2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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5/5

★★★★★

Safety Rating

234

Owner Complaints

14 Crashes 9 Fires

2

Recalls

ACTIVE RECALL

19

Service Bulletins

0

Investigations

Overview of the 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

The 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE has received a total of 234 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 7 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with TRAILER HITCHES. 19 technical service bulletins have been issued by Hyundai Motor America for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (58 complaints), Unknown Or Other (35 complaints), and Electrical System (21 complaints).

Recalls for the 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

NHTSA has recorded 7 recalls for the 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, potentially affecting up to 2,418,375 vehicles.

Recall 23V181000 — TRAILER HITCHES

| 584,784 vehicles affected

Defect: 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,...

Consequence: 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,...

View full details →

Recall 23V181000 — TRAILER HITCHES

| 584,784 vehicles affected

Defect: 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,...

Consequence: 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,...

View full details →

Recall 23V181000 — TRAILER HITCHES

| 584,784 vehicles affected

Defect: 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,...

Consequence: 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,...

View full details →

Recall 23V181000 — TRAILER HITCHES

| 584,784 vehicles affected

Defect: 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,...

Consequence: 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,...

View full details →

Recall 21V00M000 — VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

| 26,413 vehicles affected

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.

Consequence: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.

View full details →

Recall 21V00M000 — VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

| 26,413 vehicles affected

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.

Consequence: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.

View full details →

Recall 21V00M000 — VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

| 26,413 vehicles affected

Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.

Consequence: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.

View full details →

Owner Complaints for the 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

234 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.

Engine
Complaints: 58 1 Crash 3 Fires 2 Injuries
Unknown Or Other
Complaints: 35 2 Crashes 4 Fires 2 Injuries
Electrical System
Complaints: 21 1 Crash 1 Fire 1 Injury
Power Train
Complaints: 20
Fuelpropulsion System
Complaints: 10 2 Crashes 1 Injury
Service Brakes
Complaints: 7 2 Crashes 2 Injuries
Visibilitysunmoon Roof Assembly
Complaints: 7
Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings
Complaints: 6
Structurebody
Complaints: 6
Steering
Complaints: 5
Air Bags
Complaints: 4 2 Crashes 2 Injuries
Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control
Complaints: 4
Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking
Complaints: 4 1 Injury
Vehicle Speed Control
Complaints: 4 2 Crashes
Engine And Engine Coolingengineoillubricationsumptankdrain Plug
Complaints: 3
Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection
Complaints: 3
Seat Belts
Complaints: 3 1 Crash 1 Injury
Tires
Complaints: 3
Visibility
Complaints: 3
Visibilitywiper
Complaints: 3
Wheels
Complaints: 3 1 Injury
Engine And Engine Cooling
Complaints: 2
Exterior Lighting
Complaints: 2
Fuel System Gasoline
Complaints: 2
Lane Departure Assist
Complaints: 2
Lane Departure Warning
Complaints: 2
Tirespressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
Complaints: 2
Trailer Hitches
Complaints: 2 1 Fire 1 Injury
Back Over Prevention Sensing System Camera
Complaints: 1
Electrical System Instrument Clusterpanel
Complaints: 1
Fuel System Gasolinefuel Injection Systemthrottlebodymanifold
Complaints: 1
Latcheslockslinkagesdoorslatch
Complaints: 1
Service Brakes Hydraulic
Complaints: 1 1 Crash
Suspension
Complaints: 1
Tirestreadbelt
Complaints: 1
Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac Systemcondensorevaporator
Complaints: 1

