2023 Hyundai Santa Fe
Plug-in hybrid Hybrid Gas Compact SUV
The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe is sold in the U.S. as a plug-in hybrid, hybrid and gas compact SUV with 7 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Santa Fe Hybrid Blue, is EPA-rated at 34 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 284 complaints, most often about unknown or other. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe Plug-in Hybrid | Plug-in hybrid | AWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo + 67 kW AC PMSM | 33 | 32 | 33 (49 MPGe blended) | 31 mi electric | 44 | 3.4 h | $1,900 |
| Santa Fe Hybrid Blue | Hybrid | AWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo + 270V Li-Ion | 36 | 31 | 34 | — | — | — | $1,850 |
| Santa Fe Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo + 270V Li-Ion | 33 | 30 | 32 | — | — | — | $1,950 |
| Santa Fe FWD | Gas | FWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 25 | 28 | 26 | — | — | — | $2,400 |
| Santa Fe FWD | Gas | FWD | 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 22 | 28 | 25 | — | — | — | $2,500 |
| Santa Fe AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 22 | 25 | 24 | — | — | — | $2,600 |
| Santa Fe AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl turbo | 21 | 28 | 24 | — | — | — | $2,600 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (2)
Trailer Hitches
criticalProblem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Seat Belts
highProblem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Owner complaints
284 complaints filed
13 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 17 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2022: 3 · 2023: 62 · 2024: 87 · 2025: 79 · 2026: 53
Most-cited components
- Unknown Or Other — 69
- Power Train — 60
- Forward Collision Avoidance — 58
- Engine — 58
- Electrical System — 54
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 15% |
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 15% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Other Santa Fe model years
2027 Santa Fe
0 recalls · 0 complaints
D2026 Santa Fe
4 recalls · 46 complaints
F2025 Santa Fe
5 recalls · 215 complaints
F2024 Santa Fe
7 recalls · 176 complaints
F2022 Santa Fe
8 recalls · 262 complaints
F2021 Santa Fe
8 recalls · 185 complaints
C2020 Santa Fe
2 recalls · 207 complaints
D2019 Santa Fe
3 recalls · 221 complaints
F2018 Santa Fe
5 recalls · 427 complaints
F2017 Santa Fe
7 recalls · 1,307 complaints
D2016 Santa Fe
3 recalls · 303 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 46250, 45314, 45313, 45615, 45616, 45618, 45619). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.