InsightArise CarsU.S. Owner Complaint Index
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Hyundai Santa Fe Transmission / powertrain problems

1.02 vs. all vehicles Rising

233 of the 1,968 complaints about the Hyundai Santa Fe (11.8%) concern Transmission / powertrain, making it the model's third-largest problem area. That share is 1.0× the Transmission / powertrain share across all tracked vehicles.

233Complaints · Transmission / powertrain
11.8%Share of complaints
1.02×vs. all vehicles
69Last 12 months
4.7%Share involving a crash or fire
2Related recalls

Analysis

By model year, Transmission / powertrain complaints peak with the 2022 model (59, 23% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2020 model (9). 69 Transmission / powertrain complaints were filed in the last 12 months versus 52 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.

Owners most often describe: “transmission”, “accelerate”, “dct”, “power” and “train”. 11 of these reports (4.7%) describe a crash or fire, with 8 injuries and 0 deaths mentioned.

2 recall campaigns relate to this area, most recently campaign 24V529000 (2024-07-12, model years 2024).

By model year

2018: 11 11 2018 2019: 16 16 2019 2020: 9 9 2020 2021: 40 40 2021 2022: 59 59 2022 2023: 41 41 2023 2024: 38 38 2024 2025: 19 19 2025
YearComplaintsShare of complaints
2018112.6%
2019167.3%
202094.4%
20214021.6%
20225922.6%
20234114.5%
20243821.7%
2025199.0%

When complaints were filed

2018: 4 4 2018 2019: 3 3 2019 2020: 2 2 2020 2021: 5 5 2021 2022: 24 24 2022 2023: 46 46 2023 2024: 51 51 2024 2025: 41 41 2025 2026: 57 57 2026

Last 12 months: 69 · Previous 12 months: 52

Common terms in reports

  • transmission109
  • accelerate50
  • dct15
  • power74
  • train25
  • dual-clutch9

What owners report

Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.

Related recalls

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE Campaign 24V529000 · 2024-07-12 · Model years: 2024

Summary: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Santa Fe vehicles. A software error in the transmission control unit may result in a vehicle roll away when the vehicle is in PARK.

Remedy: Owners are advised to use the emergency parking brake after parking their vehicles. Hyundai will release an over-the-air (OTA) software update for the transmission control unit. In addition, dealers will inspect and replace the dual clutch transmission, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning August 26, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 263.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Campaign 22V746000 · 2022-10-06 · Model years: 2021, 2022

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.

Remedy: 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.

Problem areas · Hyundai Santa Fe

Hyundai Santa Fe problems, complaints & recalls by model year ›

Related reading

Frequently asked questions

How common are Transmission / powertrain problems on the Hyundai Santa Fe?

233 of the 1,968 complaints about the Hyundai Santa Fe (11.8%) concern Transmission / powertrain, making it the model's third-largest problem area. That share is 1.0× the Transmission / powertrain share across all tracked vehicles.

Which Hyundai Santa Fe model years have the most Transmission / powertrain complaints?

By model year, Transmission / powertrain complaints peak with the 2022 model (59, 23% of that year's complaints) and are lowest for the 2020 model (9).

Is there a recall for Hyundai Santa Fe Transmission / powertrain problems?

2 recall campaigns relate to this area, most recently campaign 24V529000 (2024-07-12, model years 2024).