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 however, the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
The worst 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine9
- Transmission7
- Fuel system4
- Electrical3
- Driver assistance2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine9
- Transmission7
- Fuel system4
- Electrical3
- Driver assistance2
- Seat belts2
- Acceleration1
- Airbags1
- Seats1
- Tires1
Recalls 3
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV vehicles. Due to a damaged printed circuit board, the rearview camera image may fail to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility and increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 271.
Recall number 24V879000 · Recall details
Trailer hitches
- What is wrong
- 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 through a Hyundai dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
- Risk
- A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- 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 notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V‑633.
Recall number 23V181000 · Recall details
Seat belts: front
- What is wrong
- Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023 Genesis G80 Electric, 2021-2022 Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioners may explode upon deployment.
- Risk
- An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, strike vehicle occupants, and result in injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioners with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 14, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1‑855‑371‑9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 238/011G. This recall is an expansion of recall numbers 22V‑354 and 22V‑458.
Recall number 22V816000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid
Defect investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
the federal safety agency received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, the federal safety agency opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified the federal safety agency he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by the federal safety agency regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP22005
Technical service bulletins for the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid 47
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize
- Excessive paint peeling or bubbling of the primer/paint film on the exterior metal body panels: hood,...
- Peeling or bubbling on metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk
- Peeling or bubbling on metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk
- Inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize
- Inoperable horn that may be caused by foreign substances causing internal parts to oxidize
- Certain 2015 – 2018 model year Elantra, 2015 – 2019 model year Sonata, 2017 – 2021 model year Tucson, 2017...
- Excessive paint peeling or bubbling of the primer/paint film on the exterior metal body panels: hood,...
- Description: Certain Hyundai vehicles with exterior white paint may exhibit peeling or bubbling on metal...
- This bulletin provides information related to the navigation and head unit software changes introduced in...
2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4‑cyl Hybrid | AWD | 33 | 30 | 32 |
What 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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 stated that on several occasions, the vehicle lost motive power. A message indicating that there was no power was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, a red Hybrid warning light with a stop safely message was displayed. The contact stated that the Hyundai App displayed the Power Train and Chassis indicated the contact needed to schedule a service. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined the vehicle had either bad fuel or the vehicle was refueled while the engine was running. Additionally, the gas cap was left open. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer replaced the rocker cover gasket and oil gasket to resolve a leak. The vehicle was at the local dealer awaiting Field Technical Engineer inspection. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number 22V746000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 31,000.
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 contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle failed to restart, and the vehicle was towed. A message indicating that there was no power was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the intake valve had failed. Additionally, an unknown recall repair was performed on the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.
I have been taking my 21 Santa Fe hybrid limited into the dealership for a year and a half for the same code . Powertrain code P040B00, and to this day they can not repair this issue. I looked it up and a ton of us are having issues with this same code. It should be investigated, and customers should be warned. Hyundai needs to recall these vehicles or provide a solution. A year and a half is unacceptable
While driving 80 mph down the highway my brand new vehicle shut off completely, the entire car lost power. In another instance I was going around a roundabout and my acceleration completely went out, my son was in the back seat and another car had to jump the curb to avoid crashing into us. I met a woman in the dealership who has been waiting over a year for her recalled tow hitch to be fixed. When it rains or snows the forward safety systems shut off and the alert repeats extremely distracting on your dash, like sounds, red flashing lights, over and over again. You have to constantly hit the ok button while driving to get it to go away.
From what I have been told there is no recall on this issue. Purchased a Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid 2021 brand new in 2021. I live in La Quinta California summers are especially hot. Temps can be anywhere from 105 to 120 . Only had the car for 6months when in light came on saying Inverter needs coolant this has been a problem for the past 2yrs. Checked with Hyundai Service department my coolant is fine air conditioning works well. This not a safety issue but should be fixed and Hyundai is doing nothing about it. Many complaints have been ignored.
Whenever the weather gets above 80 degrees outside my car put a notice to refill inverter coolant, when everything is filled max line. I’ve mentioned it twice to the Hyundai service and both times the employee told me not to worry about it and it is a sensor issue. That is unacceptable, I live in Las Vegas, Nevada where temperatures on average in summer are 90+. That’s a big risk an unnecessary danger to have my car engine over heat and stop in the middle of no where and potentially leave me stranded or worse cause an accident or fire. On top of that I have to see the message every day in the summer temperatures, without any way to remove the message. This will be the 2nd summer I’ve seen this message appear in my car, and I’m tired of the dealership & their car service staff telling me this is nothing to worry about… especially on car not even 4 years old!
When turning at low speeds especially sharp turns and accelerating, a cracking sound occurs.
Gas pedal stops working while driving down the road. Happened 3 times. Will work again after awhile. Dealership can't find what's wrong with it and so hyundai and the dealership said they can't fix it.
On December 28, 2022, we were driving 70 miles per hour on Route 75 in the third lane of a four-lane highway from Michigan to Tennessee. In Ohio, the vehicle lost all drive power without warning. As it decelerated, we were able to maneuver the vehicle to the breakdown lane, narrowly avoiding other vehicles around us driving at 70 miles per hour. We do not know what caused this to happen. After several hours on the side of the highway, the vehicle was towed to Jeff Wyler Hyundai in Fairfield, Ohio. They have not been able to diagnose the problem as of today. The contact stated that the cause of the issue was due to an oil plug that was improperly tightened by the dealership during service maintenance. As a result of that, the oil was able to drain out and cause the engine to fail.
Compare the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid
Other model years
Questions about the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid
Is the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid reliable?
Owners have filed 20 complaints about the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, fewer than a typical Santa Fe Hybrid model year.
What is the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid year score?
The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid scores 84 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid?
Engine and cooling, with 9 complaints. Next is transmission (7).
How many recalls does the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid have?
3 recalls, covering back over prevention, trailer hitches and seat belts.
What year does the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid have bad engine?
The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid model years with the most engine complaints are 2025 (35 complaints), 2023 (25 complaints) and 2022 (13 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid get?
Official estimates for the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid range from 32 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.6L 4-cyl hybrid, AWD) gets 33 city and 30 highway.
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Check its historyHyundai Santa Fe Hybrid in the news
- 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid owners report a jump in transmission complaints
- Hyundai extends warranty coverage on 2021-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe Hybrid and 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid (electrical system)
- Hyundai extends warranty coverage on 2015-2019 Sonata, 2015-2018 Elantra and 2017-2021 Tucson and other models (unknown or other)