2020 Hyundai Santa Fe problems, complaints & recalls
FewerRising
NHTSA has received 216 owner complaints about the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe, or 31.8 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.79, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 83 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #51 of 83 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Hyundai models its rate is 41% lower; against other Midsize SUVs it is 39% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2020-01-03 and 2026-10-09. Median delay from incident to filing: 10 days.
216Complaints
31.8Complaints per year on the road
0.79Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
2Recalls · ⚠ 1
10.6%Share involving a crash or fire
73Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2019) drew 29.1 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2021) drew 32.3 per year, about the same. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 31 complaints, 45% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (39.4% of complaints), followed by Body & structure (12.5%) and Unspecified or other (12.0%). Engine complaints are 1.8 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 23 reports (10.6%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 15 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 55 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (46% of incidents). In the last 12 months 73 new complaints were filed, versus 39 in the 12 months before — up 87%.
NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls for this model year, 1 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 1 NHTSA investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Loss of Motive Power” (defect petition, opened 2022-09-12, closed 2023-12-12).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.79
vs. other Hyundai models0.59
vs. other 2020 models0.84
vs. other Midsize SUVs0.61
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (31)0.55
I do not know what caused this. Here is what happened. While parking the car suddenly accelerated, over the curb, on the sidewalk narrowly missing the building because I turned hard right to avoid the building and I was able to brake to a stop glancing off a…
Engine · 2026-10-05 · ODI 11768895 · Crash
I drove my car from for about an hour to my destination. I get to my destination and park and the car starts smoking lightly from under the hood and then increases. I was still sitting in the car when I was told my car was on fire.
Unspecified or other · 2026-09-12 · ODI 11763784 · Fire
The vehicle is experience severe, progressive engine oil consumption, completely depleting its engine oil below the safe operating limit ("Low" mark on the dipstick) every 500 miles.
Engine · 2026-10-09 · ODI 11770071
THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE SAME ISSUE ON THIS MODEL … I HAVE A CLAIM INTO HYUNDAI TO ALLOW MY VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED UNDER THE SAME RECALL. This is a very dangerously problem and wish it to be investigated for the 2.0 Turbo as well.
Fuel system · 2026-10-09 · ODI 11770189
At approximately 42,000 miles, the AC system on my 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe suffered a potential immediate and premature failure, creating a severe driving safety hazard.
Unspecified or other · 2026-09-22 · ODI 11766135
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
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.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Risk: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
DP22003 · defect petition · ENGINE · Opened 2022-09-12 · Closed 2023-12-12 · Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
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 i…
