Model year guide

2026 Hyundai Santa FE

Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2026 Hyundai Santa FE is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 1 on record.

2026 Hyundai Santa FE — representative photo
Representative photo

2026 Hyundai Santa FE at a glance

Safety recalls4
Owner complaints37
Combined21–36 mpg

Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.

2026 Hyundai Santa FE recalls 4

Seat Belts:front:anchorage NHTSA Campaign #26V218000 · manufacturer #298-032G · 06/04/2026

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, 2023-2026 Genesis G90, 2024-2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, and Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The driver and passenger seat belt anchors may detach.

Fix: Dealers will inspect and reinforce or replace the seat belt anchors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 29, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and Genesis customer service at 844-340-9741. Hyundai's numbers for this re…

Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel NHTSA Campaign #26V047000 · manufacturer #293 · 26/01/2026

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS…

Fix: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 293. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN…

Air Bags:side/window:curtain NHTSA Campaign #25V809000 · manufacturer #289 (H); 029G (G) · 20/11/2025

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.

Fix: Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in …

Engine And Engine Cooling:critical Fasteners NHTSA Campaign #25V549000 · manufacturer #281 · 25/08/2025

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson and Santa Fe vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power and engine damage, possibly resulting in an oil leak.

Fix: Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 281.

Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.

2026 Hyundai Santa FE common problems

The most-reported problem areas across all 37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Electrical System
Test every electrical feature: windows, locks, infotainment, charging and all lights. Watch for flickering, dead accessories or warning lights.
Seats
Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.
Forward Collision Avoidance
Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.
Tires
Check tread depth, the DOT age date, and that all four tires match with even wear. Look for bulges or cracks.
Power Train
Drive through every gear: watch for slipping, hard or delayed shifts, and shudder. Check for transmission/driveline leaks and noises.
Vehicle Speed Control
Test cruise control and throttle response, and watch for any hesitation or unintended acceleration.

2026 Hyundai Santa FE MPG & running costs

Combined21–36 mpg
City26 mpg
Highway30 mpg
Est. annual fuel cost$2,540
EPA size classSmall Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
TransmissionAutomatic (AM-S6) or Automatic (S8)
Forced inductionTurbocharged
Engine start-stopYes
5-yr fuel cost vs average new car$700 more

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov. The EPA lists 5 versions of this model year; combined is shown as a range and the other figures are averages.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2026 Hyundai Santa FE costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$12,700
Fuel only$12,700
Per mile$0.17

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

Dimensions & weight

Length
190.2 in
Width
74.8 in
Height
67.7 in
Wheelbase
110.6 in
Curb weight
4,442 lb
Front track
64.6 in
Rear track
64.6 in

Manufacturer-reported figures for the 2026 Hyundai Santa FE. Source: Transport Canada vehicle specifications via NHTSA.

Investigations & service bulletins

Manufacturer service bulletins 12

Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered. Showing the 10 most recent of 12.

Some Hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (PDW) sensor(s) that may trigger various DTCs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the PDW sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple f…

Bulletin 26-GI-004H · Back Over Prevention · Oct 2026

Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. All internal combustion engines consum…

Bulletin 26-EM-016H TSB · Engine · Oct 2026

Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. All internal combustion engines consume engi…

Bulletin 26-EM-015H TSB · Engine · Oct 2026

Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Fe Hybrid (MX5A HEV) vehicles may exhibit a 12-volt battery drain due to the passive entry feature of the Digital Key 2 premium causing repeated wakeup of the vehicle. This bulletin provides instructions to perform software updat…

Bulletin 26-BE-026H TSB · Electrical System · Aug 2026

Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Fe Hybrid (MX5A HEV) vehicles equipped with power seats with or without Integrated Memory System (IMS) may produce buzz, squeak, rattle noises when the driver’s front seat is adjusted forward or backwards due to friction within t…

Bulletin 26-BE-015H TSB · Seats · Jun 2026

Some Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Cruz (NXT) vehicles may exhibit a low idle or excessive vibration while in Drive or Reverse, or DTC P050600 (Idle Air Control System – RPM Lower than Expected) caused by the one-way clutch sprags being misaligned. This bulletin p…

Bulletin 26-AT-003H TSB · Power Train · May 2026

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not suppl…

Bulletin DTN DL · Air Bags · Apr 2026

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been iden…

Bulletin DTN DCS · Air Bags · Apr 2026

Some vehicles may exhibit a loss of connectivity or interruptions in the middle of using Bluelink functions. This may be due to an occasional disconnection on Verizon’s communication network. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to verify Bluelink Data Commu…

Bulletin 26-01-035H TSB · Electrical System · Apr 2026

Certain Santa Fe (MX5A) and Santa Fe Hybrid (MX5A HEV) vehicles may experience battery drain and inoperative heated seat capacitive touch buttons due to incorrect ECU logic for the Seat Heater Unit – Front (SHU_FRT). Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) 25-01-02…

Bulletin LA1/LA1A DCS · Seats · Nov 2025

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the SANTA FE FWD. Model-year data, not specific to one car.

Canadian recalls 2

Transport Canada recall campaigns for the 2026 Hyundai Santa FE. Relevant if the car was first sold in, or imported from, Canada.

Seats And Restraints

Issue: On certain vehicles, the lower anchor for the front seat belt(s) may have been damaged during service. As a result, the seat belt(s) could detach in a crash. Note: For the 2026 model year Santa Fe, this recall only affects the Santa Fe hybrid (HEV) model. Safety Risk: A seat belt that detaches in a crash could increase the risk of injury. Corrective Actions: The company…

Transport Canada #2026170 · Apr 2026

Visual System

Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the instrument panel cluster to reboot while driving. As a result, you may not be able to see certain information about the vehicle, including the speedometer, fuel gauge, tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), warning lights and malfunction tell-tales. Note : For the Santa Fe model, this recall only affects the hybrid…

Transport Canada #2026033 · Jan 2026

Source: Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database.

About the Hyundai Santa FE

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a series of crossover SUVs produced across five generations by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai since 2000. It is named after the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was introduced for the 2001 model year as Hyundai's first SUV. The Santa Fe was a milestone in the company's restructuring program of the late 1990s because the SUV was a hit with American buyers.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.

2026 Hyundai Santa FE vehicles on record

Other Hyundai Santa FE model years

2026 Hyundai Santa FE — frequently asked questions

Does the 2026 Hyundai Santa FE have any safety recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2026 Hyundai Santa FE. Whether an individual car still needs a recall repair depends on its VIN — check it on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer. Recall repairs are done at no charge.

What are the most common problems with the 2026 Hyundai Santa FE?

Across all 37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are electrical system, seats, forward collision avoidance.

What gas mileage does the 2026 Hyundai Santa FE get?

The 2026 Hyundai Santa FE has U.S. EPA estimates of 21–36 mpg combined, depending on engine and trim (5 versions).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.