Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2017 draws 3.1 complaints per run and the 2015 1.55, a 2.0-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 6 years of age, so 71.8% land after the 5-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Engine, with 670 complaints, typically at 6.4 years.

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Hyundai Santa Fe Sport — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2018	2.56	318	124	yes
2017	3.1	335	108	yes
2016	1.86	69	37	yes
2015	1.55	82	53	yes
2014	2.38	157	66	yes
2013	2.73	191	70	yes

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2017 Santa Fe Sport asks a median $8,999, against $10,995 for a 2018, the next model year: about 18% less, so sellers do price some of the trouble in.

Among the 6 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2017, 2013, 2018; the three worth hunting are 2015, 2016, 2014.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Hyundai Santa Fe Sport — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	47	4.1%	covered
1 year	40	7.6%	covered
2 years	30	10.3%	covered
3 years	59	15.4%	covered
4 years	146	28.2%	covered
5 years	204	46.1%	you pay
6 years	144	58.8%	you pay
7 years	109	68.3%	you pay
8 years	102	77.3%	you pay
9 years	81	84.4%	you pay
10 years	66	90.2%	you pay
11 years	53	94.8%	you pay
12 years	38	98.2%	you pay
13 years	21	100%	you pay

ROWS 14·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 5 years / 60,000 miles. Only 28.2% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 71.8% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (10 years / 100,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 70% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

What waits further out is Engine at 6.4 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Hyundai Santa Fe Sport — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Engine	670	6.4 yrs	3	40
Service Brakes	204	6.3 yrs	6	7
Hydraulic	144	6.2 yrs	—	3
Unknown Or Other	131	5.8 yrs	2	14
Power Train	86	4.7 yrs	1	1
Electrical System	86	7 yrs	1	17
Fuel/propulsion System	81	5.9 yrs	—	11
Engine And Engine Cooling	55	7.6 yrs	—	5

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Santa Fe Sport's vehicle class. Per production run, the Honda Pilot draws 3.9, the Ford Escape 8.92 and the GMC Terrain 2.44, against 2.54 for the Santa Fe Sport.

FIG.05·Hyundai Santa Fe Sport — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Santa Fe Sport	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Honda Pilot	9,359	197	2003–2026
Ford Escape	28,602	227	2001–2026
GMC Terrain	3,172	45	2009–2026
Volkswagen Tiguan	2,278	69	2009–2026
Volkswagen Atlas	1,993	77	2018–2026
Jeep Compass	3,990	47	2006–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

Upgrade to Pro

Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.

Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
No ads, on every page
No ads, no tracking — and much more

See plans → Start free →

Free plan available — no credit card needed

Everything on the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

Recalls23 campaigns Fuel economy24 mpg best Common problems1,288 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Cargo space35 cu ft Used prices987 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2013–2018

Frequently asked questions

Is the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 2.54 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.

Which Santa Fe Sport years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2017, 2013, 2018. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2015, 2016, 2014. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Santa Fe Sport problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 6 years of age. The most reported system is Engine, typically at 6.4 years, followed by Service Brakes.

Will the warranty cover Santa Fe Sport problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 5 years / 60,000 miles, and only 28.2% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 70% of the complaints here.

Is the Santa Fe Sport more reliable than the Honda Pilot?

Yes: 2.54 complaints per production run for the Santa Fe Sport against 3.9 for the Honda Pilot.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

Found this useful?

Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.

Prefer ForCar →