Reliable Auto DB

2020 Hyundai Santa Fe reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 213 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe over 7 years — 18 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Santa Fe years here — under the median of the other years, which is 33. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Trailer hitch and Windshield.

2012 Hyundai Santa Fe
Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

213

Per year

18

Recalls

2

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (78 of 213), then Powertrain (26) and Electrical system (25). Those filings include 13 that report a crash, 9 that report a fire, and 12 that report an injury.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 Santa Fe has 200 complaints, 23 per year, and the 2021 has 166 complaints, 32 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall trailer hitch 2023-03-17 · NHTSA campaign 23V181000
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.
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.
Recall visibility, windshield 2021-12-28 · NHTSA campaign 21V00M000
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.
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.

Complaints by component (213 total)

Engine
78
Powertrain
26
Electrical system
25
Forward collision avoidance
14
Visibility
14
Fuel and propulsion system
12
Lane departure
8
Service brakes
8
Structure
8
Air bags
7
Engine and engine cooling
7
Steering
6
Speed control
5
Visibility and wipers
5
Tires
4
Wheels
4
Exterior lighting
3
Fuel system, gasoline
3
Seat belts
3
Back-over prevention
2
Hydraulic brakes
2
Trailer hitch
2
Chest clip, buckle, and harness
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Suspension
1
Show 17 more Show less
Crash-flagged

13

Fire-flagged

9

Injury reports

12

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

132020182021242022372023172024512025532026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "At times the engine will freeze up, stall the car while driving, or the car will altogether turn off when at a stop sign or light, while the car is still on. I've had the oil changed before the mileage indicated expired…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-23
  • "Codes P0172 and P016B. Oil has fuel in it due to high pressure fuel pump leaking. Possible premature engine failure or fire. This is a 2020 santa fe limited 2.0T."
    Engine · filed 2026-09-23
  • "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. The AC expansion valve began actively leaking…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-22
  • "The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and failed to properly accelerate, with the check engine warning light illuminated…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-09-17
  • "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…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-12

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Santa Fe all-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 21 27 24 MPG $2700
Santa Fe all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 20 26 22 MPG $2950
Santa Fe front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 20 27 23 MPG $2800
Santa Fe front-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 29 25 MPG $2600

Specs and fitment

4th generation (TM), 2019–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (2.5L and turbo 2.5L where equipped) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 235/65R17 to 255/45R20 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 5,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 21V524000. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe and Sonata vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail. A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire. Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 207.

Compare

Previous year 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Next year 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe See every Hyundai Santa Fe model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?

Owners have filed 213 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe over 7 years — 18 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Santa Fe years here — under the median of the other years, which is 33. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Trailer hitch and Windshield.

What are common problems with a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (78 of 213), then Powertrain (26) and Electrical system (25). Those filings include 13 that report a crash, 9 that report a fire, and 12 that report an injury.

Is the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 Santa Fe has 200 complaints, 23 per year, and the 2021 has 166 complaints, 32 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe been recalled?

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe?

Owners have filed 213 complaints about the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe is 23.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Santa Fe take?

5W-20 or 5W-30 (2.4L and 3.3L V6 per manual)

What does NHTSA recall 17V-358 cover on the Hyundai Santa Fe?

NHTSA campaign 17V358000.

What generation is the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe?

3rd generation (DM) (2012-2018).