Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine8
- Power train7
- Unknown or other5
- Fuel/propulsion system4
- Electrical system3
- Seat belts2
- Vehicle speed control1
- Air bags1
- Lane departure1
- Engine and engine cooling1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 2 variants; 2 of 2 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | 14.7 % |
| 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | 15.5 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 1 variant: combined 7.4 L/100 km (about 32 mpg US), CO₂ 176 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe Hybrid · Sport utility vehicle: Small · Regular gasoline | 7.1 | 7.9 | 7.4 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV vehicles. Due to a damaged printed circuit board, the rearview camera image may fail to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
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.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023 Genesis G80 Electric, 2021-2022 Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Hyundai told its dealers about the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10253275 | This TSB provides a procedure to diagnose and replace, if necessary, an automatic transmission with Incorrect Ratio DTC (transmission clutch slip in gear above limit) listed on Page 2. |
| 10251285 | This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and rail spring becoming partially separated on the inner side of the wiper blade, which could lead to poor wiping performance and/or possible scratching of the windshield glass. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to properly remove the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all new wiper blades. |
| 10247189 | This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services. |
| 10245580 | This TSB provides information to diagnose the push button shifter operation. |
| 10243329 | If you are servicing an 8-speed front-wheel-drive vehicle equipped with automatic transaxle with one or more of the DTC or symptoms listed below, refer to the Service Procedure to diagnose the condition. DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES: P070500 - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P070512 - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P070514 - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P07051C - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P070600 - Transmission range sensor circuit range/performance P070661 - Transmission range sensor circuit range/performance P07069 |
| 10241887 | The Shift-By-Wire (SBW) buttons have been made available as separate service parts for the SBW lever. If replacement of the SBW button is required due to one or more button plating peeling, replace the button(s) with a new one. Do not replace the complete SBW lever. |
| 10240088 | This bulletin provides information related to the cleaning of the cooling system and coolant change to address the following problem: Refill Inverter Coolant warning light displayed on the cluster No DTCs present Normal level of coolant in Inverter Reservoir Tank Measured EWP Speed > 2,800 RPM The cause of the warning light is due to increased EWP Speed due to poor flow of coolant inside the cooling circuit. The coolant in the system will be discharged and any foreign substances in the circuit will be flushed out with new coolant added in the end. A new reservoir cap label will be add |
| 10240087 | This Service Information bulletin provides information on how to update the Apple Carplay software from Hyundais Navigation Updates page. The current version of Google Maps has 10 times the data transmission compared to the previous version. As a countermeasure, an update with a frame skip logic has been added to resolve the data congestion with Google Maps. |
| 10240084 | If you are servicing an 8-speed front-wheel-drive vehicle equipped with automatic transaxle with one or more of the DTC or symptoms listed below, refer to the Service Procedure to diagnose the condition. |
| 10238350 | This bulletin provides information related to the cleaning of the cooling system and coolant change to address the following problem: Refill Inverter Coolant warning light displayed on the cluster No DTCs present Normal level of coolant in Inverter Reservoir Tank Measured EWP Speed > 2,800 RPM The cause of the warning light is due to increased EWP Speed due to poor flow of coolant inside the cooling circuit. The coolant in the system will be discharged and any foreign substances in the circuit will be flushed out with new coolant added in the end. A new reservoir cap label will be add |
| 10235566 | Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare cases, the paint can become clouded under the PPF. These spots are the result of moisture trapped between the PPF and the paint. |
| 10235557 | This bulletin provides information related to the Engine Control Module (ECM) software update for Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid (TM PHEV) and Santa Fe Hybrid (TM HEV) vehicles to improve the following DTC and symptoms: |
| 10235353 | This bulletin provides information related to the HCU software upgrade to resolve the following symptoms: Possibility that the engine cannot run due to poor immobilizer function (although driving with electric motor is possible) HCU function setting error |
| 10232200 | This bulletin provides information related to the Engine Control Module (ECM) software update for Santa Fe Hybrid (TM HEV) / Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid (TM PHEV) vehicles to revise the following DTC logic: P1441(PCSV rear and hose missing) P1A77(HSG Belt slip) P00B7(Excessive ITM motor operating current) P2118 (ETC target position failure) P0401 (EGR gas flow insufficient) P0236 (Turbocharger boost sensor range abnormal) P0299 (Turbocharger boost pressure too low) |
| 10230909 | This bulletin describes the procedure to diagnose and repair tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) DTC(s) on some 19MY and newer Santa Fe (TMA), 2021MY and newer Santa Fe Hybrid (TM HEV), 2022MY and newer Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid (TM PHEV), and 2019MY and newer Palisade (LX2) vehicles equipped with surround view monitoring (SVM) system. |
| 10230904 | This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes or during normal driving operation. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation