2021 Hyundai Santa FE Recalls, Complaints & Specs
7 safety recalls list the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE, and owners have filed 166 complaints with NHTSA. At least one recall carries a do-not-drive or park-outside advisory. Check your own VIN below.
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7 safety recalls for the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Camera (back over prevention)
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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 271.
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Trailer hitches Park outside
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…
Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters…
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Automatic transmission (power train)
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Sonata, Veloster N, 2022 Santa Cruz, Elantra N, and Kona N vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed…
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Windshield (visibility)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for…
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe and Sonata vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.…
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Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Santa Fe vehicles equipped with 2.5-litre Turbo engines. The fuel pipe connecting the high pressure fuel pump to the fuel rail may not have been tightened properly.
Remedy: Dealers inspected and tightened the fuel pipe connection, free of charge. The affected vehicles have been repaired and therefore no owner notification letters will be sent. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service…
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Air bags: front passenger and air bag/restraint control module (air bags)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Santa Fe vehicles. The Occupant Detection System (ODS) module may not deactivate the air bag upon detection of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS)…
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ODS module, free of charge. All affected vehicles have been remedied as of May 12, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's…
166 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE have filed 166 complaints with NHTSA; 4 describe a crash and 2 describe a fire. Reports cite 2 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 29,828 miles. Complaints peaked in 2022 with 43 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“The contact owned a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly caught on fire. The contact's wife became aware that the radio was inoper”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 9, 2026 · Engine
“The door to the gas tank is a push door which is temperamental. I can be at the pump and push the door to pop it open and it won't. I'm at the point where I have to pop my gas tank open before I even”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 27, 2026 · Fuel/propulsion system
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe (Santa Fe AWD, Santa Fe FWD, Santa Fe Hybrid, Santa Fe Hybrid Blue). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 24–34 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 21–36 / 25–31 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
| Engine | 4 cyl, 1.6/2.5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (AM-S6); Automatic (AM-S8); Automatic (S8) |
Compare Hyundai Santa FE model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Hyundai Santa FE model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 2021 Hyundai Santa FE
How do I know if my 2021 Hyundai Santa FE has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 7 campaigns currently list the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Hyundai dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 21V00M000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Hyundai models
- Sonata16,085 complaints
- Elantra8,715 complaints
- Tucson6,287 complaints
- Palisade2,447 complaints
- Accent2,032 complaints
- Ioniq 51,339 complaints
- Veloster1,292 complaints
- Genesis1,244 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.