The Hyundai Santa Fe is a midsize crossover SUV that first went on sale in the U.S. for the 2001 model year. It has been offered in two-row and three-row forms at different times, with four-cylinder and V6 engines and, more recently, hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions. Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive available. This page lines up every Hyundai Santa Fe model year from 2010 to 2024 on one scale, so you can see which years drew unusual numbers of owner reports and which stayed quiet.
Hyundai Santa Fe by model year
Complaints per 100,000 sold. Red: more than twice the model average. Green: the fewest, among years at least three years old.
| Year | Per 100k sold | Complaints | Recalls | Top system | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 339 | 260 | 2 | Transmission | |
| 2011 | 243 | 181 | 2 | Engine | |
| 2012 | 500 | 355 | 1 | Engine | |
| 2013 | 907 | 806 | 7 | Engine | Most complaints |
| 2014 | 609 | 657 | 7 | Engine | |
| 2015 | 287 | 339 | 4 | Engine | |
| 2016 | 233 | 306 | 3 | Engine | |
| 2017 | 996 | 1,327 | 7 | Engine | Most complaints |
| 2018 | 371 | 434 | 5 | Engine | |
| 2019 | 180 | 229 | 3 | Engine | Fewest |
| 2020 | 216 | 218 | 2 | Engine | Fewest |
| 2021 | 168 | 188 | 8 | Transmission | Fewest |
| 2022 | 222 | 266 | 8 | Transmission | |
| 2023 | 223 | 293 | 2 | Engine | |
| 2024 | 161 | 192 | 7 | Transmission |
Why these years stand out
2013: most complaints. The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe scored 907 complaints per 100,000 sold, 2.4 times the model average. Of its 806 complaints, 461 involve the engine or transmission, and the parts named most often are engine (382), steering (99) and electrical system (66). NHTSA lists 7 recalls for this model year and 8 defect investigations.
2017: most complaints. The 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe scored 996 complaints per 100,000 sold, 2.7 times the model average. Of its 1,327 complaints, 1,099 involve the engine or transmission, and the parts named most often are engine (857), power train (208) and fuel/propulsion system (87). NHTSA lists 7 recalls for this model year and 3 defect investigations.
2019, 2020 and 2021: fewest complaints. The 2019 drew 229 complaints, or 180 per 100,000 sold; The 2020 drew 218 complaints, or 216 per 100,000 sold; The 2021 drew 188 complaints, or 168 per 100,000 sold. These years have been on the road at least three years, which gives owners time to report problems, so a low count means something.
What Hyundai Santa Fe owners report most
Engine complaints lead for the Hyundai Santa Fe, at 51% of all complaints for 2010-2024. Engine and transmission reports together make up 65%. One complaint can name more than one system, so the bars can add up to more than the total.
When problems are reported: mileage
2,468 Hyundai Santa Fe complaints list the odometer reading at the time of the problem. 49% were reported before 50,000 miles and 22% after 100,000. The reports are spread across the mileage range rather than bunched at one point.
Hyundai Santa Fe compared with other midsize suvs
In 8 of 15 model years the Hyundai Santa Fe drew fewer complaints per 100,000 sold than the average midsize suv we track for the same year. For 2024, the Hyundai Santa Fe scored 161 against a class average of 140. The class average only uses models with clean, published sales figures.
Hyundai Santa Fe generations
- 2005-2006First generation
2.4L four (front-wheel drive); 2.7L V6; 3.5L V6 · 5-speed manual (2.4L); 4-speed automatic (2.4L, 2.7L); 5-speed automatic (3.5L)
The final years of the original Santa Fe offered two V6 engine sizes.
- 2007-2012Second generation
2.7L V6 (2007-2009); 3.3L V6 (2007-2009); 2.4L four (2010-2012); 3.5L V6 (2010-2012) · 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic (2.7L, 2007-2009); 5-speed automatic (3.3L, 2007-2009); 6-speed manual (2.4L) or 6-speed automatic (2010-2012)
A third-row seat was offered for the first time, and the 2010 update brought new engines and 6-speed transmissions.
- 2013-2018Third generation
2.4L four (Sport); 2.0L turbo four (Sport); 3.3L V6 (long-wheelbase Santa Fe) · 6-speed automatic
The line split into the two-row Santa Fe Sport and a longer three-row Santa Fe.
- 2019-2023Fourth generation
2.4L four (2019-2020); 2.0L turbo four (2019-2020); 2.5L four (2021-2023); 2.5L turbo four (2021-2023); 1.6L turbo four hybrid (2021-2023); 1.6L turbo four plug-in hybrid (2022-2023) · 8-speed automatic; 8-speed dual-clutch (2.5L turbo); 6-speed automatic (hybrids)
The two-row model took the Santa Fe name, while the three-row version became the Santa Fe XL for 2019 before the Palisade replaced it.
- 2024Fifth generation
2.5L turbo four; 1.6L turbo four hybrid · 8-speed dual-clutch; 6-speed automatic (hybrid)
The redesign brought boxy styling and returned to a standard three-row layout.
The 2021 refresh replaced both gasoline engines with new 2.5L units and added a hybrid, and a plug-in hybrid followed for 2022. During 2013 to 2018, the five-seat model was sold as the Santa Fe Sport. For 2019 only, the long-wheelbase three-row model was sold as the Santa Fe XL.
Hyundai Santa Fe fuel economy
The 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe is rated at 21 to 36 MPG combined by the EPA, depending on the version. Every year and engine will be on its own MPG page.
Crash test stars
NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave the Hyundai Santa Fe these overall ratings (out of 5) for the model years it tested: 2012: 3, 2018: 5, 2019: 5, 2020: 5, 2021: 5, 2022: 5, 2023: 5, 2024: 4. Ratings can differ between body styles and drive types of the same year.
Questions
What is the best year for the Hyundai Santa Fe?
By complaints filed with NHTSA per 100,000 sold, 2019, 2020 and 2021 had the fewest among model years at least three years old. 2019 scored 180, against a model average of 371.
What years of the Hyundai Santa Fe have the most complaints?
2013 and 2017. The 2013 scored 907 per 100,000 sold, with 461 engine or transmission complaints; The 2017 scored 996 per 100,000 sold, with 1,099 engine or transmission complaints. A complaint is a report from an owner and does not prove a defect.
At what mileage do Hyundai Santa Fe owners report problems?
Across 2,468 complaints that list the odometer reading, 49% were filed before 50,000 miles and 22% after 100,000 miles. These are miles at the time of the reported problem, not how long the vehicle lasts.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Santa Fe have?
NHTSA lists 68 recall campaigns across model years 2010-2024 (a campaign that covers several years counts once per year). Check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaint counts are reports filed by owners with NHTSA. NHTSA does not verify them, and a complaint does not prove a defect. Scores are our calculation, explained on the Method page. Not affiliated with any automaker.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (complaints, recalls, investigations), data through October 2026; U.S. sales from manufacturer reports, compiled by motorwick; fuel economy: U.S. EPA estimates; crash tests: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.