On [XXX] (a Sunday, 9 pm), my 19 year old daughter was driving our 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited when a solid yellow check engine light came on. No other warning lights were on. She called us, but since a solid check engine light should not indicate an emergent issue, we advised her to carefully drive the car back to school and we'd get it checked out the next day (since it was after 9 pm on a Sunday). The vehicle didn't make it that far. While driving, the car suddenly lost power and stalled. It started up again but made a terrible sound. We were able to call roadside assistance and had the vehicle towed to a nearby Hyundai dealership. The dealership tells us the car needs a new engine and that our VIN it is not covered under any of the other current engine recalls (even though this is the exact same issue as those recalls) and also said they will not repair under the 100,000 mile warranty, since we are the 2nd owners. We are awaiting a report from the dealership on exactly what happened to kill the engine, but we can infer, through the discussion with the service manage, that this is exactly the same issue happening with other versions of the Santa Fe engine -- including complete engine seizure without any accompanying warning lights or indications. This poses an imminent risk to the safety of drivers and passengers. My daughter was 20 minutes from her college dorm, late at night, and we can only be thankful she was not driving at high speed on the highway when the engine seizure occurred and also that she was not left stranded in an unpopulated stretch of highway. The vehicle is currently at Steele Hyundai (address: 24795 I-35, Kyle, TX 78640. Phone number: (512) 262-2020 ). They have quoted $13,000 for a used replacement engine. Please issue a recall on the 3.3l GDI engine. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2017 Hyundai Santa Fe transmission complaints
Page 3 of 7: complaints 41 to 70 of 166, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My wife was driving down the freeway to work during morning commute when her 2017 Santa Fe just lost power, was only able to go maybe 20mph which during an early morning Bay Area commute is very dangerous... No engine light or any warning lights, this lasted for a couple miles until the next exit she pulled off still no warning indicators showing, she turned off the car for a few minutes, then turned it back on to continue to work there was still almost no power but no indicators on the dash, finally after a few minutes started driving normal again. The next day when she was on her way to work, she started getting an oil light, I drove 45min to her job checked and oil level was fine, turns out oil pressure sensor was bad. After that was replaced everything seemed normal for around 1month or so then noticed excessive oil consumption, needing to add 1qt every 1500-2000 mi, no oil leaking onto out driveway and can't see any oil leaks visually around engine. Oil consumption has gotten progressively worse, we keep it topped off every couple weeks. No we are getting check engine light and tapping sound on passenger side of engine. Codes P0346, P0021 and P0087, power is fine but tapping sounds bad and worried of failure while driving.
Oil compsumption noted and leakage noted by mechanic. Informed me could cause a fire in engine compartment. Unsafe to drive. I rented a car. . Engine burning oil, high oil consumption, oil leak. Reported to Hyundai. Took vehicle to Kerry Hyundai, Alexandria, Ky. Was informed that Hyundai won’t take care of it. Filed a complaint. Mediation through The Better Business Burrau. Claim was denied. I was not driving the car for a couple weeks. I am guardian of 2 school age children transporting to and from school and activities and was concerned for our safety. Took vehicle to Superior Hyundai, Cincinnati, Ohio for an oil change and reported an oil leak. Was informed there was no oil leak. Had oil changes at Valvoline, Newport,Ky, No report of oil leak. Walmart, Ft Wright ,Ky pointed out leak from oil pan. Replaced oil pan. Check engine light came on. Took vehicle to Konen’s Pittstop , Bellevue, Ky who repaired oil leak. Continued oil check for consumption. Again check engine light illumination. Recently Replaced spark plugs & wires, catalytic converter. Engine running rough. Valves going bad. If car stalls on highway an accident could occur. Hyundai has a recall in the same year and make but not for those manufactured in the state of Alabama. The dealership inspection was about a year ago at Kerry Hyundai, Alexandria, Ky. They only recommended oil changes. I cannot afford the additional engine repairs. Hyundai has prior knowledge of the engine defect and refuses a recall thereby endangering peoples lives.
