2016 HYUNDAI SANTA FE — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 235 complaints · 3 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (134 complaints · 57.0%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 6
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 6
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2015 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 134 of 235 owner complaints (57.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 134 complaints, 57.0% of reports ENGINE 134 · 57.0% · 1 crash reports 2 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 15 complaints, 6.4% of reports POWER TRAIN 15 · 6.4% SERVICE BRAKES: 11 complaints, 4.7% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 11 · 4.7% SEAT BELTS: 7 complaints, 3.0% of reports SEAT BELTS 7 · 3.0% · 2 crash reports FUEL SYSTEM: 6 complaints, 2.6% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 6 · 2.6% AIR BAGS: 5 complaints, 2.1% of reports AIR BAGS 5 · 2.1% · 3 crash reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 5 complaints, 2.1% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 · 2.1% STRUCTURE: 5 complaints, 2.1% of reports STRUCTURE 5 · 2.1% VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 5 complaints, 2.1% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 · 2.1% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 49 complaints, 20.9% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 49 · 20.9% · 2 crash reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 134 57.0% 1 crashes · 2 fires
POWER TRAIN 15 6.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 11 4.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SEAT BELTS 7 3.0% 2 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 6 2.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 5 2.1% 3 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 2.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 5 2.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 5 2.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 49 20.9% 2 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2015; the first recall shown was reported in Mar 2016. 2015-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2019-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2021-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2021-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2022-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2022-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2022-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2022-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2023-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2023-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2023-Q3: 21 owner reports 21 2023-Q4: 13 owner reports 13 2024-Q1: 20 owner reports 20 2024-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2024-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2024-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2025-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2025-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 Owner reports Oct 2015 Apr 2026 Recall campaign 16V145000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V145000 Recall campaign 17V358000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V358000 Recall campaign 22V056000 ◆ Recall campaign 22V056000 Investigation DP21003 ● Investigation DP21003 Investigation DP22003 ● Investigation DP22003 Investigation AQ23002 ● Investigation AQ23002
  • Campaign 17V358000 was reported 609 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2015-Q4 Owner reports 3
2016-Q1 Owner reports 4
2016-Q2 Owner reports 3
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2016-Q4 Owner reports 2
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 1
2018-Q2 Owner reports 1
2018-Q3 Owner reports 4
2018-Q4 Owner reports 2
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 5
2019-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q4 Owner reports 4
2020-Q1 Owner reports 2
2020-Q3 Owner reports 9
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 3
2021-Q2 Owner reports 10
2021-Q3 Owner reports 7
2021-Q4 Owner reports 8
2022-Q1 Owner reports 8
2022-Q2 Owner reports 6
2022-Q3 Owner reports 11
2022-Q4 Owner reports 11
2023-Q1 Owner reports 9
2023-Q2 Owner reports 14
2023-Q3 Owner reports 21
2023-Q4 Owner reports 13
2024-Q1 Owner reports 20
2024-Q2 Owner reports 10
2024-Q3 Owner reports 9
2024-Q4 Owner reports 8
2025-Q1 Owner reports 5
2025-Q3 Owner reports 3
2026-Q1 Owner reports 2
2026-Q2 Owner reports 4
Recall campaign 1 16V145000
Recall campaign 1 17V358000
Recall campaign 1 22V056000
Defect investigation 1 DP21003
Defect investigation 1 DP22003
Defect investigation 1 AQ23002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (3)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V145000

    Report date
    Component:
    SEAT BELTS
    Consequence:
    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.
    Remedy:
    Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and reroute the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses to their proper locations, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 141.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 17V358000

    Report date
    Component:
    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
    Consequence:
    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.
    Remedy:
    Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary latch cable, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for the recall is 163.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 22V056000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 218.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 235 complaints · page 1 of 10

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources