2020 Hyundai Santa FE problems
NHTSA has received 307 complaints about the 2020 Hyundai Santa FE, and 28% of them involve engine. Next are drivetrain & axles (8%) and electrical system (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 307 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 28% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 21 and 13
- Injuries and deaths
- 21 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 7,000 miles 60 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%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 35 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 7 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 3 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 7 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 6 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 1 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 60 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 7,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 43,000 miles (13 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 21 complaints mention a crash; 13 complaints mention a fire; 21 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2020 ranks 9th most-complained-about out of 26 model years of the Hyundai Santa FE with enough data (234 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
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.
The contact owned a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH onto the ramp, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle stalled and shut off, and the contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact was calling for Roadside Assistance and noticed white smoke coming from under the hood.
We were driving on interstate 49 going south near Chester Arkansas when traffic came to a stop. I was rear ended by a vehicle driving 75 mph. My car hit the car in front of me where there was damage to both the passenger and driver side front area of the car. No airbags deployed in spite of the severity of the front and rear impact of the vehicle. I sustained three compression fractures to my back with several abrasions and bruises. Both my vehicle and the vehicle in front of me were declared total losses.
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. After scanning the vehicle, the contact received a code for torque converter damage. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the TCM update was needed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure.
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, while parking and while idling on different occasions, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.