NHTSA Complaint #11690074 — 2017 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

In May 2025, the vehicle (2017 Hyundai Santa Fe) developed severe sluggishness. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and I was told the engine would need to replaced due to a recall. Four months later (week of Sept 14 {exact date not known}), the engine was replaced and the vehicle made available for pickup. I drove it home (8.1 miles) and all seemed normal. It sat in the driveway for approx. one week. On Sept 22, 2025, I drove to the store (8.4 miles round-trip). On the way to the store, the engine light came on. I immediately called the dealership and reported the problem. The car was taken in that night (a trip of 8.1 miles) and left at the dealership. On Sept 23, 2025, I was informed that the intake manifold needed to be replaced (this had caused the engine light to come on) at my cost of approx $1000. The car remains at the dealership (unused by me). Online research revealed that if debris had been found in the manifold, it was to be replaced along with the engine (Hyundai TSB #22-EM-010H DATE JULY 2022). The following has been cut-and-pasted from the web: The issue of the intake manifold not being replaced or cleaned after an engine failure is a direct result of the core defect. When the old engine failed, it likely shed metallic debris and shrapnel. That debris could have traveled into other components, including the intake manifold. If the manifold is not cleaned or replaced, the new engine draws that old metallic debris back in, causing it to fail again almost immediately. NHTSA indirectly mandated that the repair must be COMPLETE AND EFFECTIVE. When a dealership refuses a critical part of that repair (like cleaning the manifold), they are effectively carrying out an incomplete remedy to a safety recall, which is a violation of the manufacturer's federal obligation under the Consent Order. It is my contention that residual debris in the intake manifold caused the warning light and will quite possibly damage the new engine.