Showing the 2019 Santa Fe SEL. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
19–25 mpgcombined; city 17–22, highway 22–29; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,990–$17,100U.S. average; Ohio $11,610–$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 2019 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 227 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 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
82
0
6
0
Unknown or other
53
6
4
2
Power train
37
1
0
1
Electrical system
31
1
2
0
Structure
15
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
13
0
0
0
Service brakes
13
2
1
1
Steering
13
1
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
12
0
1
0
Air bags
7
5
0
5
Vehicle speed control
6
5
0
0
Visibility
5
0
0
0
14 more parts
Visibility/wiper
5
0
0
0
Lane departure
4
0
0
0
Seat belts
4
0
0
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
3
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
2
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
2
0
0
0
Seats
2
0
0
0
Trailer hitches
2
0
1
0
Wheels
2
0
0
0
Firerelated
1
1
1
1
Other/i am not sure
1
0
0
0
Suspension
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
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 2019 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.
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.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
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.
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 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. The Side Curtain Air Bag (SCAB) mounting bolts may interfere with and damage the air bags during deployment.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the air bags become damaged during deployment they may not inflate properly, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the SCAB installation bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 177.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 200 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2019 Santa Fe, the latest on Oct 8, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (67), engine (40), engine and engine cooling (39), equipment (39), power train (23).
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 2019 Santa Fe.
See used 2019 Hyundai Santa Fes for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 3–5 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
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
22 / 29 / 25
Santa Fe All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 27 / 23
Santa Fe Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 25 / 22
Santa Fe All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 24 / 21
Santa Fe XL Front-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 25 / 21
Santa Fe XL All-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Santa Fe XL Ultimate Front-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 23 / 20
Santa Fe XL 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