I first brought my car into a Hyundai certified service center after my car shook violently and my check engine light started flashing at me. I had to pull over on the side of a busy highway which is a safety risk on it's own. the Hyundai service center "fixed" my car and I was on my way. this was In September of 2023. on February 14th 2024 the same thing happened leaving me stranded on the side of another busy highway during rush hour traffic. I got the car towed to a dealer and they are telling me I need to replace my engine since there is a malfunction with the exact same parts that they replaced in September. In September They pretty much rebuilt my engine and now, less then 6 months later, they are telling me my engine is shot and needs to be replaced. How could $6,000 worth of engine parts fail after less than 6 month? not only is that not stable financially for anyone who owns one of these vehicles, it is a huge safety risk! even if I do replace the engine in my car, when will it go out again? 5 months? maybe 6 if I am lucky? at least the last 2 times, I was lucky enough to be in the right lane already and make it to the side of the road in time. What happens if that is not the case next time?
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that during cold starts, the vehicle experienced hard shifting from first to second gear. After restarting the vehicle, the failure was corrected. The vehicle was taken to the local transmission specialist who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000.
I was driving down the road to get dog food when all the electrical went black on the car and it started down shifting, it quickly came back on It put my safety and others around me at risk as I was on [XXX] in Eustis a high traffic area in the middle lane and close to nowhere to get on the side. The next day it had started knocking - the rod bearings, I turned it off quickly and that was the last time I had turned it on. I had taken it to the shop and they said the engine will have to be replaced. We have had this (2nd owner) car a little over a year. Owe 24k on it and they are telling me it will be 14k to replace the engine. Towed it to our local Hyundai where they are saying the same and there is no recall on it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On [XXX], I was driving southbound on the highway near Elizabeth City, NC when all of a sudden, my vehicle decelerated from 65 mph to 20 mph (limp mode) with no warning except for the sudden onset of a knocking noise in the engine compartment and the check engine light coming on immediately before entering limp mode. I was in the passing lane and thankfully was able to safely make it to the shoulder of the road. I had the vehicle towed to an independent engine and transmission shop where I was informed that the timing chain had caused severe damage to the engine, including metal shavings in the fluids. I had just had an oil change 3 days prior and am the second owner of the vehicle. It only has approximately 78,500 miles on it and I have only owned it for three months. I have insured that all maintenance was up to date and verified with the dealer that it had been maintained per the maintenance schedule prior to me purchasing it. The engine seems to be a constant and known problem for 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe’s with the 3.3L engines, and it truly needs to be addressed before someone is seriously injured or, worse yet, killed from not being able to safely make it to the shoulder of a road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
On 11/6/ 2023, while drive on the turnpike my check engine light went on and vehicle went in limp mode. I was scared and felt unsafe as I did not know what was happening. Got vehicle to dealer and P1326 was the code. Vehicle needs new engine. BCT test failed. Hyundai not helpful even when documentation provided.
Driving down rd at 35 mph felt a sudden jolt and loud noise, car lost power and all lights came on. Coasted to a safe driveway and shut it down. Tried to re- start and it was a loud racket so immediately turned back off. Crazy thing is the oil was just changed , no leaks in garage or warning lights. Now I’m stuck trying to replace an engine that should’ve lasted more than 5 years!
Morning of October 16th, wife said engine "clicked" at start and then stopped at idle. I checked oil as it had been changed week prior and all levels were normal, then performed diagnostic with Carista tool and app, no codes. That evening while on the way to my 4 year olds practice, the car stopped in a lane of travel on a main cross town thoroughfare in Charlotte NC in rush hour, my wife, 4 year old, and 1 year old in the car. No light or indicators AT ALL ever came on NOTHING, no check engine light, nothing. Had it towed to local shop and he said this is the 10th or 11th Santa Fe we have seen with the V6, it most likely is the motor. So he does prelim diagnostic and suspects a thrown bearing and recommended we tow to Hyundai dealership, just at 70k, how is this possible? We are second owners and our VIN does not qualify for campaign 168. Shocking to now realize this appears to be an ongoing issues with this engine
The engine of my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe started making a loud knocking sound on 9/29/2023. I took the car to a certified mechanic who said that the engine had “thrown a rod.” I researched the federal safety agency website and found the federal safety agency Part 573 Safety Recall Report No. 17V‑578 dated Sep 20, 2017. While I never received this notice, the Descriptive Information and Description Defect mirror the problem with my car exactly. The recall was for 3.3L “Lambda” engines produced at the Asan Plant (Korea) between January 26, 2017 and February 13, 2017. My car was produced February 7, 2017.
My ‘17 Santa Fe has been well taken care of with regular oil changes and we have kept up with the recommended maintenance. While driving on 8/17/2023 the car started to struggle to accelerate and I heard a knocking sound. Within moments there was total engine and power failure and I had to quickly get the vehicle off the road to avoid being rear ended. There were no warning lights on until the moment it was dying. The battery light, check engine light, and oil light came on, but then the vehicle had quickly lost all power immediately after. Once it was towed to Meineke and looked over by the mechanics there it was determined that it needs a new engine and that it had very, very little oil in it.
