Model year report

2017 Hyundai Santa FE: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE

On the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE, the failure owners report most often is other engine problem, and the reports cluster around 40,000 miles. The earliest to appear is software fault or failed update, reported by a median of 1,100 miles. Overall it scores 85 out of 100, severe risk for a 2017.

Severe risk for a 2017 — 1st riskiest of the 263 2017 vehicles we can rate. 1,272 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

What breaks on the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE

Owners have reported 80 named failure modes on the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE, and the three most-reported carry 45% of everything filed.

Other engine problem leads with 330 reports, about 7.4 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 10k to 92,500 miles.

Excessive oil consumption follows with 136 reports, median 60,000 miles.

Other powertrain problem follows with 111 reports, usually reported between 378 to 20,000 miles. 2 of those reports mention a fire.

By system, the reports fall mostly into engine (671), transmission (124) and electrical (72).

The mileage the reports cluster at

400 of the reports on the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 17,000 miles.

Cumulatively, 71% by 50,000 miles, 87% by 100,000 miles and 99% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 2 filed above the top of the chart.

The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 39% of the dated reports.

64% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.

In the order they tend to show up: software fault or failed update around 1k, no-start or intermittent start failure around 3k, other powertrain problem around 4k and other speed control problem around 7k.

Median

Other engine problem

39k
Excessive oil consumption

62k
Other powertrain problem

4k
Complete engine failure or seizure

45k
Other brake problem

33k
Other electrical problem

29k
Other speed control problem

7k
Other fuel system problem

11k
Other steering problem

15k
Oil leak

75k
Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure
no odometer readings given
—
Engine knock or bearing noise

108k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 80. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 17.3k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 2 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Dashed the median reported mileage

How bad it is when it goes

Across the named modes, 17 mention a crash, 39 a fire and 14 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.

The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.41, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.

What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other engine problem at $300–$4,000, excessive oil consumption at $900–$6,500, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500 and complete engine failure or seizure at $4,500–$12,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

64% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures, so more than half of what owners complained about here is expensive.

