2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 87,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

Supplement to complaint 11743619. The 3.3L Lambda II GDI engine seized at highway speed on January 16, 2022 (connecting-rod-bearing failure, internal components through the block). The vehicle lost all power and power steering, left the roadway and crashed off-road while the driver tried to bring it to a stop, with four occupants aboard.…Owner complaint, filed 2026

WHAT FAILED: The engine, the 3.3L Lambda II GDI V6 (engine family GHYXV03.31XE per the federal emissions label), failed catastrophically: a connecting rod penetrated the engine block. The failed engine IS available for inspection on request. It has been preserved unrepaired since the failure, the rod penetration of the block is…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 50,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

Total failure of rear differential / AWD electro-magnetic coupling. I was driving and came to a stop sign, when I went to go it jammed up sending me out of control almost killing me, As I regained control, I got about 20 ft further and hear a HUGE BOOM and my car was again out of my control I was able to slow it down by using the giant…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Hard Shift occurs between gear 1 and gear 2. The hard shift lurches the entire car. It occurs on both upshift and downshift. The hard shift occurs on cold starts. The problem goes away when you turn the vehicle off and then back on. There are no check engine lights. The dealer can't replicate the problem.Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated that the brake pedal was inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle vibrated while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to an…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 119,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V056000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…Owner complaint, filed 2023

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Ever since I bought This 2016 hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0 Turbo from Advantage Hyundai, in Hicksville New York in December 2017, I have been having Battery problems, especially when the temperature falls below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The alarm goes off by itself, it does not matter what time of day, draining the battery in the process. I…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Navigation system won't load- when the vehicle is started, the navigation system (screen says bluelink)- starts the process of loading- with a loading bar below the words "bluelink'. , at engine start- when loading, that bar moves from left to right. Once the system is loaded, the navigation screen comes on. The problem: the loading…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 60,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Recently we could not undo the seatbelt that our 6 year old grandson was strapped in. The more tried to extend it to release the tension the tighter it became. My grandson was being crushed and was screaming. The vehicle was not running and was parked in the driveway. I had to run into the garage and get a pair of scissors and cut the…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 20,000 miles

No seat belt audible alarm notification when the belt is not buckled with passenger in the seat. See video web site http://www.[VIN].com/no-seat-belt-warning-for-some-hyundai-santa-fe-vehicles-video/Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 6,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 55,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Vehicle was parked with the engine running to be warmed up. The vehicle started to shake and engine light came on. This was not the first time this happened. The first time it happened I was stopped at a traffic light, when I tried to move the vehicle it wont go anything over 15miles per hour. Took the vehicle to the shop and was told…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 133,429 miles

While driving on the interstate, I pressed the gas pedal and the vehicle would not accelerate. The motor was running and the vehicle seemed to have some pull on it's own but clearly anytime the gas pedal was pressed there was no acceleration. It was diagnosed as a default in the throttle body.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 69,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

Someone backed out of a parking lot and I crashed into their rear passenger side. Other party at fault but my air bags for 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport did not deploy.Owner complaint, filed 2024

Had an accident where driver side front of vehicle was hit. The severity of crash resulted in total loss. The driver was hurt and concussed due to her head hitting the side window, driver side. The vehicle was equipped with front side impact and curtain airbags and all failed to deploy. The other vehicle's side curtains were deployed.Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

Rear driver-side passenger door will not open from inside or outside of vehicle. Automatic locks on door clicks from lock/unlock but it will not open. I have two small children in car seats in the back and is a major safety risk since the door will not open. The vehicle was not inspected by anyone since I just discovered this issue…Owner complaint, filed 2021

As I come out of slow turns or slow down then accelerate on the highway, my vehicle does a 1 to 2 second hesitation. During this hesitation, the engine is revving but the the vehicle won't accelerate. When I come off the gas then repress it comes back to normal.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 40,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 9,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

When driving at night there is a black shadow on the windshield making it impossible to see. It is not fixed by reaiming lights. It is worse as you hit bumps in the rode. It makes it impossible to drive at night! I was driving in my subdivision and could not see a woman walking.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 18,900 miles

A. Wiper heaters, as listed on the window invoice are non-existant. I had several freeze-ups last winter causing me to stop the car and clear the blades manually, even though the front defrost button was depressed. Dealer said it was operating as it should. (?? - I disagree) b. During the summer I was getting moisture on the inside of…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 14,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

2016 hyundai santa fe . Consumer writes in regards to malfunctioning throttle. The consumer stated the vehicle's accelerator pedal was depressed but, the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicle began knocking and stalled. Attempts were made to repair the vehicle but, the failure recurred. On seperate occasions the check engine light…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Wife stopped at stop sign , car would not respond to accelerator pedal , 1 block from home was able to idle car into drive way. I got into car to see what was going on found same problem. I shut car off and restarted and accelerator started working , pulled into garage and called hyundai to get towed to dealer car not safe to drive.Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 16,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The vehicle had 67000 Aprox miles. The rack and pinion and the intermediate steering colum needed to be replaced. This was done before any accident.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Vehicle's steering requires constant correction. Vehicle will not track straight. Very difficult to keep vehicle in a lane, sometimes almost impossible. Not a problem for in-town driving, but a major problem on highways. Problem gets exponentially worse as speeds increase, especially on I-45 and I-130 in central texas where speeds are…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 565 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that there was a delay response in the Back Over Prevention camera at lower temperatures during winter the months. The contact stated that the camera would operate as designed in warmer temperatures or once the vehicle was fully warmed up. The vehicle was taken to several…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 60,000 miles

Vehicle was driven on a highway approximately 45-50 mph when a loud knocking sound occured. The vehicle began to shake erratically and a bunch of lights displayed. I pulled over at a safety point and turned the vehicle off to inspect it. A large amount of smoke poured from under the hood. The vehicle sat for about 45 minutes to cool down…Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

The suv 2016 come equipped with continental 235/55 r19 tiers, the suv has only 3400 miles on it since purchase, I lost two tiers on a blow out at low speed 35 to 40 MPH, side walls failed, (it was on a street) I visually inspected the tires myself and agreed with the tire distributor.Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 3,400 miles

Abs system is randomly locking up calipers causing a dangerous speed wobble. Dealership can't re create so won't diagnose. Have had to replace all brake calipers and components were near new but ruined because of abs applying brakes when unnecessary. Vehicle is very unsafe to drive, pulled hard to left at one point veering me into…Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

Takata recall, the seat belt is getting stocked and tight during driving also doesn't recline when taking it off still hanging, the fuel evaporates from the fuel tank and doesn't give any mileage as described when driving feel every little thing on the road including small rocks.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 30,000 miles

Recall:(#141),(#163),plus rear & front end suspension out of line. Brought brand new tires and still vibration front and rear.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 31,400 miles