What Owners Report NHTSA ODI · 2,175,102 complaints · MY1998–2026

2016 Hyundai Santa FE

Typical pattern

3.8% of complaints about the 2016 Hyundai Santa FE came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2016 vehicle — around the middle of the 199 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.9 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine (151 complaints), typically at 7.7 yr or about 82,000 miles.

Complaints
288
Median age at failure
6.9 yr
Median mileage
62,300 n=81
Crash / fire / tow
8.7% of reports
Safety recalls
3 1 do not drive

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System
0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y
Engine
151 reports · 82,000 mi
7.7 yr
7.3%
Other
25 reports · 31,778 mi
5.9 yr
4%
Power train
21 reports · 50,109 mi
6.8 yr
4.8%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

22V056000 2022-02-03 Do not drive
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.

An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

17V358000 2017-06-05
Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.

If the hood is not securely closed or the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

16V145000 2016-03-10
Seat belts:front:warning light/devices

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015 to February 12, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses may be damaged by the seat's height adjuster mechanism, resulting in a failure to provide an audible warning when front seat occupants do not fasten their seat belts. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Without a warning to remind the front seat occupants that their seat belts are not buckled, they may forget to buckle their seat belt, increasing their risk of injury in the event of a crash.

In owners’ own words

Other 4,995 mi 3 mo in service
THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 70MPH - THE SOUND WAS LIKE A GUNSHOT INSIDE THE CAR - THIS IS A SANTA FE SPORT 2016 MODEL THAT I BOUGHT ON JULY 5 2015
Other 15,000 mi 1.3 yr in service
DRIVING ALONE ON HIGHWAY, SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED. I WAS DRIVING ROUGHLY 100 KM / HE. THERE WAS NOTHING OVERHEAD OR VEHICLES AHEAD THAT WOULD CAUSE SOMETHING TO BREAK IT. THE INCIDENT WAS EXTREMELY LOUD, ALL THE GLASS FEEL OVER ME CAUSING A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AS IT WAS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE SUNROOF IS A PANORAMIC SO IT WAS A HUGE AMOUNT OF GLASS. HYUNDAI WAS NOTIFIED NUMEROUS TIMES. THEY WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE, INSISTED SOMETHING HIT IT. HYUNDAI ALSO WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF REPLACEMENT.
Other mileage not reported 2.8 yr in service
TAKATA RECALL AIRBAG LIGHT ON AND MY SUV HAS BEEN IN 0 ACIDDENTS, THE AC AIR STATES IT'S ON BUT DOESN'T BLOW ANY AIR AT ALL! IT ONLY HAS 69640K MILES, KNOCKING SOUND WHEN I AM ON PARK OR HAVE THE BRAKE ON WHILE AT RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN!
Power train 2,500 mi 5 mo in service
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED,WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE, THE TRANSMISSION WENT INTO DRIVE. IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THE ONLY WAY TO RESET IT WAS TO TURN OFF ENGINE AND RESTART THE ENGINE.

Other Santa FE model years

2025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001

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