pre-purchase inspection and a VIN history check are essential — skip them and you're gambling.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Hyundai Santa Fe reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

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