Most Recent Complaints

#11719636 | ENGINE | | N/A miles
HI! Leaking valve cover gasket which damages spark plugs, ignition coils and fuel injector. Defective High Pressure Fuel Pump and fuel injector causing fuel to spray into engine and into engine oil. Large amount of fuel found in oil pan when oil changed. Complaint filed with Hyuandia, no response at this time. Thank you, [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
#11718307 | STRUCTURE:BODY | | N/A miles
The roof of my car between the sunroof and the windshield (called panoramic sunroof) shattered as I was driving down the highway. It was about 10:00 pm on a weeknight and there were no cars within sight distance in front of me. When it happened it sounded like a gun shot going off at point blank range and I immediately pulled over and checked for bullet holes. Since it was dark I could not see any damage. Today I took the car and had a small chip fixed in my windshield down by the windshield wipers and the service tech pointed out to me that the roof was shattered. He told me that this happens a lot with this vehicle. So I got online and searched and found a lot of vehicles have reported the exact problem. Down to the sounds of gunshots. So I stopped at my local Hyundai dealership and recorded the conversation. He told me that theres no recalls on this car and It probably shattered by a rock or debris. I told him that when this happened it was late night and no cars within sight in front of me. He didn’t even come out and look at the damage. He said to call my insurance company and I said that is a manufacturer defect and I shouldn’t have to pay for their mistake. When I searched for this on the internet people stated that the dealerships will deny this manufacturer defect and that’s exactly what they said to me. My main concern is that this defect is documented by many vehicle owners from their 2020 vehicles and their Is a recall out for this problem but it stops at 2016 models. In this recall the shattered piece is replaced and there is actually compensation given for people getting scared or dealing with stress dealing with thinking they are getting shot at. I don’t care about any of that. I just want the issue fixed because I did not cause the issue, the manufacturer did. Reason being is that the exact thing is happening to numerous people across the Country. Thank you for your time.
#11717373 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | | N/A miles
On the morning of December 10, 2025, I left my home for an appointment. I traveled for about 15 minutes before entering onto the highway. As I entered the highway, I traveled about half a mile and was scared by a very loud explosion! I pulled over to assess my vehicle and the surrounding area. The sunroof had SHATTERED to pieces, fortunately I didn’t have it open at the time. It was just a miracle I didn’t have an accident from being startled, or receive any cuts or injuries due to this unforeseen event. As I was driving, there was very little to no traffic and I never heard anything like hit the car or window or anything. I called my insurance company and filed a claim. They eventually had me to take it to a Collision Center 12/22/2025. They removed all glass from sunroof, and determined that there was an issue with the glass rack, and it would end up being very costly. My Insurance Provider contacted me to say they would not be able to provide coverage due to the cost and findings of the Collision Center. So they backed out and informed me that I needed to file a claim with Hyundai. So I picked the vehicle up 1/19/2026 from the Collision Center. Then I filed a claim with Hyundai, and was told to schedule an appointment for inspection. I took the vehicle for inspection 1/22/2026, after about a week I was told that the vehicle had been inspected there was nothing they could do. I’m confused as to how the inspection went since there was no glass present in order to check the opening and closing of the car rack. Plus the plastic that the Collision Center placed on it was barely removed. So I picked the vehicle up 1/30/2026. and it’s been sitting in my driveway covered every since. The vehicle has been inspected by a Collision Center, and the Dealership without any success. There were no warning lights of any indication of trouble on the dashboard at any given time, not even when the explosion occurred. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Thank you
#11716098 | ENGINE | | N/A miles
While driving, the engine catastrophically failed without warning, causing an immediate loss of power-assisted braking and steering. The failure occurred while traveling downhill. I was unable to slow or control the vehicle properly and was forced to proceed through a school bus’s flashing lights to avoid a potentially catastrophic collision, resulting in a traffic citation. My son was in the vehicle at the time. A sudden loss of engine power, braking assist, and steering assist while driving presents a serious safety defect. Vehicle was towed to Fred Beans Hyundai in Doylestown where it has been confirmed engine failure. This failure happened immediately and without warning.
#11716098 | SERVICE BRAKES | | N/A miles
While driving, the engine catastrophically failed without warning, causing an immediate loss of power-assisted braking and steering. The failure occurred while traveling downhill. I was unable to slow or control the vehicle properly and was forced to proceed through a school bus’s flashing lights to avoid a potentially catastrophic collision, resulting in a traffic citation. My son was in the vehicle at the time. A sudden loss of engine power, braking assist, and steering assist while driving presents a serious safety defect. Vehicle was towed to Fred Beans Hyundai in Doylestown where it has been confirmed engine failure. This failure happened immediately and without warning.

View all Engine complaints →

Safety Rating for the 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

The 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Test Category Rating
Overall Rating ★★★★★ (5/5)
Frontal Crash ★★★★ (4/5)
Side Crash ★★★★★ (5/5)
Rollover ★★★★ (4/5)

Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.

Technical Service Bulletins for the 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

Hyundai Motor America has issued 19 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.

26-01-013H DCS — ENGINE

Certain Santa Fe (TMA), Santa Fe Sport (AN), Sonata (LFA), and Tucson (TL) vehicles equipped with Theta II engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 26-01-013H provides instructions for updating the Engine Control Module (ECM) to address this condition.

25-01-087H-1 TSB — ENGINE

Certain Santa Fe (TMA), Sonata (LFA) and Tucson (TL) vehicles equipped with Theta II engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. This bulletin provides instructions for updating the Engine Control Module (ECM) to address this condition.

21-HA-001H — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Certain 2020MY Santa Fe vehicles (TMA) may experience air conditioning not blowing cold air from the vents after some period of normal operation. This condition may be caused by an out of specification Evaporator Temperature Sensor. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to inspect and, if necessary, replace the Evaporator...

21-HA-001H — VISIBILITY

Certain 2020MY Santa Fe vehicles (TMA) may experience air conditioning not blowing cold air from the vents after some period of normal operation. This condition may be caused by an out of specification Evaporator Temperature Sensor. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to inspect and, if necessary, replace the Evaporator...

21-BE-006H — FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

Certain 2019-2020MY Santa Fe and 2018-2020MY Elantra equipped with the front multifunction camera may exhibit one or more of the following warnings on the instrument cluster; Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), Front Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA), High Beam Assist (HBA), Smart Cruise Control (SCC), and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB). This...

21-01-011H — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

This bulletin provides the procedure to update the TCU to optimize the Distance To Empty (DTE) display. This update includes the software for optimizing CLR_DIST (Distance traveled since DTCs cleared) display.

21-01-011H — POWER TRAIN

This bulletin provides the procedure to update the TCU to optimize the Distance To Empty (DTE) display. This update includes the software for optimizing CLR_DIST (Distance traveled since DTCs cleared) display.

21-BE-001H — EQUIPMENT

This bulletin describes the procedure to diagnose and repair tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) DTC(s) on some 2020-2021MY Palisade (LX2) and Santa Fe (TMa) vehicles equipped with surround view monitoring (SVM) system.

20-BD-016H-1 — SEATS

Certain Santa Fe (TMa) and Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit noise coming from the second row seat track. This bulletin provides information on how to inspect and if necessary repair the condition.

20-FL-011H — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

This bulletin provides information related to an Electronic Control Module (ECM) software update which revises DTC P00D2: Oxygen Sensor Heater Control Circuit Range/Performance Bank 1 diagnostic logic.

Showing 10 of 19 technical service bulletins.

NHTSA Investigations for the 2020 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.

Other Model Years of the HYUNDAI SANTA FE

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