Your vehicle report
2012 Hyundai Santa FE
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 355
- Received Nov 2011 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine stalls and loses power while driving41 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine suddenly shuts off while driving34 complaints · 9.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine knocking from rod or main bearings26 complaints · 7.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #20V746000Hyundai 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 25 crashes, 17 fires, 7 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 24 |
| 2013 | 35 |
| 2014 | 42 |
| 2015 | 10 |
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 33 |
| 2018 | 33 |
| 2019 | 37 |
| 2020 | 32 |
| 2021 | 43 |
| 2022 | 14 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 7 |
| Total | 355 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 41 | 12% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 34 | 9.6% | – | |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 26 | 7.3% | – | NHTSA recall #20V746000 |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 17 | 4.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 14 | 3.9% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 9 | 2.5% | – | |
| Coil springs break and puncture tires | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 6 | 1.7% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 5 | 1.4% | – | |
| Tail light sockets melt and burn | 5 | 1.4% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 5 | 1.4% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 3 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #20V746000December 1, 2020128,948 vehicles affected
engine
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.
A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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 Detection System (KSDS). Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 198.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2012 Hyundai Santa FE.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN