NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
200 reportsClear category filter96,000 miles · Aug 21, 2023
Engine
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle stalled and jerked. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was …
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The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle stalled and jerked. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000. The VIN was unavailable.
NHTSA ODI #11539899
104,000 miles · Aug 1, 2023
EnginePower Train
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle struggled while accelerating before there was an abnormal bang coming from the engine compartment. The contact was able to coast to the side of the roadway and received Roadside Assistance; however, the vehicle failed to restart.…
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The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle struggled while accelerating before there was an abnormal bang coming from the engine compartment. The contact was able to coast to the side of the roadway and received Roadside Assistance; however, the vehicle failed to restart. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, Roadside Assistance observed oil leaking from the engine and stopped the attempts to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that a piston had fractured, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 104,000.
NHTSA ODI #11535908
Mileage unknown · Jul 18, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control
I have need to get 3 oil changes within the past month and a half. Twice I was told I was driving with no oil in my car and the engine was getting ready to go. I notice when I start my car in the morning it is making a rattling noise, this also happens when I try to accelerate and the car will get stuck in gear and hesitate bef…
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I have need to get 3 oil changes within the past month and a half. Twice I was told I was driving with no oil in my car and the engine was getting ready to go. I notice when I start my car in the morning it is making a rattling noise, this also happens when I try to accelerate and the car will get stuck in gear and hesitate before speeding up. It's been dangerous trying to drive on this highway. I also notice a thick white smoke coming from my muffler. I'm constantly paying for unnecessary oil changes and diagnostic from independent service centers and was told my motor is bad and causing all this oil consumption. I was told to contact Hyundai but no luck.
NHTSA ODI #11533022
74,874 miles · Jul 14, 2023
Engine
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated upon taking the vehicle for an oil change, the mechanic informed her that there was no oil in the vehicle and that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed, but no issues wer…
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The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated upon taking the vehicle for an oil change, the mechanic informed her that there was no oil in the vehicle and that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed, but no issues were found. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, oil was added to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to respond while driving and depressed the accelerator pedal. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist due to the mileage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 74,874.
NHTSA ODI #11532352
Mileage unknown · Jul 11, 2023
Engine
High oil consumption. Dealership done 3 test and told me that my vehicle needs a new engine block, but Fidelity Warranty Service don't want to cover the warranty.
NHTSA ODI #11531725
Mileage unknown · Jul 6, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train
My car is burning to much oil which has caused my car to have a check engine light. I was not due for an oil change until end of July 2023 and the car was barely with no oil. I took it in to get an oil change at Valvoline and they confirmed no oil was hardly in the chamber and that my car needed an oil consumption test by dealer…
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My car is burning to much oil which has caused my car to have a check engine light. I was not due for an oil change until end of July 2023 and the car was barely with no oil. I took it in to get an oil change at Valvoline and they confirmed no oil was hardly in the chamber and that my car needed an oil consumption test by dealer. Hyundai models have been having multiple issues with engine failure. This is a safety Hazard as on the road is when I noticed my car shutting off on me. I am working on getting this taken care of with corporate Hyundai and dealer.
NHTSA ODI #11530658
104,000 miles · Jul 3, 2023
Engine
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over into a gas station where the vehicle started shaking and lost motive power and stalled. After several attempts the contact was ab…
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The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over into a gas station where the vehicle started shaking and lost motive power and stalled. After several attempts the contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and stated that the #3 spark plug was misfiring and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic and stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 104,000.
NHTSA ODI #11530210
46,000 miles · Jun 26, 2023
Engine
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while having a routine oil change performed, she was informed by the local dealer that the vehicle was 2-quarts low on engine oil. The dealer added engine oil. While driving, the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where …
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The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while having a routine oil change performed, she was informed by the local dealer that the vehicle was 2-quarts low on engine oil. The dealer added engine oil. While driving, the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where an oil consumption test was performed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the valve cover gasket was removed, and the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The contact noticed oil on the driveway. The vehicle was towed to the coal dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and declined to provide assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
NHTSA ODI #11528844
82,000 miles · Jun 22, 2023
Engine
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at an undisclosed speed, or while the vehicle was idling, he heard an abnormal sound coming from under the hood of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that he noticed that the engine was consuming an excessive amo…
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The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at an undisclosed speed, or while the vehicle was idling, he heard an abnormal sound coming from under the hood of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that he noticed that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that a quart of engine oil was added every 1,000 miles driven. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine would eventually need to be replaced. The engine was cleaned; however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that half the cost would be covered for the repair. The contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
NHTSA ODI #11528268
134,400 miles · Jun 21, 2023
Engine
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an abnormal oil consumption. The contact stated that the vehicle had consumed three quarts of oil after driving 3,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be re…
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The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an abnormal oil consumption. The contact stated that the vehicle had consumed three quarts of oil after driving 3,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that a class-action lawsuit had been filed regarding to the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,400.
NHTSA ODI #11528152
Official recalls
3Feb 3, 2022
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 & remedy
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.
Jun 5, 2017
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 & remedy
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.
Jun 5, 2017
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the bolt for the driver's seat belt anchor might not have been sufficiently tightened during assembly.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the bolt was not sufficiently tightened, driver's seat belt may come unanchored in a collision, increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners and dealers will verify that the driver's seatbelt anchor is properly secured, free of charge. The recall began July 7, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for the recall is 165.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2AQ23002 · Hyundai And Kia Abs Module Fires
Opened Nov 17, 2023 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, 21V-161, 21V-160, 21V-303, 22V-056, 22V-810, and 23V-651. Kia recalls 16V-815, 20V-518, 20V-519, 21V-137, 21V-331, 22V-051, 22V-800, and 23V-652 The purpose of this AQ is to evaluate the timeliness and scoping of Hyundai and Kia’s defect decision making and adherence with reporting requirements; and understand the varying defect descriptions and remedies between these recalls.
DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power
Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.