Hyundai

Santa Fe

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD · model years 2001 to 2027

Includes Santa Fe 2WD, Santa Fe 4WD, Santa Fe AWD and 7 more as listed by the EPA.

See all 126 Santa Fe trims All Hyundai cars

The verdict

Best year: 2027. complaints: 0, below this model's typical 257; recalls: 0, below this model's typical 4.

Worst year: 2007. complaints: 684, about 1.9x this model's typical 359; recalls: 7, about 1.8x this model's typical 4.

Year by year

Year by year summary for the Hyundai Santa Fe
Year	Trims	MPG	HP	Fuel cost	Recalls	Complaints	Investigations	TSBs	Top complaints
2001	4Gas	20	no data	$3,100	4	209	0	no data	SUSPENSION 28%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 12%
complaints: 209, above this model's typical 205 recalls: 4, in line with this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 complaints reporting a fire: 4 Score: 62 of 100, where higher is better.
2002	4Gas	19.5	no data	$3,200	4	165	0	no data	SUSPENSION 28%, STRUCTURE 8%, STEERING 8%
complaints: 165, below this model's typical 205 recalls: 4, in line with this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 6 complaints reporting a fire: 2 Score: 62 of 100, where higher is better.
2003	6Gas	19	no data	$3,275	4	308	0	no data	SUSPENSION 15%, AIR BAGS 11%, POWER TRAIN 9%
complaints: 308, in line with this model's typical 308 recalls: 4, in line with this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 20 complaints reporting a fire: 5 Score: 55 of 100, where higher is better.
2004	6Gas	19	no data	$3,275	3	303	0	no data	SUSPENSION 18%, AIR BAGS 11%, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 10%
complaints: 303, below this model's typical 308 recalls: 3, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 35 complaints reporting a fire: 7 Score: 58 of 100, where higher is better.
2005	6Gas	18.5	no data	$3,375	3	216	0	no data	AIR BAGS 25%, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 15%, SUSPENSION 7%
complaints: 216, below this model's typical 308 recalls: 3, below this model's typical 4 deaths reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 14 Score: 38 of 100, where higher is better.
2006	6Gas	18.5	no data	$3,375	1	106	0	no data	AIR BAGS 20%, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 14%, SUSPENSION 9%
complaints: 106, below this model's typical 308 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 8 complaints reporting a fire: 3 Score: 75 of 100, where higher is better.
2007	7Gas	19	no data	$3,300	7	684	0	no data	FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 12%, AIR BAGS 10%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10%
complaints: 684, about 1.9x this model's typical 359 recalls: 7, about 1.8x this model's typical 4 deaths reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 32 complaints reporting a fire: 8 Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better.
2008	6Gas	19.5	no data	$3,200	4	541	0	no data	FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 30%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10%, AIR BAGS 10%
complaints: 541, about 1.8x this model's typical 308 recalls: 4, in line with this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 12 complaints reporting a fire: 7 Score: 32 of 100, where higher is better.
2009	6Gas	19.5	no data	$3,200	2	358	0	no data	FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 22%, ENGINE 12%, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 10%
complaints: 358, above this model's typical 308 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 4 deaths reported in NHTSA complaints: 3 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 26 complaints reporting a fire: 5 Score: 25 of 100, where higher is better.
2010	5Gas	23	175	$2,700	2	259	3	113	POWER TRAIN 33%, ENGINE 11%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9%
complaints: 259, above this model's typical 257 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 4 deaths reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 7 complaints reporting a fire: 6 Score: 48 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.7 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2011	5Gas	22	175	$2,850	2	181	5	100	ENGINE 24%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9%, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 9%
complaints: 181, below this model's typical 257 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 4 deaths reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 9 complaints reporting a fire: 8 Score: 51 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.9 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2012	5Gas	22	175	$2,850	1	353	6	90	ENGINE 48%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9%, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 8%
complaints: 353, above this model's typical 257 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 7 complaints reporting a fire: 17 Score: 54 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.8 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2013	2Gas	20.5	290	$3,025	7	804	8 (1 open)	187	ENGINE 36%, STEERING 9%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7%
complaints: 804, about 7.8x this model's typical 103 recalls: 7, about 1.8x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 13 complaints reporting a fire: 56 NHTSA advised parking the 2013 model year outdoors over fire risk open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.4 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2014	2Gas	20.5	no data	$3,025	7	656	7 (1 open)	150	ENGINE 41%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8%, STEERING 6%
complaints: 656, about 6.4x this model's typical 103 recalls: 7, about 1.8x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 20 complaints reporting a fire: 45 NHTSA advised parking the 2014 model year outdoors over fire risk open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.5 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2015	2Gas	20.5	no data	$3,025	4	337	3 (1 open)	147	ENGINE 45%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7%, POWER TRAIN 7%
