Is Hyundai Santa Fe Reliable?

December 5, 2022

Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability

The Hyundai brand is ranked 11th among 28 reliable car brands. It is always going to be a careful decision to make choosing any of the models in their lineup.

Luckily for you, Hyundai Santa Fe is a reliable car. Aside from its reliability, the manufacturer covers all parts/components, future repairs, and maintenance on the car for up to 10 years. If you are good at maintenance, you should expect your Hyundai Santa Fe to last up to 200,000 miles.

Hyundai Santa Fe has high safety ratings, impressive tech features, and an amazing driving experience; you get much value for your money. The truth is, Hyundai Santa Fe wasn’t as reliable as they are now. The 2012 model came with a crappy engine that would either blow up or have premature wear.

Hyundai got a significant upgrade in its newer cars, so if you are considering getting a Hyundai Santa Fe, go for the newer generations.

Here's all you need to know about Hyundai Santa Fe’s reliability and why they are reliable.

Is Hyundai Santa Fe Reliable?

There are no doubts that the Hyundai Santa Fe is a reliable car. The big question should revolve around knowing how reliable they are. According to Repairpal, Hyundai Santa Fe has a reliability rating of 4.0/5.0, ranking as the 2nd most reliable midsize SUV out of 26 cars in its segment.

JD Power gives the Hyundai Santa Fe an overall reliability and quality score of 79/100, with US cars News rating the car 8.3/10, 4th position amongst Midsize SUVs. According to the ratings, it is obvious that the Hyundai Santa Fe is close to becoming the best midsize SUV.

With the Santa Fe car, you get low maintenance/repair costs, affordable pricing, lots of passenger room, good gas mileage, and enough features for everyone. The drive experience of the Hyundai Santa Fe is not the best in its league. You should consider sticking to soft driving on roads with less off-road driving conditions.

The longer wheelbase gives a smoother ride, with guaranteed quiet rides and great gas mileage from the 2.4L engine. Voted as the best tow car of the year, you get a towing capacity of 2000 pounds.

The truth is, unlike most Hyundai SUVs, the Santa Fe model is designed to feature as a versatile car with the ability to handle both off-road and on-road driving situations. They are well-built and highly engineered.

These cars have had some recalls and problematic models, so you’ll have to be careful with the production years you are buying from.

Why Hyundai Santa Fe is Considered Reliable

1. Safety and Technology

Safety is one of the areas in which Hyundai Santa Fe outsmarts its competitors. This amazing SUV has a five-star NHTSA rating and also earns the best safety award from IIHS.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe earns the Top safety pick + award.

This proves that aside from the amazing exterior and interior styling and power delivery, the Santa Fe gives users high safety assurance. The Hyundai team prioritizes car safety in the Hyundai Santa Fe. But how did they make the Hyundai Santa Fe a very safe car?

There is a twist in Santa Fe’s high safety ratings. Santa Fe is a safe car, but a few reasons make us believe that there are different levels of safety achieved by its trim levels and production years.

For instance, with the Top safety pick + award, IIHS indicated that Santa Fe’s impressive safety performance was due to tests on its recent models from July 2021. These had improved headlights.

The truth is that Santa Fe has always held an impressive safety record. In 2021, it earned the Top safety pick award. Just slight limitations prevented it from earning the IIHS top safety pick + award.

You get great crashworthiness scores, head restraints and seat belts, amazing roof strength, front crash prevention systems for vehicles and pedestrians, and support for child safety.

Here’s a list of the safety technology fitted into the Hyundai Santa Fe.

  • Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist (PCA-R)
  • Highway Drive Assist (HDA)
  • Blind Spot View Monitor (BVM)
  • Remote Smart Park Assist (RSPA)
  • Safe Exit Assist
  • Rear Cross-traffic Collision-avoidance Assist (RCCA)
  • Blind-Spot Collision-avoidance Assist (BCA)
  • Lane Following Assist (LFA)\
  • Rear Occupant Alert
  • Forward Collision-avoidance Assist (FCA)

2. Engine and Performance

Santa Fe comes with an amazing engine lineup that guarantees high efficiency and power delivery. You also get lower emissions.

Users get the new “R” Hyundai diesel design paired with the 8-speed wet DCT system. This gives you better acceleration and fuel economy. There are enhanced smooth shifters and enhanced efficiency.

On the Hyundai Santa Fe engine lineup, you get the 1.6 T-GDi Turbo hybrid, 1.6 T-GDi plug-in hybrids, and 2.2 smart stream diesel, which guarantees quiet rides in your Santa Fe. The speed varies for the different engines of Santa Fe. You will get either a 191hp or a 181hp on any of the engines.

There are provisions for different driving modes depending on your needs and conditions; snow, sand, and mud. Choose according to your needs for better torque distribution, gear shift pattern, traction control, AWD, and FWD distribution.

3. Design and Durability

The foundation of Hyundai Santa Fe’s design borders on calmness and sophistication. This is immersed in strength, refinement, and harmony. You get modern design, high build quality, bold frames, aesthetics, and appeal rooted in family-focused features.

Depicting a rugged yet solid structure, the Hyundai Santa Fe blends beauty and strength. With the bold grille, 20-inch alloy wheels, wide and dynamic wheel arches, and bold bumper design, Santa Fe always makes a statement whenever they are in town.

With proper maintenance and adhering to appropriate driving principles, you can expect your Hyundai Santa Fe to last up to 200,000 miles.

4. Gas Mileage

Hyundai Santa Fe is good on gas. You will get up to 25/28 mpg for the city and highway. This is for the SE and SEL FEW trim levels.

There is varying fuel efficiency for the different trim levels. You can also choose the hybrid model and get 36/31/34 mpg or 33/30/32 mpg.

5. Repair and Maintenance Cost

It is cheap to maintain a Hyundai Santa Fe. The average annual repair and maintenance cost for Hyundai Santa Fe is $515. There is less severity and frequency of major or minor damages.

Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability: PROS

  • Smooth and Quiet ride
  • Enough Space; cargo and passenger
  • Nice Designs
  • Good gas mileage
  • Hybrid Model available

Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability: CONS

  • Fuel efficiency can be better
  • Hybrid model deserves an upgrade

Verdict

The Hyundai Santa Fe is a good car with reliable engines, nice performance, and good gas mileage. However, there is a need for upgrades and improvements. Hyundai should also reconsider upgrading its marketing strategy to capture users in different regions.

If you are cool with the gas mileage, you can purchase the new Hyundai Santa Fe. They are great cars.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many miles will a Hyundai Santa Fe last?

Hyundai Santa Fe will last up to 200,000 miles, with an average life expectancy of 13 to 15 years. The ability of your Hyundai Santa Fe to last long depends on how good you are with maintenance and the driving conditions you put them through.

Does Santa Fe hold its value?

Santa Fe doesn’t hold much value as expected. They depreciate up to 43 – 50% after five years. They have good resale value but depreciate up to half or one-third of their initial value a few years after they were purchased.

Did Hyundai stop making Santa Fe?

Yes. Hyundai stopped making Santa Fe in certain regions like India. Hyundai Santa Fe didn’t do well in India, and it was necessary to discontinue and quit sales and production for the region.

Posted in Car Buying Tips, Car Troubleshooting |