2025 Hyundai Santa FE: problems, recalls and reliability
5 recalls and 211 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (17% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 16 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Apr 2026
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 211 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“While driving, the chest clip fell apart into multiple little pieces. I was not aware until we were parked at our destination and I went to remove my child from the seat. I am unaware how long he did not have a chest clip for during the duration of the ride. It also broke apart into pieces small enough for my child to choke on. I have reached out to the company.”Owner report · Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness · Sep 2026
“Gas needle not going down took and dropped off at Lee Hyundai of Fayetteville North Carolina 28309 8/15/2026 picked it up 08/17/2026 They claim they drove it six miles but they didn't told it was supposed to be that way sold we filled up when we left the dealer ship drove 78 miles needle still not moving”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Aug 2026
“Auto had a very strong gas smell after arriving at work. Check the engine and underneath the car for leaks but no fluids on the ground or my garage. Smell persisted while out of town and made appointment for inspection. The dealer service man said it was suffering numerous leaks and we're awaiting parts. Latest info was still leaks present and would advise after making certain no leaks persist.”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2026
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“235/60R18 103H While driving the 1year old car, the tire pressure reading in the vehicle began to go down, upon exiting the vehicle it was determined that two holes blew through in the side wall of the tire. Thankfully, this was not as dangerous of a situation as it could’ve been as the car had just come off the highway and was traveling at a lower speed a residential neighborhood. The tire is not available, it was disposed at the place it was replaced at. There were no major tire stores open as it was a Sunday so it replacement tire had to be purchased from a local tire vendor.”Owner report · Tires · Jul 2026
“Vehicle went into limp mode while driving on the freeway and then would not go past 30 MPH even after pulling over and restarting it. At first there were no errors but after a restart the following warning showed up: "Park with engine On to charge battery". Everything worked fine earlier that day.”Owner report · Power Train,Electrical System · Jul 2026
“The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V218000 (Seat Belts) and 25V659000 (Electrical System); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the recall repairs were denied due to a lack of maintenance records with an authorized Hyundai Dealer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”Owner report · Electrical System,Seat Belts · Jun 2026
“After waiting a month (called in june car went in 7/28/26)for an appointment with my dealer for 2 recalls and a broken rear seatbelt the dealership has deemed my vehicle unsafe to drive and has impounded my vehicle for almost a week. They have to replace not only 1 rear seatbelts but ALL rear seatbelts. The original recall is for the front seatbelt.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Jun 2026
“The car went from 70 miles an hour to 25 miles an hour all of a sudden on the highway and then would not allow to accelerate afterwards. Battery stopped charging and we had to stop it multiple times to get it to continue to drive no faults or issue on the dashboard.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control,Engine · Jun 2026
“The middle row left side seat belt does not buckle. We made sure everything is clear in it, it is not dirty. We have had issues with it clicking to lock since we purchased the car last March 2025. It does not work at all now.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Jun 2026
“There is a severe and dangerous lag in acceleration when trying to merge into traffic. Praying the accelerator all the way down often result in the car not responding for a second or two before kicking into gear. This is significant when trying to merge onto a highway or onto a cross street with incoming traffic.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 8 of these complaints and injuries in 8 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 5 campaigns
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Santa Fe vehicles. The B+ positive terminal cover on the starter motor assembly may be improperly installed, which can cause an electrical short during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reinstall the starter motor terminal cover, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning October 22, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 285. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 4, 2025.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The rearview camera may not have been installed properly, which can damage the wiring harness and cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will replace the camera wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning January 15, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 288. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.
Remedy: Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson and Santa Fe vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power and engine damage, possibly resulting in an oil leak.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 281.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, 2023-2026 Genesis G90, 2024-2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, and Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The driver and passenger seat belt anchors may detach.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reinforce or replace the seat belt anchors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 29, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and Genesis customer service at 844-340-9741. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 298 and 032G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov April 8, 2026.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2025 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Santa FE years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact Santa FE by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2025 Hyundai Santa FE reliable?
NHTSA has 211 owner complaints and 5 recall campaigns on record for the 2025 Hyundai Santa FE. The most complained-about area is electrical system (17% of complaints).
Does the 2025 Hyundai Santa FE have open recalls?
5 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.