Hyundai Santa Fe 2019–2023
4th generation (TM)
NHTSA data through 12 August 20261,402 complaints, 249 with mileageMethod
On this generation, 52% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 10 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.
- First 12,000 miles — 52% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 10%
- 300
- 25%
- 2,400
- Median
- 11,300
- 75%
- 35,652
- 90%
- 75,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20,000 | 161 | 64.7% |
| 20,000–40,000 | 31 | 12.4% |
| 40,000–60,000 | 20 | 8.0% |
| 60,000–80,000 | 16 | 6.4% |
| 80,000–100,000 | 20 | 8.0% |
| 100,000–120,000 | 1 | 0.4% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 1,402 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019–2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, and 249 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
52% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 10 times higher than during the rest of the car's life. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are the engine (18.5% of complaints, typically around 16,000 miles), problems owners could not categorise (16.3% of complaints, typically around 7,000 miles), the transmission and driveline (14.3% of complaints, typically around 16,000 miles).
9 recall campaigns cover this generation.
Note: in 2019, both this generation and the previous one were sold at the same time, and NHTSA complaints are not separated by body.
What fails, and when
- Engine16,000median 16,000 miles, middle half 2,500 to 41,000
- Problems owners could not categorise7,000median 6,900 miles, middle half 309 to 18,000
- Transmission and driveline16,000median 15,888 miles, middle half 8,000 to 56,000
- Electrical system5,000median 5,000 miles, middle half 2,000 to 40,000
- Brakes9,500median 9,612 miles, middle half 2,500 to 33,000
- Visibility equipment29,000median 29,000 miles, middle half 9,000 to 43,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 259 | 18.5% | 16,000 | 2,500–41,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 229 | 16.3% | 7,000 | 309–18,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 201 | 14.3% | 16,000 | 8,000–56,000 |
| Electrical system | 143 | 10.2% | 5,000 | 2,000–40,000 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 119 | 8.5% | — | — |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 63 | 4.5% | — | — |
| Brakes | 57 | 4.1% | 9,500 | 2,500–33,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 45 | 3.2% | — | — |
| Body structure | 36 | 2.6% | — | — |
| Visibility equipment | 34 | 2.4% | 29,000 | 9,000–43,000 |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 11,300 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 18.5% of complaints (259 reports, 40 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 16,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,700 and 41,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 16.3% of complaints (229 reports, 31 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 6,900 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 309 and 17,902 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 14.3% of complaints (201 reports, 42 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 15,888 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 8,000 and 55,917 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 10.2% of complaints (143 reports, 27 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 5,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,000 and 39,800 miles.
The brakes account for 4.1% of complaints (57 reports, 11 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 9,612 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,500 and 33,000 miles.
Visibility equipment accounts for 2.4% of complaints (34 reports, 13 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 29,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 9,100 and 43,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2023 model year drew the most — 315 complaints — while 2021 drew the fewest at 239. The median year sits at 279.
One caveat on the year figures: in 2019, the manufacturer sold both this generation and the previous one at the same time, and NHTSA records do not distinguish between them. Complaints filed under that year may describe either vehicle.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 9 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the fuel system (2), the airbag system (2), the reversing camera and sensors (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
Of the 1,402 complaints filed against this generation, 81 reported a crash; 32 reported a fire; 60 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 5.8% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 52% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
On inspection, the engine and problems owners could not categorise are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Problems owners could not categorise in particular shows a median failure mileage of 6,900, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Engine — Theta Ii Family (2.4l/2.0t) 2019–2020
The 2019-2020 carryover 2.4L GDI and 2.0T remain in the Theta II family covered by Hyundai's knock sensor detection system software campaigns for connecting-rod bearing wear. The 2021 switch to the Smartstream 2.5L is a clean powertrain break within the generation.
Transmission — 8-Speed Wet Dual-Clutch 2021–2023 (2.5T only)
Drivability complaints (low-speed shudder, hesitation from a stop, jerky engagement) with the wet DCT paired to the 2.5L turbo introduced in the 2021 facelift.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 mixed | 272 | 94 |
| 2020 | 279 | 58 |
| 2021 | 239 | 43 |
| 2022 | 297 | 28 |
| 2023 | 315 | 26 |
Recalls (9)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 24V879000 | 2025-01-14 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera |
| 23V181000 | 2023-05-16 | Trailer Hitches |
| 22V746000 | 2023-01-10 | Power Train:automatic Transmission |
| 21V00M000 | 2022-06-20 | Visibility:windshield |
| 22V197000 | 2022-05-26 | Engine and Engine Cooling:engine:oil/Lubrication:pipes, Hoses, and Fittings |
| 21V524000 | 2021-09-03 | Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings |
| 21V185000 | 2021-05-12 | Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger |
| 21V308000 | 2021-05-03 | Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings |
| 18V715000 | 2018-12-03 | Air Bags:side/Window |
What owners reported
As i was driving on curves, the wheel going out of control pulling to left toward emergency lane and getting extremely hard to control by hands. The car was driving good under 50 miles, however when i speed up to 65 or 70, i was not able to control the steering wheel. Driver attention warning sets to high" which will…
2019 · 30 miles · Steering
Idle stop and go technology feature cannot be disabled. The system turns itself on after i have turned off without warning. After driving a few miles with the feature turned off and stopped at a light, the engine will shut down, thereby turning the technology back on. I have almost been in several accidents…
2019 · 60 miles · Problems owners could not categorise
My new 2019 Hyundai sante fe from the time i bought it had the yellow check engine light come on. It said the bsm system wasn't working. Then the engine would not start on 4 separate occasions. I had to wait to get it to start. There have been 3 occasions when it did start it sounded like it was going die, very…
2019 · 100 miles · Electrical system
My wife has had a bad back for many years and requires a cushion to ease the back pain while riding in the passenger seat. By doing that the air bag on the passenger sit will not activate. This has created a real problem for people with a disability. I've reached out to Hyundai to have the passenger air bag active…
2019 · 100 miles · Airbag system
Built from 249 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page