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2026 Hyundai Santa Fe

Hybrid Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
5 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
C
Safety Signal
76 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 4
Complaints3 injured reported 58
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 36 mpg
Starting MSRP17 trims · manufacturer $35,050
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact SUV with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Santa Fe Hybrid FWD, is EPA-rated at 36 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 58 complaints, most often about the forward collision avoidance. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $35,050 to $50,500 across 17 trims.

Hyundai Santa Fe — photograph via Wikimedia Commons
Hyundai Santa Fe · Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →
TrimPowertrainDriveMSRPHPTorqueMPG combSeatsCargo (2nd row)Wheels
SEGasFWD$35,050277 hp311 lb-ft24 mpg740.5 cu-ft18 in
SEGasAWD$36,850277 hp311 lb-ft23 mpg740.5 cu-ft18 in
SELGasFWD$37,590277 hp311 lb-ft24 mpg740.5 cu-ft18 in
SELGasAWD$39,390277 hp311 lb-ft23 mpg740.5 cu-ft18 in
XRTGasAWD$42,040277 hp311 lb-ft21 mpg740.5 cu-ft18 in
LimitedGasFWD$44,600277 hp311 lb-ft24 mpg640.5 cu-ft20 in
LimitedGasAWD$46,400277 hp311 lb-ft23 mpg640.5 cu-ft20 in
CalligraphyGasFWD$47,600277 hp311 lb-ft24 mpg640.5 cu-ft21 in
CalligraphyGasAWD$49,400277 hp311 lb-ft23 mpg640.5 cu-ft21 in
SE HybridHybridFWD$36,400178 hp195 lb-ft—740.5 cu-ft18 in
SE HybridHybridAWD$38,200178 hp195 lb-ft34 mpg740.5 cu-ft18 in
SEL HybridHybridFWD$38,690178 hp195 lb-ft36 mpg740.5 cu-ft18 in
SEL HybridHybridAWD$40,490178 hp195 lb-ft34 mpg740.5 cu-ft18 in
Limited HybridHybridFWD$45,700178 hp195 lb-ft36 mpg640.5 cu-ft20 in
Limited HybridHybridAWD$47,500178 hp195 lb-ft34 mpg640.5 cu-ft20 in
Calligraphy HybridHybridFWD$48,700178 hp195 lb-ft36 mpg640.5 cu-ft20 in
Calligraphy HybridHybridAWD$50,500178 hp195 lb-ft34 mpg640.5 cu-ft20 in

MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Santa Fe Hybrid FWDHybridFWD1.6L 4-cyl turbo373636$1,850
Santa Fe Hybrid AWDHybridAWD1.6L 4-cyl turbo + 270V Li-Ion353434$1,950
Santa Fe FWDGasFWD2.5L 4-cyl turbo202924$2,800
Santa Fe AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl turbo202823$2,900
Santa Fe AWD XRTGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl turbo192521$3,200

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49447, 49490, 49451, 49496, 49495.

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The cheapest ownership win

Insurers price the 2026 Santa Fe very differently, and the gap between the best and worst quote on the same car and driver is usually larger than any option you are weighing on this page.

How to compare cover →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Seat Belts

298-032G
294,448 vehicles 38% reported repaired
Problem Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, 2023-2026 Genesis G90, 2024-2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, and Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The driver and passenger seat belt anchors may detach. Risk A detached seat belt anchor will not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect and reinforce or replace the seat belt anchors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 29, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and Genesis customer service at 844-340-9741. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 298 and 032G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov April 8, 2026.
NHTSA campaign 26V218000 reported Apr 6, 2026 Hyundai Motor America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
●moderate

Electrical System

293
41,651 vehicles 93% reported repaired built Aug 28, 2025 – Nov 20, 2025
Problem Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays." Risk An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash. Fix The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 293. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 28, 2026.
NHTSA campaign 26V047000 reported Jan 26, 2026 Hyundai Motor America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Air Bags

289 (H); 029G (G)
258 vehicles 65% reported repaired
Problem Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended. Risk Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash. Fix Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.
NHTSA campaign 25V809000 reported Nov 20, 2025 Hyundai Motor America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
▲high

Engine And Engine Cooling

281
29 vehicles 100% reported repaired built Feb 5, 2025 – Aug 7, 2025
Problem Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson and Santa Fe vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power and engine damage, possibly resulting in an oil leak. Risk A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. An oil leak in the presence of hot engine components can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire. Fix Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 281.
NHTSA campaign 25V549000 reported Aug 25, 2025 Hyundai Motor America the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Santa Fe

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2026 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Hyundai publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

Find parts for this Santa Fe →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
58complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 3 injuries · 0 deaths reported

4.9 per 10,000 built · Hyundai reported 118,764 Santa Fe built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2025: 2 · 2026: 56

Most-cited components

Unspecified 14
Forward Collision Avoidance 13
Electrical System 11
Seats 5
Engine 5
Visibility/Wiper 4

