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2016 Hyundai Santa Fe

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

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Safety
not rated
Recalls
3
on record
MPG
combined

Open recalls on record

3 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Vehicle Summary

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe

3 recalls
235 complaints

Before You Buy

Confirm all 3 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 6 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 235 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
3
Owner complaints
235
Complaints citing a crash
6

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

3 Recalls on Record

1 of these is high-severity. Contact a dealer to verify these have been completed.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

3 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 17V358000high

    Latches/locks/linkages · hood · latch

    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH

    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.

    Consequence

    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.

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 16V145000high

    Lighting issue

    SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES

    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 (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

    Consequence

    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.

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 22V056000high

    Brake system issue

    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

    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.

    Consequence

    An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NHTSA holds no crash-test rating for this model year.

Not every model year is tested. A missing rating is not a poor rating.

Fuel economy & emissions

The EPA holds no fuel-economy record for this model year.

The EPA does not publish a record for every model year.

Consumer complaints

235 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

235
Total
6
Crashes
2
Fires
6
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE159
  • OTHER20
  • BRAKES17
  • AIR BAGS9
  • SEAT BELTS6

Notable Issues

235 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 6 reports involve injuries. 6 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)159
miscellaneous issues20
brake problems (soft pedal, noise, failure)17

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe, newest first.

  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  2. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation AQ23002

    Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires

  3. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP21003

    Throttle control system vulnerabilities

  4. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  5. Recall

    Recall 22V056000

    An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

  6. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP21003

    Throttle control system vulnerabilities

  7. Recall

    Recall 17V358000

    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.

  8. Recall

    Recall 16V145000

    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.

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Unknown
Drive type
Unknown
Engine
0L 0-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Unknown
Seats
0

Explore related

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  2. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation AQ23002

    Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires

  3. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP21003

    Throttle control system vulnerabilities

  4. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  5. Recall

    Recall 22V056000

    An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.