2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport fuel system problems

Filed Oct 12, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · FL

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. I looked into it and found that there was a defect with my vehicles engine and that if I took it to a dealership, I could possibly get it covered 100% so I did that and then they covered it and when I got the vehicle back, it had an issue every time I drove it where it was kind of speeding up and jerking when I drove it, I took it back after I told them what happened and then they told me that my catalytic converter was bad and needed to be replaced. I ended up paying $1500 to get that replaced and when I got the car back again it’s still jerking and doing the same exact thing even worse. I contacted them. They told me to bring it back which I did and they told me that it needed a software update that was not available so that I would just have to be patient. They told me that anytime I wanted to drive it I had to let it warm up for 5 to 10 minutes and that it wouldn’t do that. I’ve had my vehicle back for over two weeks and it doesn’t matter if I warm it up or not it’s still doing the same thing. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle and I have not been giving any resolution by either the dealership or by the consumer affairs case manager that I have been working with on this. This has been an ongoing issue for three months now. It’s costed me hundreds of dollars in Ubers because I don’t feel it’s safe to drive.

Filed Sep 14, 2026 · Acceleration, Engine · LA

I took my SUV to get the 9C2 recall on 8/7/2026 performed and took it home. The next morning when I cranked it and left my driveway it acted as if the vehicle didn't recognize that I was pressing my accelerator. It sputtered and hesitated acceleration for about five minutes. It also acted as if it was not going to change from first to second gear. After about five min. of playing with the gas pedal it straightened out. Twice I was almost hit by other cars expecting me to pull away from a stop sign. I took it back the next day telling the service agent what was happening and he kept it overnight. I received a text saying the technician was unable to find a cold start problem and it was ready to pick up. I was so mad I could barely hold my temper. I took it home and for the next week every single day it acted like this when cold started in the morning. I took it back to Premiere Hyundai of Harvey and was treated rudely this time. They acted as if they never had a single other complaint and told me I might have to leave it for several days so they could cold start test it for several days. This was on a Wednesday morning 8/19. I was never updated or called and when I texted my service rep on Monday 8/24 I was told the tech was not able to duplicate the complaint and to come pick it up. I will not ever buy another Hyundai because of the way I was treated and lied to. PLEASE create a recall for this badly handled recall 9C2. My Sante Fe Sport ran beautifully before this recall messed up my SUV. Now I have found if I let it idle for five minutes in the morning and accelerate slowly until it changes gears, most mornings it will run well, but if I crank it and pull into the street on a cold start it does the sputtering HELP US HYUNDAI OWNERS

Filed Aug 2, 2026 · Acceleration, Fuel system · GA

On February 24, 2026, I had the 9C2 software update. 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. It also just feels continuously like it is not driving smooth. This only started after the update. I contacted HMA. The first person on my case (Gurvinder) told me I needed to return my car, not to drive it. I had bronchitis, so I did not immediately do that. The next person "Rainey" told me it is a KNOWN issue and they are telling people to warm their cars up for around 3 minutes, and it will be fine. I'd done that, and even driven longer than that. I told him that. I took my mother-in-law home from church miles from there after collecting her at the church door, etc... Getting to the hill at to her home, I didn't think it was going to get up it. Often I don't think I'm going to get out of my driveway, a dangerous driveway in a curve. He wanted Krause Hyundai to contact HMA Engineer. When I was at Krause, they didn't know how to get ahold of HMA Engineer. Dalton also said they can't back the update out. I'm on my third HMA Case Manager. She keeps changing what I've told her is wrong in the emails, I don't think she knows anything about cars. She won't listen when I say I spoke to Dalton at Krause; she keeps speaking to John. [XXX] said they can do diagnostic, but it will cost me. I refuse to pay as [XXX] and Gurvinder had months before wanted me to take it back to get fixed, and Rainey wanted Krause to contact the engineer. It is a known issue with a letter written by Hyundai. Getting a diagnostic code reading performed is not going to help. I'm afraid my vehicle will lose power on the road and I will be struck. I tried uploading both pdf and jpg, but it wouldn't let me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 22, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · TX