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Traveling the PA Turnpike with the cruise control on and traveling 73 mph. I was in the far left lane and just passed a slower car. There was nothing in front of me in the far left lane or the lane next for at least a half a mile. After just passing the slower car the forward collision avoidance came on and tried to stop the car.
Forward Collision Avoidance Oct 22, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11772919
This is the SECOND occurrence in the past two weeks. I was traveling on a HEAVILY trafficked 10 lane divided interstate, doing the speed limit on cruise control when the vehicle suddenly and inexplicably lost power. It went into "limp mode" (will not go over 30 mph).
Electrical System Oct 17, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11771798
SUPPLEMENTAL FILING to NHTSA Complaint No. 11768270 (filed 2026-10-01 for this same vehicle, covering steering/suspension defects). This new complaint covers ONE separate, newly discovered defect only: the rear-view (back-up) camera shows NO image.
Visibility/Wiper Oct 2, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11768565
Steering wheel makes a squeaking sounds after 5k problem. Widespread problem on the forums like in the Santa Fe Reddit page. Issue comes back even after new steering wheel replacement. Issue is believe to be the clock spring
Steering Oct 21, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11772601
Vehicle lost power and went into "limp mode" at highway speed on a busy interstate. I was able to get to the shoulder and "limp" to the next exit (would not exceed 30 mph) but I was lucky to be able to safely get there. The dealership said it was a battery issue? They acted like it was no big deal.
Engine Oct 9, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11770066
"take a coffee break" warning goes on an inappropriate amount of time. When I drive straight down the highway it alarms. However, if i cross the white lines it does not alarm. Also when this alarm turns on all other sounds systems in the car go silent including the GPS/Apple Carplay.
Lane Departure Sep 7, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11762602

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.

Reported by Hyundai itself: 2 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 4 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 1.7 per 100,000 built. Every Santa Fe model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆17%
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆17%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆18%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆18%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 20
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-10-08
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 10 service bulletins, 6 service campaigns, 4 others

Most often about: Seats, Electrical System, Air Bags, Engine, Exterior Lighting.

  • 26-EM-016H TSB Service bulletin
    2026-10-08 · Engine
  • Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. All internal combustion engines consume some engine oil during normal operation, depending on driving conditions and mileage, and this procedure should only be performed when dee
  • 26-EM-015H TSB Service bulletin
    2026-10-07 · Engine
  • Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. All internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operation. Oil consumption rates may vary based on mileage, operating conditions, driving habits, and mainte
  • 26-BE-026H TSB Service bulletin
    2026-08-22 · Electrical System
  • Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Fe Hybrid (MX5A HEV) vehicles may exhibit a 12-volt battery drain due to the passive entry feature of the Digital Key 2 premium causing repeated wakeup of the vehicle. This bulletin provides instructions to perform software updates for the Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) and Body Domain Control (BDC) modules.
  • 26-BE-015H TSB Service bulletin
    2026-06-02 · Seats
  • Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Fe Hybrid (MX5A HEV) vehicles equipped with power seats with or without Integrated Memory System (IMS) may produce buzz, squeak, rattle noises when the driver’s front seat is adjusted forward or backwards due to friction within the motor’s tube. This bulletin provides instructions to remove the motor tube.
  • 26-AT-003H TSB Service bulletin
    2026-05-19 · Power Train
  • Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may exhibit a low idle or excessive vibration while in Drive or Reverse, or DTC P050600 (Idle Air Control System – RPM Lower than Expected) caused by the one-way clutch sprags being misaligned. This bulletin provides instructions to remove the automatic transmission and replace the torque converter.
  • 11032523 Other
    2026-04-10 · Air Bags
  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and
  • 11032522 Other
    2026-04-10 · Air Bags
  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may
  • 26-01-035H TSB Service campaign
    2026-04-08 · Electrical System
  • Some vehicles may exhibit a loss of connectivity or interruptions in the middle of using Bluelink functions. This may be due to an occasional disconnection on Verizon’s communication network. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to verify Bluelink Data Communication Unit (DCU) network connection and if needed, reset the DCU in Dealer Mode to resolve the connection.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Common questions about the 2026 Santa Fe

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $35,050 for the SE FWD to $50,500 for the Calligraphy Hybrid AWD, across 17 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.

Does the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe. The most serious on file is 26V218000, covering Seat Belts. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe?

NHTSA gave the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (76/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe?

Across the 5 EPA-rated configurations of the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, the best EPA combined figure is 36 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe?

Owners have filed 58 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, most often about unspecified, forward collision avoidance, electrical system. Of those, 3 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

Are there service bulletins for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe?

The manufacturer has filed 20 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, most often covering seats, electrical system, air bags. The most recent is dated 2026-10-08. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

Which 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe trim is the best value?

$15,450 separates the cheapest of the 17 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations5 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificatesnoneEPA emission certificatesThe EPA published no certificate we could match to a configuration on this page.
Recalls4NHTSA recall campaignsA complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints58NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings4 testedNHTSA NCAPOnly the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins20NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
InvestigationsnoneNHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationNo defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSAnoneNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWe had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment17 trimsManufacturer press kitTranscribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

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). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.

JSON for this page · API