2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
20 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 20 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 4.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the camshaft sensor needed to be replaced. In addition, the vehicle was repaired several times however, the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated th…
I have been taking my 21 Santa Fe hybrid limited into the dealership for a year and a half for the same code . Powertrain code P040B00, and to this day they can not repair this issue. I looked it up and a ton of us are having issues with this same code. It should be investigated, and customers should be warned. Hyundai needs to recall these vehicles or provide a solution. A year and a half is unacceptable
While driving 80 mph down the highway my brand new vehicle shut off completely, the entire car lost power. In another instance I was going around a roundabout and my acceleration completely went out, my son was in the back seat and another car had to jump the curb to avoid crashing into us. I met a woman in the dealership who has been waiting over a year for her recalled tow hitch to be fixed. When it rains or snows …
Recalls: 3 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 23V181000 | Trailer Hitches | 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… |
| 24V879000 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV vehicles. Due to a damaged printed circuit board, the rearview camera image may fail to display. |
| 22V816000 | Seat Belts:Pretensioner | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 32 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,900
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine8 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train7 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other5 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System4 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Electrical System3 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Seat Belts2 complaints · typical job: Pretensioner or retractor replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$800
Other Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid years
Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (8 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 89/100, computed from 20 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid's most common problem?
8 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid cost to run per year?
About $3,346 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $16,730 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 17/03/2023. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 20 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 20 NHTSA complaints on record (4.0/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (9.2/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality