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Hyundai Santa FEModel year report

2016 Hyundai Santa FE Problems

Compared with other Hyundai Santa FE years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

17/100 0.5× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
236filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
61,150miles, 68 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
21 mpgcombined, 3.3L 6-cyl FWD · 18 city / 25 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2016 Hyundai Santa FE (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2016 Santa Fe most often report engine problems: knocking, sudden stalling or loss of power while driving, oil loss, and in several cases a diagnosis that the engine must be replaced. These reports cluster from roughly 60,000 to 150,000 miles. Other recurring themes in the sample are a panoramic sunroof that shatters while driving, and a smaller group of transmission, brake and fuel-gauge complaints.

  1. Engine

    Engine knocking, stalling or failure

    • 173 complaints (73%)
    • median 80,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (38 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $7,000 (median of 15 quotes)
    • filed 2016–2026

    Complaints describe knocking noises, sudden loss of power at highway speed, stalling that will not restart, heavy smoke, and oil loss; several owners say a dealer or shop concluded the engine had to be replaced. Some were told the cause was sludge or low oil and that warranty coverage depended on service records. A few mention metal debris in the oil pan or an engine that seized. Most sample reports fall between about 60,000 and 150,000 miles, often at highway speed with no warning light or only a brief one.

    8 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for a cold-start listen for knock or tapping, and check oil level and condition for a fuel smell. Ask whether the engine warranty extension and any knock-sensor software update have been applied.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I took my car to the local Hyundai service center 8/4/2020 due to the check engine light being on. No other symptoms. I was told the light came on due to complete engine failure. No other information provided. I'm currently waiting to hear if the repair will be covered by my extended warranty of if I will be faced with the $17k repair. Vehicle is only 4 years old and has required servicing every year since I purchased it (cpo).”

    NHTSA complaint #11348442, filed 2020-08, 65,000 miles

    “While driving on the interstate, I noticed a tapping noise that sounded like a flap hitting the car. I needed gas, so got off at the next exit. While exiting the interstate, the noise got louder and the car didn't want to accelerate. I pulled into the gas station. As I entered the parking spot, the car died. (it had burned oil in the past. I have had an engine cam replaced in aug/sept 2019). I checked the oil. No oil! So, I ran and bought 5 quarts of oil and put them in the engine. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11404814, filed 2021-03, 106,000 miles
  2. Other or unknown

    Panoramic sunroof shatters while driving

    Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe a loud bang like a gunshot and the roof glass breaking into pieces over the cabin, sometimes at highway speed with nothing overhead. Several say glass landed on passengers, and one report notes the shade would no longer open fully. Dealers were reported as unwilling to cover the replacement, in some cases saying something must have struck the glass. Reported from as little as 900 to about 16,000 miles, frequently at highway speeds.

    What to check: Inspect the roof glass for chips, unusual stress marks or previously replaced panels, and confirm the sunshade opens and closes smoothly.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The front sunroof on my 2016 Santa Fe I bought in jan 2016 that has approx. 8000 miles, exploded on the way to work while driving on the interstate. It sounded like a gun shot in my right ear, then glass began to fall on my head and throughout the car - I'm sure the majority of it was sucked out and onto the interstate. (I had the sun shade inside opened so my child could watch the rain on the ride to the babysitters.)I found others with the same problem when I googled it. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10853568, filed 2016-04, 8,100 miles

    “Driving alone on highway, sunroof spontaneously exploded. I was driving roughly 100 km / he. There was nothing overhead or vehicles ahead that would cause something to break it. The incident was extremely loud, all the glass feel over me causing a huge safety concern as it was at highway speeds. The sunroof is a panoramic so it was a huge amount of glass. Hyundai was notified numerous times. They would not acknowledge this had happened before, insisted something hit it. Hyundai also would not cover the cost of replacement.”

    NHTSA complaint #11056221, filed 2017-12, 15,000 miles

Buying note. Because engine reports dominate this model year, a pre-purchase inspection focused on engine noise, oil condition and service history is worthwhile, along with confirming whether any open recalls or warranty extensions apply. Checking the sunroof glass and the ABS recall status takes little time and may save a costly surprise.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 236 consumer complaints for the 2016 Hyundai Santa FE. 68 of the complaints include a mileage, and 40% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 61,150 miles. Of all complaints, 6 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 114 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 15 Hyundai Santa FE model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 17 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (fewer complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Engine cooling (4), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (4), Back-over prevention (rear camera) (3), Seats (3), Steering (3), Wheels (3), Electronic stability control (2), Exterior lighting (2), Suspension (2), Equipment (1), Lane departure (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “This vehicle has a surging issue. When I come to a traffic light stop it acts like it's going to die I can fell my foot on the pedal also the RPM is drop . Took it to dealer and advise me they can't test it with out no check engine light on and it continues to perform the same also I replace the spark plug and coil was burn bad and rust sill have same issue look like issue with fuel or idle.”

