Hyundai Santa FE Seat Belts Problems
Owners have filed 128 complaints with NHTSA about seat belts problems on the Hyundai Santa FE across 25 model years. The 2005 model year has the most (18). The words owners use most often: “seat belt” (66% of reports).
- 128seat belts complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 16mention a crash
- 17mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 18%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Seat belt: mentioned in 84 of 128 complaints (66%)
At what mileage do seat belts problems happen?
Based on 69 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 128 complaints, 16 mention a crash, 17 an injury.
Hyundai Santa FE seat belts complaints by model year
| Model year | Seat Belts complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Santa FE | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2025 Santa FE | 8 | 6% | 6,750 |
| 2024 Santa FE | 10 | 6% | — |
| 2023 Santa FE | 3 | 1% | — |
| 2021 Santa FE | 3 | 2% | — |
| 2020 Santa FE | 3 | 1% | — |
| 2019 Santa FE | 4 | 2% | 85,000 |
| 2018 Santa FE | 1 | 1% | 7,500 |
| 2017 Santa FE | 7 | 1% | 4,500 |
| 2016 Santa FE | 8 | 3% | 20,000 |
| 2015 Santa FE | 3 | 1% | 36,100 |
| 2014 Santa FE | 7 | 1% | 49,800 |
| 2013 Santa FE | 3 | 0% | 50,012 |
| 2012 Santa FE | 2 | 1% | 6,000 |
| 2011 Santa FE | 1 | 1% | 43,342 |
| 2010 Santa FE | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2009 Santa FE | 3 | 1% | 68,142 |
| 2008 Santa FE | 6 | 1% | 41,000 |
| 2007 Santa FE | 7 | 1% | 41,105 |
| 2006 Santa FE | 5 | 5% | 76,000 |
| 2005 Santa FE | 18 | 8% | 94,000 |
| 2004 Santa FE | 8 | 3% | 40,000 |
| 2003 Santa FE | 9 | 3% | 99,000 |
| 2002 Santa FE | 6 | 4% | 91,000 |
| 2001 Santa FE | 1 | 0% | 154,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Seat belts:front:anchorage
Model years: 2024, 2025, 2026
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.
Seat belts:front:warning light/devices
Model years: 2016, 2017
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015 to February 12, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses may be damaged by the seat's height adjuster mechanism, resulting in a failure to provide an audible warning when front seat occupants do not fasten their seat belts. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: Without a warning to remind the front seat occupants that their seat belts are not buckled, they may forget to buckle their seat belt, increasing their risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and reroute the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses to their proper locations, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 141.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I got recall notice, called and scheduled appointment for July 10. I brought my car in and told them I was having issues with the seatbelt sticking sometimes. When I went to pick it up, they said the part had been ordered and would be in a few days. I never heard from them and contacted them to…
Passenger front seat belt. If the seat belt would have been used , due to the area that is coming apart and there would be an accident, the belt could come apart. The dealer refused to even take pictures or call the manufacturer. I called the manufacturer myself and basically all they have done is…
After waiting a month (called in june car went in 7/28/26)for an appointment with my dealer for 2 recalls and a broken rear seatbelt the dealership has deemed my vehicle unsafe to drive and has impounded my vehicle for almost a week. They have to replace not only 1 rear seatbelts but ALL rear…
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V218000 (Seat Belts) and 25V659000 (Electrical System); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the recall repairs were…
The middle row left side seat belt does not buckle. We made sure everything is clear in it, it is not dirty. We have had issues with it clicking to lock since we purchased the car last March 2025. It does not work at all now.
Frequently asked questions
Do all Hyundai Santa FEs have seat belts problems?
No. NHTSA has 128 owner complaints about seat belts for the Hyundai Santa FE. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Hyundai Santa FE seat belts?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list seat belts. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about seat belts problems on the Hyundai Santa FE?
The most frequent phrase is “seat belt”, in 84 of 128 complaints.
Other Hyundai Santa FE problems
- Engine problems (2,428)
- Power Train problems (933)
- Electrical System problems (851)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (756)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (588)
- Air Bags problems (506)
- Service Brakes problems (439)
- Suspension problems (436)
See all Hyundai Santa FE problems.