Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Hyundai Sonata owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while on travel, the contact stopped at a local gas station. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, the contact was informed by the store attendant that the vehicle was on fire. The contact noticed the fire came from under the hood compartment and the vehicle was engulfed with flames. The contact stated an off-duty police officer and the store owner attempted to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers, however, they were unsuccessful. The fire department was called, arrived on the scene, and extinguished the fire but the vehicle was already consumed by the fire. The vehicle and all properties in the vehicle were destroyed in the fire. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned to total loss by the insurance company. A police report was filed. …
The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 30-30 MPH, he saw smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon opening the hood, he saw fire. The contact stated that the fire burned the front end and interior of the vehicle. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. There were no injuries sustained. A fire department report was filed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot yard where it was totaled. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and turned off, there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated the engine compartment had caught on fire. The contact's spouse extinguished the vehicle. The local fire department was not contacted, and a report was not filed. however, a cause for the failure was not yet determined. A Police report was not filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed smoke was coming from the engine compartment. No warning light was illuminated. The contact exited the vehicle and discovered that the engine compartment was on fire. The vehicle was not occupied during the fire. The local Fire Department (Cuyahoga Heights Fire Department) came and extinguished the fire; a Fire Department report was filed. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not drivable and was diagnosed as totaled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,500.
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the oil filter was fractured. The contact stated that the dealer replaced the oil filter and the oil was refilled however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and an unknown part was replaced. The contact stated that the failure recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The dealer informed the contact that they would perform an oil consumption test and she would need to bring the vehicle back every 1,000 miles. The dealer's report was sent to the manufacturer and the manufacturer opened a case. …
The contact's daughter owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power, failed to accelerate, and went into LIMP Mode. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was linked to DTC code: P1236. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who determined that there were metal shavings inside the oil and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the computer needed to be reset. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who confirmed there were metal shavings inside the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the RPMs revved up however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated, lost motive power and stalled in the middle of the road. The contact's newborn and two other young children were occupying the rear seats at the time the failure occurred. The vehicle failed to restart. Another driver assisted the contact with hauling the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that other unknown repairs also needed to be completed. The dealer informed the contact that the engine could not be replaced under an unknown recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while her friend was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled with white and black smoke coming from under the hood. The contact stated that an abnormal thumping sound was coming from the vehicle. There were several unknown warning lights flashing on the instrument panel. The contact exited the vehicle and called for a tow truck. Upon arrival, the tow truck driver inspected the vehicle and informed her that a piston had blown a hole through the engine block. The tow truck driver informed her that there was an engine recall for similar vehicles. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact called the dealer and was informed that due to the vehicle having a Salvage Title the recall would not be honored. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was stiff and the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact parked and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was also diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the manufacturer declined the engine replacement due to Service Campaign 953 (ECM & Cluster Update - Engine Monitoring Logic Product Improvement) not being performed prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The contact stated that she had not received notification of the Service Campaign. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 106,238.
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the gear shifter would not shift into (D) drive. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the speedometer and gauges inadvertently moved up and down. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with battery failure. The battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer however, the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The failure recurred and the vehicle was towed back to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with oil valve sensor leakage. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
NHTSA investigations
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
Engine complaints in other Sonata years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2017 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA has 400 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2017 Hyundai Sonata, 52% of the model year's 766 complaints. The component named most often is engine › oil/lubrication (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Hyundai Sonata engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2017 Hyundai Sonata, 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 Sonata engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 9 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.