Vehicle Data Hub

2016 Hyundai Santa FE Sport problems

The 2016 Hyundai Santa FE Sport has 96 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (48%) concerns engine. Next are electrical system (8%) and brakes (6%).

At a glance

Complaints
96 filed with NHTSA
Most reported
Engine 48% of complaints
Crashes and fires
6 and 22
Injuries and deaths
7 and 0
Typical mileage
77,000 miles 33 complaints with mileage

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

Where the complaints are

Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.

  • Engine 48%
  • Electrical system 8%
  • Brakes 6%
  • Fuel system 5%
  • Air bags 4%
  • Drivetrain & axles 3%
  • Body & structure 2%
  • Suspension 2%
  • Lane departure 1%
  • Lighting 1%

When problems show up

Complaints by mileage, 2016 Hyundai Santa FE Sport Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 77,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 1 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 4 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 7 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 6 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 4 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 4 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 3 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 2 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 2 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 0 complaints 200k+ miles: 0 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 77,000 miles
Based on 33 complaints that include mileage. 36% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles1
20k to 40k miles4
40k to 60k miles7
60k to 80k miles6
80k to 100k miles4
100k to 120k miles4
120k to 140k miles3
140k to 160k miles2
160k to 180k miles2
180k to 200k miles0
200k+ miles0

What the data shows

Of the 33 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 77,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 105,000 miles (18 complaints with mileage).

Safety-related details: 6 complaints mention a crash; 22 complaints mention a fire; 7 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 95% of model years in our database.

Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2016 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 6 model years of the Hyundai Santa FE Sport with enough data (18 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.

What owners wrote

A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.

Engine caught fire while driving. Vehicle is a total loss as fire department did not arrive for 20 min. Currently at a Copart yard in Gainesville, ga. Lucky I was on a rural road and my dog and I were able to get out of car. Only injury is cough that has not gone away after 4 weeks. No warning lights, but did smell what seemed like burning brake fluid prior to fire. Both Hyundai and Farmers insurance have inspected the car. Of note is that Hyundai replaced the engine at around 60k miles due to engine oiling issues.

October 2023 FireInjury

The contact's granddaughter owns a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while the owner was driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle began to make an abnormal noise, and then the vehicle stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The owner towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.

Reported at 105,000 miles, November 2022

The contact's mother owns a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the RPM’s decreased and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated there was a clicking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Reported at 150,000 miles, April 2023

Other model years of the Santa FE Sport

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