YearToAvoid

2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Engine Problems

Engine problems account for 227 of 350 complaints (65%) filed on the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, including 5 fires and 1 injury. Median mileage at failure is 62,521 miles, and NHTSA lists no related recall for this issue.

Engine complaints
227
65% of 350
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
5
Injuries reported
1
Median mileage
62,521 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical engine symptoms owners report

  • Owners describe sudden loss of engine power and stalling at low speed, sometimes with steering seizing up.
  • Several complaints describe smoke or flames coming from under the hood, in some cases after stop-and-go driving or highway cruising.
  • Owners report hesitation or delayed acceleration from a stop, especially when turning or entering intersections, which they call a safety risk.
  • One owner reported a replaced engine that later caught fire during a dealership test drive.
  • A fuel injector failure was linked to excess fuel found mixed into the engine oil after a stall.

When 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport engine complaints were filed

First complaint Apr 19, 2017, latest Sep 17, 2026.

2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport engine complaints: complaints filed per quarter192017 Q22018 Q42020 Q32021 Q42023 Q12024 Q22025 Q3
227 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2017 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2025 Q3 (19).

Engine recalls for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Engine complaints by Santa Fe Sport model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 2013118 (60%)
  2. 2014105 (65%)
  3. 201546 (56%)
  4. 201645 (65%)
  5. 2017227 (65%)
  6. 2018209 (65%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are engine problems in the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
NHTSA has logged 227 engine-related complaints out of 350 total complaints for this model year, or 65% of all complaints filed.
Is there a recall for the 2017 Santa Fe Sport engine?
No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for this engine issue.
At what mileage do engine problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA is 62,521 miles.
Have there been fires linked to the engine problem?
Yes, NHTSA complaint data lists 5 fires and 1 injury tied to engine complaints on this model year.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.