Ford Explorer vs Hyundai Santa Fe: which is more reliable?
The Hyundai Santa Fe is ahead of the Ford Explorer on the federal record, 67/100 against 59/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Ford Explorer
- 15 model years scored
- 14,935 owner complaints on record
- about 117 complaints per year on the road
- 150 recall campaigns, 32 safety-critical
- best year 2019 (82/100) · worst 2020 (28/100)
Hyundai Santa Fe
- 11 model years scored
- 3,748 owner complaints on record
- about 62 complaints per year on the road
- 39 recall campaigns, 18 safety-critical
- best year 2012 (90/100) · worst 2025 (35/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Explorer against Santa Fe
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
| Year | Explorer | Santa Fe | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 67 CAUTION | 35 AVOID | +32 |
| 2024 | 79 BUY | 56 CAUTION | +23 |
| 2023 | 76 BUY | 70 BUY | +6 |
| 2022 | 72 BUY | 74 BUY | -2 |
| 2021 | 70 BUY | — | — |
| 2020 | 28 AVOID | — | — |
| 2019 | 82 BUY | — | — |
| 2018 | 71 BUY | — | — |
| 2017 | 39 AVOID | 36 AVOID | +3 |
| 2016 | 32 AVOID | 84 BUY | -52 |
| 2015 | 50 CAUTION | 87 BUY | -37 |
| 2014 | 60 CAUTION | 81 BUY | -21 |
| 2013 | 38 AVOID | 78 BUY | -40 |
| 2012 | 78 BUY | 90 BUY | -12 |
| 2011 | 73 BUY | 86 BUY | -13 |
What owners actually complain about
Ford Explorer
- Steering — 3,398 complaints
- Structure — 3,052 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 2,679 complaints
Hyundai Santa Fe
- Engine — 1,901 complaints
- Power Train — 493 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 407 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Explorer's complaints concentrate in Steering, the Santa Fe's in Engine. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Ford Explorer — avoid: 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020.
Hyundai Santa Fe — avoid: 2017, 2025.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Ford Explorer prices at about $40,800 and a Hyundai Santa Fe at about $40,800 — they price within $1 of each other, which at this level is the same money, and they return 20.0 against 23.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford Explorer or the Hyundai Santa Fe more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Hyundai Santa Fe scores 67/100 against the Ford Explorer's 59/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Ford Explorer and Hyundai Santa Fe years should I avoid?
Ford Explorer: 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020. Hyundai Santa Fe: 2017, 2025. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Ford Explorer and the Hyundai Santa Fe?
The largest complaint group on the Ford Explorer is Steering (3,398 complaints); on the Hyundai Santa Fe it is Engine (1,901).
Is the Ford Explorer or the Hyundai Santa Fe cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford Explorer prices at about $40,800 and a Hyundai Santa Fe at about $40,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.