YearToAvoid

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Avoid The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe has a complaint index of 75, ranking 6th worst among 21 model years, and carries an Avoid verdict. It has 133 complaints, 5 recalls, and its leading problem area is the electrical system at 21% of complaints.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
75/100
#6 of 21 Santa Fe years
Verdict
Avoid
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
133
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
5
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
5
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
4
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
2011
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
23
20 city / 28 hwy
Injuries / deaths
4 / 0

Top 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Other29 (22%)
  2. Electrical System28 (21%)
  3. Collision Avoidance & Cameras21 (16%)
  4. Suspension, Wheels & Tires21 (16%)
  5. Transmission & Powertrain21 (16%)
  6. Engine20 (15%)
  7. Visibility & Wipers13 (10%)
  8. Structure & Body9 (7%)
  9. Seat Belts8 (6%)
  10. Lane Departure6 (5%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Rearview camera can fail or show a blank image due to a wiring harness installed incorrectly under the rearview camera recall, leading to loss of rear visibility while driving.
  • Driver attention monitoring falsely flags drivers as distracted when wearing sunglasses, disabling smart cruise control and, in some cases, triggering unwanted automatic braking.
  • Seat belts have detached or become inoperable after low-speed rear-end collisions, with airbags failing to deploy in some of those same crashes.
  • The vehicle sometimes fails to recognize it has been shifted into Park, producing a continuous beeping alert and a dash message telling the driver to shift to Park or Neutral even though Park is already selected.
  • Airbags did not deploy in at least one collision with an animal, despite the vehicle coming to a stop after impact.
2025 Hyundai Santa Fe complaints: complaints filed per month18Dec 2024Mar 2025Jul 2025Oct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026
133 complaints filed with NHTSA from Dec 2024 to Sep 2026; peak Apr 2026 (18).

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 26V218000Apr 6, 2026Seat Belts294,448 vehicles

    Seat belts:front:anchorage

    Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, 2023-2026 Genesis G90, 2024-2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, and Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The driver and passenger seat belt anchors may detach.

    Risk: A detached seat belt anchor will not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reinforce or replace the seat belt anchors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 29, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and Genesis customer service at 844-340-9741. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 298 and 032G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov April 8, 2026.

  2. NHTSA 25V809000Nov 20, 2025Airbags258 vehicles

    Air bags:side/window:curtain

    Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.

    Risk: Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.

  3. NHTSA 25V808000Nov 20, 2025Collision Avoidance & Cameras143,472 vehicles

    Back over prevention:display function

    Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The rearview camera may not have been installed properly, which can damage the wiring harness and cause the rearview camera image not to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

    Risk: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the camera wiring harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning January 15, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 288. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.

See all 5 recalls for the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe →

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe fuel economy and fuel cost

City
20 MPG
Highway
28 MPG
Combined
23 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2025 compared with other Santa Fe years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2023Avoid90210125
2024Caution65150723
2025Avoid75133523

All Hyundai Santa Fe years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
Compared with other Santa Fe model years, 2025 ranks 6th worst out of 21 years tracked, with a complaint index of 75 and an Avoid verdict based on NHTSA complaints and recalls.
What problems does the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe have?
NHTSA complaints point mostly to the electrical system (21% of complaints), collision avoidance and camera issues (16%), suspension (16%), and transmission/powertrain (16%). The median mileage at failure across the model year is 10,024 miles.
Does the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2025 Santa Fe covering seat belt anchors, improperly installed side curtain airbags, a rearview camera wiring harness, a starter motor terminal cover short risk, and improperly tightened engine connecting rod bolts.
How does the 2025 Santa Fe compare to other years?
Its complaint index of 75 is worse than most other Santa Fe years except 2017 (100), 2009 (95), 2023 (90), 2013 (80), and 2007 (85), placing it 6th worst overall.
What is the fuel economy of the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe?
EPA rates the 2025 Santa Fe at 23 mpg combined (20 city / 28 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,800.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.