Menu

2012 Hyundai Santa FEProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 355 owner complaints about the 2012 Hyundai Santa FE, most often about the engine. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 20V-746 the manufacturer reports only 61% of affected cars repaired.

2012 Hyundai Santa FE
47
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.1× the Santa FE median · #10 of 24 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 61%Owner complaints35549 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage90kEngine, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 21, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Hyundai Santa FE has problems

355 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine22819
Electrical system436
Vehicle speed control4011
Service brakes267
Power train242
Steering161
Exterior lighting140
Suspension140
Fuel/propulsion system82
14 other systems4810

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

2012 Hyundai Santa FE recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

61%repaired · 2022 Q4

Engine

Recall 20V-746 · Dec 1, 2020 · 128,948 vehicles · 78,101 repaired

Risk. A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Hyundai.

Mileage at failure

When do engine problems start?

90kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 180 engine complaints. 56% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
49under 30k miles101under 100k miles79100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine

15 owners mentioned a cost

$6,000median

Middle half: $3,950 – $8,000

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2012 vs. every other Santa FE year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Santa FE median. How we score

'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2012 Hyundai Santa FE safety ratings

2012 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
2012 Hyundai Santa FE frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2012 Hyundai Santa FE side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrier★★★★★
2012 Hyundai Santa FE side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 4 stars (16.9% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
6 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2012 Hyundai Santa FE, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Non-crash Vehicle FiresDP18003 · closed May 10, 2019
    Led to recall 18V-934
  2. Throttle control system vulnerabilitiesDP21003 · closed Jun 20, 2023
    No recall
  3. Loss of Motive PowerDP22003 · closed Dec 12, 2023
    No recall
  4. Engine FiresEA21003 · closed Feb 5, 2024
    Led to recall 23V-877
  5. Non-crash Vehicle FiresPE19003 · closed Dec 22, 2021
    Led to recall 20V-393
  6. Scope and TimelinessRQ17004 · closed Dec 22, 2021
    Led to recall 17V-226
In owners' words

What Santa FE owners report

Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

On June 16, 2025, I dropped my 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS (VIN: [XXX]) off at Larry H. Miller Southwest in Albuquerque, NM for NHTSA safety recall #20V746000 (Theta II engine connecting rod bearing failure). It has now been over one week with zero communication from the dealership regarding the…
Complaint 11745765 · Jun 22, 2026
The engine rod broke creating a big whole in the engine which caused the engine and underneath of car to start on fire. There was a massive recall for this same issue in 2021-2023 for the year car! It is available for inspection! Yes safety was at risk, the car was on fire on the Highway in the…
Complaint 11722965 · Mar 9, 2026
My 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe caught fire on October 29, 2025. Prior to this, the dealership completed one recall but left another open. Hyundai denied my claim and refused to provide the inspection report. I am filing this complaint because I believe the incomplete recall may be related and I want…
Complaint 11700886 · Nov 21, 2025

Own a 2012 Santa FE?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.