Complaint volume
195 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints
195 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe, grouped by component category.
195 Total complaints
13 Crash reports
7 Fire reports
12 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, unknown or other, electrical system. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 13 crash reports, 7 fire reports, 12 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 43 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 28,698 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, unknown or other, electrical system?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2020 Hyundai Santa Fe
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe complaints?
13 Crash
7 Fire
12 Injury
0 Fatality
13 Towed
10 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe complaint categories?
ENGINE 50
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 27
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15
VISIBILITY 10
POWER TRAIN 8
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 7
AIR BAGS 6
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5
SERVICE BRAKES 4
195 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | I was driving on the road and all of the sudden my car went limp and would only move 45 miles per hour. I took it to the dealer which I have lifetime powertran on my car. It has been there for over a month at the dealer. They asked me to provide all oil changes,services, and registrations. I did that and then fidelity asked them to tear down the engine again to see if I had carbon build up. Then after the dealer did that they ask the dealer to tear the motor down even further to see if the exhaust valve was bad and if it was bad they would not replace my motor. My car consumed so much oil that I was changing my oil so often. I have been renting a car just to get back and forth to work. In my contract it says that the exhaust valve is covered under my lifetime powertran. I feel like hyundai and fidelity are giving me the run around. I took very good care of my car and I have shown that. Hyundai has had alot of problem with there motors with the oil consumption and motors just going limp. I feel I will never buy a hyundai again. I am losing money everyday because of the dealer and fidelity. I need the motor replaced and it was no abuse on my part I took care of my car. I want fidelity to tell me how I abuse the exhaust valve. I did my oil changes and took care of my car. I am still paying on my Hyundai and can't afford another car. I have alot of medical bills that I pay. Any help would be great. Sincerely [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | The front piece of the panoramic sunroof spontaneously shattered while sitting in my parked vehicle. I heard a loud pop and saw that the entire piece of glass was totally shattered. I took it to the dealership and they told me it is a known problem with this type of sunroof on their vehicles, they said it is not covered by warranty. The estimated repair cost was over $800. Had I been driving down the road with the sunroof open, it could have presented serious safety risks. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | Our vehicle has encountered a catastrophic engine failure (burnt valves) due to a known and ongoing issue with the piston rings install in this engine. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | On the morning of February 20 2026 at around 6:35am. I was on my way to work when the engine light started flashing and the speed started to decrease. I was traveling on a major highway in heavy rain with a lot of traffic. I had to put on my hazard lights and quickly pull off the road. The code given is P1326 which has to do with the engine and wiring harness. I just purchased the vehicle on Jan. 17 2026. The Carfax stated no open recalls. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ENGINE | HI! Leaking valve cover gasket which damages spark plugs, ignition coils and fuel injector. Defective High Pressure Fuel Pump and fuel injector causing fuel to spray into engine and into engine oil. Large amount of fuel found in oil pan when oil changed. Complaint filed with Hyuandia, no response at this time. Thank you, [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | STRUCTURE:BODY | The roof of my car between the sunroof and the windshield (called panoramic sunroof) shattered as I was driving down the highway. It was about 10:00 pm on a weeknight and there were no cars within sight distance in front of me. When it happened it sounded like a gun shot going off at point blank range and I immediately pulled over and checked for bullet holes. Since it was dark I could not see any damage. Today I took the car and had a small chip fixed in my windshield down by the windshield wipers and the service tech pointed out to me that the roof was shattered. He told me that this happens a lot with this vehicle. So I got online and searched and found a lot of vehicles have reported the exact problem. Down to the sounds of gunshots. So I stopped at my local Hyundai dealership and recorded the conversation. He told me that theres no recalls on this car and It probably shattered by a rock or debris. I told him that when this happened it was late night and no cars within sight in front of me. He didn’t even come out and look at the damage. He said to call my insurance company and I said that is a manufacturer defect and I shouldn’t have to pay for their mistake. When I searched for this on the internet people stated that the dealerships will deny this manufacturer defect and that’s exactly what they said to me. My main concern is that this defect is documented by many vehicle owners from their 2020 vehicles and their Is a recall out for this problem but it stops at 2016 models. In this recall the shattered piece is replaced and there is actually compensation given for people getting scared or dealing with stress dealing with thinking they are getting