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Other engine problem	engine	330	87	10k	39k	92k	7.4	$300–$4,000	High
Excessive oil consumption	engine	136	6	—	62k	—	3.0	$900–$6,500	High
Other powertrain problem	transmission	111	71	378	4k	20k	2.5	$400–$4,500	High
Complete engine failure or seizure	engine	70	5	—	45k	—	1.6	$4,500–$12,000	Critical
Other brake problem	brakes	44	9	4k	33k	54k	1.0	$300–$1,800	High
Other electrical problem	electrical	41	18	9k	29k	60k	0.9	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Other speed control problem	adas	38	29	980	7k	21k	0.9	$250–$2,000	Critical
Other fuel system problem	fuel	33	16	8k	11k	37k	0.7	$300–$2,200	High
Other steering problem	steering	27	13	10k	15k	26k	0.6	$350–$2,400	High
Oil leak	engine	24	6	—	75k	—	0.5	$250–$2,200	Moderate
Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure	engine	21	0	—	—	—	0.5	$1,200–$4,500	Critical
Engine knock or bearing noise	engine	21	3	—	108k	—	0.5	$2,500–$9,000	High
No-start or intermittent start failure	engine	19	11	3k	3k	50k	0.4	$200–$1,800	Moderate
Engine bay fire	engine	18	6	—	133k	—	0.4	$4,000–$20,000	Critical
Stalling while driving	engine	16	8	8k	80k	80k	0.4	$300–$2,500	Critical
Seat belt or retractor failure	airbag	14	5	—	7k	—	0.3	$200–$900	High
Cruise control failure	adas	13	6	—	17k	—	0.3	$200–$1,400	High
ABS module or sensor failure	brakes	12	2	—	58k	—	0.3	$500–$2,400	High
Other driver assistance problem	adas	11	9	1k	8k	20k	0.2	$250–$1,800	High
Other body or interior problem	body	11	5	—	8k	—	0.2	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Misfire or rough idle	engine	10	3	—	49k	—	0.2	$250–$1,600	Moderate
Alternator or charging system failure	electrical	10	3	—	121k	—	0.2	$450–$1,600	High
Lane keep or steering assist fault	adas	10	0	—	—	—	0.2	$200–$1,600	High
Sunroof failure or glass breakage	body	10	3	—	31k	—	0.2	$700–$4,500	High
Software fault or failed update	software	10	8	605	1k	31k	0.2	$0–$600	Moderate
Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure	fuel	8	5	—	12k	—	0.2	$250–$1,800	Moderate
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault	airbag	8	1	—	59k	—	0.2	$300–$1,600	High
Overheating	cooling	7	2	—	58k	—	0.2	$400–$3,500	High
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure	electrical	7	1	—	47k	—	0.2	$700–$3,000	High
Infotainment screen failure	infotainment	7	2	—	13k	—	0.2	$400–$2,600	Low
Tail light, brake light or signal failure	lighting	7	1	—	9k	—	0.2	$100–$900	Moderate
Other suspension problem	suspension	7	6	—	20k	—	0.2	$350–$2,000	Moderate
Wiring harness or short circuit	electrical	6	3	—	3k	—	0.1	$400–$3,500	High
Parking brake failure	brakes	6	2	—	32k	—	0.1	$250–$1,300	Moderate
Fuel pump failure	fuel	5	0	—	—	—	0.1	$600–$2,600	High
Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure	body	5	2	—	103k	—	0.1	$250–$1,500	Moderate
Complete transmission failure	transmission	4	1	—	160k	—	0.1	$2,800–$8,000	Critical
Backup camera failure	infotainment	4	0	—	—	—	0.1	$250–$1,200	Moderate
Paint peeling or clear coat failure	body	4	2	—	9k	—	0.1	$600–$6,000	Low
Catalytic converter failure	emissions	4	1	—	104k	—	0.1	$900–$3,500	Moderate
Headlight failure or clouding	lighting	4	2	—	13k	—	0.1	$150–$1,800	Moderate
Other visibility problem	glass	4	3	—	30k	—	0.1	$150–$1,400	Moderate
Lifter, cam or cylinder-deactivation failure	engine	3	2	—	63k	—	0.1	$1,800–$7,000	High
Dual-clutch or clutch-pack failure	transmission	3	3	—	2k	—	0.1	$1,800–$5,500	High
Engine sensor failure	electrical	3	0	—	—	—	0.1	$180–$900	Moderate
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure	electrical	3	0	—	—	—	0.1	$250–$1,500	High
Instrument cluster or gauge failure	infotainment	3	1	—	5k	—	0.1	$350–$1,400	Moderate
Airbag failed to deploy in a crash	airbag	3	0	—	—	—	0.1	$1,000–$5,000	Critical
Rust or structural corrosion	body	3	0	—	—	—	0.1	$500–$6,000	High
Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin	emissions	3	2	—	47k	—	0.1	$250–$2,000	High
Head gasket failure	engine	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$1,400–$4,000	Critical
Radiator or coolant leak	cooling	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$350–$1,900	High
Harsh or jerky shifting	transmission	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$600–$4,000	Moderate
Shifter, linkage or stuck-in-park failure	transmission	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$1,400	High
Differential or transfer case failure	drivetrain	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$900–$4,200	High
Fuel gauge or level sensor failure	fuel	2	2	—	17k	—	0.0	$300–$1,200	Moderate
Parasitic battery drain	electrical	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$200–$1,200	Moderate
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure	steering	2	1	—	11k	—	0.0	$700–$2,600	High
Steering column or shaft failure	steering	2	1	—	15k	—	0.0	$600–$2,500	Critical
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure	suspension	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$400–$2,200	High
Wiper or washer failure	glass	2	2	—	3k	—	0.0	$120–$800	Moderate
Other wheel or tire problem	wheels	2	2	—	29k	—	0.0	$200–$1,500	High
Other lighting problem	lighting	2	1	—	17k	—	0.0	$120–$1,200	Moderate
Piston, ring or cylinder wall damage	engine	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$3,000–$9,500	Critical
Water pump failure	cooling	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$500–$2,200	High
Transmission will not engage a gear	transmission	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$1,500–$6,000	Critical
Torque converter failure	transmission	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$1,100–$3,200	High
CV axle or driveshaft failure	drivetrain	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$450–$2,200	High
Fuel injector failure	fuel	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$450–$2,800	Moderate
Audio or connectivity failure	infotainment	1	1	—	1k	—	0.0	$150–$900	Low
Loss of braking	brakes	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$400–$3,000	Critical
Premature brake pad or rotor wear	brakes	1	1	—	20k	—	0.0	$300–$1,400	Moderate
Brake line, hose or caliper failure	brakes	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$1,600	Critical
Airbag inflator rupture	airbag	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$0–$0	Critical
Loss of power steering	steering	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$600–$2,800	Critical
Strut, shock or spring failure	suspension	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$500–$2,000	Moderate
Tire blowout or tread separation	wheels	1	1	—	37k	—	0.0	$200–$1,500	Critical
Door latch or handle failure	body	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$1,200	High
DPF, EGR or DEF system failure	emissions	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$800–$5,000	High
Other seat belt problem	airbag	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$200–$900	High
Unclassified problem	other	48	14	2k	12k	34k	1.1	—	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

