Model year
2016 Hyundai Santa Fe
NHTSA lists 3 recalls and 236 complaints for the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe (recall file dated Oct 23, 2026; complaint file dated Oct 23, 2026). NHTSA also lists 1 recall and 70 complaints under SANTA FE SPORT. Those counts are separate from the numbers above. 1 recall marked park outside. The components listed on the most complaints are ENGINE (151), UNKNOWN OR OTHER (25), POWER TRAIN (21). NHTSA lists 3 investigations, including 1 investigation with no close date in the file. NHTSA rated 2 variants 5 stars overall. EPA rates it 19–23 mpg combined depending on configuration (fuel economy file dated Sep 29, 2026). EPA's annual fuel-cost figures for these configurations are $2,900–$3,550, based on 15,000 miles and 55% city driving.
- 2001 209 complaints
- 2002 165 complaints
- 2003 308 complaints
- 2004 303 complaints
- 2005 216 complaints
- 2006 106 complaints
- 2007 684 complaints
- 2008 541 complaints
- 2009 359 complaints
- 2010 260 complaints
- 2011 181 complaints
- 2012 355 complaints
- 2013 605 complaints
- 2014 493 complaints
- 2015 255 complaints
- 2016 236 complaints
- 2017 970 complaints
- 2018 109 complaints
- 2019 203 complaints
- 2020 217 complaints
- 2021 167 complaints
- 2022 201 complaints
- 2023 211 complaints
- 2024 155 complaints
- 2025 135 complaints
- 2026 37 complaints
- 2027 0 complaints
Recalls
22V056000 · Feb 3, 2022
Park outsideSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine…
17V358000 · Jun 5, 2017
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is…
16V145000 · Mar 10, 2016
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES
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,…
Complaints
236 distinct complaints. Crash flag on 6, fire flag on 2, injury field 6, deaths field 0. A complaint can be counted under more than one component. The injury and death figures are the file's numbers (the highest value on each complaint, then added), not a separate verified count of people.
Other NHTSA names
These names matched the same EPA model but are not included in the headline counts above.
| Name | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| SANTA FE SPORT | 1 | 70 |
Investigations
| Action | Subject | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| DP21003 | Throttle control system vulnerabilities · VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:THROTTLE | Nov 12, 2021 | Jun 20, 2023 |
| DP22003 | Loss of Motive Power · ENGINE | Sep 12, 2022 | Dec 12, 2023 |
| AQ23002 | Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires · SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | Nov 17, 2023 | No close date in the file |
Safety ratings
| Variant | Overall | Front | Side | Pole | Rollover | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | Not rated | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated · possibility 0 | — |
| SUV FWD | Not rated | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated | Not Rated · possibility 0 | — |
| Sport SUV AWD | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 · possibility 0.143 | NHTSA photo |
| Sport SUV FWD | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 · possibility 0.151 | NHTSA photo |
Fuel economy
| Configuration | Fuel | City | Hwy | Comb | kWh/100 mi | Range | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe Sport FWD · 2.4L · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 20 | 27 | 23 | — | — | $2,900 |
| Santa Fe Sport FWD · 2L · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 19 | 26 | 22 | — | — | $3,050 |
| Santa Fe Sport Ultimate FWD · 2L · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 19 | 26 | 22 | — | — | $3,050 |
| Santa Fe Sport AWD · 2.4L · Automatic (S6) · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 19 | 25 | 21 | — | — | $3,200 |
| Santa Fe Sport AWD · 2L · Automatic (S6) · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 18 | 24 | 20 | — | — | $3,350 |
| Santa Fe Ultimate FWD · 3.3L · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 17 | 23 | 20 | — | — | $3,350 |
| Santa Fe FWD · 3.3L · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 18 | 25 | 21 | — | — | $3,200 |
| Santa Fe Ultimate AWD · 3.3L · Automatic (S6) · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 17 | 22 | 19 | — | — | $3,550 |
| Santa Fe AWD · 3.3L · Automatic (S6) · All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 18 | 24 | 20 | — | — | $3,350 |
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Check a vehicle
This page is not a VIN lookup. NHTSA's recall tool checks a specific vehicle: nhtsa.gov/recalls. NHTSA's page for this model year is 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe at NHTSA. Complaint narratives stay on NHTSA's site and are not copied here.