MODELYEARINDEX

Hyundai Santa FE

3,360 complaints across 12 scored model years and 33 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · Hyundai Santa FE Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2017 vs model median 1.7×
Model median3× median
Engine 80
Drivetrain 71
Speed Control 35
Avoid

2013 · 2017

Best

2016 · 2018

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
0.89× 151 B
2011
0.91× 138 C
2012
1.51× 194 C
2013
1.70× 285 D
2014
1.10× 174 C
2015
0.42× 67 B
2016
0.30× 59 B
2017
1.69× 323 F
2018
0.39× 63 B
2019
1.09× 152 C
2020
0.78× 142 B
2021
1.16× 235 C
2022 P
1.97× 360 F
2023 P
2.31× 424 F
2024 P
1.40× 264 D
2025 P
1.79× 329 D

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What it costs to run

EPA figures for the most recent model year on record.

Combined MPG29
City / Highway27.5 / 31.5
Engine2.05L, 4 cyl
DriveFront-Wheel Drive
Annual fuel cost$2,175

Recalls

33 campaigns on record, 3 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
13V113000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH 2010, 2011 1,712,336
23V651000 Park it SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE 2013–2015 1,649,478
23V181000 Park it TRAILER HITCHES 2019–2023 584,784
17V358000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH 2013–2017 437,400
22V056000 Park it SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE 2016–2018 357,348
26V218000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE 2024, 2025 294,448
24V879000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2021, 2022 226,118
25V808000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION 2024, 2025 143,472

+ 25 further campaigns

Others in Compact SUVs

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Model Years to avoid Grade
Acura RDX
20192020
C
Audi Q5
20182021
C
Audi SQ5
none flagged
C
BMW X3
20132019
C
Buick Envision
2017
C
Cadillac SRX
2013
C
Cadillac XT5
2017
C
Chevrolet Blazer
none flagged
C

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2017 Santa FE
Complaints in window
323
Severity-weighted
456
Model median (weighted)
269
vs model median
1.69×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
8
Open investigations
1
Score 39.3 F