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2021 Hyundai Santa FE Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 167 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE, most often about the transmission (31% of complaints, typically around 17,000 miles). It is 20th of 26 Santa FE model years by number of complaints and has 7 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory1 recall for this car came with a park-outside warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2021 Hyundai Santa FE problems
Transmission
51 complaints · 31%Half of these problems showed up before 17,000 miles.
Problem #1 - at least 4 quarts of oil spewed from the oil tank and covered most of the engine for an unknown period time. There were no notifications, alerts, or any other indication concerning the oil tank having 1 or less quart of oil. Ultimately, there are at least three (3) questions that need to be addressed 1.in…
The contact owned a 2021 Hyundai Santa FE. The contact stated received notification of Hyundai recall campaign number: 236, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the 8-speed dual clutch transmissions (DCT) tcu software update was performed. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle shut off…
Other or unspecified
41 complaints · 25%While in drive and stationary, my vehicle has continuously cad connections issues with my mobile phone. I have received the same error message stating 'phone not responding. Please reconnect it and try again.' this has happened while driving through areas I'm unfamiliar with and put myself and others at risk while…
Problem #1 - at least 4 quarts of oil spewed from the oil tank and covered most of the engine for an unknown period time. There were no notifications, alerts, or any other indication concerning the oil tank having 1 or less quart of oil. Ultimately, there are at least three (3) questions that need to be addressed 1.in…
Engine
37 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 28,000 miles.
Problem #1 - at least 4 quarts of oil spewed from the oil tank and covered most of the engine for an unknown period time. There were no notifications, alerts, or any other indication concerning the oil tank having 1 or less quart of oil. Ultimately, there are at least three (3) questions that need to be addressed 1.in…
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa FE. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. The vehicle was not able to restart and was towed to the dealer. The dealer stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred…
Electrical
29 complaints · 17%Parts named most often: horn.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa FE. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary at a traffic light, the vehicle turned off and on intermittently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the key out of the ignition to completely turn off the vehicle. The contact was able to…
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa FE. The contact stated that the horn had become inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was a common failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified…
Driver assistance
18 complaints · 11%Parts named most often: automatic emergency braking, warnings, adaptive cruise control.
The forward collision system is automatically being activated without any car or object near the front of the vehicle. It happened 3 times while on the freeway and highway. The system automatically slams on the brakes, the vehicle swerves a little to left and right due to the sudden application of the brakes, and a…
Visibility and wipers
14 complaints · 8%Parts named most often: sun/moon roof assembly, windshield.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa FE. The contact stated that while her vehicle was parked in her driveway, the rear windshield shattered without incident. The contact also mentioned that repairmen who happened to be on her property at the time of the failure had witnessed the failure occur without incident. The…
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa FE. The contact stated while his wife was driving 60 MPH, she thought a small rock had struck the windshield and made an 8-inch horizontal crack form the driverâs to the passengerâs side windshield. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with…
Fuel system
10 complaints · 6%Speed control
7 complaints · 4%Parts named most often: accelerator pedal.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2021 Hyundai Santa FE recalls
Backup camera: camera
Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed january 14, 2025. Owners may contact hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 271.
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor america (hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 santa fe, santa fe hev, elantra, elantra hev and 2022 elantra n and santa fe phev vehicles. Due to a damaged printed circuit board, the rearview camera image may fail to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 111, "rear visibility."
Equipment: trailer hitches
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Transmission: automatic transmission
Risk: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed january 10, 2023. Owners may contact hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 236.
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor company (hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 santa fe, sonata, veloster n, 2022 santa cruz, elantra n, and kona n vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Visibility and wipers: windshield
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Fuel system: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on september 3, 2021. Owners may contact hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 207.
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor america (hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 santa fe and sonata vehicles equipped with 2.5l turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
Fuel system: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk: An insufficiently tightened fuel pipe may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers inspected and tightened the fuel pipe connection, free of charge. The affected vehicles have been repaired and therefore no owner notification letters will be sent. Owners may contact hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 206.
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor america (hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 santa fe vehicles equipped with 2.5-litre turbo engines. The fuel pipe connecting the high pressure fuel pump to the fuel rail may not have been tightened properly.
Air bags: front passenger
Risk: In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ods module, free of charge. All affected vehicles have been remedied as of may 12, 2021. Owners may contact hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 202.
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor america (hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 santa fe vehicles. The occupant detection system (ods) module may not deactivate the air bag upon detection of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 208, "occupant crash protection."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Loss of motive power
Summary
The national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated july 13, 2022, petitioning the agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain hyundai motor america, inc. And kia america, inc. Vehicles spanning model years (my) 2005-2021. The petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are
Questions about the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE
- What are the most common problems with the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (51 complaints, typically around 17,000 miles); other or unspecified (41 complaints); engine (37 complaints, typically around 28,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE have?
- 7 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from November 21, 2024 (backup camera). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2021 a bad year for the Hyundai Santa FE?
- It is 20th of 26 Santa FE model years by number of complaints, with 167 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.