Upon approaching stop sign, the vehicle stalled and after restart, the vehicle ceased acceleration at intervals. This caused the vehicle to impede/slow traffic during journey. Again, at stop light, the vehicle stalled and “all” warning lights appeared. The engine failed to restart and the vehicle was towed from traffic due to engine failure. The vehicle is a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.4 with 116,000 miles. An Engine Class Settlement has been established for the model years 2010-2012 with this same issue. The vehicle will be towed to a dealership for inspection, confirmation and repair. I felt the need to make an incident report thinking maybe other reports have been filed, also, and the manufacturer reusing to admit to problem issues.
The car is 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe with a defective crankshaft. The car is leaking oil. I called Hyundai and they noted that although they have recall 168 the VIN for my car doesn't match a recall that is on their website. I spoke to a Hyundai case manager today who said that even though my car has the defective crankshaft they will not repair the vehicle because it beyond 100,000 and the recall is expired. I am seeking help from the federal safety agency as my car should be covered under this recall. I took it to an independent shop that noted that my car should be covered. I have photo and documents to prove that my car should be covered under this recall. My VIN just doesn't match their records and they are denying my claim.
Not really an incident but my car has the same issue as the class action lawsuit from Hyundai for issues with the connector rods going out. I can’t get it fixed because of this issue. Hyundai says they can’t do anything about it and sent me your info! Can someone please help me? I still owe $23,000.00 on this car! Is there a way to add the recall to my car? It is an almost $14,000.00 repair! It started knocking out of nowhere and isn’t drivable because of the issue.
Camshaft actuator first thst costed over $4200 to fix and now engine needing to be rebuilt with an estimated cost of over $17 000
The crankshaft broke due to abnormal wear the cars mileage is 102000 the check engine light never cam on it died in the middle of the freeway with no warning at all
Without any notification from a malfunction indicator light, there was a sudden knock followed by loss of power. Luckily I was on a country road and not on the highway 99 where congested traffic could have been a hazard. My mechanic said it was a rod bearing code causing catastrophic failure of the motor.
Rod bearing failure causing rod knocking. Engine needs rebuilt or replaced!
My 2017 Sante Fe had an engine seizure on April 28th and Thank God nobody was injured. Allowing people to drive around in this ticking time bombs, without any notification of a potential issue, is very concerning. Especially for someone who owns 2 Hyundai vehicles that are driven on dangerous highways in PA. My car is not only serviced on a regular basis, but I am exception who actually checks his oil in between oil-changes. Little did i know or suspect what was happening under my hood. I had AAA tow my car to Freysinger Hyundai on Friday 4/29/23 for what was diagnosed by a trained mechanic to be Engine Seizure. Since that time, I have been very patient as I know I didn't have an appointment but i do own two vehicles from the dealership and expect some decent level of service. Three calls last week to the service department and all I was told was it was in line to be diagnosed. My car has about 88k miles on it currently and I am the original owner and therefore the 100k Mile Powertrain warranty is in effect. I just finished talking to the service manager, [XXX], and he informed me that my car is still waiting in line to be diagnosed as they are backed up with vehicles having similar issues. I asked if the dealership should contact me and give me updates and inquired about a loaner car to utilize while my current $45k car is in the shop. He informed me to rent a car from Enterprise and if approved, would be reimbursed. If my car is under warranty what question is there, other than the question of another recall. The folks at Enterprise told me they are getting a ton of Hyundai owners with engine seizure issues, which is what the AAA driver told me, and the service department at Freysinger keeps telling me. Engine Seizure in an acceleration lane could kill someone and this issues needs to be made public: check your oil outside normal service levels, and have all vehicles brought in and examined for signs of overheating/seizure. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
1. Over several documented and undocumented times since July 2021, this vehicle has consistently lost >1 quart of oil every 1k miles. 2. This issue has been confirmed by the dealerships involved several times. 3. It is identified as the Theta engine failure. It began in 2012-13 and has been a constant for Hyundai and Kia models for 7 years. 4. There were no warnings from the initial ignition vehicles system check or at any time while operating this vehicle. Even when the engine loss was measured at about 4 qts. 5. This vehicle has been through 2 complete "oil consumption" programs that measure the oil loss during three consecutive 1K mile periods. Also it has had 2 "combustion cleanings" after which a follow up 1k mile oil check found that it still lost >1 qt of oil. 6. The failure of this engine is always a concern. I have personal and anecdotal testimony of what can happen with the failure of this engine. My wife and I are both in our 70's. We are also helping our 26 year old grandson with various transportation requirements. He has spastic dysplasia cerebral palsy and is unable to walk without a cane or walker. Longer distances require a wheelchair. We cannot push that wheelchair, we cannot carry him. We are in trouble if this engine fails and we are miles from home. Also, the vehicle under went the required ECM UPDATE as required by the federal safety agency at 39843 miles on January 11, 2019. This update required the installation of a module that would decrease the RPM'S of the engine if there was a failure. There are horror stories on various FB Group pages about the terror of being on a 70 mph road, in the middle lane, when the engine fails and goes immediately to 35 mph. I have a personal friend who experienced that on I-95 in Maryland and was petrified. 6. Finally, after speaking with various Hyundai Service employees, I feel that I was mistreated after the first process. When my SUV lost >1 qt after 1K miles after the cleaning, I should have gotten a new engine.
