Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe runs on gasoline. Owners complain about the engine most, with 194 of 306 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. It gets 19 to 23 mpg combined, with a 5-year fuel cost of $14,120 to $17,100 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 5 stars overall. There are 3 recall campaigns, covering brakes, door latches and locks, and seat belts.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
19–23 mpgcombined; city 17–20, highway 22–27; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,120–$17,100U.S. average; Ohio $12,620–$15,280 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2016 Santa Fe. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 306 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Santa Fe. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
194
2
12
1
Unknown or other
39
0
3
2
Power train
24
0
0
1
Electrical system
18
0
3
1
Air bags
13
5
0
3
Fuel/propulsion system
12
0
2
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
12
0
0
0
Service brakes
11
0
1
0
Seat belts
9
2
1
4
Structure
8
1
1
0
Engine and engine cooling
7
0
1
0
Vehicle speed control
5
0
0
0
12 more parts
Steering
4
0
0
0
Suspension
4
1
0
1
Wheels
4
1
0
1
Back over prevention
3
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
3
0
1
0
Seats
3
1
0
1
Visibility/wiper
3
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
2
0
0
0
Lane departure
2
0
0
0
Visibility
2
0
0
0
Equipment
1
1
0
2
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2016 Santa Fe over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 218.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Risk: If the hood is not securely closed or the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary latch cable, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for the recall is 163.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015 to February 12, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses may be damaged by the seat's height adjuster mechanism, resulting in a failure to provide an audible warning when front seat occupants do not fasten their seat belts. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: Without a warning to remind the front seat occupants that their seat belts are not buckled, they may forget to buckle their seat belt, increasing their risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and reroute the wires in the front seat belt buckle harnesses to their proper locations, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 141.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 169 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2016 Santa Fe, the latest on Oct 8, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (55), equipment (41), engine and engine cooling (32), engine (30), power train (21).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Audit query AQ23002 Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires · covers 3 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2016 Santa Fe.
See used 2016 Hyundai Santa Fes for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax
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Specs
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4–5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Santa Fe Front-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 25 / 21
Santa Fe All-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Santa Fe Sport Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 27 / 23
Santa Fe Sport Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 26 / 22
Santa Fe Sport All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 25 / 21
Santa Fe Sport All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Santa Fe Sport Ultimate Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 26 / 22
Santa Fe Ultimate Front-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
17 / 23 / 20
Santa Fe Ultimate All-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
17 / 22 / 19
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data