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2026 Hyundai Santa Fe: common problems and reliability
Too new to grade yet.
49 owner complaints, most about forward collision avoidance. 4 recalls.
Should I buy a 2026 Santa Fe?The 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe has 49 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are forward collision avoidance and electrical system. Owners most often flag transmission issues (2023+ models): unspecified problems prompting concerns; a "bad batch" of transmissions noted for 2024 models. includes sudden loss of power and inability to accelerate past low speeds (e.g., 45 mph / 72 km/h).
Safety record for the 2026 model year
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles (US, public record).
Too new to grade: we score a model year once it has been on the road for 3 years. How we score it
Is 2026 a good year for the Santa Fe?
Across the 26 Santa Fe model years we track, complaint volume runs from 106 (2006) to 1,316 (2017). With 49 complaints, the 2026 Santa Fe sits below the model's median of 287.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
Where owners report problems
Recalls affecting the 2026 Santa Fe
engine and engine cooling:critical fasteners
Campaign 25V549000Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson and Santa Fe vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power and engine damage, possibly resulting in an oil leak.
air bags:side/window:curtain
Campaign 25V809000Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.
electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Campaign 26V047000Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
seat belts:front:anchorage
Campaign 26V218000Hyundai 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.
What owners say across generations
Sentiment is sharply divided by model year and engine type, creating a high-risk, high-reward ownership profile.
- RecurrentTransmission Issues (2023+ models)
Unspecified problems prompting concerns; a "bad batch" of transmissions noted for 2024 models. Includes sudden loss of power and inability to accelerate past low speeds (e.g., 45 mph / 72 km/h).
- RecurrentUnexplained Vehicle Jerking/Surging (2023+ models)
Severe, unexpected jerking or lurching forward while stopped or driving, including incidents mistaken for being rear-ended. Perceived as a major safety concern.
Owner insights cover all generations of the Santa Fe. See the full Santa Fe owner picture and every model year.
Typical used price
Used Santa Fe listings typically run $18,687–$28,522.
Other Santa Fe model years
Compare every Santa Fe year side by side to see how 2026 ranks against the rest.
Compare the Santa Fe against its rivals
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