Showing the 2023 Santa Fe SE. 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 18, 2026.
About every 2023 Santa Fe
The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe has 290 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, with transmission and drivetrain the part named most often at 62. It is rated 24 to 34 mpg combined on gasoline, with a 5-year fuel cost of $9,550 to $13,530 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 5 overall stars. The car has 2 recall campaigns that may apply, covering trailer hitch and seat belts.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
24–34 mpgcombined; city 21–36, highway 25–32; every version of this model year; plug-in hybrid versions on gasoline, 76 MPGe on electricity
Five years of fuel
$9,550–$13,530U.S. average; Ohio $8,540–$12,090 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. Plug-in hybrid versions: $10,250, EPA's own estimate for plug-in hybrids: its national gasoline and electricity prices and the share of miles it expects on electricity; not priced for any state
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2023 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 290 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 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
Unknown or other
75
4
2
5
Power train
62
3
0
3
Engine
61
1
1
0
Electrical system
55
1
1
0
Forward collision avoidance
50
6
1
4
Service brakes
28
1
0
4
Fuel/propulsion system
27
1
1
2
Vehicle speed control
24
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
13
1
0
0
Lane departure
9
0
0
0
Structure
9
1
0
0
Visibility
6
0
0
0
17 more parts
Back over prevention
5
2
0
3
Exterior lighting
5
1
0
0
Steering
5
0
0
0
Wheels
5
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
4
0
0
0
Air bags
3
3
1
2
Seat belts
3
1
0
1
Suspension
2
1
0
0
Tires
2
0
0
0
Trailer hitches
2
0
0
0
Carry handle, shell, base
1
0
0
0
Chest clip, buckle, harness
1
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Seats
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, air
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
What the columns count
Complaints: complaints that name that part. One complaint can name several parts, so the rows overlap and don't add up to the total.
Crashes and Fires: complaints that report one. Two owners can file about the same event, and NHTSA doesn't link them, so these count reports, not events.
Injuries: the number of people the complaints say were injured.
None of these columns shows that a part caused a crash, fire or injury: they're what owners reported, unverified.
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 2 recall campaigns for the 2023 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.
Trailer hitches
NHTSA campaign 23V181000 · reported Mar 17, 2023 · 584,784 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Park outside
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 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.
NHTSA campaign 22V816000 · reported Oct 31, 2022 · 14,933 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioners with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 14, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 238/011G. This recall is an expansion of recall numbers 22V-354 and 22V-458.
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.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 71 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2023 Santa Fe, the latest on Oct 9, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (18), power train (18), unknown or other (13), engine (10), engine and engine cooling (9).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
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 2023 Santa Fe.
See used 2023 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: 5–10 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
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 28 / 26
Santa Fe Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S8)
Regular Gasoline
22 / 28 / 25
Santa Fe All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
22 / 25 / 24
Santa Fe All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S8)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 28 / 24
Santa Fe Hybrid All-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline
33 / 30 / 32
Santa Fe Hybrid Blue All-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline
36 / 31 / 34
Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid All-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline or Electricity 31 miles on electricity, 440 miles in all
33 / 32 / 33 on gasoline 76 MPGe on electricity
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 18, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 18, 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