Tuesday, September 22, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

Ford Escape vs Hyundai Santa FE

Owner complaints, worst years and recall history side by side, from official NHTSA data. Last verified Sep 22, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Ford Escape

Total complaints
27,299
Avg per model year
1,011
Recall campaigns (all years)
95
Most complained year
2013 (2,749)
Top problems: Engine, Power Train, Steering

Hyundai Santa FE

Total complaints
7,631
Avg per model year
294
Recall campaigns (all years)
46
Most complained year
2017 (962)
Top problems: Engine, Power Train, Electrical System

Complaints by model year

YearFord EscapeHyundai Santa FE
2026336
202523131
202476146
202395207
2022231199
2021343166
20201,595209
2019586198
20181,791108
20172,678962
20161,115236
20151,093254
20142,083493
20132,749605
2012598353
20111,316181
20102,069258
20091,692358
20081,974541
2007254683
Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports per model year. A model that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — compare the shape across years, not just the raw totals, and read the year pages for what actually fails.