Hyundai Santa Fe
Every model year 2016–2027: recalls, owner complaints, NHTSA crash ratings and EPA efficiency side by side, each value traced to the file it came from.
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Every Hyundai Santa Fe model year
Source: NHTSA · EPA · one row per year| Year | Powertrains | Safety | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | Best efficiency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Hybrid Gas | A | 0 | 0 | — | 36 mpg | |
| 2026 | Hybrid Gas | C | 4 | 58 | ★★★★★ | 36 mpg | |
| 2025 | Hybrid Gas | C | 5 | 239 | ★★★★☆ | 36 mpg | |
| 2024 | Hybrid Gas | D | 7 | 191 | ★★★★☆ | 36 mpg | |
| 2023 | Plug-in hybrid Hybrid Gas | C | 2 | 290 | ★★★★★ | 34 mpg | Park outside |
| 2022 | Plug-in hybrid Hybrid Gas | F | 8 | 265 | ★★★★★ | 34 mpg | Park outside |
| 2021 | Hybrid Gas | F | 8 | 187 | ★★★★★ | 34 mpg | Park outside |
| 2020 | Gas | C | 2 | 217 | ★★★★★ | 25 mpg | Park outside |
| 2019 | Gas | D | 3 | 229 | ★★★★★ | 25 mpg | Park outside |
| 2018 | Gas | F | 5 | 432 | ★★★★★ | 24 mpg | Park outside |
| 2017 | Gas | D | 7 | 1,326 | ★★★★★ | 24 mpg | Park outside |
| 2016 | Gas | C | 3 | 306 | ★★★★★ | 23 mpg | Park outside |
Which model year the record favours
Source: recalls and complaints per year on the roadOn the filed record so far, the 2016 is the cleanest Santa Fe year we hold, and the 2021 the one to check hardest. The 2021 carries a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory, which outranks every other number on this page.
Both figures are divided by the number of years the car has been on sale, because otherwise the oldest year on the page loses every time simply for having been around longer. The current model year and any year under three on the road are left out: their records are not finished.
Which Hyundai Santa Fe years reported which system early
Source: NHTSA complaints, odometer at reportEarliest on the record: 2017 power train complaints at 0.21× the mileage of same-age vehicles (median 8,500 miles). Latest: 2018 service brakes at 2.71× (77,000 miles).
| Year | Engine | Power Train | Electrical System | Service Brakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | — | 0.43× | — | — |
| 2020 | 1.46× | — | — | — |
| 2019 | 0.95× | — | 0.33× | — |
| 2018 | 1.49× | — | — | 2.71× |
| 2017 | 1.24× | 0.21× | 0.57× | 1.12× |
| 2016 | 1.44× | — | — | — |
Each cell is that model year’s median odometer when owners reported the system, divided by the median for the same system across every make’s complaints on the same model year. under 0.67× reported early; 1.5× or more late; a dash means too few readings. When problems get reported, not how often — complaint counts are in the table above. Across the whole fleet: which systems go first.
What owners filed about the Hyundai Santa Fe, by system
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsEvery system, every year →The systems the federal record is deep on for this nameplate: the complaints per model year, the mileage owners reported them at, and every recall, investigation and manufacturer bulletin filed under the heading — each one linked, none a failure rate.
What changed year to year
Source: computed from the filed record- 2024: dropped plug-in hybrid; best combined mpg 34 → 36; 7 → 5 EPA configurations
- 2022: added plug-in hybrid; 6 → 7 EPA configurations
- 2021: added hybrid; best combined mpg 25 → 34; 4 → 6 EPA configurations
- 2020: 8 → 4 EPA configurations
- 2019: best combined mpg 24 → 25; 10 → 8 EPA configurations
- 2017: best combined mpg 23 → 24; 9 → 10 EPA configurations
| Head-to-head | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Santa Fe vs Kia Sportage · Compact SUV | Sportage +8.6 | |
| 2027 Santa Fe vs Honda CR-V · Compact SUV | Santa Fe +4.9 | |
| 2027 Santa Fe vs Tesla Model Y · Compact SUV | Model Y +27.6 | |
| 2027 Santa Fe vs Chevrolet Equinox · Compact SUV | Equinox +14.7 | |
| 2027 Santa Fe vs Jeep Wrangler · Compact SUV | Santa Fe +22.6 | |
| 2027 Santa Fe vs Chevrolet Blazer · Compact SUV | Toss-up |
In the studies
Source: computed from the same record, method on each pageCommon questions about the Hyundai Santa Fe
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich Hyundai Santa Fe year is the best used buy?
On the recall record, the 2016 Santa Fe comes out top of the years before the current one: Safety Signal grade C (76/100), 3 recalls and 306 owner complaints on file. That ranks paperwork, not condition — a specific car's history and service record still decide it.
What Hyundai Santa Fe years should I avoid?
2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 have the weakest recall records in this range — one carries an active park-outside or do-not-drive advisory. The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists yet. Every Santa Fe model year ranked, with the reasons.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Santa Fe have?
Across model years 2016–2027, NHTSA has posted 54 recall campaigns for the Hyundai Santa Fe. They are counted per model year in the table above, because a campaign almost never covers the whole run — it covers a build range.