2012 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Recalls & Reliability
475 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe, alongside 1 recall campaign and 6 defect investigations. It scores 32/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 89,662 miles.
Typical
Where 2012 sits among all Santa Fe years
What owners report
“I was driving on the highway when the engine began to make a noise. It is an engine failure and has to be replaced.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Santa Fe
“Right rear brake light assembly leaks water shorting out the right rear brake light, this should be a product recall”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Santa Fe
“Accelerating away from stop light, accelerator pedal detached from firewall. The vehicle was 15-20 ft. Into a five lane intersection. The vehicle idled through the intersection safely into a parking lot. Fortunately this happened at 0610 on 26 june 2016 when traffic was lite.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Santa Fe
“My abs lights are on and won't go off. I had it checked for 80$ to get told it is a sensor in the rear hub of tire that is not reading the tire speed. They want 500$ to repair it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Santa Fe
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 374 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 59,707 miles. Half of those reports fall between 16,130 and 108,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Veloster, 2012 Santa Fe, 2011-2013 Sonata Hybrid, and 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which over time can result in engine damage.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine. If bearing damage is found, the engine will be replaced. Dealers will also install a software update containing a new Knock Sensor…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 23V877.
Led to recall campaign 20V061000.
Led to recall campaign 18V907000.
Led to recall campaign 17V226000.
Technical service bulletins
99 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 Santa Fe TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
The 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe drew 475 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 32/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe are engine (234 complaints), electrical (56), and speed control (40).
At what mileage do 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe problems around 59,707 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 16,130 and 108,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.