Is the Hyundai Santa Fe high maintenance?
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Somewhat. The Hyundai Santa Fe is somewhat above average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 medium SUV (4WD) benchmark, it costs about $1,769 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — $113 more than the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM) covers 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Owners filed 0.552 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Santa Fes sold (2015–2022 sales), #15 of 26 SUVs we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.533).
Verdict
Somewhat
somewhat above average to maintain
Per year
$1,769
AAA 2025 benchmark
5 years
$8,845
75,000 miles
NHTSA complaints
0.552 / 1k
Average for SUVs
Santa Fe maintenance cost: 5 and 10 years
| Period | Miles | Estimate | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per year | 15,000 | $1,769 | AAA medium SUV (4WD), 11.79¢/mile |
| 5 years | 75,000 | $8,845 | AAA's own 5-year window |
| 10 years (floor) | 150,000 | $17,690+ | AAA's 5-year per-mile rate, extended in a straight line |
Method: AAA 2025 medium SUV (4WD) benchmark: 11.79¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Santa Fe-specific quote. The 10-year figure is a floor: it doesn't add the larger age-related repairs (and later scheduled items such as spark plugs or coolant) that come after year 5.
How the verdict is set: Two inputs. Cost: the estimate against AAA's $1,656 all-vehicle average (more than 3% under counts in the car's favor, more than 3% over against it). Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold against the median of every model in our study (0.48); well under the median helps, well over hurts, roughly double or more hurts twice as much. Both low = "No"; both high = "Yes". Models without a dollar estimate get no verdict.
| What | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance scheduled services | NO COST (service.hyundaiusa.com wording) | Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (service.hyundaiusa.com) |
Santa Fe service schedule highlights
From Hyundai's documents for the Santa Fe:
- 2026 manual (2.5T): SAE 0W-30
- Spark plugs every 48,000 miles
- AT fluid no service in normal use; severe every 60,000 miles
- 4WD transfer/rear diff severe: every 72,000 miles
Source: 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner's Manual (full PDF)
Oil changes
Normal service: 8,000 miles or 12 months
Severe or special conditions: 5,000 miles or 6 months (short trips, extensive idling, dusty/rough or salted roads, heavy traffic, mountain driving, towing, commercial use, frequent high speed or stop-and-go, or non-recommended oil)
Oil: API SN PLUS (or higher) full synthetic required for the normal interval. SAE 0W-20 for Palisade 3.5L, Tucson and Elantra 2.0L; SAE 0W-30 for Santa Fe 2.5T. With lower-grade oil, follow the severe schedule.
The Elantra manual also has an Oil Life Management System and says to use the severe schedule after 10 years or 100,000 miles.
Included maintenance
Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM)
Term: 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Hyundai's pages list new 2020–2025 model years; 2026 terms are not stated on the pages opened.
Covers: For MY2025, four basic services within 3 years/36,000 miles, each with Hyundai-approved oil and filter change (not for EVs/FCEVs), tire rotation and a multi-point inspection. Air filters, cabin filter, wipers, brake pads, severe-schedule extras and 'inspect' items are excluded. It goes to the original owner only (spouse transfer allowed) at authorized Hyundai dealers, and each service must be within 1,000 miles or 1 month of the Owner's Manual interval.
Source: Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (hyundaiusa.com Assurance)
Hyundai factory schedule
| Interval | Service items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Every 8,000 miles or 12 months |
| 2026 Hyundai Tucson Owner's Manual (full PDF) |
| Every 16,000 miles or 24 months |
| 2026 Hyundai Tucson Owner's Manual (full PDF) |
| Every 24,000 miles or 36 months |
| 2026 Hyundai Tucson Owner's Manual (full PDF) |
| 48,000 miles or 48 months |
| 2026 Hyundai Tucson Owner's Manual (full PDF) |
| Spark plugs |
| 2026 Hyundai Elantra Owner's Manual (full PDF) |
| 120,000 miles or 120 months (first) |
| 2026 Hyundai Tucson Owner's Manual (full PDF) |
| Automatic transmission / IVT fluid |
| 2026 Hyundai Tucson Owner's Manual (full PDF) |
| AWD transfer case and rear differential |
| 2026 Hyundai Tucson Owner's Manual (full PDF) |
Common Santa Fe problems (NHTSA data)
Owners filed 0.552 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Santa Fes sold (2015–2022 sales), #15 of 26 SUVs we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.533).