We were traveling down the road 12/08/22 and a clanging noise started. we were only a few miles from the Hyundai place in Orlando so we drove there. They put us in a rental and said most likely it threw a rod and would need the Engine replaced. It had about 95500 miles on it. Universal Hyundai called and said Hyuandi would replace the engine as goodwill with a rebuilt engine and It will cost me 1300.00. after 65 days in the shop they said I can pick it up. Drove it 11 miles and it broke down again. got it towed back to Universal Hyundai. They said it was the start and alternator and it will cost me 2000.00. My car is 4.5 hours away from where I live. The month before I had to have both sensor assy- oxygen replaced, they changed me for that also. In February of 2022 the Catiliyst Convertor was replaced, which was covered under warranty. I maintained my oil changes.
I had been driving my 2017 Santa Fe SE (6cyl, 3.3L engine) for approximately three hours when the battery, oil, and engine lights all lit up and the engine shut down immediately. I'd had no prior warning of an issue and lost power/control of the vehicle in less than a minute. My vehicle was towed to my mechanic who determined a complete engine failure. Tranfer of vehicle to Hyundai dealership for evaluation for work under warranty confirmed the engine failure.
Passenger airbag constantly coming on when there is a passenger, and when no one is on the passenger seat. Oil light has been flashing/ lighting up and going off. I told several service members about this problem, they all shrug it off. One said I could pay $150 for diagnostic test, but why should I pay when they know what’s going on with it? This seems to be a common issue with this vehicle, so why can’t I just get my car repaired and the company do right by consumers who have trusted them?! I thought the oil light coming on meant time for an oil change- even though it’s only been 2-3 weeks -because no one at my dealership where I get my car serviced mentioned it meant something more serious, like I’m LOW on oil... CONSTANTLY! This has been happening and my records at the dealership show I’ve been coming almost every two months for an oil change. I recently spoke with someone from the dealership in Daphne, Al and they told me they couldn’t help me AT ALL, not even the oil consumption tests because I’m not the original owner. Basically denied me of a service! How rude and inconsiderate, especially when I’m still paying for a car that potentially has engine problems. I paid for the extended warranty as well. Now all of a sudden, yesterday morning, on my way to work, my car was jerking/ missing like it doesn’t want to accelerate… and also when I was reversing! This is my only means of transportation to and from work. Thanks for reviewing my complaint and I hate I have to complain bc I love my little car. Just wish the dealership/ Hyundai would understand this isn’t right and might need to take these cars off the market or recall and fix! Please help!
***(NW Indiana)*** 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate FWD 3.3L - 64,000mi. Driven to and from work and around town. Purchased used with 31,000mi in July 2020 from Knauz Hyundai. On the afternoon of December 22nd, 2022 I went to accelerate from 35 mph at which point I heard "tick-tick-tick-tick-tick". I had never heard that sound before. I tried the accelerator again and the same "ticking" sound was there. It became progressively louder on the 15 minute ride home but only while accelerating. During this whole episode not once did any warning light come on. I got home and popped the hood to listen to it(I did video record the sound) and to check the oil. The oil was a bit low but I topped it off and then put a code reader on the vehicle. The only thing that came back was a low voltage on the battery. The next morning I started it up and the noise was even louder. After a few minutes the sound subsided a bit, albeit still loud. I was able to drive it to work so that our mechanics could hear it and all three said it sounded like a bearing went bad and that the engine might be a loss. I spoke to another friend that is a mechanic that hosts a local radio show and he said that he had a show recently about how he is seeing A LOT of Hyundai's coming in with the exact same problem. He told me about a recall from 9/19/2017 with the #17V578000. While I am not certain that this pertains to my vehicle, everyone that has read the recall says that can absolutely be the issue. I have tried calling Hyundai Consumer Affairs but sit on hold forever only to be finally disconnected from the call. I am taking it in to Hyundai on January 6th, 2023 for the ABS recall and they said they would charge me $199 to look at this issue. After reading through all of the complaints regarding this problem Hyundai needs to make it right for their "valued" customers.
