2017 Hyundai SANTA FE SPORT

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2017 Hyundai SANTA FE SPORT has 453 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 5.7x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (46% of all complaints), specifically: my new hyundai santa fe has a hesitation or pause problem. randomly the engine or power train does not respond when attempting to accelerate. it is a dangerous safety problem when it happens. if you are entering a highway, slowing down and then re accelerating, entering an intersection from a stop s. ⚠️ 11 fire reports filed.

11 fire reports 4 crash reports 8 injuries

453

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

5.7x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

207 complaints

46%

• MY NEW HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAS A HESITATION OR PAUSE PROBLEM. RANDOMLY THE ENGINE OR POWER TRAIN DOES NOT RESPOND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. IT IS A DANGEROUS SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN IT HAPPENS. IF YOU ARE ENTERING A HIGHWAY, SLOWING DOWN AND THEN RE ACCELERATING, ENTERING AN INTERSECTION FROM A STOP S
• WITHIN DAYS OF TAKING DELIVERY, THE VEHICLE WOULD TAKE 3-4 SECONDS TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, AND WOULD NOT FULLY ACCELERATE UNTIL ALMOST 10 SECONDS LATER, CREATING A HUGE SAFETY ISSUES FOR TIMES WHEN SPEEDY ACCELERATION (AT INTERSECTIONS, CLOSE CALLS, ETC.) WAS PARAMOUNT. FROM THERE, THE INFOTAINM
• THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATION WHEN TURNING SOMETIMES. IN SPORT MODE ITS FINE BUT ECO AND REG IT ACTS UP. I WAS ALMOST T-BONED CAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT A INTERSECTION.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 5 fire reports

“MY NEW HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAS A HESITATION OR PAUSE PROBLEM. RANDOMLY THE ENGINE OR POWER TRAIN DOES NOT RESPOND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. IT IS A DANGEROUS SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN IT HAPPENS. IF YOU ARE ENTERING A HIGHWAY, SLOWING DOWN AND THEN RE ACCELERATING, ENTERING AN INTERSECTION FROM A STOP S”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

58 complaints

13%

• THE 2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT . THEY JAMMED IN THE DOORS AND HAVE RIPPED THE RUBBERS ON THE DOORS AND DO NOT RETRACT BACK WHEN GETTING OUT OF VEHICLE. . ALSO IN AN EMERGENCY BRAKING SITUATION THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT LOCK UP. SUSPENSION IS LOUSY AND IT FEELS AS IF IT HAS N
• THE WARNING LIGHT SAYING THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM IS TEMPORARILY DISABLED KEEPS COMING ON AND OFF MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY AND IT DISABLES THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN I AN DRIVING IN CRUISE CONTROL. IT HAPPENS WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION IN ALL KINDS OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND WEATHER AND HAVE
• I WAS MAKING A LOOP AROUND UNDER THE FREEWAY. IT WASN'T RAINING AND THE ROAD WAS DRY. IT WAS DAYLIGHT AND I WAS NOT GOING FAST. AS I MADE THE TURN, THE BRAKES AND STEERING WHEEL BOTH LOCKED UP. I COULDN'T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL OR BRAKE. I HIT THE MEDIAN AND NARROWLY MISSED HITTING A POLE. I

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“THE 2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT . THEY JAMMED IN THE DOORS AND HAVE RIPPED THE RUBBERS ON THE DOORS AND DO NOT RETRACT BACK WHEN GETTING OUT OF VEHICLE. . ALSO IN AN EMERGENCY BRAKING SITUATION THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT LOCK UP. SUSPENSION IS LOUSY AND IT FEELS AS IF IT HAS N”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

38 complaints

• MY NEW HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAS A HESITATION OR PAUSE PROBLEM. RANDOMLY THE ENGINE OR POWER TRAIN DOES NOT RESPOND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. IT IS A DANGEROUS SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN IT HAPPENS. IF YOU ARE ENTERING A HIGHWAY, SLOWING DOWN AND THEN RE ACCELERATING, ENTERING AN INTERSECTION FROM A STOP S
• WITHIN DAYS OF TAKING DELIVERY, THE VEHICLE WOULD TAKE 3-4 SECONDS TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, AND WOULD NOT FULLY ACCELERATE UNTIL ALMOST 10 SECONDS LATER, CREATING A HUGE SAFETY ISSUES FOR TIMES WHEN SPEEDY ACCELERATION (AT INTERSECTIONS, CLOSE CALLS, ETC.) WAS PARAMOUNT. FROM THERE, THE INFOTAINM
• THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATION WHEN TURNING SOMETIMES. IN SPORT MODE ITS FINE BUT ECO AND REG IT ACTS UP. I WAS ALMOST T-BONED CAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT A INTERSECTION.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