- 5,497 owner complaints on file with NHTSA across all Santa Fe model years.
- Most-reported systems: electrical system (695), powertrain / transmission (400).
- Model years flagged in our years-to-avoid analysis: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024.
Complaints measure problems owners reported to the government, not repair bills: a high count signals more unscheduled repairs, which AAA's category benchmark doesn't adjust for. Santa Fe years to avoid →
How the Santa Fe compares in its AAA category (medium SUV (4WD))
Same AAA category means the same dollar benchmark, so the complaint rate is what separates them. Luxury models aren't priced.
| Model | Est. per year | Complaints / 1,000 sold | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Santa Fe | $1,769 | 0.552 Average | Somewhat — above average |
| Toyota Highlander | $1,769 | 0.393 Above average | About average |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | $1,769 | 0.517 Average | Somewhat — above average |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | $1,769 | 0.592 Below average | Somewhat — above average |
| Ford Explorer | $1,769 | 0.918 Below average | Yes — higher than most |
| Honda Pilot | $1,769 | 1.07 Worst | Yes — higher than most |
| Jeep Wrangler | $1,769 | 1.12 Worst | Yes — higher than most |
| Kia Sorento | $1,769 | 1.29 Worst | Yes — higher than most |
| Toyota 4Runner | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Honda Odyssey | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Hyundai Palisade | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Kia Telluride | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Subaru Ascent | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Ford Bronco | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Chevrolet Traverse | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Volkswagen Atlas | $1,769 | — | Somewhat — above average |
| Porsche Cayenne | $2,168 | — | Yes — higher than most |
| Lexus RX | Not priced | 0.202 Best | Not priced |
| Acura MDX | Not priced | 1.21 Worst | Not priced |
| BMW X5 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Mercedes-Benz GLE | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Audi Q7 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Land Rover Range Rover | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Land Rover Range Rover Sport | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Volvo XC90 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Genesis GV80 | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Cadillac Escalade | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Lincoln Aviator | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Lincoln Nautilus | Not priced | — | Not priced |
| Lincoln Navigator | Not priced | — | Not priced |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Santa Fe high maintenance?
Somewhat. The Hyundai Santa Fe is somewhat above average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 medium SUV (4WD) benchmark, it costs about $1,769 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — $113 more than the $1,656 all-vehicle average. Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (HCM) covers 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Owners filed 0.552 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Santa Fes sold (2015–2022 sales), #15 of 26 SUVs we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.533).
Is the Santa Fe expensive to maintain?
Plan on about $1,769 a year, $8,845 over 5 years. AAA 2025 medium SUV (4WD) benchmark: 11.79¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Santa Fe-specific quote.
How much does a Santa Fe cost to maintain over 10 years?
About $17,690 at 15,000 miles a year (150,000 miles), extending the AAA 5-year per-mile rate in a straight line. Treat it as a floor: AAA's rate is measured on a car's first 5 years, and older cars need larger repairs.
How often does the Santa Fe need an oil change?
Hyundai's published oil-change interval: 8,000 miles or 12 months. Check your owner's manual for your engine; severe-service intervals are shorter.
What is the cheapest Hyundai to maintain?
Of the 4 Hyundai models we cover, the Elantra has the lowest estimated maintenance cost: about $1,535 a year (AAA 2025 small sedan benchmark).
What Santa Fe years should I avoid?
Our NHTSA years-to-avoid analysis flags 2008, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024. Owners filed 0.552 NHTSA complaints per 1,000 Santa Fes sold (2015–2022 sales), #15 of 26 SUVs we rank (lower is better; segment median 0.533).
Related
Sources and method
Dollar figures: AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs category benchmark (retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires). Schedule, oil interval and included maintenance: Hyundai's own documents, linked by row. Complaints: NHTSA's public complaint database, divided by published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- NHTSA vehicle owner complaints database — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (complaints per 1,000 sold is a CarWhere calculation)
- 2026 Hyundai Palisade Owner's Manual (full PDF, ownersmanual.hyundai.com) — Hyundai (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2026 Hyundai Tucson Owner's Manual (full PDF) — Hyundai (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner's Manual (full PDF) — Hyundai (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2026 Hyundai Elantra Owner's Manual (full PDF) — Hyundai (opened 2026-11-06)
- Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (hyundaiusa.com Assurance) — Hyundai (opened 2026-11-06)
- Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance (service.hyundaiusa.com) — Hyundai (opened 2026-11-06)