repaired · 2025 Q4
Trailer hitches
Park outsideRisk. A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
2020 Hyundai Santa FEProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 218 owner complaints about the 2020 Hyundai Santa FE, most often about the engine. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 21V00M000 the manufacturer reports only 64% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 25, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2020 Hyundai Santa FE has problems
218 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
81Engine6 crash/fire/injury
26Power train
25Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury
14Forward collision avoidance
14Fuel/propulsion system
14Visibility
9Service brakes
9Structure
8Lane departure
5616 other systems10 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 81 | 6 |
| Power train | 26 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 25 | 3 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 14 | 2 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 14 | 3 |
| Visibility | 14 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 9 | 4 |
| Structure | 9 | 0 |
| Lane departure | 8 | 0 |
| 16 other systems | 56 | 10 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2020 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.
repaired · 2024 Q1
Visibility: windshield
Risk. A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Best & worst years
2020 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
2020 Hyundai Santa FE safety ratings
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (14.6% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: Standard
- Lane departure warning: Standard
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2020 Hyundai Santa FE, and the recalls they led to.
- Loss of Motive PowerNo recall
In owners' words
What Santa FE owners report
Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Hyundai Dealership, Pedder Hyundai of Poway, applied recall 9C2 to 2020 Santa Fe on 10/20/2026. Vehicle idle is now rough at startup and gas pedal angle no longer is reliable for controlling vehicle speed. Engine surges and jerks during initial operation on residential street due to software…
The vehicle is experience severe, progressive engine oil consumption, completely depleting its engine oil below the safe operating limit ("Low" mark on the dipstick) every 500 miles. This creates an imminent risk of sudden engine seizure, catastrophic mechanical failure, and sudden stalling at…
I do not know what caused this. Here is what happened. While parking the car suddenly accelerated, over the curb, on the sidewalk narrowly missing the building because I turned hard right to avoid the building and I was able to brake to a stop glancing off a concrete pillar. We could have been hurt…
Own a 2020 Santa FE?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.