complaints: 337, about 3.3x this model's typical 103 recalls: 4, in line with this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 10 complaints reporting a fire: 19 NHTSA advised parking the 2015 model year outdoors over fire risk open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better.
2016	2Gas	20.5	no data	$3,025	3	305	3 (1 open)	142	ENGINE 50%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 10%, POWER TRAIN 6%
complaints: 305, about 3x this model's typical 103 recalls: 3, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 9 complaints reporting a fire: 12 NHTSA advised parking the 2016 model year outdoors over fire risk open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better.
2017	2Gas	20.5	no data	$3,025	7	1,320	3 (1 open)	215	ENGINE 48%, POWER TRAIN 12%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7%
complaints: 1320, about 12.8x this model's typical 103 recalls: 7, about 1.8x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 26 complaints reporting a fire: 30 NHTSA advised parking the 2017 model year outdoors over fire risk open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better.
2018	2Gas	20.5	no data	$3,025	5	431	2 (1 open)	177	ENGINE 45%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 9%, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 9%
complaints: 431, about 4.2x this model's typical 103 recalls: 5, above this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 13 complaints reporting a fire: 12 NHTSA advised parking the 2018 model year outdoors over fire risk open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better.
2019	4Gas	22.5	210	$2,775	2	202	1	159	ENGINE 25%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 16%, POWER TRAIN 12%
complaints: 202, below this model's typical 205 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 10 complaints reporting a fire: 13 NHTSA advised parking the 2019 model year outdoors over fire risk Score: 34 of 100, where higher is better.
2020	4Gas	23.5	210	$2,650	2	214	1	97	ENGINE 27%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14%, POWER TRAIN 9%
complaints: 214, above this model's typical 205 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 15 complaints reporting a fire: 9 NHTSA advised parking the 2020 model year outdoors over fire risk Score: 34 of 100, where higher is better.
2021	6Gas, Hybrid	25.5	191	$2,450	8	186	2	106	POWER TRAIN 21%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 17%, ENGINE 17%
complaints: 186, below this model's typical 308 recalls: 8, about 2x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 complaints reporting a fire: 2 NHTSA advised parking the 2021 model year outdoors over fire risk Score: 24 of 100, where higher is better.
2022	7Gas, Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid	26	191	$2,400	8	264	1	107	POWER TRAIN 18%, ENGINE 18%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14%
complaints: 264, below this model's typical 359 recalls: 8, about 2x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 4 complaints reporting a fire: 1 NHTSA advised parking the 2022 model year outdoors over fire risk Score: 20 of 100, where higher is better.
2023	7Gas, Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid	26	191	$2,400	2	288	0	62	UNKNOWN OR OTHER 16%, POWER TRAIN 14%, ENGINE 13%
complaints: 288, below this model's typical 359 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 17 complaints reporting a fire: 3 NHTSA advised parking the 2023 model year outdoors over fire risk Score: 38 of 100, where higher is better.
2024	5Gas, Hybrid	24	no data	$2,600	7	188	0	42	POWER TRAIN 19%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 14%
complaints: 188, below this model's typical 257 recalls: 7, about 1.8x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 11 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 44 of 100, where higher is better.
2025	5Gas, Hybrid	24	no data	$2,800	5	229	0	39	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15%, ENGINE 12%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 11%
complaints: 229, below this model's typical 257 recalls: 5, above this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 11 Score: 57 of 100, where higher is better.
2026	5Gas, Hybrid	24	no data	$2,800	4	52	0	no data	UNKNOWN OR OTHER 17%, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 12%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9%
complaints: 52, below this model's typical 257 recalls: 4, in line with this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 3 Score: 79 of 100, where higher is better.
2027	5Gas, Hybrid	24	no data	$2,800	0	0	0	no data	no data
complaints: 0, below this model's typical 257 recalls: 0, below this model's typical 4 Score: 95 of 100, where higher is better.

How the numbers moved

Combined MPG, median2001: 20 to 2027: 24

Owner complaints2001: 209 to 2027: 0

How we score each year

We compare each year of the Hyundai Santa Fe to the model's own typical numbers, not to other cars. A year reads solid when its recalls, owner complaints, and federal investigations sit at or below what is typical for this model, mixed when some of those numbers run above typical, and avoid when they run far above it. Deaths, reported fires, and an NHTSA advisory to park outside count against a year no matter what this model's baseline looks like.

A year is scored only when NHTSA has both complaint and recall counts for it. Complaint data often lags for the newest years, so a recent year can read not enough data even while its recall count already shows in the table. When the history is too thin, we say not enough data instead of guessing. Service bulletins are routine maintenance guidance from the manufacturer and do not lower a year's score.

Scores run 0 to 100, higher is better. Recall, complaint, and investigation figures come from NHTSA records. Fuel economy, fuel cost, and horsepower figures come from the EPA, shown as the median across the year's trims.

Information is gathered on a best-effort basis from public sources, may be incomplete or out of date, and is not purchasing or financial advice. Verify with the manufacturer or dealer before buying.