Kia Telluride vs Hyundai Santa Fe: Which Years to Avoid
Kia Telluride owners should avoid 2020 and 2021, while Santa Fe owners should avoid 2007, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2023, and 2025. Telluride averages 331 complaints per model year across 6 years versus Santa Fe's 316 per year across 21 years, though totals aren't sales-normalized.
Head to head
Kia Telluride
- Model years
- 2020–2025 (6)
- NHTSA complaints
- 1,987
- Per model year
- 331
- Recall campaigns
- 17
- Years to avoid
- 2020, 2021
- Best years
- 2025
- Top problem area
- Electrical System
- Avg. EPA combined MPG
- 21.7
- Avg. NHTSA overall rating
- 5.0 ★
Hyundai Santa Fe
- Model years
- 2005–2025 (21)
- NHTSA complaints
- 6,630
- Per model year
- 316
- Recall campaigns
- 41
- Years to avoid
- 2007, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2023, 2025
- Best years
- 2011
- Top problem area
- Engine
- Avg. EPA combined MPG
- 21.3
- Avg. NHTSA overall rating
- 4.6 ★
Year by year
Complaint Index is relative within each model (0 = that model’s best year, 100 = its worst). Complaints and recalls are raw counts.
| Year | Telluride | Santa Fe | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | MPG | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | MPG | |
| 2005 | — | — | — | — | Good | 216 | 3 | 18.5 |
| 2006 | — | — | — | — | Good | 106 | 1 | 18.5 |
| 2007 | — | — | — | — | Avoid | 683 | 7 | 19 |
| 2008 | — | — | — | — | Caution | 541 | 4 | 19.5 |
| 2009 | — | — | — | — | Avoid | 358 | 2 | 19.5 |
| 2010 | — | — | — | — | Good | 258 | 2 | 23 |
| 2011 | — | — | — | — | Best | 181 | 2 | 22 |
| 2012 | — | — | — | — | Caution | 353 | 1 | 22 |
| 2013 | — | — | — | — | Avoid | 605 | 3 | 20.5 |
| 2014 | — | — | — | — | Caution | 493 | 3 | 20 |
| 2015 | — | — | — | — | Caution | 254 | 2 | 20 |
| 2016 | — | — | — | — | Caution | 236 | 3 | 20 |
| 2017 | — | — | — | — | Avoid | 966 | 6 | 20 |
| 2018 | — | — | — | — | Caution | 109 | 2 | 20 |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | Caution | 200 | 2 | 21 |
| 2020 | Avoid | 761 | 7 | 22 | Caution | 213 | 2 | 23.5 |
| 2021 | Avoid | 365 | 5 | 22 | Caution | 166 | 7 | 24.5 |
| 2022 | Caution | 324 | 7 | 22 | Caution | 199 | 5 | 25 |
| 2023 | Caution | 207 | 6 | 22 | Avoid | 210 | 1 | 25 |
| 2024 | Caution | 217 | 5 | 21 | Caution | 150 | 7 | 23 |
| 2025 | Best | 113 | 3 | 21 | Avoid | 133 | 5 | 23 |
Complaint Index by year
Kia Telluride
Hyundai Santa Fe
Frequently asked questions
- Which years should I avoid for the Kia Telluride?
- NHTSA data flags 2020 and 2021 as Avoid years for the Telluride. The 2020 model has a complaint index of 100 and 7 recalls, the highest in the lineup, while 2025 is the Best year with an index of 20.
- Which years should I avoid for the Hyundai Santa Fe?
- NHTSA data flags 2007, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2023, and 2025 as Avoid years. The 2017 Santa Fe has the highest complaint index at 100 with 966 complaints and 6 recalls; 2011 is the Best year with an index of 15.
- How do total complaints compare between the two models?
- The Telluride has 1,987 total complaints across 6 model years (331 per year), while the Santa Fe has 6,630 total complaints across 21 model years (316 per year). NHTSA does not publish sales figures, so these totals are not adjusted for how many of each were sold.
- Which has more recalls, the Telluride or Santa Fe?
- The Santa Fe has 41 total recall campaigns across its 21 model years, compared to 17 for the Telluride across 6 years. Several Santa Fe years, including 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022, had their verdict capped to Caution due to Do Not Drive or Park Outside recalls.
- Which gets better fuel economy?
- The Telluride averages 21.7 mpg combined across its years, slightly ahead of the Santa Fe's 21.3 mpg combined average. Individual Santa Fe years vary more, from 18.5 mpg combined in 2005-2006 to 25 mpg combined in 2022-2023.