2020 Hyundai Santa Fe: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 198 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 2 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
198
Complaints
2
Recalls
13
Crash reports
7
Fire reports
15
Injuries
108.1
Severity index
Severity index 108.1 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 103 2020 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe ranks 18 of 103 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 83% of its model-year peers. See the full 2020 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 70 | 35.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 37 | 18.7% |
| POWER TRAIN | 23 | 11.6% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 23 | 11.6% |
| VISIBILITY | 14 | 7.1% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 14 | 7.1% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 11 | 5.6% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 10 | 5.1% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 70 of 198 complaints (35.4%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 13 |
| 2021 | 18 |
| 2022 | 24 |
| 2023 | 37 |
| 2024 | 17 |
| 2025 | 51 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 38 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.9x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V00M000 | 28/12/2021 | VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. |
| 23V181000 | 17/03/2023 | TRAILER HITCHES | 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 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.