Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle struggled while accelerating before there was an abnormal bang coming from the engine compartment. The contact was able to coast to the side of the roadway and received Roadside Assistance; however, the vehicle failed to restart. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, Roadside Assistance observed oil leaking from the engine and stopped the attempts to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that a piston had fractured, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal and attempting to overtake another vehicle, the vehicle failed to immediately respond, and the vehicle decelerated. Additionally, the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power while driving at various speeds and decelerated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who could not duplicate the failure or determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 10,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic where she was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V056000 (Service Brake, Hydraulics). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it remained. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
COMPONENT FAILED: Theta II 2.4L GDI engine connecting rod bearings. Vehicle has 95,000 miles. Engine available for inspection in [redacted] . 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. …
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 diagnostic driving protocol completed on [redacted], Keffer Hyundai (a Hyundai dealer located in [redacted]) service department officially confirmed the active code P0420 catalytic converter failure. They issued a formal written recommendation to replace the entire engine assembly but generated an out-of-pocket consumer estimate of $10,035. …
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. …
I was pulling onto I75 at 6:00am when my car started shuttering, making a clicking/ knocking noise and slowing way down. Thankfully I was able to make it onto the shoulder before causing an accident. I was unable to accelerate enough to go anywhere so I called a tow truck. My car is burning oil at an extremely fast rate. I have to get my oil refilled about every 7-10 days with the only warning of low oil being a flicker of my oil light. Continue to be shut down by Hyundai when we mention it. Everyone I know with this engine has had to have it replaced or get a new car. But Hyundai doesn't want to do anything about mine. Currently sitting in their lot and they said it would be about a month before they would even look at it.
Driving down a 4 lane highway my car refused to accelerate and started shaking vigorously. My vehicles check engine light began to flask on and off. Had to pull off the high way and take the back roads the rest of the way home in fear that it would stop in the middle of the street. As we drove home, every time we would slow down or had to come to a stop the car would continue to shake and rattle with the check engine going and and off the rest of the way home. Took this to the dealership and they stated that I have a burnt exhaust valve on cylinder #2 along with needing a new catalytic converter and told me I should just replace the entire engine. I have 67k miles on a 2017 hyundai Santa Fe.
The engine in my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, specifically the 2.4L Theta II engine, failed and is available for inspection upon request. This failure caused the vehicle to stall unexpectedly while driving, creating a serious safety hazard due to the sudden loss of power and control. The issue has been diagnosed by a Hyundai dealership, which confirmed the engine requires replacement due to internal failure. The manufacturer has denied warranty coverage, alleging maintenance neglect by the previous owner. Prior to the failure, the Check Engine light illuminated, the vehicle began making knocking noises, and it experienced a loss of power before stalling.
My car is burning to much oil which has caused my car to have a check engine light. I was not due for an oil change until end of July 2023 and the car was barely with no oil. I took it in to get an oil change at Valvoline and they confirmed no oil was hardly in the chamber and that my car needed an oil consumption test by dealer. Hyundai models have been having multiple issues with engine failure. This is a safety Hazard as on the road is when I noticed my car shutting off on me. I am working on getting this taken care of with corporate Hyundai and dealer.
Transmission complaints in other Santa Fe Sport years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 12% of the model year's 356 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 3,000 miles, and 85% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.