2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Recalls & Reliability
288 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 21/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 57,850 miles.
Typical
Where 2020 sits among all Santa Fe years
What owners report
“Excessive oil burn off. Oil is getting into the cylinder, causing scorching. This causing engine failure.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Santa Fe
“Sunroof spontaneously exploded while driving on the highway. There were no other vehicles around and nothing visibly seen that hit the roof.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Santa Fe
“I was driving on the highway going about 75 to 80. My vehicle will start warning me that a car was in front of me when the cars was about 3 to 4 car links ahead of me. The emergency brake will start for at least a mile down the road. Then shut off. It will happen at least 5 times on a 4 hour trip.…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Santa Fe
“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”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Santa Fe
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 53 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 14,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 2,400 and 61,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
110 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2020 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 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe drew 288 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 21/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe problems?
The top reported problems for the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe are engine (77 complaints), other (43), and driver assistance (30).
At what mileage do 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe problems show up?
Owners most often report 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe problems around 14,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 2,400 and 61,000 miles.
Does the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
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.