2019 Hyundai Santa Fe problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (44) · Power Train (34) · Structure:body (12)
🧭 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
65 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (2)
Trailer Hitches 2023-03-17 · campaign 23V181000 · 584,784 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEV and Santa Cruz vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-633.
Air Bags:side/Window 2018-10-11 · campaign 18V715000 · 8,204 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. The Side Curtain Air Bag (SCAB) mounting bolts may interfere with and damage the air bags during deployment.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the air bags become damaged during deployment they may not inflate properly, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the SCAB installation bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 177.
Service bulletins (185)
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-016H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some vehicles equipped with internal combustion 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 some engine oil during normal operatio
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
Engine 2026-05-21 · 26-01-013H-2 DN · Service Campaign
certain santa fe (tma), santa fe sport (an), sonata (lfa), and tucson (tl) vehicles equipped with theta ii engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. the california air resources board has determined that these vehicles may be releasing air pollutants which exceed federal and california stan
Engine 2026-05-21 · 26-01-013H-2 TSB · Service Campaign
certain santa fe (tma), santa fe sport (an), sonata (lfa), and tucson (tl) vehicles equipped with theta ii engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. this bulletin provides instructions for updating the engine control module (ecm) to address this condition.
Showing the 6 most recent of 185 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-17 · Power Train“after hyundai 9c2 update the transmission bucks or searches for gear causing what seems to be up and down shifting.…”
2026-10-05 · Power Train“driving at highway speed, vehicle stuttered/lurched. the check awd, engine light, tire pressure warning lights came on. check by mechanic resulted in error code p0741 (torque converter clutch circuit performance or stuck off). search of error code p0741 indicates that there is a technical service bulletin tsb-23-at-005h regarding this known prob…”
2026-10-02 · Electrical System · 🔥 fire“on august 14 2026, i drove my 2019 hyundai santa fe approximately one mile from my residence to work at approximately 5:00 am. the vehicle was operating normally and i experienced no warning lights, unusual noises, odors, smoke, or other indications of a problem. i parked the vehicle in an outdoor parking lot and the vehicle remained parked and tu…”
2026-09-23 · Power Train“on 03/26/2026, my 2019 hyundai santa fe received hyundai service campaign 9c2 (tsb 26-01-013h-1), which included an engine control module (ecm) software update for theta ii emissions improvement. the vehicle did not have the following drivability problem before this software update. immediately after the 9c2 update, the vehicle began jerking/bucki…”
2026-09-21 · Unknown Or Other“the vehicle experienced a sudden, intermittent engine stall while driving, specifically when slowing down or coasting to a stop in live traffic. when the engine dies, the vehicle immediately loses engine power, power steering, and power braking assist, creating an extreme safety hazard. after stalling, the vehicle refuses to restart for several min…”
2026-09-17 · Engine“the car started having problems immediately after replacement with a new battery. the issue with the isg (idle stop and go system) started appearing. when the auto stop indicator turns green, the car stalls which puts my life at risk. i have spoken to a number of mechanics and i am not getting a satisfactory answer on how to fix this problem.. one…”
2026-09-11 · Engine · 🔥 fire“2019 santa fe with 80,000 miles showed signs of excessive oil consumption. service was scheduled with licensed hyundai franchise service center. known oil consumption issues on theta ii engines for that year. testing requires 3 steps. first step is to change the oil and document levels. engine is tested for 1000 miles then returned to service …”
2026-09-07 · Fuel/Propulsion System“my vehicle had a very strong gas smell inside and outside of the car. i found a gas puddle under the car coming from the back of the vehicle. car was hesitating when i stepped on the gas. i was afraid it may stall. i drove the vehicle to my regular service station. vehicle has an active fuel leak and this is a fire hazard. i was very concerned…”
2026-09-02 · Power Train“update re: odi complaint number: 11759237 subsequent actions and manufacturer refusal to remediate safety defect: following the [xxx], acute safety incident—where the vehicle lost motive power and entered severe limp mode on [xxx] immediately upon release from sheehy hyundai of chantilly—the vehicle remained in dealer custody for 11 days (august …”
2026-08-28 · Power Train“my vehicle recently received the hyundai 9c2 emissions upgrade they required and since then the vehicle has had predictable acceleration issues for the first several minutes after the vehicle. while trying to slowly accelerate the vehicle with unpredictably lurch forward. many people have been reporting this.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.