AI Damage2017 Hyundai Santa FE Sport: common problems
Owners of the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE Sport filed 356 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and service brakes. The maker issued 150 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 356
- involving a crash
- 5
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 150
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 58% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 4% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 3% of all complaints
- Engine: 207 complaints (58% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 19.
- Service brakes: 55 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
- Powertrain: 42 complaints (12% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 18.
- Vehicle speed control: 29 complaints (8% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 27 complaints (8% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 356 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 207 | 0 | 19 |
| Service brakes | 55 | 1 | 5 |
| Powertrain | 42 | 0 | 18 |
| Vehicle speed control | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 16 | 0 | 59 |
| Engine and cooling | 16 | 0 | 27 |
| Air bags | 10 | 3 | 5 |
| Steering | 9 | 1 | 3 |
| Structure | 8 | 1 | 3 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| Suspension | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Seats | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Electronic stability control | 5 | 0 | 1 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The vehicle was completely stopped at a red light. It was rear-ended.the driver's seat released backward onto the rear seat. See photo attached.
Mva 11/4/17 and the driver side and passenger side air bags did not deploy although the door airbags did deploy on rt and lt sides. The vehicle was in motion on route 611 pikeville, ky when the accident occurred.
Started car to reverse out of parking space and it started jerking as I accelerated. Drove jerkily the few blocks I had to go to make it home. Did not drive again but upon starting it the check engine light came on.
This is in reference to the Hyundai 9C2 ECU software update for Theta II engines that have caused my 2017 Santa Fe Sport to hesitate, surge and run poorly the first few minutes after a cold start!
I was driving my car and it showed no signs of any issue but the engine light came on and started blinking so I pulled over and got it towed to a mechanic. He told me that I would need a new engine that would cost me $8000.
My vehicle was being checked for oil consumption. Since then I have had issues with it hard shifting when first starting to drive and sometimes after I've been driving a while. This has continued miles down the road, sometimes over thirty minutes after driving.
Airbag light illuminates on the dash and the seatbelt light illuminates intermittently as the seat electrical harness under the seat only connects in certain positions of the seat. My issue is associated with the passenger seat. This airbag light is associated with the airbag not firing or improperly firing.
The contact stated that while attempting to trade the vehicle, the contact was informed by the dealer that the odometer had been rolled back prior to the purchase. The contact had purchased the vehicle in March 2022.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 176 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Santa FE Sport has 282 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 356, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil…
Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this…
- Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil…
Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition…
- Certain vehicles may exhibit excessive paint peeling or bubbling of the primer/paint film on the exterior…
Certain vehicles may exhibit excessive paint peeling or bubbling of the primer/paint film on the exterior metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. This warranty extension…
- Following completion of Service Campaign 9C2 (Theta II Emissions Improvement), certain vehicles may…
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. If present, this condition is…
- Certain Santa Fe (TMA), Santa Fe Sport (AN), Sonata (LFA), and Tucson (TL) vehicles equipped with Theta II…
Certain Santa Fe (TMA), Santa Fe Sport (AN), Sonata (LFA), and Tucson (TL) vehicles equipped with Theta II engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. The California Air Resources Board has determined that these…
- Certain Santa Fe (TMA), Santa Fe Sport (AN), Sonata (LFA), and Tucson (TL) vehicles equipped with Theta II…
Certain Santa Fe (TMA), Santa Fe Sport (AN), Sonata (LFA), and Tucson (TL) vehicles equipped with Theta II engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. This bulletin provides instructions for updating the Engine…
- Certain 2012 – 2017 model year Accent, 2012 – 2017 model year Azera, 2013 – 2018 model year Santa Fe…
Certain 2012 – 2017 model year Accent, 2012 – 2017 model year Azera, 2013 – 2018 model year Santa Fe Sport, 2013 – 2019 model year Santa Fe, and 2012 – 2017 model year Veloster vehicles may exhibit an intermittent…
- Certain Hyundai vehicles with exterior white paint may exhibit peeling or bubbling on metal body panels
hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. The paint warranty coverage for affected vehicles has been extended to 10 years/unlimited miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of…
- Some Hyundai vehicles with exterior white paint may exhibit peeling or bubbling on metal body panels
hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. The paint warranty coverage for affected vehicles has been extended to 10 years/unlimited miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of…
- Some vehicles listed below may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and DTC(s) B1763 (OCS ECU…
Some vehicles listed below may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and DTC(s) B1763 (OCS ECU Defect), and/or B1764 (OCS Mat Defect) may be stored. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage of the sensor for…
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co…
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety…
NHTSA lists 150 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE Sport?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, service brakes, powertrain. Total complaints: 356. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (35%), oil leak or consumption (23%), stalls while driving (12%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE Sport?
NHTSA lists 150 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2017 Hyundai Santa FE Sport from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2017 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.