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2019 Hyundai Santa Fe

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
8 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
D
Safety Signal
62 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls2 critical3
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA221
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA25 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 8 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Santa Fe FWD, is EPA-rated at 25 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 221 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Santa Fe FWDGasFWD2.4L 4-cyl222925$2,500
Santa Fe AWDGasAWD2.4L 4-cyl212723$2,700
Santa Fe FWDGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo202522$2,850
Santa Fe AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo192421$2,950
Santa Fe XL FWDGasFWD3.3L 6-cyl182521$2,950
Santa Fe XL AWDGasAWD3.3L 6-cyl182420$3,100
Santa Fe XL Ultimate FWDGasFWD3.3L 6-cyl182320$3,100
Santa Fe XL Ultimate AWDGasAWD3.3L 6-cyl172219$3,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 40270, 40285, 40401, 40404, 40147, 40149, 40148, 40150.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (3)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Trailer Hitches

244
Park outside584,784 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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 purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.RiskA fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.FixOwners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-633.
NHTSA campaign 23V181000reported Mar 17, 2023Hyundai Motor America
!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

218
Park outside357,348 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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, which could result in an engine compartment fire.RiskAn engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.FixOwners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 218.
NHTSA campaign 22V056000reported Feb 3, 2022Hyundai Motor America
▲high

Air Bags

177
8,204 vehicles
ProblemHyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. The Side Curtain Air Bag (SCAB) mounting bolts may interfere with and damage the air bags during deployment.RiskIn the event of a crash, if the air bags become damaged during deployment they may not inflate properly, increasing the risk of injury.FixHyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the SCAB installation bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 177.
NHTSA campaign 18V715000reported Oct 11, 2018Hyundai Motor America

NHTSA defect investigations

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module — Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires open

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, 21V-161, 21V-160, 21V-303, 22V-056, 22V-810, and 23V-651. Kia recalls 16V-815, 20V-518, 20V-519, 21V

Opened Nov 17, 2023 · action AQ23002

Engine — Loss of Motive Power closed

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are

Opened Sep 12, 2022 · closed Dec 12, 2023 · action DP22003

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
221complaints filed

17 involved a crash · 11 a fire · 10 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2018: 4 · 2019: 29 · 2020: 19 · 2021: 20 · 2022: 24 · 2023: 28 · 2024: 27 · 2025: 41 · 2026: 29

Most-cited components

Engine78
Unspecified52
Power Train34
Electrical System31
Structure15
Forward Collision Avoidance14

What owners describe

“Two bolts flew out of the CCVT system, blowing a hole in the valve cover and destroying all the timing components. Because of the issue, all oil spilled from the car. The other two bolts in the system were bent as well. I was driving the vehicle when this happened and could’ve been seriously hurt. I now need a new en…”Nov 3, 2025 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“On [XXX], the check engine light came on in my 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL. The dealership diagnosed a complete engine failure requiring full replacement. The vehicle has only 54,000 miles. The dealer submitted a warranty claim to Hyundai, but Hyundai denied it because I could not provide receipts for every oil change, de…”Oct 3, 2025 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine compartment, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact discovered oil leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken …”Oct 2, 2025 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆15%
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆15%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other Santa Fe model years

A

2027 Hyundai Santa Fe

0 recalls · 0 complaints

D

2026 Hyundai Santa Fe

4 recalls · 46 complaints

F

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe

5 recalls · 215 complaints

F

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

7 recalls · 176 complaints

C

2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

2 recalls · 284 complaints

F

2022 Hyundai Santa Fe

8 recalls · 262 complaints

F

2021 Hyundai Santa Fe

8 recalls · 185 complaints

C

2020 Hyundai Santa Fe

2 recalls · 207 complaints

F

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe

5 recalls · 427 complaints

F

2017 Hyundai Santa Fe

7 recalls · 1,307 complaints

D

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe

3 recalls · 303 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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