2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid problems & reliability
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 8 | 40% |
| Power Train | 7 | 35% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 25% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 20% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 15% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 5% |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the camshaft sensor needed to be replaced. In addition, the vehicle was repaired several times…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jul 8, 2024
“The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The contact…”
Engine · filed Jan 9, 2024
“The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The…”
Engine · filed Jan 4, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect Petition DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
Technical service bulletins
38 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid. The 10 most recent:
Certain Hyundai vehicles with exterior white paint may exhibit peeling or bubbling on metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. The paint warranty coverage for affected…
26-BD-002H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Apr 28, 2026
Some Hyundai vehicles with exterior white paint may exhibit peeling or bubbling on metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. The paint warranty coverage for affected…
26-BD-002H DN · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Apr 28, 2026
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co.…
DTN DL · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety…
DTN DCS · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
Certain 2021 – 2023 model year Santa Fe, 2021 – 2023 model year Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2022 – 2023 model year Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid vehicles may experience an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances…
Z09 OL · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Mar 30, 2026
Some vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the horn replacement under this condition to 10 years…
26-BE-001H-1 DCS · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Feb 19, 2026
Some vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the horn replacement under this condition to 10 years…
26-BE-001H-1 TSB · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Feb 18, 2026
Some vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the horn replacement under this condition to 10 years…
26-BE-001H-1 DN · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Feb 18, 2026
Certain Santa Fe Hybrid (TM HEV) and Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid (TM PHEV) vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. Hyundai is extending the warranty…
26-BE-001H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Jan 27, 2026
Certain Santa Fe Hybrid (TM HEV) and Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid (TM PHEV) vehicles may have an inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize. Hyundai is extending the warranty…
26-BE-001H DN · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Jan 27, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.