2016 Hyundai Santa Fe problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (128) · Power Train (18) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic (9)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Santa Fe model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
68 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2022-02-03 · campaign 22V056000 · 357,348 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 218.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:hood:latch 2017-06-05 · campaign 17V358000 · 437,400 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Risk: If the hood is not securely closed or the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary latch cable, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for the recall is 163.
Seat Belts:front:warning Light/Devices 2016-03-10 · campaign 16V145000 · 34,200 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015 to February 12, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses may be damaged by the seat's height adjuster mechanism, resulting in a failure to provide an audible warning when front seat occupants do not fasten their seat belts. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMV
Risk: Without a warning to remind the front seat occupants that their seat belts are not buckled, they may forget to buckle their seat belt, increasing their risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and reroute the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses to their proper locations, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 141.
Service bulletins (114)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2026-10-15 · 26-GI-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (pdw) sensor(s) that may trigger various dtcs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the pdw sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple false alarms. this condition may be a res
Engine 2026-10-08 · 26-EM-017H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain palisade (lx2) and santa fe (nc) vehicles equipped with lambda ii 6-cylinder engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. all internal combustion engines consume s
Engine 2026-10-07 · 26-EM-015H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. all internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operatio
Electrical System 2026-05-23 · Z01 Letter · Warranty Program/Extension
certain 2012 – 2017 model year accent, 2012 – 2017 model year azera, 2013 – 2018 model year santa fe sport, 2013 – 2019 model year santa fe, and 2012 – 2017 model year veloster vehicles may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) may be set. at hyundai, we ar
Electrical System 2026-04-25 · 26-BE-011H DN · Warranty Program/Extension
some vehicles listed below may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and dtc(s) b1763 (ocs ecu defect), and/or b1764 (ocs mat defect) may be stored. hyundai is extending the warranty coverage of the sensor for the occupant classification system (ocs) / occupant detection system (ods) to 18 ye
Electrical System 2026-04-25 · 26-BE-011H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension
some vehicles listed below may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and dtc(s) b1763 (ocs ecu defect), and/or b1764 (ocs mat defect) may be stored. hyundai is extending the warranty coverage of the sensor for the occupant classification system (ocs) / occupant detection system (ods) to 18 ye
Showing the 6 most recent of 114 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-04 · Power Train“1. component/system failure & availability: the failed component is the engine's internal camshaft variable valve timing (cvvt) phaser backing bolt within the 3.3l v6 engine assembly. an internal factory bolt unthreaded, backed out, and physically pierced directly through the upper valve cover. the vehicle and intact failed engine are currently loc…”
2026-06-11 · Engine · 💥 crash“what failed: the engine — the 3.3l lambda ii gdi v6 (engine family ghyxv03.31xe per the federal emissions label) — failed catastrophically: a connecting rod penetrated the engine block. the failed engine is available for inspection on request. it has been preserved unrepaired since the failure, the rod penetration of the block is externally visible…”
2026-06-06 · Engine“i filed a complaint when the first engine seized. it's a miracle we got off the road safely that day. while it was at the dealership, the engine was replaced with a used engine and covered by my extended warranty from vroom. i believe the cost was approximately $14,000. i was told the engine had around 30,000 miles on it. i've put around 20,000 mil…”
2026-05-25 · Engine“purchased a used santa fe in january 2026 with 129k mile and at 131k my vehicle's cel came on and did not function properly while operating. while driving the vehicle failed to accelerate above 25 mph when i pushed the gas. i pulled over to get out of the way of traffic and avoid any accidents. i shut the car off and sat for several minutes befo…”
2026-04-21 · Engine“rod bearing failure while driving, engine made a clanking noise. engine made a loud bang and shut off. it was difficult for the driver to get control of the vehicle and get it to the side of the road. engine threw the rod and piston through the oil pan causing catastrophic internal damage. the oil had been changed the day prior. the company that…”
2026-03-19 · Engine“beginning about a month ago, i noticed a rattle upon the engine start up that lasted for a 1-2 seconds then stopped and everything sounded normal. i thought it could be b/c of the cold weather. i went in to get a routine oil change on 03/11/2026 and they said the oil looked fine, but it was about a quart low, indicating it was burning some oil some…”
2026-02-21 · Unknown Or Other“the motor began to making a knocking noise and started smoking like a fire was starting. we immediately turned off the vehicle preventing from a full fledge fire. we had children in the car as well which posed a safety concern for them. we had no prior warning lights or issues. it has yet to be inspected by anyone. …”
2025-09-19 · Engine · 150,000 mi“the contact owns a 2016 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph and attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle decelerated and failed to respond as intended. the contact coasted to the right side of the road, turned off the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to start. neither an independent mechanic nor a dealer wa…”
2025-09-07 · Engine“my engine failed at 113,000 miles. it just sounded like a diesel truck when i started it one day. there were no warning messages at all. it did not have any power above 45 mph. i took it to a hyundai dealer and showed him the extended warranty letter i received from hyundai. the letter said my specific engine should qualify for an extended warranty…”
2025-08-04 · Engine“my 2016 hyundai santa fe lost all power, shutting off and stopping abruptly in the middle of the road with no warning lights or “limp mode” being set off requiring my partner and i to push it into someone’s driveway with our two children in the car to get them to safety. we took the vehicle to a mechanic shop where we were told that to engine was s…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.