repaired · 2026 Q3
Front: anchorage
NewRisk. A detached seat belt anchor will not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
2026 Hyundai Santa FEProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 40 owner complaints about the 2026 Hyundai Santa FE, most often about the forward collision avoidance. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 25V-549 the manufacturer reports only 100% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 12, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Chanokchon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2026 Hyundai Santa FE has problems
40 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
5Forward collision avoidance
5Seats1 crash/fire/injury
5Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury
4Tires
3Visibility/wiper
3Lane departure
3Power train
3Vehicle speed control
2Steering
119 other systems1 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 5 | 0 |
| Seats | 5 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 1 |
| Tires | 4 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 0 |
| Lane departure | 3 | 0 |
| Power train | 3 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 |
| 9 other systems | 11 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
4 recalls
2026 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 · 2026 Q3
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
NewRisk. An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2026 Q3
Side/window: curtain
NewRisk. Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
repaired · 2026 Q1
Engine and engine cooling: critical fasteners
Risk. A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
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
2026 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
2026 Hyundai Santa FE safety ratings
2026 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SUV N/A AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (17.4% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: Standard & Optional
- Lane departure warning: Standard
In owners' words
What Santa FE owners report
Recent forward collision avoidance complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
I left work and my car pulled back I looked at my dash I just saw all the lights on indicators telling me I may stop or not I was so scared I live 45 mins from my job and this isn’t the first incident after the second day I bought this brand new car my low oil light came on and the dip stick was…
-On [XXX] I was drivng on a highway while using cruise control. The car suddenly applied the brakes hard. I tried 4 times to use the accelrator and each time the brakes were applied hard again. -The car behind me laid on its horn and managed to shift to another lane thereby avoiding a rear end…
"What component malfunctioned...?" - Electrical system (suspected) "How was safety put at risk?" - We were unaware if the dashboard instruments were reading correctly. We also couldn't lock/unlock the doors or open/close the windows. The tailgate would also not open. "Has problem been reproduced?"…
Own a 2026 Santa FE?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.