2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Recalls & Reliability

272 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 20/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports, typically around 35,900 miles.

One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.

272Complaints
20/100Trouble index
2Recalls
12,000Typical trouble mileage

Better year

Where 2019 sits among all Santa Fe years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Engine 68 complaints (25%) · typically ~35,900 miles
“Oil consumption on vehicle engine leading the engine to run low on oil for extended periods of time”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Santa Fe
Other 53 complaints (19%) · typically ~15,000 miles
“I was driving and the car just turned off. A check engine light went on. I was able to restart the car. The dealer says they cant see any issues. I was put at risk because I was actively driving and the cars around me were driving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Santa Fe
Transmission & drivetrain 31 complaints (11%) · typically ~13,739 miles
“My car just stalls at a stop ligth , no check engine light, no warning, and takes several attempts to start. It happened 3 times in two weeks one of those time while in the highway. One a the stop ligth and one driving in the neighborhood.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Santa Fe
Electrical 28 complaints (10%) · typically ~10,000 miles
“Continuous issue of front driver passenger power seat front level button failure. Continuous Headlights, fog lights getting fused every 4 months. Indoor back roof light works and sometime just does not work for months.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Santa Fe
Driver assistance 18 complaints (7%)
Body & structure 14 complaints (5%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 79 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 12,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 3,000 and 39,800 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (2)

TRAILER HITCHES 23V181000 2023 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…

Fix: 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…

AIR BAGS 18V715000 2018

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. The Side Curtain Air Bag (SCAB) mounting bolts may interfere with and damage the air bags during deployment.

Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the SCAB installation bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer…

Federal defect investigations

Loss of Motive Power DP22003 opened 2022, closed 2023

Technical service bulletins

182 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2019 Santa Fe TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2018peak 47 in 20252026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?

The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe drew 272 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 20/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).

What are the most common 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe problems?

The top reported problems for the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe are engine (68 complaints), other (53), and transmission & drivetrain (31).

At what mileage do 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe problems show up?

Owners most often report 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe problems around 12,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 3,000 and 39,800 miles.

Does the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe have recalls?

2 recall campaigns apply to the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.

← 2018 Santa Fe All Santa Fe years 2020 Santa Fe →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

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.