Hyundai Santa Fe years to avoid— and the best years
8 Santa Fe model years ranked on what NHTSA holds for each one: recalls and owner complaints per year on the road, with critical recalls and standing advisories ahead of everything else. The current model year is left out, as are the 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027: too new for a record. This ranks the paperwork, not the car in front of you — a specific car’s history and service record still decide it.
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Every Santa Fe model year, ranked
Source: NHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings; the arithmetic in each rowCleanest record first. /yr is the count divided by the years that model year has been on sale (2026 minus the model year, at least 1), because raw counts condemn the oldest year on the page for having been around longer.
| Year · rank | Safety Signal | Years on road | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 #1 | C | 10 | 3 · 0.3/yr | 305 · 30/yr | ★★★★★ | Advisory |
| 2020 #2 | C | 6 | 2 · 0.3/yr | 213 · 36/yr | ★★★★★ | Advisory |
| 2017 #3 | D | 9 | 7 · 0.8/yr | 1,319 · 147/yr | ★★★★★ | Advisory |
| 2019 #4 | D | 7 | 3 · 0.4/yr | 225 · 32/yr | ★★★★★ | Advisory |
| 2023 #5 | C | 3 | 2 · 0.7/yr | 287 · 96/yr | ★★★★★ | Advisory |
| 2018 #6 | F | 8 | 5 · 0.6/yr | 430 · 54/yr | ★★★★★ | Advisory |
| 2022 #7 | F | 4 | 8 · 2/yr | 263 · 66/yr | ★★★★★ | Advisory |
| 2021 #8 | F | 5 | 8 · 1.6/yr | 186 · 37/yr | ★★★★★ | Advisory |
The Santa Fe years to check hardest
last 2 of 8 ranked years2021 Hyundai Santa Fe
The 2021 Santa Fe: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory (every ranked year carries one, so it separates none of them); 8 recalls in 5 years on the road (1.6 a year, 4 critical: fuel/propulsion system, trailer hitches, seat belts) — also back over prevention; 186 owner complaints to NHTSA, 37 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (57) and engine (46)); owners reported 4 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injured; NHTSA investigation DP22005 (became recall 22V063000, electrical system); NHTSA investigation DP22003 (closed, engine); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
2022 Hyundai Santa Fe
The 2022 Santa Fe: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory (every ranked year carries one, so it separates none of them); 8 recalls in 4 years on the road (2 a year, 3 critical: trailer hitches, seat belts, fuel/propulsion system) — also back over prevention; 263 owner complaints to NHTSA, 66 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (75) and engine (73)); owners reported 12 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injured; NHTSA investigation DP22005 (became recall 22V063000, electrical system); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
The Santa Fe years the record favours
first 2 of 82016 Hyundai Santa Fe
The 2016 Santa Fe: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory (every ranked year carries one, so it separates none of them); 3 recalls in 10 years on the road (0.3 a year, 1 critical: service brakes) — also latches/locks/linkages, seat belts; 305 owner complaints to NHTSA, 30 a year (most often engine (200) and transmission and drivetrain (24)); owners reported 10 crashes, 12 fires, 9 injured; NHTSA investigation AQ23002 (open, service brakes); NHTSA investigation DP22003 (closed, engine); NHTSA investigation DP21003 (closed, vehicle speed control); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe
The 2020 Santa Fe: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory (every ranked year carries one, so it separates none of them); 2 recalls in 6 years on the road (0.3 a year, 1 critical: trailer hitches) — also visibility/wiper; 213 owner complaints to NHTSA, 36 a year (most often engine (85) and electrical (26)); owners reported 13 crashes, 9 fires, 15 injured; NHTSA investigation DP22003 (closed, engine); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
How this ranking is made
Source: the same rule the nameplate page has used since v0.28- For each model year, NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints filed against it are counted from the public files, as on its own page.
- Each count is divided by the years the model year has been on sale (2026 − model year, at least 1): a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings, a 2023 only 3.
- The years are then ordered: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory first, then the number of critical recalls, then recalls per year, then complaints per year; a newer year wins a tie.
- The current model year and any year under 3 on the road are left out — a half-finished record should not win a ranking on a blank sheet.
What it cannot know: whether a given car had its recalls done (NHTSA’s VIN lookup and the maker’s own settle that), its mileage, its trim, or how it was kept. A recall is a repair at the maker’s expense, not a verdict on the design; a complaint is an owner’s unverified report. Every figure above links to the page that lists the filings behind it.
Common questions about Santa Fe years
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhat Hyundai Santa Fe years should I avoid?
On the filed record the 2021, 2022 rank lowest of the 8 Santa Fe model years WhichTrim can rank (2016–2023): the 2021 — a standing advisory, 8 recalls in 5 years (1.6 a year), 4 critical, 186 complaints (37 a year); the 2022 — a standing advisory, 8 recalls in 4 years (2 a year), 3 critical, 263 complaints (66 a year). The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists.
What is the best Hyundai Santa Fe year to buy used?
The 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe has the cleanest record of the ranked years: Safety Signal C, 0.3 recalls a year on the road and 30 complaints a year. The 2016 Santa Fe: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory (every ranked year carries one, so it separates none of them); 3 recalls in 10 years on the road (0.3 a year, 1 critical: service brakes) — also latches/locks/linkages, seat belts; 305 owner complaints to NHTSA, 30 a year (most often engine (200) and transmission and drivetrain (24)); owners reported 10 crashes, 12 fires, 9 injured; NHTSA investigation AQ23002 (open, service brakes); NHTSA investigation DP22003 (closed, engine); NHTSA investigation DP21003 (closed, vehicle speed control); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars. That ranks paperwork, not condition.
Is the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
WhichTrim does not score reliability; it counts what was filed. The 2021 Santa Fe: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory (every ranked year carries one, so it separates none of them); 8 recalls in 5 years on the road (1.6 a year, 4 critical: fuel/propulsion system, trailer hitches, seat belts) — also back over prevention; 186 owner complaints to NHTSA, 37 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (57) and engine (46)); owners reported 4 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injured; NHTSA investigation DP22005 (became recall 22V063000, electrical system); NHTSA investigation DP22003 (closed, engine); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars. That is the weakest record on this page once the counts are put on a per-year footing. A specific car with its recalls done and a service history can be a sound buy; the record says what to check.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Santa Fe have?
Across the 8 ranked model years (2016–2023) NHTSA has posted 38 recall campaigns against the Hyundai Santa Fe, and owners filed 3,228 complaints. Across every model year on file (2016–2027) the nameplate page carries the full count.
Why divide by years on the road?
Recalls and complaints accumulate with time: a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings and a 2023 only 3, so raw counts condemn the oldest year every time. Dividing by the years on sale puts them on one footing. A standing advisory and critical recalls still come first, because no rate makes those smaller.