shot at. I don’t care about any of that. I just want the issue fixed because I did not cause the issue, the manufacturer did. Reason being is that the exact thing is happening to numerous people across the Country. Thank you for your time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | On the morning of December 10, 2025, I left my home for an appointment. I traveled for about 15 minutes before entering onto the highway. As I entered the highway, I traveled about half a mile and was scared by a very loud explosion! I pulled over to assess my vehicle and the surrounding area. The sunroof had SHATTERED to pieces, fortunately I didn’t have it open at the time. It was just a miracle I didn’t have an accident from being startled, or receive any cuts or injuries due to this unforeseen event. As I was driving, there was very little to no traffic and I never heard anything like hit the car or window or anything. I called my insurance company and filed a claim. They eventually had me to take it to a Collision Center 12/22/2025. They removed all glass from sunroof, and determined that there was an issue with the glass rack, and it would end up being very costly. My Insurance Provider contacted me to say they would not be able to provide coverage due to the cost and findings of the Collision Center. So they backed out and informed me that I needed to file a claim with Hyundai. So I picked the vehicle up 1/19/2026 from the Collision Center. Then I filed a claim with Hyundai, and was told to schedule an appointment for inspection. I took the vehicle for inspection 1/22/2026, after about a week I was told that the vehicle had been inspected there was nothing they could do. I’m confused as to how the inspection went since there was no glass present in order to check the opening and closing of the car rack. Plus the plastic that the Collision Center placed on it was barely removed. So I picked the vehicle up 1/30/2026. and it’s been sitting in my driveway covered every since. The vehicle has been inspected by a Collision Center, and the Dealership without any success. There were no warning lights of any indication of trouble on the dashboard at any given time, not even when the explosion occurred. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Thank you | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | SERVICE BRAKES | While driving, the engine catastrophically failed without warning, causing an immediate loss of power-assisted braking and steering. The failure occurred while traveling downhill. I was unable to slow or control the vehicle properly and was forced to proceed through a school bus’s flashing lights to avoid a potentially catastrophic collision, resulting in a traffic citation. My son was in the vehicle at the time. A sudden loss of engine power, braking assist, and steering assist while driving presents a serious safety defect. Vehicle was towed to Fred Beans Hyundai in Doylestown where it has been confirmed engine failure. This failure happened immediately and without warning. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ENGINE | Excessive oil burn off. Oil is getting into the cylinder, causing scorching. This causing engine failure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | ENGINE | Oil drain plug seal leaking, can’t tighten the bolt with the required torque setting to keep it from leaking. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ENGINE | After 110,000, the engine started using oil and it began to knock. According to the history of these engines, it will lead to engine failure. They have a record of being a lemon engine and there is not a engine of this type that this does not happen. The engine needs to recalled and replaced, They are the Theda II GDI series of 2.0L and 2.4L four-cylinder engines from Hyundai/Kia. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I have a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe, 2.0T. I recently experienced the following issues; gasoline fumes coming into the car at low speeds, difficulty starting the car when it is cold and hesitation when trying to accelerate quickly. The check engine light came on and the dealer diagnosed a faulty fuel pump and high pressure hoses......on a car with only 49100 miles! The repair cars are estimated at over $1800. This is totally unacceptable and there should be a manufacturer issued recall on the car where Hyundai covers the cost of the repairs. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission issues with DTC light coming on, dealership did software update which did not resolve the problem. Transmission has rough shift and shuddering. Dealership is recommending complete transmission replacement. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 2020 SantaFe Limited AWD with ~81200 miles. This is the 3rd or 4th time the P07410 code pops up with the Engine Check light. Hyundai said they found no issues and cleared the code, again. There was once when the code came up and it cleared itself after 50 miles. Not sure exactly what the cause is and Hyundai is saying "there is nothing wrong". Most recent occurrence Sept.4.2025. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ENGINE | 2020 Hyundai SantaFe Limited AWD ... burning excessive oil. This only was noticed because the low oil light intermittently started coming on, and has only started happening in the last few months. low oil indicator flashing - 4QT low, went for an immediate oil change 78788 miles - oil changed 80252 miles - low oil - added 1QT 80628 miles - low oil - added 1QT 81376 miles - oil changed 81999 miles - low oil - added 1QT 82755 miles - low oil - added 2QT These are the most recent events since we started logging it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Excessive oil consumption under warranty, . Hyundai says its normal consumption within 1,000 miles. engine its doing stalls now. