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Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability by Year

Every gasoline Santa Fe model year from 2004 to 2025, scored on reported failures weighted against how many were sold — and ranked against every other Mid-Size SUV of the same year.

Scored separately as its own vehicle: Santa Fe Hybrid (2021–2025).

The short answer

Best model year
2006
#4 of 28 that year
Year to avoid
2017
#37 of 37 that year
Latest scored
2025
#48 of 66

Across 22 scored model years the Santa Fe needs fixing more often than its class, but when it does, repairs cost about what you would expect. The spread between years is what matters: 2006 is its strongest, 2017 its weakest.

Every model year, scored

Longer bar is better. Rank is against every Mid-Size SUV sold that same model year.

YearRelative standingClass rankPctl
2004#10 /2664th
2005#10 /2765th
2006#4 /2889thBest year
2007#27 /3626th
2008#30 /3822th
2009#32 /3918th
2010#22 /4046th
2011#20 /3950th
2012#34 /3913th
2013#30 /3719th
2014#30 /3719th
2015#28 /4031th
2016#26 /3832th
2017#37 /370thAvoid
2018#35 /4217th
2019#20 /4557th
2020#31 /4938th
2021#35 /5335th
2022#41 /5931th
2023#47 /6730th
2024#49 /7232th
2025#48 /6628th

The line held a strong position through 2005, ran middling in 2006–2007, and has been weak from 2008 on. This 2025 car falls in a weak stretch.

What tends to break

All 12 systems, measured against the class average for each model year.

Every Santa Fe model year is scored across 12 separate systems — engine, transmission, brakes, electrical, steering and suspension, structure, interior, and five more. Each system is compared against how often that same system fails on the average Mid-Size SUV of the same year, so a common failure is judged against how common it is everywhere else.

Across the last three model years (2023–2025), the trouble concentrates in one place: tires & wheels. That system draws issue reports more often than the same system on the average Mid-Size SUV of its year — which changes what you should be inspecting before you buy.

Full Dashboard Preview

Real charts, sample vehicle. Open the lookup to see these for your Santa Fe.

Reliability Matrix Sample Chart

2018 Mid-Size SUVs

Your Santa Fe is plotted against 66 rivals from 2025.

Look up your Santa Fe →
better than classtypicalworsebubble = units sold

System Breakdown Sample Chart

2018 Mitsubishi Outlander

Your Santa Fe is scored the same way, for every model year.

Look up your Santa Fe →
below class averageabove class average

Common questions

What is the best year for a used Hyundai Santa Fe?

2006 is the strongest Santa Fe model year on record, ranking #4 of 28 Mid-Size SUVs that year.

Which Hyundai Santa Fe years should I avoid?

2017 is the weakest year in the model's history, ranking #37 of 37.

Is the latest Santa Fe reliable?

The 2025 Santa Fe ranks #48 of 66 Mid-Size SUVs — the lower half of its class.

Where does this data come from?

Failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes so a high-volume model is not penalised for selling well, then benchmarked within segment and model year.

See the full picture for your Santa Fe

All 12 systems scored, the whole class plotted, and a downloadable Full Model Report for any year — 6,000+ vehicles in the dashboard.

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How this was built. Scores derive from failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes and benchmarked within segment and model year. We measure two separate things: Fix Frequency — how often a vehicle needs fixing — and Fix Severity — how costly those fixes are. These figures describe a model line, not the specific vehicle in front of you; trim, mileage and service history still decide an individual car.