Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On November 28, 2025 at approximately 2:20am, I was involved in a multi-car pile up crash on Interstate 85 south near Durham NC. At least 5 vehicles were involved and significantly damaged. At least two drivers were taken by ambulance to local hospitals. Fortunately I was not one of them. I was driving in the left lane of the 2 lane southbound interstate. It happened right in front of me and I had no chance of completely avoiding it so I veered to my left onto the shoulder to attempt to avoid a direct hit on the large Nissan SUV that was now straddling both lanes. …
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that after the completion of an unknown air bag recall repair, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the dealer determined that the front passenger's side lower seat assembly needed to be replaced due to the Passenger Occupant Detection System (PODS) failure, Part Number: B149000; however, the part was not available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent automated emails advising of the estimated time of availability of the part; however, the part had not been available, and there was no further communication from the manufacturer. The dealer advised the contact to remove the vehicle from the property because of the manufacturer. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated and remained on, despite no accident occurring. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who could not determine the failure and advised the contact to visit the dealer. At the dealer, the vehicle was diagnosed with a failed passenger air bag inflator that needed replacement. The dealer also found that the SRSCM (Supplemental Restraint System Control Module) required replacement due to the part shorting the inflator. The airbag was replaced, but the dealer refused to replace the SRSCM as it was no longer under warranty. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure occurred at approximately 77,000 miles.
There is a defective passenger presence detecting bladder on front passenger seat. My safety and the safety of my family are put at risk because if this sensor is not working, the car won't be able to detect if has someone on the passenger seat or not, causing a malfunction on the air bag system and the airbag won't be triggered in case of an accident. The problem was confirmed by Hyundai dealership by performed diagnostics according to the Hyundai service procedure. The airbag light show up on the dashboard at first blinking sometimes and finally stays on all the time. This happened in July/2021 and since then I've been trying a solution from Hyundai but the dealership and the manufacturer simply doesn't care about saying that they can do anything about since the car was not long cover by warranty and charging me in U$2.000 to fix it. Which I didn't agree and didn't pay. …
We noticed that we had our airbag light was on in our dashboard along with that we also notice that the buttons and horn did not work in to the steering wheel. When we took the car to get checked by the Hyundai dealership in Lakewood. We were told that the clock spring was the cause of this problem to the airbag, horn, and the buttons not working. They told us that this clock spring part it was broken and it needed to be replaced. Our concern is the number one safety which making sure that all of the airbag and horn to be working. When this was communicated to the dealership person he response was that he could not say anything much about other then him saying that it was not under warranty and it was due to the mile of the car. …
With no warning lights, no unusual sounds coming from engine (knocking, or otherwise) - complete engine shutoff. Driving on highway at 55-60mph during acceleration. I was able to coast to the side. Unable to restart engine for about 30 minutes. Engine able to restart, then shutoff again a few minutes later at 45mph. There have been reports of unusually high motor oil consumption with the Theta 2 engine. There are no leaks, smells, smoke (from engine or exhaust) however, I must continuously add motor oil and check levels about every 100 miles. Oil level will reduce from max line to almost empty very quickly, maybe 1-3 weeks after refilling. All service maintenance is timely and done at authorized shops (Goodyear and Hyundai dealership). Dealership will perform oil consumption test to determine if eligible for powertrain warranty. …
My engine failed. Dealership put it through an oil consumption test which it failed. They ended up keeping my car for 3 weeks to build a new engine, add new belts, new spark plugs and new filters to go with the repair. After completing this repair they told me they noticed my air bag light on. They recommended a new sensor to fix it. Which I was to pay $600 for. I agreed to this and had it done. I picked up the car and had it for 3 weeks before the airbag light came back on. I brought it back to dealership. They assessed it and told me the problem actually came from the seat and the total.to repair the whole seat would be $2500+ I am the only owner of this car. It has never been in an accident where the airbag deployed. It is in it's original state. I feel this is a huge safety concern that should be looked into.
The steering left side electrical components quit working at the same time without warning. This is all related to the Air Bag clock spring a serious safety defect that disables the airbag and possibly horn. I have taken the vehicle to a Hyundai dealership for diagnostics and this is what was found. "Needs immediate attention [Primary]: SSD : STEERING OR SUSPENSION DIAGNOSIS Air Bag - Clockspring Assembly / Spiral Cable: CLOCK SPRING HAS SHORTED OUT CAUSING ALL THE BUTTONS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STEERING WHEEL NOT TO WORK This assembly consists of a clock spring, which is a coil that retracts and expands inside its housing as the steering wheel turns. Its function is to maintain electrical continuity for all the components on the drivers airbag.
Airbag light on. La Quinta Hyundai verified light on scanned codes found active b134800 Driver airbag resistance circuit short to ground 1st stage. Testing found clock spring issue internal fault. Since this clock spring is related to driver airbag, & horn, it would seem that this would be a safety hazard that would be under warranty. The extended warranty (Z01) that I received from Hyundai doesn't cover my problem.
For at least 14 months, the air bag light on the dash is on more often than not. The code that comes up on the OBD shows it's from the passenger side seat sensor. Occasionally, the seat belt indicator will flash when there is no occupant, as well. The car has never been in an accident, and the air bags have never been set off.
Airbag complaints in other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the air bags of the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe, 2% of the model year's 970 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe, though it has 6 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 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 35,000 miles, and 43% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.