Car Defect Radar
Get the report
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated October 26, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.
Confirm 4 recalls before you buy.

Ask the seller for proof the repair was completed, or run the free VIN check. Recall repairs are done at no cost by a dealer.

Recalls

4 total · 4 to confirm

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

Seat belts recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 26V218000 · Apr 2026

A detached seat belt anchor will not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will inspect and reinforce or replace the seat belt anchors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 29, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and Genesis customer service at 844-340-9741. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 298 and 032G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov April 8, 2026.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Electrical system recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 26V047000 · Jan 2026

An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy
The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 293. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 28, 2026.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Airbags recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 25V809000 · Nov 2025

Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Engine recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 25V549000 · Aug 2025

A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. An oil leak in the presence of hot engine components can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire.

Remedy
Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 281.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Owner complaints by system

36 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Minor
4

Most reports here involve transmission slipping.

transmission slipping 1fluid leaks 1
A recent report: The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The failure occurred mostly while making a left turn…
Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The failure occurred mostly while making a left turn and while accelerating from a stop and continued for 10-seconds before self-correcting. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was almost a crash during the failure. The failure was not self-corrected after one failure. The vehicle was turned off and restarted, and the failure was then self-corrected. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failures, and there was no DTC found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 5,100.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11761943 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Worth reading
9

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention an injury.

software faults 7
A recent report: Rear Back Up Camera Had Moisture In The Lenses Making The Rear Back Up Assist Worthless. Nearly Caused Multiple Collisions While In Revers.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11763931 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Minor
1

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 1
A recent report: -On [XXX] I was drivng on a highway while using cruise control. The car suddenly applied the brakes hard. I tried 4 times to use the accelrator and each time the brakes were applied hard again. -The…
Read full complaint

-On [XXX] I was drivng on a highway while using cruise control. The car suddenly applied the brakes hard. I tried 4 times to use the accelrator and each time the brakes were applied hard again. -The car behind me laid on its horn and managed to shift to another lane thereby avoiding a rear end collison. -Fortunately I was driving in an outside lane and got the car to the shoulder. -I turned the engine off and then started the car again. -There were no warning lamps or messages that I can recall. It happened quickly. -This incident came very close to causing at least vehicle damage and possibly physical harm to the occupants of my car and the car behind me. -I took my car to the dealership which is Crown Hyndai in St. Petersburg, Florida. They were unable to recreate the problem so the issue is still outstanding. -To prevent future incidents I no longer use cruise control and turn off the FCA system when I start the car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11746383 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Minor
7

Most reports here involve loss of steering.

loss of steering 1
A recent report: Size 245 / 45 R 21 It's already my second tire thta gets a bubble on the side wall without any know crash One tire blew mid driving for no apparent reason on less than 10K miles I recommend you…
Read full complaint

Size 245 / 45 R 21 It's already my second tire thta gets a bubble on the side wall without any know crash One tire blew mid driving for no apparent reason on less than 10K miles I recommend you recall all those tires they are dangerous

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11762478 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Minor
1

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 1
A recent report: There has been an active recall on the front seat belts of Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles for almost a month. I scheduled an appointment online to have this fixed and was called by the dealership to let…
Read full complaint

There has been an active recall on the front seat belts of Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles for almost a month. I scheduled an appointment online to have this fixed and was called by the dealership to let me know that there is currently no way to fix this. According to what I have read online, letters won't begin going out from Hyundai regarding the recall until June 2026. That is a very long and unacceptable time for people to drive cars with malfunctioning seat belts. Hyundai needs to be forced to do something sooner regarding this issue.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11734221 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Minor
6

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 6
A recent report: Driving down the road and the sunroof just exploded. No rock, no nearby cars that could have kicked something up. Just crumbled in.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11743648 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
8

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 5
A recent report: See attached document for complaint.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11740595 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 36 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2025 and 2026, roughly 36 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.

How does it compare with other years? The 2026 has 36 complaints on file, fewer than the 2025 (131). Of the 17 model years of the Hyundai Santa Fe we cover, the 2017 has the most (966). Older model years have had longer to collect complaints.