The Used Car Index

2021 Hyundai Santa FE problems

NHTSA lists 166 complaints for the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE, 4 of them mention a crash and 2 mention a fire. 2 complaints mention an injury, with 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported.

Data build 2026-10-09.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as HYUNDAI SANTA FE.

At a glance

Complaints
166
With crash
4
With fire
2
With injury (complaints)
2
Injuries
2
Deaths
0
Recalls
7
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
1
Recall potential units (maximum)
584,784
Investigations
1
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
100

Complaints per 100k sold: 147.287. Units sold: 112,705; sales year: 2021; basis: calendar_year_us_sales_proxy_for_model_year. goodcarbadcar.net.

Where the complaints are

Top systems
SystemComplaintsShare of this vehicle's complaints
POWER TRAIN5030.1%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4124.7%
ENGINE3722.3%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2917.5%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE1810.8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM95.4%
BACK OVER PREVENTION74.2%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL74.2%
VISIBILITY74.2%
VISIBILITY/WIPER74.2%
Top subsystems
SystemSubsystemComplaints
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCEAUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING15
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCEWARNINGS6
VISIBILITYSUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY3
BACK OVER PREVENTIONREARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING2
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCEADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL2
STRUCTUREBODY2
VISIBILITYWINDSHIELD2
AIR BAGSAIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE1
AIR BAGSFRONTAL1
BACK OVER PREVENTIONSENSING SYSTEM1

One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.

Model-generated complaint tags

These labels are model-generated, not NHTSA data.

Failure modes
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
loss of control5030.1%0.73
mechanical failure4024.1%0.67
electrical electronic3621.7%0.73
visibility or lighting159.0%0.84
unclear95.4%0.97
restraint or airbag53.0%0.75
structural or corrosion53.0%0.63
fire or overheating21.2%0.97
fluid or fuel leak21.2%0.69
noise or comfort21.2%0.75
Severities
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
moderate12172.9%0.87
low3219.3%0.75
high116.6%0.86
critical10.6%0.38
none10.6%0.82

Model: typesafe/jev-1.13-20260917; schema version: tag-v1. 166 tagged complaints of 166 complaints (100.0%).

Confidence is the model's own probability for the label it chose (0 to 1), not accuracy.

Model-generated labels on tagged complaints only. Model years 2013 and newer are tagged in full; 2012 in part (see tagged_share); earlier model years have no tags. NHTSA's own flags remain separate in the complaints block.

Recalls

See new recalls and investigations this week.

7 recalls.

24V879000

Date: 2024-11-21. Systems: BACK OVER PREVENTION.

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV vehicles. Due to a damaged printed circuit board, the rearview camera image may fail to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 271.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

23V181000

Date: 2023-03-17. Systems: TRAILER HITCHES.

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEV and Santa Cruz vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, (excerpt)

Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury. (excerpt)

Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previou (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: Yes.

22V746000

Date: 2022-10-06. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

Defect: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Sonata, Veloster N, 2022 Santa Cruz, Elantra N, and Kona N vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.

Consequence: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 236.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

21V00M000

Date: 2021-12-28. Systems: VISIBILITY.

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.

Consequence: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

21V524000

Date: 2021-07-09. Systems: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe and Sonata vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.

Consequence: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 207.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

21V308000

Date: 2021-05-03. Systems: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Santa Fe vehicles equipped with 2.5-litre Turbo engines. The fuel pipe connecting the high pressure fuel pump to the fuel rail may not have been tightened properly.

Consequence: An insufficiently tightened fuel pipe may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers inspected and tightened the fuel pipe connection, free of charge. The affected vehicles have been repaired and therefore no owner notification letters will be sent. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 206.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

21V185000

Date: 2021-03-17. Systems: AIR BAGS.

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Santa Fe vehicles. The Occupant Detection System (ODS) module may not deactivate the air bag upon detection of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence: In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.

Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ODS module, free of charge. All affected vehicles have been remedied as of May 12, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 202.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

Investigations

1 investigations; 0 open.

DP22003

Opened: 2022-09-12. Closed: 2023-12-12.

Loss of Motive Power

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints i

Systems: ENGINE.

Linked campaign numbers: None listed.

Manufacturer communications

100 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM37
POWER TRAIN31
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING14
EQUIPMENT10
TIRES4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
ENGINE3
VISIBILITY3

11038173

Date: 2026-09-26. Type: Warranty Program/Extension. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Some vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the horn replacement under this condition to 10 years or 120,000 miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use (

11038179

Date: 2026-09-26. Type: Warranty Program/Extension. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Some vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the horn replacement under this condition to 10 years or 120,000 miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use (

11033840

Date: 2026-06-05. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

This bulletin provides information related to a Transmission Control Unit (TCU) software update for some vehicles equipped with an 8-speed wet dual clutch transmission (8WDCT). The software update revises the touch point learning variation, improving drivability and judder symptoms. Some 8WDCTs (ind

11031400

Date: 2026-04-18. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE.

Some vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather. This bulletin provides the procedure to perform an inspection on the starter magnetic switch for potential freezing and, if necessary, replace the starter magnetic switch (solenoid) assembly.

11032522

Date: 2026-04-10. Type: Other. Systems: AIR BAGS.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit drivera side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prio

11032523

Date: 2026-04-10. Type: Other. Systems: AIR BAGS.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous drivera s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the ve

11030684

Date: 2026-03-30. Type: Warranty Program/Extension. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

Certain 2021 a 2023 model year Santa Fe, 2021 a 2023 model year Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2022 a 2023 model year Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid vehicles may experience an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. At Hyundai, we are committed to providing v

11029937

Date: 2026-03-03. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

Some Santa Cruz (NXT), Santa Fe (TMA, MX5A), and Sonata (DN8A) models may require replacement of the 8-speed wet dual clutch transmission (8WDCT) when the vehicle sets one of the high pressure electric oil pump (HP EOP) DTCs listed below. This bulletin provides instructions to replace the 8WDCT.

11028968

Date: 2026-02-21. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

Some Santa Fe (TMA) and Tucson (NX4A) vehicles equipped with a 2.5L GDI engine and 8 speed automatic transmission may have DTC U028700 (Lost Communication With Trans Fluid Pump Module) set by the transmission Electric Oil Pump (EOP). This DTC can cause the Idle Stop & Go (ISG) system to become inope

11028966

Date: 2026-02-19. Type: Warranty Program/Extension. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

Some vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the horn replacement under this condition to 10 years or 120,000 miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use (

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
SANTA FE166

Same model, other years

All model years | All Hyundai models

Other Hyundai models, 2021

Sources

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