NHTSA complaint #11196892, filed 2019-04, 55,000 miles

Other or unknown: “The air conditioning condensor on my Hyundai 2016 Santa Fe was damaged by road debris that apparently came through the front grill of my car and had to be replaced. How can road debris damaged my air condensor? Shouldn't all internal engine components of a car be protected from this type of damage? This concerns me because what other engine components could be damaged by the grill not properly covering the other vital engine parts. I have heard that this is a design flaw with my vehicle.”

NHTSA complaint #11129562, filed 2018-09, 35,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “The car was at a complete stop in a driveway. The car was still running because I was getting out of the car to get the mail. I put the car in park and went to get out of the vehicle. As I got out the vehicle started going in reverse and pulled me underneath the car and the vehicle ran over me. I'm not sure if the transmission slipped out of park to reverse on its own or if the shifter wasn't actually placed in park. I thought the vehicle could sense if no one was in the drivers seat and automatically put the car into park or neutral. …”

NHTSA complaint #11186984, filed 2019-03, 50,109 miles

Brakes: “I was driving my 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe to my morning job, & noticed a slight trembling of the vehicle initially. Upon approaching a stop sign at a 2 way stop, I noticed that my brakes were not fully engaging so I pumped them a couple times. Immediately my car started accelerating on its own faster and faster until my brakes were not stopping the car at all even with my foot pushing the brake pedal down as far as possible. My foot wasn’t on the accelerator at all. I noticed a pickup truck about to cross the intersection for which I needed to stop. …”

NHTSA complaint #11522385, filed 2023-05

Mileage when problems were reported

40% of the 68 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 18,900 and 87,000 miles.

18%0–1010%10–2512%25–5025%50–7518%75–10015%100–1503%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (68 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 61,150 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

20162018202020225720242026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2016 Hyundai Santa FE version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Santa Fe AWD3.3L 6-cyl6-speed automatic182420$3,350
Santa Fe FWD3.3L 6-cyl6-speed automatic182521$3,200
Santa Fe Ultimate AWD3.3L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172219$3,550
Santa Fe Ultimate FWD3.3L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172320$3,350

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2016 Hyundai Santa FE → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 114 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 114 bulletins →

Other model years of the Hyundai Santa FE

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026375,1004524Too new to compareToo new
202513510,0245424Too new to compareToo new
202415513,5007424Too new to compareToo new
20232139,100152659 · TypicalToo new
202220117,500552677 · MoreRising
202116820,500752677 · MoreStable
202021815,000252554 · TypicalRising
201920310,000252547 · TypicalRising
201811021,90025217 · FewerRising
201797119,5546—21100 · MoreRising
201623661,1503—2117 · FewerRising
201525563,0902—2114 · FewerStable
201449360,0003—2153 · TypicalFalling
201360555,1353—2172 · MoreFalling
201235571,348132245 · TypicalFalling
201118144,1002—2228 · FewerFalling
201026041,5002—2344 · TypicalFalling
200935977,0002—2040 · TypicalFalling
200854173,6684—2056 · TypicalFalling
200768474,0157—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200610662,1411—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200521679,5003—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200430372,5003—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200330880,0004—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2002165104,5004—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2001209102,9544—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Hyundai Santa FE model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Hyundai Santa FE?

Owners of the 2016 Santa Fe most often report engine problems: knocking, sudden stalling or loss of power while driving, oil loss, and in several cases a diagnosis that the engine must be replaced. The issues reported most often: Engine knocking, stalling or failure; Panoramic sunroof shatters while driving.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2016 Hyundai Santa FE have?

NHTSA recorded 236 consumer complaints for the 2016 Hyundai Santa FE as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2016 Hyundai Santa FE is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 151 complaints (64% of the total), followed by other or unknown with 25.

Has the 2016 Hyundai Santa FE been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2016 Hyundai Santa FE get?

The EPA rates the 2016 Hyundai Santa FE (Santa Fe FWD, 3.3L 6-cyl) at 21 mpg combined, 18 city and 25 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,200 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2016 Hyundai Santa FE reported?

Among the 68 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 61,150 miles and the middle half falls between 18,900 and 87,000 miles; 40% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.