Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability
Quick answer
The Hyundai Santa Fe has 2.57 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold across the 2015–2022 model years. In CarWhere's ranking of 26 SUVs by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022, serious complaints weighted double and adjusted for vehicle age), the Santa Fe places 15th: about average for the group. Across model years 2008–2026, owners filed 6,048 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and the transmission, and NHTSA lists 40 recall campaigns. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2008, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2022–2024 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
2.57
Complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022)
6,048
NHTSA owner complaints (2008–2026)
40
Recall campaigns
7
Years to avoid
Most-reported Hyundai Santa Fe problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2026, by the component owners named, filed 2008–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2,430 | 40% | 27 | 107 | 12 |
| Powertrain / transmission | 876 | 14% | 23 | 6 | 16 |
| Electrical system | 737 | 12% | 21 | 49 | 12 |
| Fuel / propulsion system | 646 | 11% | 10 | 15 | 3 |
| Service brakes | 484 | 8% | 51 | 27 | 29 |
| Speed control / throttle | 417 | 7% | 51 | 2 | 17 |
| Steering | 314 | 5% | 11 | 4 | 4 |
| Air bags | 215 | 4% | 68 | 1 | 51 |
Of all 6,048 complaints, 241 (4%) report a crash, 187 (3%) a fire and 156 (3%) an injury.
For 2020-and-newer models (1,470 complaints), the most-reported areas are the engine (338), the transmission (329), the electrical system (278), automatic emergency braking (175).
Hyundai Santa Fe complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's years-to-avoid analysis, which compares each Santa Fe model year with the model's other years. The full year-by-year verdicts are on the years-to-avoid page.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 541 | 6 | Fuel / propulsion system | Avoid |
| 2009 | 359 | 3 | Fuel / propulsion system | — |
| 2010 | 260 | 3 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2011 | 181 | 3 | Engine | — |
| 2012 | 355 | 1 | Engine | — |
| 2013 | 605 | 3 | Engine | Avoid |
| 2014 | 494 | 3 | Engine | Avoid |
| 2015 | 255 | 2 | Engine | — |
| 2016 | 238 | 3 | Engine | — |
| 2017 | 974 | 6 | Engine | Avoid |
| 2018 | 110 | 2 | Engine | — |
| 2019 | 206 | 2 | Engine | — |
| 2020 | 218 | 1 | Engine | — |
| 2021 | 190 | 7 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2022 | 268 | 7 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2023 | 294 | 1 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2024(new) | 193 | 7 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2025(new) | 248 | 5 | Electrical system | — |
| 2026(new) | 59 | 4 | Electrical system | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Hyundai Santa Fe recalls
NHTSA lists 40 recall campaigns across Hyundai Santa Fe model years 2008–2026. The ones below cover the most model years (campaigns with a park advisory first). Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23V181000Mar 17, 2023 | 2019–2023 | Trailer hitch | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEV and Santa Cruz vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or…NHTSA advisory: park outside until repaired. |
| 23V651000Sep 22, 2023 | 2013–2015 | Service brakes — antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip / control unit/module | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson…NHTSA advisory: park outside until repaired. |
| 22V056000Feb 3, 2022 | 2016–2018 | Service brakes — antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip / control unit/module | 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,…NHTSA advisory: park outside until repaired. |
| 17V358000Jun 5, 2017 | 2013–2017 | Latches, locks & linkages — hood / latch | 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… |
| 13V113000Apr 1, 2013 | 2008–2011 | Exterior lighting — brake lights / switch | Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis,… |
Best and worst Santa Fe years
- Years to avoid: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2022–2024.
- No model year stands out as clearly better than the rest.
- 2024–2026: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
Hyundai Santa Fe years to avoid: the verdict for every model year →
What to inspect on a used Hyundai Santa Fe
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Transmission: test-drive from cold through every gear, feel for slipping, harsh or delayed shifts and shudder, and ask whether the fluid has been serviced.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Driver aids: ask about false automatic-braking events and check for warning messages on the dash.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Hyundai Santa Fe can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Hyundai Santa Fe reliability FAQ
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
The Hyundai Santa Fe has 2.57 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold across the 2015–2022 model years. In CarWhere's ranking of 26 SUVs by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022, serious complaints weighted double and adjusted for vehicle age), the Santa Fe places 15th: about average for the group. Across model years 2008–2026, owners filed 6,048 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and the transmission, and NHTSA lists 40 recall campaigns. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2008, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2022–2024 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Hyundai Santa Fe problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2026, the most-reported areas are the engine (2,430), the transmission (876), the electrical system (737) and the fuel system (646). For 2020-and-newer models, the most-reported areas are the engine, the transmission and the electrical system. One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Hyundai Santa Fe should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2008, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2022–2024 as years to avoid. Each model year is compared only with other Santa Fe years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How long does a Hyundai Santa Fe last?
In CarWhere's lifespan study, 0.9% of 21,836 used Santa Fe listings in the US had passed 200,000 miles and 5.7% had passed 150,000. Among those 10+ years old, 5.9% are past 200,000 miles. Maintenance history matters more than the model average for any one car.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Santa Fe have?
NHTSA lists 40 recall campaigns covering Hyundai Santa Fe model years 2008–2026. The one covering the most model years is 23V181000 (trailer hitch, 2019–2023). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Hyundai Santa Fe?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure Santa Fe reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Hyundai Santa Fe, model years 2008–2026, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Complaints per 1,000 sold divides the 2,459 complaints for the 2015–2022 model years by 956,425 vehicles sold in the US in those calendar years (published sales figures), times 1,000.
- The SUVs ranking uses the same complaints and sales, weights serious complaints double and adjusts for vehicle age, then compares 26 models. See the full ranking.
- Year flags compare each Santa Fe model year only with other Santa Fe years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the Santa Fe compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.
More Hyundai Santa Fe research
Hyundai Santa Fe reliability by model year: