2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Santa FE Hybrid years
- Fewer complaints than other years 5th of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 20 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid. That ranks 5th out of 6 Santa FE Hybrid model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (8 complaints, 40%), typically at around 28,000 miles. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 20owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 8 | 40% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 35% | 31,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 25% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 20% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 15% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 10% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: 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."
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Trailer hitchesPark outside
Problem: 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, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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 previous recall number 22V-633.
Seat belts:front; seat belts:pretensioner
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023 Genesis G80 Electric, 2021-2022 Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
Fix: Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioners with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 14, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 238/011G. This recall is an expansion of recall numbers 22V-354 and 22V-458.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the camshaft sensor needed to be replaced. In addition, the vehicle was…
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while…
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times…
I have been taking my 21 Santa Fe hybrid limited into the dealership for a year and a half for the same code . Powertrain code P040B00, and to this day they can not repair this issue. I looked it up and a ton of us are having issues with this same code. It should be investigated, and customers…
While driving 80 mph down the highway my brand new vehicle shut off completely, the entire car lost power. In another instance I was going around a roundabout and my acceleration completely went out, my son was in the back seat and another car had to jump the curb to avoid crashing into us. I met a…
Other Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Santa FE Hybrid | 18 | 3 |
| 2025 Santa FE Hybrid | 101 | 3 |
| 2024 Santa FE Hybrid | 35 | 4 |
| 2023 Santa FE Hybrid | 58 | 1 |
| 2022 Santa FE Hybrid | 37 | 4 |
| 2021 | 20 | 3 |
See all Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid?
Owners most often report engine, power train, unknown or other problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 8 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Santa FE Hybrid model years, the 2021 has fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.