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ENGINE | My engine has been sucking up oil since the day I bought it. Once I hit 100k miles it started sucking up oil faster than the recommended oil changes. I was driving home two weeks ago. I went to get in a major highway and she would not go past 35 mph. I went to trade it in and was told it needs a new engine and a new turbo. This is a known problem and Hyundai will not fix it. This car is not even 4 years old. I got it in April 2021 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | I had been driving about 1.5 hours when I exited the Interstate and the car engine shut off at a traffic light. When I shifted the car into park and tried to restart the car, smoke filled the cabin. Unbeknownst to me, an oil leak occurred while driving. No warning lights or other indicators that anything was awry. I had the vehicle towed to the nearest Hyundai dealer. Though the suv is under warranty, they say the oil leak was caused by improper oil plug installation at the last oil change. The oil leak caused the motor to seize and the resulting damage is in excess of $10,000. Hyundai says the warranty won't cover this as it is a service issue. Jiffy Lube says their technician did nothing incorrect and they won't take responsibility for the repairs. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ENGINE | Excessive oil consumption. Mechanic who changed oil said oil level was too low and he could find no leaks. He said this is a known Hyundai problem. The dealer acknowledged this. There was no warning light saying the oil was low. It was discovered during a routine oil change. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | ENGINE | I had my oil changed at a reputable service center November 19, 2025 and the mechanic said my oil drip pan and plug needed to be replaced in the next few months because they were showing wear and could fail. He asked if I knew about a pending lawsuit against Hyundai concerning these items causing major issues. I said I was unaware, so I researched it. It seems to be legit. During my research there were multiple reports that many had oil leaking problems and some owners reported that the vehicle completely stopped running. That is especially dangerous driving on an Interstate. I was quoted about $350.00 to replace the pan and plug but I was told to contact the local dealership to see if they would replace it. They wanted $215.00 for a diagnostic plus parts and labor. That is quite a chunk of money for a drip pan and plug. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | TRAILER HITCHES,ENGINE | The contact owned a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH onto the ramp, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle stalled and shut off, and the contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact was calling for Roadside Assistance and noticed white smoke coming from under the hood. The stated that the smoke then turned dark brown and then black, and then flames appeared under the hood. The contact grabbed several things of value and exited the vehicle and started running. The vehicle was engulfed in flames, and the EDR was destroyed. The contact sustained minor scratches after falling while running away from the vehicle. No medical attention was sought. The Police and Fire Department were called to the scene. The contact stated that a Police report was not filed due to the incident not being related to a crash. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The local dealer where the vehicle was purchased was contacted; however, no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle had been purchased two months prior to catching on fire. The vehicle was inspected by the Insurance provider and declared a total loss. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V181000 (TRAILER HITCHES); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 94,400. | Crash: No Fire: Yes Injuries: 1 Towed | 94,400 |
| Nov 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Unknown Sometimes when i stop the vehicle the engine shuts off and wont come back on until i put the car in park and turn the ignition off. Not safe at all when your in heavy traffic | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | White pearl paint is chipping off from the vehicle by itself without any outside force. This is outbreaks over all Hyundai white pearl paint vics and they are not account for their defect. This problem eventually cause erosion on the body of the vehicle and treat safety of the drivers and people around it. This seems common issue with my research, please look close into this problem and protect driver and customer who have no power to defend their right. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and lost power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted immediately. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had an air leak with the fuel. The contact added that the leak was stopped after an undisclosed repair, but the failure reoccurred a day later. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was then taken to the same dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the throttle body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred two days later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,700. | Crash: No Fire: No | 72,700 |
| Nov 2025 | ENGINE | While driving the oil light started flashing then the check engine light started flashing with no prior warning. The car was checked, it had burnt up the oil in it and then I put 3 quarts in it. It was 200 miles from needing an oil change. The engine had little to no power once oil was put in it. It died on the side of a highway. It had to be towed to a mechanic. There was no prior warning to this incident that the oil was low. This car put me and my child at risk of car accidents when on the road trying to get home with traffic behind me because the car wouldn't accelerate. I called Hyundai and they said they wouldn't help with no recall or extended warranty on the car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |