2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
66 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2017 and 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which have 345 and 415 complaints and scores of 41 and 37. Buy a 2015 or 2016 car, which have 82 and 66 complaints and score 87 and 93; the 2013 and 2014 cars score 72 and 78 once their campaigns are closed. Read the full note on the model page. 2016 specifically: a year the record favours — 66 complaints, score 93/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Hyundai Kona, Genesis and Santa Fe Sport: what the record says, including 2016 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 66 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 6.6
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
my BSD sensor would go on and off for the last several months when no one was around me. I work early and even when I was alone on the road the BSD would flash for 2-3 mins and go off.. then my fan for my air conditioner stopped. When I removed the glove compartment to see the wire connecting to the fan is "melted". When i called bob king hyundai, I was informed there was no recall. So, I attempted to fix the issue m…
The vehicle stooped running while driving and will not start, available for inspection upon request. The vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.
The engine seized up and hyundai refused to approve my claim al though i had the extended warranty. Reason for the denial because a recall in 2019 was not performed. I had purchased the vehicle in 2023 used from Rick case honda.
Recalls: 1 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V358000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. |
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 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,950
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.
- Engine41 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other14 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System6 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Service Brakes6 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Engine And Engine Cooling3 complaints · typical job: Water pump, thermostat and coolant service (3.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,040
- Power Train3 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (41 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 93/100, computed from 66 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's most common problem?
41 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 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 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport cost to run per year?
About $5,145 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $25,725 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 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 05/06/2017. 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 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 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.
Moderate evidence — 66 complaints, 1 recalls on record
- 66 NHTSA complaints on record (6.6/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (14.3/yr)
- 1 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems