2021 Hyundai Santa FE problems
NHTSA has received 243 complaints about the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE, and 21% of them involve drivetrain & axles. Next are engine (15%) and electrical system (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 243 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 4 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 19,000 miles 44 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 | 24 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 8 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 8 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 3 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 1 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 44 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 18,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 17,000 miles (12 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 4 complaints mention a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 2 injuries reported. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 90% 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 2021 ranks 7th most-complained-about out of 26 model years of the Hyundai Santa FE with enough data (243 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 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.
12v connector for phone charger melted my phone cord. Reported to Centennial Hyundai Las Vegas and High Desert Hyundai Kingman Az. Both service departments said my vehicle cannot detect the problem because I purchased a substandard plug-in. I have worked as an operator of high voltage electrical systems. I understand in some circumstances that a system cannot detect a fault, however the company is still responsible for the fire it caused. This is unsafe and can cause serious consequences. It must be corrected.
The contact filed the complaint on behalf of the contact's mother. The contact owned a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the contact's mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was crashed into by an oncoming vehicle. The other vehicle crashed into the front passenger's side close to the front bumper area. The driver's side door independently opened, although it was secured and locked prior to the crash. The contact stated the vehicle spun around and flipped onto the driver's side.
The passenger door has a sharp edge at the bottom exactly like the palasade hyundai recall. Both my daughter and my 82 year old mother have gashed their ankle on the door. In the case of my mother she was lucky we did not need stitches! I have a picture of the injury. I made a case submission to Hyundai.
Problem #1 - At least 4 quarts of oil spewed from the oil tank and covered most of the engine for an unknown period time. There were no notifications, alerts, or any other indication concerning the oil tank having 1 or less quart of oil. Ultimately, there are at least three (3) questions that need to be addressed 1.In a 2021 Santa Fe, what would cause both the timing and valve covers to leak out at least four (4) quarts of oil out of the oil tank onto the engine.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH with the Adaptive Cruise Control mode activated, the contact heard three beeping sounds, and the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact restarted the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that the vehicle made the beeping sound again while driving 50-55 MPH however, the vehicle had not lost motive power.