2026 Hyundai Santa FE Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · 37 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Santa FE years
Far fewer complaints than other years 26th of 26 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
5 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 37 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Hyundai Santa FE. That ranks 26th out of 26 Santa FE model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is unknown or other (10 complaints, 27%). Complaints mention 1 injury. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.

Hyundai Santa FE
2024_Hyundai_Santa_Fe_(MX5) in Böblingen. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2026 Hyundai Santa FE problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Unknown or Other10
Electrical System5
Forward Collision Avoidance5
Seats5 · ~174 mi
Tires4
Power Train3 · ~5,100 mi
Vehicle Speed Control3
Visibility/wiper3
Engine2 · ~5,100 mi
Lane Departure2
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Unknown or Other1027%———
Electrical System514%———
Forward Collision Avoidance514%———
Seats514%174——
Tires411%———
Power Train38%5,100——
Vehicle Speed Control38%———
Visibility/wiper38%———
Engine25%5,100——
Lane Departure25%———
Steering25%———
Back Over Prevention13%———
Equipment Adaptive/mobility13%———
Fuel/propulsion System13%———
Seat Belts13%———
Service Brakes13%———
Suspension13%———
Visibility13%12,000——
Wheels13%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2026, with 35 complaints
2025: 2202522026: 35202635

n = 37 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2026 Hyundai Santa FE recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Seat belts:front:anchorageApr 6, 2026 · NHTSA campaign 26V218000 · 294,448 vehicles

Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, 2023-2026 Genesis G90, 2024-2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, and Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The driver and passenger seat belt anchors may detach.

Risk: A detached seat belt anchor will not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect and reinforce or replace the seat belt anchors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 29, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and Genesis customer service at 844-340-9741. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 298 and 032G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov April 8, 2026.

Electrical system: instrument cluster/panelJan 26, 2026 · NHTSA campaign 26V047000 · 41,651 vehicles

Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."

Risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 293. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 28, 2026.

Air bags:side/window:curtainNov 20, 2025 · NHTSA campaign 25V809000 · 258 vehicles

Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.

Risk: Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Fix: Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.

Engine and engine cooling:critical fastenersAug 25, 2025 · NHTSA campaign 25V549000 · 29 vehicles

Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson and Santa Fe vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power and engine damage, possibly resulting in an oil leak.

Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. An oil leak in the presence of hot engine components can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire.

Fix: Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 281.

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.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

Dash went dark, and 3 separate occasions the car would not accelerate while driving.

Electrical System · received Oct 15, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11771355

Rear Back Up Camera Had Moisture In The Lenses Making The Rear Back Up Assist Worthless. Nearly Caused Multiple Collisions While In Revers.

Unknown or Other · received Sep 13, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11763931

Size 245 / 45 R 21 It's already my second tire thta gets a bubble on the side wall without any know crash One tire blew mid driving for no apparent reason on less than 10K miles I recommend you recall all those tires they are dangerous

Tires · received Sep 6, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11762478

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The failure occurred mostly while making a left turn and while accelerating from a stop and continued for 10-seconds before self-correcting. There was…

Engine · received Sep 3, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11761943

Oil light comes on and beeps when putting on brakes suddenly.

Unknown or Other · received Aug 29, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11760551

Other Hyundai Santa FE years

← 2025 Santa FE

See all Hyundai Santa FE problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2026 Hyundai Santa FE?

Owners most often report unknown or other, electrical system, forward collision avoidance problems. The top one, unknown or other, accounts for 10 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2026 Hyundai Santa FE?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2026 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 2026 has far 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.