2017 Hyundai Santa FE Sport: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 352 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (50% of complaints); the 2015 and 2016 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 4 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Feb 2022
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 352 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“After a recall repair (Campaign 9C2) was performed on my vehicle, it developed a hesitation and lack of acceleration issue that did not exist before the repair. The vehicle exhibits rough or delayed gear shifting, a noticeable lack of power/acceleration, and behavior that feels like the engine is not receiving adequate fuel. This occurs both during cold start and after the vehicle has been driven and is fully warm”Owner report · Engine · Jul 2026
“Service Campaigh 9C2 Following completion of Service Campaign 9C2 (Theta II Emissions Improvement), certain vehicles may exhibit a brief hesitation or rough shifting condition during cold start operation. My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe sport has severe loss of power and rough jerky transmission after the update. This condition will definately cause unsafe driving and vehicle engine and transmission damage. Hyundai corporate and local dealerships indicate no remedy for this situation. Dealer also indicated that Hyundai corporate may not release a new software update to fix the issue. This is unacceptable.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2026
“Steering column sensor issue reported by Hyundai dealership. This has happened a several times before causing the steering wheel to "lock up" when driving making it very hard to turn my wheel. I have had to pull over, stop, and turn off the car and then back on again, which resets it, and I'm able to drive as normal, until it happens again. This most recent time, 6/2026, I was able to take it in to a dealership when the warning lights were on. He did a recalibration, however, later when driving, the same issue arose at high speeds, on the fwy, causing me to exit and pull over. * I noted 2- 3 warning lights came on during the malfunction.”Owner report · Steering · Jun 2026
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“In June 2026 I took my vehicle to Hyundai for a recall to the ECM module. After that my vehicle would lose power and hesitate to shift gears, and overall does not feel safe. Took vehicle back to dealer and they have told me that I have to wait for them to issue a recall fix for this now .”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2026
“After the recent "important service campaign" involving the THETA II Emissions Logic Improvement my vehicle no longer safety shifts into the lower gears. It will not shift into gear. I am unable to safely get up to a normal speed and the engine and vehicle start shaking. This is isolated to the initial start of the vehicle and any low speed driving after. The issue is resolved after restarting the car, suggesting it is a software issue. This issue immediately began after the ECU update for the THETA II emissions logic improvement on 5/12/2026.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · May 2026
“Campaign 9C2 was installed on this vehicle and the now the vehicle is a danger to drive. My wife refuses to drive it as it bucks and jerks as well as the gas mileage has decreased from 35 highway to 28 highway. The fuel trims are way off on cold starts and the transmission now searches for the correct gear. Shifting back and forth. Just a slight touch of the accelerator and the car seems to jump forward which makes stop and go driving almost impossible.”Owner report · Power Train · May 2026
“The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH a loud noise and smoke was suddenly present coming from under the hood of the vehicle and the engine stalled. The vehicle was towed back to the home. The contact indicated that during the failure no warning messages or lights had displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet contacted. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 83,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · May 2026
“After the ECM recall for a software update the car would not run correctly. It jerks and and runs rough. It almost stalls when you put your foot on the gas. I took it back to the dealer and they can not get the problem to duplicate. Noone else has looked at the problem. There were never any problems with the care until the recall. The problem occurred the day I brought the car home from the ECM update.”Owner report · Engine · May 2026
“Campaign /Service Update 9C2 / TSB-25-01-087H broke my Hyundai. The car hesitates idling and on acceleration. Hyundai have no solution to this failed software update or acknowledging other issues it may be causing.”Owner report · Engine · May 2026
“NO power till car warms up for 5 minutes. It will be jerky on highway. The gas mileage is going down drastically, I was doing 32 miles to gallon and now it's 22mpg. All this is after the recall we just had performed. I have no power trying to avoid accidents, taking off from stopping. Car smells weird now.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Apr 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 5 of these complaints and injuries in 8 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary latch cable, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for the recall is 163.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the bolt for the driver's seat belt anchor might not have been sufficiently tightened during assembly.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners and dealers will verify that the driver's seatbelt anchor is properly secured, free of charge. The recall began July 7, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for the recall is 165.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 218.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Santa FE Sport years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact Santa FE Sport by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE Sport reliable?
NHTSA has 352 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE Sport. The most complained-about area is engine (50% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2017 Hyundai Santa FE Sport problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 46,000 miles or less.
Does the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE Sport have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning latches, locks and linkages. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.