What breaks most · 2001 to 2026 model years
Hyundai Santa Fe problems by year
Owners have filed 7,607 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Hyundai Santa Fe across model years 2001 to 2026. Three years stand out: 2017 for engine complaints, 2007 for fuel system complaints and 2013 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2006, 2018 and 2024.
- Years to check closely: 2017, 2007, 2013
- Fewest complaints: 2006, 2018, 2024
- Complaints on file
- 76072001 to 2026, all trims
- Worst year
- 2017960 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 352209 fires · 309 injuries · 9 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 70kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 96Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 209 | 4 | 4 | Suspension (76) | |
| 165 | 9 | 4 | Suspension (59) | |
| 308 | 26 | 4 | Suspension (56) | |
| 303 | 32 | 3 | Suspension (69) | |
| 216 | 18 | 3 | Air bags (74) | |
| 106 | 11 | 1 | Air bags (28) | |
| 683 | 30 | 9 | Fuel system (121) | |
| 541 | 17 | 6 | Fuel system (215) | |
| 358 | 27 | 3 | Fuel system (109) | |
| 258 | 8 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (109) | |
| 181 | 12 | 3 | Engine (64) | |
| 353 | 25 | 1 | Engine (228) | |
| 605 | 14 | 3 | Engine (273) | |
| 493 | 16 | 3 | Engine (274) | |
| 254 | 9 | 2 | Engine (160) | |
| 235 | 6 | 3 | Engine (150) | |
| 960 | 14 | 6 | Engine (641) | |
| 108 | 6 | 2 | Engine (53) | |
| 195 | 16 | 2 | Engine (69) | |
| 206 | 13 | 2 | Engine (74) | |
| 165 | 4 | 7 | Powertrain and transmission (50) | |
| 197 | 8 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (57) | |
| 206 | 11 | 1 | Unknown or other (59) | |
| 141 | 11 | 7 | Powertrain and transmission (40) | |
| 128 | 5 | 5 | Electrical system (27) | |
| 33 | 0 | 4 | Unknown or other (8) |
What fails on the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 67% |
641 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 17% |
160 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 10% |
92 | 2 | — |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 7% |
67 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 6% |
59 | 2 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 6% |
53 | 3 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 4% |
34 | 4 | Shop brakes parts for the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 3% |
27 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Cold-Start Hesitation & Rough Shifting: Following the 9C2 ECU update, my vehicle is experiencing a brief period of throttle hesitation, rough shifting, or jerky transmission behavior specifically during cold-start operations.
-
Check Engine Light was lighting up on and off sporadically and fuel gage was showing E with light on and now both are not working properly. The check engine light stays on and fuel gage always shows empty even when it is full.
-
Burning oil fast has been confirmed. I always go get frequently oil changes and top off Because it burns a lot. I never get a warning lamp When I go toc get my oil service representative tells me my oil is completely gone.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Hyundai Santa Fe years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2017, 2007, 2013 carry the most filings on the Hyundai Santa Fe. The 2017 alone has 960 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Hyundai Santa Fe problem?
On the 2017 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 641 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Hyundai Santa Fe problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Hyundai Santa Fe complaints that include mileage is about 70,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.