What are the most common problems with the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe?

Owners name the engine group most often, with 85 complaints. Unknown or other parts follow with 53, then the power train with 38.

Does the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe have recalls?

Yes. The by-year fact shows 3 recalls for 2019. See the Recalls section on this page for the list.

How many complaints are filed for the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe?

NHTSA has 229 owner complaints on file. They are unverified reports, and one complaint can name several parts.

What is the gas mileage of the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe?

See the fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.

Is the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?

The complaint groups above show where owners report trouble. Compare years in the by-year section on this page before you decide.

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 229 owner complaints on file for the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe^[1]. The engine group is named most often, with 85 complaints^[2].

229owner complaints^[1]

3recalls^[3]

19–25MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

5★NHTSA overall rating^[5]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Here are the complaint groups owners picked most often, biggest first.

Engine. 85 complaints^[2]. In the stories we read, owners describe the car stalling at low speed, skipping or hesitating when they press the gas, and a burning smell on hills. Some of these reports mention a fire^[2].
Unknown or other. 53 complaints^[6]. These reports did not fit a single named part, so the group is a mix of different issues.
Power train. 38 complaints^[7]. Owners describe rough shifting, a delay before the car moves, and the engine speed rising while the car stays put^[7].
Electrical system. 31 complaints^[8]. Owners describe warning lights, a car that will not start or dies while driving, and a remote start feature that often fails to respond^[8].
Brakes. 16 complaints^[9]. Owners describe the car braking on its own and a pedal that did not work as expected^[9].
Structure. 15 complaints^[10].
Steering. 13 complaints^[11].
Forward collision avoidance. 13 complaints^[12].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2019 Santa Fe is necessarily included.

Trailer Hitches (23V181), March 2023. About 584,784 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: fire, injury. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module (22V056), February 2022. About 357,348 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: fire, injury. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[14]
Air Bags › Side/Window (18V715), October 2018. About 8,204 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury, an air bag that may not work as intended. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[15]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
Santa Fe XL FWD, 3.3L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[16]	18 / 25 / 21	$3,200
Santa Fe XL Ultimate FWD, 3.3L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[17]	18 / 23 / 20	$3,350
Santa Fe XL AWD, 3.3L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[18]	18 / 24 / 20	$3,350
Santa Fe XL Ultimate AWD, 3.3L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[19]	17 / 22 / 19	$3,550
Santa Fe FWD, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[4]	22 / 29 / 25	$2,700
Santa Fe AWD, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic (S8), Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[20]	21 / 27 / 23	$2,900
Santa Fe FWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[21]	20 / 25 / 22	$3,050
Santa Fe AWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[22]	19 / 24 / 21	$3,200

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD^[5]	5	4	5	4	14.6%
SUV FWD^[23]	5	4	5	4	15.5%
SUV AWD^[24]	5	4	5	4	15.7%
SUV FWD^[25]	5	4	5	4	15.0%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe with 2.0L 4-cylinder^[26]	235 hp
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe with 2.4L 4-cylinder^[27]	185 hp
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe with 3.3L 6-cylinder^[28]	290 hp

How 2019 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Santa Fe model year. The 2019 is highlighted^[3].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2001	209	4
2002	165	4
2003	308	4
2004	303	3
2005	216	3
2006	106	1
2007	684	7
2008	541	4
2009	358	2
2010	260	2
2011	181	2
2012	354	1
2013	805	7
2014	657	7
2015	339	4
2016	306	3
2017	1,326	7
2018	432	5
2019	229	3
2020	217	2
2021	187	8
2022	265	8
2023	290	2
2024	191	7
2025	238	5
2026	56	4

NHTSA's counts for the Santa Fe show 229 complaints and 3 recalls for 2019^[3]. Among the 27 model years listed, 10 have fewer complaints than 2019 and 16 have more^[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2027 (0) and the most are for 2017 (1,326)^[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2019 Santa Fe?

The record for the 2019 Santa Fe shows 229 owner complaints^[1]. Engine reports lead the list at 85^[2]. Owners also describe issues with power delivery, electrical parts and brakes^[7]^[8]^[9]. These are unverified owner reports, so they show what people raise and not how often a part fails. Read the recalls section on this page and check that any open recall work was done before you buy.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe?: Owners name the engine group most often, with 85 complaints^[2]. Unknown or other parts follow with 53^[6], then the power train with 38^[7].
Does the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe have recalls?: Yes. The by-year fact shows 3 recalls for 2019^[3]. See the Recalls section on this page for the list.
How many complaints are filed for the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe?: NHTSA has 229 owner complaints on file^[1]. They are unverified reports, and one complaint can name several parts.
What is the gas mileage of the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe?: See the fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.
Is the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?: The complaint groups above show where owners report trouble^[1]. Compare years in the by-year section on this page before you decide.

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Hyundai Santa Fe

2005 216 complaints, 3 recalls
2006 106 complaints, 1 recall
2007 684 complaints, 7 recalls
2008 541 complaints, 4 recalls
2009 358 complaints, 2 recalls
2017 1,326 complaints, 7 recalls
2019 this page
2020 217 complaints, 2 recalls

Compare all model years of the Hyundai Santa Fe

Other Hyundai models from 2019

2019 Hyundai Tucson 385 complaints, 1 recall

All Hyundai models

Similar cars from 2019: small suvs

2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 193 complaints, 5 recalls
2019 Ford Edge 772 complaints, 3 recalls
2019 Ford Escape 596 complaints, 3 recalls
2019 Honda Passport 282 complaints, 10 recalls
2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class 47 complaints, 12 recalls
2019 Nissan Pathfinder 76 complaints, 2 recalls

All small suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 229 owner complaints on file for the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe (17 mention a crash, 13 a fire, 10 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
85 complaints name the engine component group (0 crashes, 6 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 35,900). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Hyundai Santa Fe model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Santa Fe FWD, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 22 city / 29 highway / 25 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,700. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV AWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 14.6%. NHTSA vehicle records
53 complaints name the unknown or other component group (6 crashes, 4 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 10,406). NHTSA vehicle records
38 complaints name the power train component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 13,738). NHTSA vehicle records
31 complaints name the electrical system component group (1 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 5,014). NHTSA vehicle records
16 complaints name the brakes component group (2 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 8,306). NHTSA vehicle records
15 complaints name the structure component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
13 complaints name the steering component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 2,000). NHTSA vehicle records
13 complaints name the forward collision avoidance component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 23V181, filed March 17, 2023: Trailer Hitches. NHTSA recall database
Recall 22V056, filed February 3, 2022: Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock / Traction Control / Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit / Module . NHTSA recall database
Recall 18V715, filed October 11, 2018: Air Bags › Side / Window. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Santa Fe XL FWD, 3.3L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 18 city / 25 highway / 21 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,200. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Santa Fe XL Ultimate FWD, 3.3L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 18 city / 23 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Santa Fe XL AWD, 3.3L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 18 city / 24 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Santa Fe XL Ultimate AWD, 3.3L 6-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 22 highway / 19 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,550. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Santa Fe AWD, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic (S8), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 21 city / 27 highway / 23 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,900. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Santa Fe FWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 20 city / 25 highway / 22 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,050. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Santa Fe AWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 19 city / 24 highway / 21 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,200. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 15.5%. NHTSA vehicle records
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV AWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 15.7%. NHTSA vehicle records
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 15.0%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe with 2.0L 4-cylinder: rated 235 hp. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe with 2.4L 4-cylinder: rated 185 hp. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe with 3.3L 6-cylinder: rated 290 hp. www.epa.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe: problems, recalls and fuel economy