The Santa Fe is as dependable and hassle-free as you expect a Hyundai to be. But, the farther back you go, the more problems you’re going to find, given that so many Hyundai drivers treat the cars as disposable.
Key Points
- The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe stands as one of the least reliable models available, owing in part to the SUV’s engine problems.
- Models from 2017 have nearly 300 registered NHTSA complaints, including one for total engine failure after just a few years on the road.
- The 2018 Santa Fe offers a great mix of affordability and reliability. The model is also a little roomier than in later years.
- 2019 Santa Fe drivers enjoy slightly improved fuel economy, at 22/29 mpg city/highway, over the 2018’s 21/27.
- Find yourself a best-year Santa Fe, and you’ll likely have a great experience, but land on a worst year, and you may have problems before 100,000 miles.
Worst Years: 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Plagued by Engine Problems, but the Biggest Issue is the SUV’s Age
The Hyundai Santa Fe is a safe, reliable, simple, hassle-free SUV, but many drivers run them right into the ground before reselling. This isn’t to say that the 2012 and 2013 Santa Fe’s were bad models when they came out, but a decade later, the cost of repairs may outweigh what you save buying used.
With the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe, it’s likely the engine that’s going to be the first big repair that’s simply not worth paying for. Out of 431 complaints total, 176 point to the engine. Another 26 are filed under fuel/propulsion system, 40 under power train, and 16 under vehicle speed control.
In a car that’s around 10 years old, that’s to be expected. But it’s worth noting that a number of drivers have reported engine failure at relatively low mileage, around the low six digits, with at least a few engines going out at just over 120,000 miles.
There are no engine recalls for the 2013 Santa Fe, and the SUV will be out of warranty by now. It all comes down to how well previous owners took care of it, but potential engine failure is simply a risk you take when buying a vehicle this old, so you might want to skip this one unless you’re after a project car.
Worst Years: 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe has Six Recalls and 293 Complaints, which is a Lot for a Hyundai
The 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe currently has six recalls and 293 complaints on file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s not a lot, on average, but it is for a Santa Fe.
The 2016 model, for comparison, has two recalls and 90 complaints on the record, and the 2018 Santa Fe has two recalls and just 36 complaints.
119 of the complaints about the 2017 model are filed under engine, making up about a third of the total. These complaints range from oil leaks and motor seizures to total engine failure after just three years.
Hyundai sold over 100,000 Santa Fes in 2017, and there are just over one hundred complaints for the engine on file. This means that the odds of your Santa Fe being affected are around one in a thousand.
At those numbers, you can hardly call the 2017 model a lemon, but, if you can have your pick, you might as well go with one from 2016 or 2018.
Some of the engine issues were addressed with recalls. Bearing wear in 420 units was addressed in September of 2017, hopefully bringing a stop to certain instances of engine stall.
The SUV was also included in a February 2022 recall for 341,285 units at risk of engine compartment fire owing to an ABS unit short-circuit.
Best Years: 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Offers Just About Everything You Get in a New Model, Plus a Few More Inches of Elbow Room
For overall value in a used car, the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe is hard to beat. This may be your best choice if you want to save money on the sale price, and you don’t want to make up the difference with expensive repairs.
Two recalls, zero investigations, and just 36 complaints, with a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The biggest cause for complaint: engine stall, with 13 complaints being filed under engine. With CPO warranties on the car still being valid and rate of incidence being remarkably low, this might not even be worth taking into account.
Best Years: 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Offers Top-notch Safety and Better-than-ever Fuel Economy
The 2019 Santa Fe, like the 2018 model, holds a Top Safety Pick+ award. Also like the 2018 model, the car’s NHTSA file is slim, with just one recall and 72 complaints.
Here’s where the two differ: the 2019 Santa Fe is a little more fuel-efficient, at 22/29 miles to the gallon, city/highway compared to the 2018’s 21/27, and the 2018 is a little roomier, standing roughly one inch bigger in every direction.
These differences are fairly marginal, so it may simply come down to personal preference, or just price and availability. A 2019 SEL starts at around $28,000, while a 2018 2.4L will run you about $25,000.
Few Bad Years Exist for the Hyundai Santa Fe, but for the Best Experience, Opt for a Model from 2018 or 2019
Just about the only way you’re going to have a bad experience buying a Hyundai Santa Fe is if you buy a decade-old model with no warranty and you don’t take the time to kick the tires before you put your down payment in. The 2013 model has some issues under the hood, but its biggest problem is its age.
This is what you’re going to run into when shopping for used Hyundais. When it comes to Toyotas, Hondas, Fords, those brands attract a type of driver who’s going to take extra special care of their vehicle. Hyundais and Kias are often treated by previous owners as, well, disposable.
That doesn’t mean you can’t find a 2013 Hyundai in near-mint condition, it just means you shouldn’t hold your breath. Find more information about the Hyundai Santa Fe’s reliability in our previous article, including how long the SUV is expected to last.
Photos: Hyundai
