3rd generation (DM/NC) — 'Santa Fe Sport' SWB and long-wheelbase 'Santa Fe' / 'Santa Fe XL' · DM (SWB) / NC (LWB) · 3,504 complaints, 1,459 with mileage
Owners filed 3,504 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013–2018 Hyundai Santa Fe, and 1,459 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
This generation has two distinct failure patterns rather than one, which is the most useful thing on this page. 30% of failures occur before 12,000 miles, which looks like a manufacturing defect, and a further 19% occur after 100,000, which looks like wear. Two different problems share one name in the complaint data — and an average of the two describes neither.
The most-reported areas are the engine (44.0% of complaints, typically around 78,000 miles), the transmission and driveline (8.4% of complaints, typically around 12,000 miles), problems owners could not categorise (7.0% of complaints, typically around 38,000 miles).
10 recall campaigns cover this generation.
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1,541 | 44.0% | 78,000 | 35,000–108,818 |
| Power Train | 295 | 8.4% | 12,000 | 1,000–60,000 |
| Unknown Or Other | 246 | 7.0% | 38,000 | 11,000–77,800 |
| Electrical System | 207 | 5.9% | 43,000 | 10,000–79,500 |
| Steering | 192 | 5.5% | 13,200 | 600–58,000 |
| Service Brakes | 147 | 4.2% | 59,250 | 28,091–95,000 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 142 | 4.1% | 30,700 | 9,000–59,200 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 117 | 3.3% | 12,000 | 2,500–41,000 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 94 | 2.7% | 107,500 | 75,000–126,000 |
| Structure | 67 | 1.9% | 35,750 | 21,400–68,000 |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 806 | 476 |
| 2014 | 680 | 351 |
| 2015 | 332 | 121 |
| 2016 | 288 | 83 |
| 2017 | 1,255 | 381 |
| 2018 | 143 | 47 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 43,174 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 44.0% of complaints (1,541 reports, 439 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 78,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 35,000 and 108,818 miles.
A single system taking 44.0% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 8.4% of complaints (295 reports, 146 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 12,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,000 and 60,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 7.0% of complaints (246 reports, 73 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 38,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 11,000 and 77,800 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 5.9% of complaints (207 reports, 97 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 43,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 10,000 and 79,500 miles.
The steering accounts for 5.5% of complaints (192 reports, 145 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 13,200 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 600 and 58,000 miles.
The brakes account for 4.2% of complaints (147 reports, 46 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 59,250 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 28,091 and 95,000 miles.
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2017 model year drew the most — 1,255 complaints — while 2018 drew the fewest at 143. The median year sits at 506.
That makes 2017 an outlier: roughly 2.5 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
NHTSA records 10 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the hydraulic brake circuit (2), the tyres (2), the steering (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Of the 3,504 complaints filed against this generation, 103 reported a crash; 177 reported a fire; 117 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 2.9% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, the two-peak pattern is the useful part. The early cluster — 30% of failures below 12,000 miles — will already have happened on any example you are looking at today, and either been repaired under warranty or not. Ask what was done. The late cluster, 18% above 100,000 miles, is the one still ahead of you if the car has lower mileage than that.
On inspection, the engine and the transmission and driveline are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The transmission and driveline in particular shows a median failure mileage of 12,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Machining debris left in the crankshaft oil passages during manufacturing restricts oil flow to the connecting rod bearings; the bearings wear, the engine develops a knock, then seizes — producing stalling while driving and, in some cases, engine compartment fires. Remedies included engine inspection/replacement and installation of the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, which detects the onset of bearing wear and puts the vehicle into limp mode. NHTSA campaign 17V-226 covered MY2013-2014 Santa Fe Sport, with later expansions.
The anti-lock brake control module can suffer an internal electrical short, causing an engine compartment fire whether the vehicle is parked or driving. Owners were told to park outside and away from structures pending repair. One campaign covered 151,205 Santa Fe Sports built 17 June 2013 to 13 May 2015; a later separate campaign covered roughly 44,000 MY2018 Santa Fe Sports. Remedies involved module inspection plus multi-fuse installation.
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 23V651000 | 2024-04-10 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module |
| 22V056000 | 2022-05-31 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module |
| 18V118000 | 2018-03-26 | Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar |
| 17V578000 | 2017-11-06 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine |
| 17V358000 | 2017-08-04 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch |
| 17V142000 | 2017-03-21 | Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems |
| 16V842000 | 2017-01-13 | Trailer Hitches |
| 16V145000 | 2016-04-27 | Seat Belts:Front:Warning Light/Devices |
| 13V624000 | 2013-12-16 | Tires:Sidewall |
| 13V355000 | 2013-09-19 | Power Train:Axle Assembly:Axle Shaft |