We have a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport with a refurbished engine due to a past class act settlement, we were notified by Hyundai to bring in the vehicle for Service campaign 9C2 to update the Engine Control Module (ECM) Software for vehicles equipped with the (2.4 GDI) Theta II refurbished engine, which we have. The morning after we updated the 9C2 software, after starting our car cold for the first time in the am, our car went into limp mode, shaking very badly, it would not accelerate above 20 MPH, it had a lot of trouble shifting from 1st to 3rd gear and acted like it was going to stall out and then die in the middle of the road while I was in the car with my 2 children. The dealership we took it to was not able to duplicate the limp mode, but has documented that they did witness hesitation and sluggishness while test driving it. I cannot validate that it was test driven cold immediately as requested as all their test drives were done without me. Due to the vehicle not accelerating as it should normally, I feel the vehicle is very unsafe and unreliable as well. I’m willing to provide more documentation, and our car is available for further inspection. I did request the help of a Hyundai customer relations case manager who stated Hyundai is aware of all of the drive-ability issues I have stated and he said they are hoping to provide another software update, but that time frame is unknown. Dealership mechanic stated the same thing and believes our issue is related to the 9C2 update. The manufacture has not inspected the vehicle, but we would absolutely love them to if they would. There have been no check engine lights come on before or after this update, only misfire codes came up after the update which dealership has those, and since the dealership was unable to witness it going into limp mode while driving it, they could not gain the much needed data that pinpoints the exact problem. We were advised to warm up car and rev up the RPM to above 2,000 before driving.

Filed Jul 8, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · FL

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. I returned the vehicle to the dealership (Wallace Hyundai), where the service advisor personally test drove the car with me and confirmed he could feel the hesitation firsthand. Despite this, the dealership stated no issue was found and advised warming the car up for 1-3 minutes before driving as a workaround. I tested this exact recommendation, and the issue returned even after the vehicle was fully warmed and had already been driven. Hyundai Motor America's National Consumer Affairs department has stated this is "under review" but has also described the hesitation as "normal" cold-start behavior related to catalyst warm-up. This does not match what I am experiencing, since the issue also occurs when the vehicle is already warm, and their own dealership's advisor confirmed the problem exists. I have also noticed a decrease in fuel efficiency (MPG) since the software update associated with this recall. This issue directly affects the safe operation of the vehicle — specifically the ability to accelerate reliably, including in situations like merging onto highways or pulling into traffic, where a lack of power could result in a collision. I do not consider the vehicle safe to drive in its current condition.

Filed May 29, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · SC

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.

Filed May 27, 2026 · Fuel system · TN

After my Hyundai dealership performed a recall on emissions my Santa Fe Sport started having problems on cold starts. After it has set for a few hours when I would put into gear and start to driving the car acted as though it was trying to flood out. I have to feather the accelerator and drive very carefully for at least 1/2 - 3/4 miles. This is very dangerous and make me very uncomfortable driving. I took my vehicle back to my Hyundai dealer and the mechanic told me they were waiting for a recall to the recall. How stupid!!! It has been over a month and nothing has been done to fix the problem. Please advise!

Filed May 22, 2026 · Acceleration, Engine · LA

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.

Filed Jan 5, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · NC

Component: Engine (Theta II 2.4L GDI) / connecting rod bearing-related failure risk with abnormal internal oil loss. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request (engine, oil level condition, diagnostic history, and dealer records). Safety risk: While driving on the highway (approx. 70 mph), the vehicle displayed a low oil warning, and I experienced concern for potential engine seizure/stalling and sudden loss of power, which could cause a crash. I reduced speed and sought service. This condition presents an ongoing safety risk because sudden engine failure can occur without adequate warning. Dealer confirmation: The problem was confirmed by a Hyundai dealer. After a routine oil change, the low oil warning appeared within ~1,700 miles. A Hyundai service center inspected the vehicle and documented the engine was approximately 3 quarts low with no external leaks, indicating internal loss/engine deterioration rather than a leak. Hyundai then required additional steps (combustion chamber cleaning and monitored mileage), and the abnormal internal oil loss condition persisted. Manufacturer inspection: The vehicle has been inspected by Hyundai dealerships, and Hyundai performed campaign-related actions, including KSDS/ECM update (T3G) and later knock sensor replacement. No police or insurance inspection. No crash or injury occurred. Warning lamps/symptoms prior to failure: Prior symptoms included a Check Engine Lamp with DTC P1326 (KSDS-related) documented by Hyundai service in 2025, followed by continued abnormal internal engine condition. The low oil warning occurred while the vehicle was in motion (highway speed). The issue remains unresolved, and I do not feel the vehicle is safe to operate due to seizure/stall risk. Additional: I reported this as a safety defect because similar Theta II engine issues are widely reported and can result in stalling, seizure, or engine fire. Hyundai denied engine replacement assistance despite the documented condition.

Filed Sep 20, 2025 · Engine, Fuel system · CA

Check engine light came on to check the oil and I had recently had an oil change and all of a sudden within a week or two I needed to fill my oil back up and it's gone through two quarts of oil since my oil change this has been going on for 2 years I did not know there was some place like this where I could follow a complaint. I constantly put oil in my car because my car is constantly low on oil and there is no evidence of the oil leaking onto the ground whatsoever. I don't know where the oil is going to but it's not leaking on the ground and there's just been a constant issue for the past 2-3 years