Hyundai Santa Fe Sport vs Volkswagen CC: which is more reliable?
The Volkswagen CC is ahead of the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport on the federal record, 76/100 against 68/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
- 6 model years scored
- 1,266 owner complaints on record
- about 22 complaints per year on the road
- 22 recall campaigns, 12 safety-critical
- best year 2016 (93/100) · worst 2018 (37/100)
Volkswagen CC
- 7 model years scored
- 604 owner complaints on record
- about 5 complaints per year on the road
- 33 recall campaigns, 23 safety-critical
- best year 2017 (89/100) · worst 2012 (36/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Santa Fe Sport against CC
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.
What owners actually complain about
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
- Engine — 720 complaints
- Service Brakes — 225 complaints
- Hydraulic — 154 complaints
Volkswagen CC
- Air Bags — 279 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 119 complaints
- Engine — 119 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Santa Fe Sport's complaints concentrate in Engine, the CC's in Air Bags. 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
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport — avoid: 2017, 2018.
Volkswagen CC — avoid: 2012.
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 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport prices at about $22,100 and a Volkswagen CC at about $21,800 — they price within $300 of each other, which at this level is the same money, and they return 22.0 against 25.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport or the Volkswagen CC more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Volkswagen CC scores 76/100 against the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's 68/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and Volkswagen CC years should I avoid?
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: 2017, 2018. Volkswagen CC: 2012. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and the Volkswagen CC?
The largest complaint group on the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is Engine (720 complaints); on the Volkswagen CC it is Air Bags (279).
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport or the Volkswagen CC cheaper to own?
A recent used Hyundai Santa Fe Sport prices at about $22,100 and a Volkswagen CC at about $21,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.