2019 Hyundai Santa Fe: owner complaints and recalls

Analysis of 192 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 2 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.

192
Complaints
2
Recalls
16
Crash reports
11
Fire reports
10
Injuries
109.4
Severity index

Severity index 109.4 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.

Among the 123 2019 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe ranks 14 of 123 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 89% of its model-year peers. See the full 2019 ranking.

What actually fails

ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ENGINE6634.4%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4624.0%
POWER TRAIN3116.1%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2613.5%
STRUCTURE147.3%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE136.8%
STEERING126.2%
SERVICE BRAKES115.7%

The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 66 of 192 complaints (34.4%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.

Complaints filed per year

2018: 42019: 292020: 192021: 182022: 172023: 252024: 232025: 342026: 23181920212223242526
YearComplaints
20184
201929
202019
202118
202217
202325
202423
202534
2026 (year to date)23
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.5x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
18V71500011/10/2018AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOWHyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. The Side Curtain Air Bag (SCAB) mounting bolts may interfere with and damage the air bags during deployment.
23V18100017/03/2023TRAILER HITCHESHyundai 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 de
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.