2020 Hyundai Santa Fe problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (53) · Power Train (25) · Visibility:sun/Moon Roof Assembly (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
45 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.
Visibility:windshield 2021-12-28 · campaign 21V00M000 · 26,413 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Risk: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.
Service bulletins (113)
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
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.
Engine 2026-05-19 · 9C2 060518 · Service Campaign
following completion of service campaign 9c2 (theta ii emissions improvement), certain vehicles may exhibit a brief hesitation or rough shifting condition during cold start operation. if present, this condition is expected to occur only within approximately the first 1-3 minutes after engine start,
Showing the 6 most recent of 113 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-25 · Engine“hyundai dealership, pedder hyundai of poway, applied recall 9c2 to 2020 santa fe on 10/20/2026. vehicle idle is now rough at startup and gas pedal angle no longer is reliable for controlling vehicle speed. engine surges and jerks during initial operation on residential street due to software change. the vehicle did not operate in this manner for t…”
2026-10-20 · Structure:body“my incident relates to peeling paint on my white 2020 hyundai santa fe. the paint has started to bubble, crack and peel off on the rear hatch of the vehicle. hyundai has had issues with white color paint peeling off on a variety of their vehicles, across multiple years. hyundai issued an extended warranty program (z05) to cover the issue. i took…”
2026-10-09 · Engine“the vehicle is experience severe, progressive engine oil consumption, completely depleting its engine oil below the safe operating limit ("low" mark on the dipstick) every 500 miles. this creates an imminent risk of sudden engine seizure, catastrophic mechanical failure, and sudden stalling at highway speeds. the authorized dealers (safford hyund…”
2026-10-09 · Fuel/Propulsion System“there is a recall for the same issue on this model … i have a claim into hyundai to allow my vehicle to be repaired under the same recall. this is a very dangerously problem and wish it to be investigated for the 2.0 turbo as well. x hyundai issued two main fuel-related recalls for the 2021 santa fe equipped with 2.5-liter turbocharged engines due…”
2026-10-05 · Service Brakes · 💥 crash“i do not know what caused this. here is what happened. while parking the car suddenly accelerated, over the curb, on the sidewalk narrowly missing the building because i turned hard right to avoid the building and i was able to brake to a stop glancing off a concrete pillar. we could have been hurt crashing into the wall/windows, anyone on the walk…”
2026-09-23 · Engine“codes p0172 and p016b. oil has fuel in it due to high pressure fuel pump leaking. possible premature engine failure or fire. this is a 2020 santa fe limited 2.0t. …”
2026-09-23 · Engine“at times the engine will freeze up, stall the car while driving, or the car will altogether turn off when at a stop sign or light, while the car is still on. i've had the oil changed before the mileage indicated expired because the engine light came on and i was told the car had no oil at all when i know the oil was just changed within a 3 months t…”
2026-09-22 · Unknown Or Other“ at approximately 42,000 miles, the ac system on my 2020 hyundai santa fe suffered a potential immediate and premature failure, creating a severe driving safety hazard. the ac expansion valve began actively leaking refrigerant inside the dashboard, rendering the climate control system completely inoperable of normal operation. in florida's high hu…”
2026-09-17 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 137,000 mi“the contact owns a 2020 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle went into limp mode and failed to properly accelerate, with the check engine warning light illuminated and flashing. the vehicle was later towed to the local mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure; however, engin…”
2026-09-12 · Unknown Or Other · 🔥 fire“i drove my car from for about an hour to my destination. i get to my destination and park and the car starts smoking lightly from under the hood and then increases. i was still sitting in the car when i was told my car was on fire. it went from a little smoke to a full blown fire in a couple of minutes. i got out the car and within minutes the fron…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.