2017 Hyundai Santa Fe: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
957 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The Santa Fe carries the Theta II 2.4 and 2.0 turbo engines and the same recall history as the Sonata, but its complaint counts are lower because its volumes are lower. The 2017 model year is the outlier, with 951 complaints, almost all engine failure and fire. Read the full note on the model page. 2017 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 957 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used Hyundai Tucson, Santa Fe and Elantra: beyond the engine recall, including 2017 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 957 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 106.33
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Known as an issue with Hyundai, but unresponsive to correct because no diagnostic code is sent. Transmission will shift extremely hard from 1st to 2nd gear randomly. In keeping track of the mileage, this appears to happen every 200 miles or so. Also, it faild to upshift correctly, making the entire car shudder. Also, at times it will not go into reverse gear. On one occasion, after finally doing so, it slammed s…
Directly after the dealer, Johnson Hyundai of Apex, completed Service Campaign 9C2 on 4/28/26, my vehicle began sticking, surging, and harshly changing gears. I have followed up with the dealer multiple times. They said they are not getting back any diagnostic error codes (outside mechanic shop also confirmed they're also not seeing error codes), but went ahead and recalibrated the ECM. They told me to drive for 200 …
After the update earlier this summer for an emissions issue, my car, a 2017 Hyundi Santa Fe Sport, has not run right. When it is cold, the first trip on the day, it hesitates and sputters to an extent that it is not safe on the nearest highway where the speed limit is 35. We have been compensating by driving slowly around the neighborhood for a few minutes, and then it's fine. It has been happening since the update o…
Recalls: 6 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 22V056000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module | 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. |
| 17V358000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | 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. |
| 17V142000 | Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The affected vehicles have a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that may not have been set in the correct mode during vehicle assembly, and therefore will not provide an appropriate warning in the event of an underinflated tire. |
| 16V145000 | Seat Belts:Front:Warning Light/Devices | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015 to February 12, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses may be damaged by the seat's height adjuster mechanism, resulting in a failure to provide an audible warning when front seat occupants do… |
| 17V578000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Santa Fe vehicles equipped with 3.3L engines. The crankshaft assemblies may have been produced with surface irregularities in the crankshaft pin, causing engine bearing wear. |
| 16V842000 | Electrical System:Wiring | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Tucson vehicles manufactured May 19, 2015, to November 14, 2016, and 2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured November 28, 2015, to November 14, 2016. The affected vehicles may be equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module,… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 20 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,100
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine638 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train159 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other91 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System66 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Fuel/Propulsion System59 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Service Brakes59 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
Other Hyundai Santa Fe years
Hyundai Santa Fe years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (638 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 36/100, computed from 957 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe's most common problem?
638 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe cost to run per year?
About $7,050 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $35,250 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/02/2022. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 957 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 957 NHTSA complaints on record (106.3/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (46.5/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems