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Hyundai Santa Fe Problems by Year

Which Hyundai Santa Fe years have the most owner complaints, what goes wrong, and how many recalls each year has.

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe
Photo: Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0

Owners have filed 4,196 complaints with NHTSA about the Hyundai Santa Fe from 2012 to 2024. Across every year, the most reported problem areas are the engine and cooling, the transmission and drivetrain and the electrical system. The years with the most complaints are 2017, 2013 and 2014.

Years to avoid

201320142017

The most complaints compared with other Santa Fe years.

Safer bets

20182021

Clearly fewer complaints than a typical Santa Fe year. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate.

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Complaints by year

Tap a year to see its most reported problems, its recalls and what to check before you buy. Newer years have had less time on the road, so they always look better here. Red marks the worst years, orange years worse than most, and green the better ones.

2012355201360520144932015255201623820179732018110201920520202182021170202220320232142024157

Every year at a glance

YearVs. other yearsComplaintsRecallsMost reported
2012 Santa FeWorse than most years3551Engine and cooling
2013 Santa FeAmong the worst years6053Engine and cooling
2014 Santa FeAmong the worst years4933Engine and cooling
2015 Santa FeAbout average2552Engine and cooling
2016 Santa FeAbout average2383Engine and cooling
2017 Santa FeAmong the worst years9736Engine and cooling
2018 Santa FeOne of the better years1102Engine and cooling
2019 Santa FeAbout average2052Engine and cooling
2020 Santa FeAbout average2182Engine and cooling
2021 Santa FeOne of the better years1707Transmission and drivetrain
2022 Santa FeToo new to judge2035Transmission and drivetrain
2023 Santa FeToo new to judge2141Transmission and drivetrain
2024 Santa FeToo new to judge1577Transmission and drivetrain

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Hyundai Santa Fe questions

What are the worst Hyundai Santa Fe years?

Compared with its other years, the Santa Fe years with the most owner complaints to NHTSA are 2013, 2014 and 2017. The most reported problem area across all years is the engine and cooling.

What are the best Hyundai Santa Fe years?

The Santa Fe years with clearly fewer complaints than a typical year are 2018 and 2021. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly, since complaints keep coming in as cars age.

What are the most common Hyundai Santa Fe problems?

Across 2012 to 2024, owners report problems with the engine and cooling, the transmission and drivetrain and the electrical system most often. Each model year has its own pattern, so check the year you are looking at.

How many recalls does the Hyundai Santa Fe have?

NHTSA lists 44 recalls across the 2012 to 2024 Santa Fe, counted per model year. A recall can cover several years.

Check the exact car

These problems are for the model year as a whole. Here is how to find out about the one you are looking at.

Decode its VINConfirm the year, trim and engine, and see recalls and safety ratings.Walk around and test drive itA step-by-step checklist you can use on your phone at the car.Read the history reportThe red flags in a Carfax or AutoCheck report, in plain English.

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Where these numbers come from. Complaints are reports that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counted from NHTSA’s complaint database as of November 5, 2026. Owners do not have to prove a problem to file one, so a complaint is a report, not a confirmed defect. Models that sell in big numbers get more complaints, and newer model years have had less time on the road, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Recalls come from NHTSA’s recall database and cover every vehicle of that model year, not one particular car. Quotes are trimmed, and anything that looks like a VIN is hidden.