I was accelerating on the highway and my RMPS shot the whole way up over 7,000 then bottomed out. I lost speed so I pulled over. Another car pulled over to inform me my car was on fire. I turned the car off and the fire went out. The car was towed to Blaise Alexander (dealership) in Altoona, PA. The mechanic reported that a connector rod went through the oil pan, engine block, and brake starter. He kept repeating to me "I've never seen anything like this before". He reached out to Hyundai to ask if they would cover repairs (starting at $13,790). Hyundai said no. I believe this incident was more than mechanical, and is related to the open recall. I attempted twice to have my car repaired under the recall but the dealership "didn't have the part".
On November 14, 2022 at approximately 0800 while traveling 495N in Massachusetts from Cape Cod my 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe with 109,000 miles experienced catastrophic engine failure. I was maintaining a speed of approximately 70 MPH when without waring the 3.3L V6 engine stalled and made loud clunking noises while smoke filled up the cabin of the vehicle causing me to cough and choke, my visibility was also diminished. I was fortunate enough to pull the vehicle to the right side of the highway and did cut someone off because I panicked and could not see almost causing a serious crash. The vehicle was then towed to a Hyundai dealership in Raynham, MA. The service advisors tried helping me with getting a new engine replacement from Hyundai Corporate, Corporate would not honor their demands and now I'm without a vehicle for myself to get to and from work and for my family so they can attend school, doctors appointments and social events.
With no warning lights, no unusual sounds coming from engine (knocking, or otherwise) - complete engine shutoff. Driving on highway at 55-60mph during acceleration. I was able to coast to the side. Unable to restart engine for about 30 minutes. Engine able to restart, then shutoff again a few minutes later at 45mph. There have been reports of unusually high motor oil consumption with the Theta 2 engine. There are no leaks, smells, smoke (from engine or exhaust) however, I must continuously add motor oil and check levels about every 100 miles. Oil level will reduce from max line to almost empty very quickly, maybe 1-3 weeks after refilling. All service maintenance is timely and done at authorized shops (Goodyear and Hyundai dealership). Dealership will perform oil consumption test to determine if eligible for powertrain warranty. Further research shows Hyundai denied many claims related to this issue.
Car engine failed at highway speeds in the middle of the road nearly causing an accident. Brought to hyundia dealeship who is refusing to pay for rental costs while engine is being replaced. Car only has 50,000 miles on it.
My 2017 Santa Fe's engine seized in 2019 at about 46K miles while I was going up a large hill. The entire vehicle began shaking, the oil light came on and then the vehicle lost power in bumper to bumper traffic. Fortunately a large truck behind me moved to act and nudged me up the rest of the hill with his truck so I could pull over safely. Hyundai replaced that engine after a few months and then replaced the turbo because they noticed that was failing even after engine replacement. This was prior to the class action lawsuits. My vehicle is now at about 64K miles with less than 15 on the new engine and turbo. In Fall of 2022, I got an oil change, took a quick short road trip later that day and on the way back with my family, the engine oil light came on. We pulled over and saw that the oil had mostly leaked out so we found a good Samaritan who helped get us oil to top it off so we could get home safely. I took it back to the oil change location the next day, thinking they had made a mistake and they advised the leak was due to my turbo failing. They took several pictures of the source of the leak and told me to get it to the dealer ASAP to prevent further leak, risk of fire or engine seizure. I towed the vehicle in.Hyundai advised it would be 6 weeks before they take a look at my vehicle. In addition, they offered no recourse or alternative transport while waiting for a determination despite the extended warranties that apply to my situation. They sent me a form to allow them to start the repair with no estimate attached and with a total waiver of my rights to join a class action suit but they haven't even looked at the vehicle. Not only am I worried about my safety, with a second engine failure, I am also worried they are sneaking in clauses to strip consumers of their rights.
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