33 complaints

• BACKUP CAMERA GOES DARK DURING OPERATION, USUALLY RIGHT AFTER TURNING ON THE CAR. THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF THE DRIVER CAN NOT SEE WHILE BACKING UP.
• I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 70 MPH APPROXIMATELY 4:45 AM WHEN I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION. MY MIDDLE PANEL OF MY PANORAMIC SUNROOF EXPLODED CAUSING A CIRCULAR HOLE IN THE SUNROOF INITIALLY WHICH EVENTUALLY CAUSED THE ENTIRE MIDDLE PANEL TO BREAK A PART. THERE WERE NO MOTOR VEHICLES AROUND ME A
• THE VEHICLE HESITATES WHEN COMING OUT OF TURNS AND ROLLING STOPS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. MORE FREQUENT WHEN IN ECO MODE, IS AN ISSUE TO A LESSER DEGREE IN OTHER DRIVING MODES.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports

“BACKUP CAMERA GOES DARK DURING OPERATION, USUALLY RIGHT AFTER TURNING ON THE CAR. THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF THE DRIVER CAN NOT SEE WHILE BACKING UP.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

24 complaints

• THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATION WHEN TURNING SOMETIMES. IN SPORT MODE ITS FINE BUT ECO AND REG IT ACTS UP. I WAS ALMOST T-BONED CAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT A INTERSECTION.
• 2017 SANTA FE SPORT 2.0T ULTIMATE AWD - HESITATION OCCURS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM LOW SPEEDS, MOST FREQUENTLY OBSERVED WHEN MAKING TURNS. STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR CAUSES THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT TO BLINK AND THE ENGINE TO EFFECTIVELY STALL OUT FOR A FEW SECONDS. WHEN THE THROTTLE DOES ENGAGE AFT
• VEHICLE HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOPPED OR SLOW SPEED, SUCH AS PULLING INTO AN INTERSECTION. THE VEHICLE HESITATES FOR A SECOND OR MORE BEFORE ACCELERATING. THIS HAS HAPPENED MOST FREQUENTLY WHEN PULLING INTO AN INTERSECTION FROM A STOP, YOU HIT THE GAS & NO RESPONSE FROM THE VEHICLE.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATION WHEN TURNING SOMETIMES. IN SPORT MODE ITS FINE BUT ECO AND REG IT ACTS UP. I WAS ALMOST T-BONED CAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT A INTERSECTION.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 453 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: MY NEW HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAS A HESITATION OR PAUSE PROBLEM. RANDOMLY THE ENGINE OR POWER TRAIN DOES NOT RESPOND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. IT IS A DANGEROUS SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN IT HAPPENS. IF YOU ARE ENTERING A HIGHWAY, SLOWING DOWN AND THEN RE ACCELERATING, ENTERING AN INTERSECTION FROM A STOP S
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: THE 2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT . THEY JAMMED IN THE DOORS AND HAVE RIPPED THE RUBBERS ON THE DOORS AND DO NOT RETRACT BACK WHEN GETTING OUT OF VEHICLE. . ALSO IN AN EMERGENCY BRAKING SITUATION THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT LOCK UP. SUSPENSION IS LOUSY AND IT FEELS AS IF IT HAS N
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: MY NEW HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAS A HESITATION OR PAUSE PROBLEM. RANDOMLY THE ENGINE OR POWER TRAIN DOES NOT RESPOND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. IT IS A DANGEROUS SAFETY PROBLEM WHEN IT HAPPENS. IF YOU ARE ENTERING A HIGHWAY, SLOWING DOWN AND THEN RE ACCELERATING, ENTERING AN INTERSECTION FROM A STOP S
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: BACKUP CAMERA GOES DARK DURING OPERATION, USUALLY RIGHT AFTER TURNING ON THE CAR. THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF THE DRIVER CAN NOT SEE WHILE BACKING UP.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)