2021 Hyundai Santa Fe: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 163 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 7 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
163
Complaints
7
Recalls
4
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
2
Injuries
23.3
Severity index
Severity index 23.3 - Low. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 90 2021 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe ranks 86 of 90 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 4% of its model-year peers. See the full 2021 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 50 | 30.7% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 41 | 25.2% |
| ENGINE | 36 | 22.1% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 29 | 17.8% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 18 | 11.0% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 8 | 4.9% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 7 | 4.3% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 7 | 4.3% |
The single most-reported system is POWER TRAIN, cited in 50 of 163 complaints (30.7%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2022 | 43 |
| 2023 | 35 |
| 2024 | 17 |
| 2025 | 21 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 28 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V524000 | 09/07/2021 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe and Sonata vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail. |
| 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. |
| 21V185000 | 17/03/2021 | AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Santa Fe vehicles. The Occupant Detection System (ODS) module may not deactivate the air bag upon detection of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the require |
| 21V308000 | 03/05/2021 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Santa Fe vehicles equipped with 2.5-litre Turbo engines. The fuel pipe connecting the high pressure fuel pump to the fuel rail may not have been tightened properly. |
| 22V746000 | 06/10/2022 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Sonata, Veloster N, 2022 Santa Cruz, Elantra N, and Kona N vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can re |
| 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 |
| 24V879000 | 21/11/2024 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV vehicles. Due to a damaged printed circuit board, the rearview camera image may fail to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comp |
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.