2012 Hyundai Santa FE Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Santa FE years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 26 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 3 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 353 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Hyundai Santa FE. That ranks 7th out of 26 Santa FE model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (228 complaints, 65%), typically at around 89,662 miles. Complaints mention 25 crashes, 17 fires, 7 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 6 defect investigations involving it.
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- 353owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 6NHTSA investigations
- 25complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Hyundai Santa FE 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 problems | 228 | 65% | 89,662 | “connecting rod” (6%) | $9,850 |
| Electrical System | 43 | 12% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 40 | 11% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 25 | 7% | 27,414 | — | — |
| Power Train | 24 | 7% | 21,825 | — | — |
| Steering | 16 | 5% | 44,332 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 16 | 5% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 14 | 4% | 99,694 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 12 | 3% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 2% | 56,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 2% | 11,450 | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 2% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 2% | 72,174 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 2% | 22,818 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 1% | 76,435 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 1% | 24,525 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 1% | 5,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | 91,625 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 6,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 16,130 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Hyundai Santa FE recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Veloster, 2012 Santa Fe, 2011-2013 Sonata Hybrid, and 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which over time can result in engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine. If bearing damage is found, the engine will be replaced. Dealers will also install a software update containing a new Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS). Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 198.
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
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
- Engine Fires (EA21003) — opened Dec 22, 2021, closed Feb 5, 2024, led to recall 23V877.
- Throttle control system vulnerabilities (DP21003) — opened Nov 12, 2021, closed Jun 20, 2023.
- Non-crash Vehicle Fires (PE19003) — opened Mar 29, 2019, closed Dec 22, 2021, led to recall 20V061000.
- Non-crash Vehicle Fires (DP18003) — opened Aug 21, 2018, closed May 10, 2019, led to recall 18V907000.
- Scope and Timeliness (RQ17004) — opened May 18, 2017, closed Dec 22, 2021, led to recall 17V226000.
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 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the underbody of the vehicle was rusted from living in an area where anti-icing agents were heavily used. The contact associated the failure with Hyundai Service Campaign 947. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was…
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…
The contact purchased a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 71,000 and at the time of registration, it was…
Rear subframe suddenly collapsed and broke due to extreme corrosion. Incident occurred while driving, allowing rear wheel to turn out causing loss of control. Luckily I was traveling at a low rate of speed and nobody was hurt. Found rear subframe was completely rotten out and collapsed on the…
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…
Other Hyundai Santa FE years
← 2011 Santa FE · 2013 Santa FE →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Santa FE | 37 | 4 |
| 2025 Santa FE | 135 | 5 |
| 2024 Santa FE | 155 | 7 |
| 2023 Santa FE | 211 | 1 |
| 2022 Santa FE | 201 | 5 |
| 2021 Santa FE | 167 | 7 |
| 2020 Santa FE | 216 | 2 |
| 2019 Santa FE | 202 | 2 |
| 2018 Santa FE | 109 | 2 |
| 2017 Santa FE | 970 | 6 |
| 2016 Santa FE | 236 | 3 |
| 2015 Santa FE | 254 | 2 |
| 2014 Santa FE | 493 | 3 |
| 2013 Santa FE | 605 | 3 |
| 2012 | 353 | 1 |
| 2011 Santa FE | 181 | 2 |
| 2010 Santa FE | 259 | 2 |
| 2009 Santa FE | 358 | 2 |
| 2008 Santa FE | 541 | 4 |
| 2007 Santa FE | 684 | 7 |
| 2006 Santa FE | 106 | 1 |
| 2005 Santa FE | 216 | 3 |
| 2004 Santa FE | 303 | 3 |
| 2003 Santa FE | 308 | 4 |
| 2002 Santa FE | 165 | 4 |
| 2001 Santa FE | 209 | 4 |
See all Hyundai Santa FE 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 2012 Hyundai Santa FE?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 228 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Hyundai Santa FE?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Hyundai Santa FE a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Santa FE model years, the 2012 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 3 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.