How often, against how many were built

Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE draws about 28 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 95th percentile of complaint rates among 2017 vehicles we can rate.

That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.

The working figure is 44,668 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2017 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Recalls on the 2017 model year

NHTSA has issued 6 recall campaigns covering the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE, affecting an estimated 108,175 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electron, engine and engine cooling:engine, latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch and tires:pressure monitoring and regulating systems. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.

22V056000

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

357,348 vehicles 2022-02-03

Defect: 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.
Consequence: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
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.

17V578000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

420 vehicles 2017-09-20

Defect: 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.
Consequence: The engine bearing wear may cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify all owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 168.

17V358000

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

437,400 vehicles 2017-06-05

Defect: 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.
Consequence: If the hood is not securely closed or the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
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.

17V142000

TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

190 vehicles 2017-03-06

Defect: 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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Consequence: An underinflated inflated tire can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the TPMS sensors, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for the recall is 159.

16V842000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

6,172 vehicles 2016-11-21

Defect: 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, may result, in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices…
Consequence: If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected accessory trailer hitch wiring harnesses, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 13, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 153.

16V145000

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES

34,200 vehicles 2016-03-10

Defect: 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 not fasten their seat belts. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: Without a warning to remind the front seat occupants that their seat belts are not buckled, they may forget to buckle their seat belt, increasing their risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and reroute the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses to their proper locations, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 141.

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

How it ranks in the 2017 field

The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.

Risk score against the rest of the 2017 field

Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.

Left fewer and less serious reports
Right more, or worse
Marker this vehicle

How 2017 compares with the other years

Severe risk for a 2017 — 1st riskiest of the 263 2017 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.

Across the 26 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2002 comes out best at 61 and 2017 worst at 85, with 2017 itself at 85.

If the model year is negotiable, 2002, 2001, 2006, 2004, 2008, 2005, 2003, 2025, 2007, 2009, 2026, 2024, 2015, 2016, 2023, 2021, 2011, 2018, 2014, 2020, 2022, 2010, 2019, 2013 and 2012 score lower than 2017 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.

Within the 2010–2017 generation specifically, 2015 is the strongest year at 73 and 2017 the weakest at 85.

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 2010-2017 generation, 2015 Hyundai Santa FE scores best at 73 and 2017 Hyundai Santa FE worst at 85.

What the numbers say to check

The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other powertrain problem from about 378, software fault or failed update from about 605, other speed control problem from about 980 and other driver assistance problem from about 1k.

On a 2017 Hyundai Santa FE with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other powertrain problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.

Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.

Where these figures stop being useful

1,272 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.

Of those 1,272 reports, 400 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 31% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".

The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.

And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.

Questions this page answers

What are the most common problems with the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE?

The most-reported failures are other engine problem (330 reports, median 40,000 miles), excessive oil consumption (136 reports, median 60,000 miles) and other powertrain problem (111 reports, median 2,500 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.

At what mileage do 2017 Hyundai Santa FE problems start?

Software fault or failed update is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 1,100 miles and a quarter of reports before 600 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 17,000 miles.

Is the 2017 Hyundai Santa FE reliable?

It scores 85 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 1st riskiest of the 263 2017 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2017 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.

Which year of the Hyundai Santa FE is best?

Within the 2010–2017 generation, 2015 scores best at 73 out of 100 and 2017 worst at 85. Same body, same engines, different luck.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt 30 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed