The South-Korean giant, Hyundai manages to deliver cars that are equally reliable as some of its Japanese rivals. The fact that the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe records just 95 complaints and 2 recalls convey the message that this car is reliable. Users majorly faced throttle body and engine issues with the Hyundai which was also found in cars made by Kia, its corporate sibling as they share components. The Hyundai Santa Fe faces competition from cars like the Honda Pilot, the Nissan Pathfinder, and the Kia Sorento but the comparatively low issues give the Hyundai an upper hand as they offer a more reliable package.
User complaints and problems
Electrical Problems
- Infotainment system – Post-starting the car, the display is stuck in the boot-up screen and does not proceed to the navigation view. Dealers tried resetting the device and checked the battery but found no solution. It was claimed that the entire module had to be replaced.
- Antilock Braking System – There is a potential chance of an ABS short circuit that can cause a fire in the engine bay. This was caused due to a faulty ABS multi-fuse and a faulty ABS module.
Mechanical Problems
- Engine – Users found the car to make a knocking sound and slow down all of sudden and overheating of the engine caused it to stall. After an inspection, the dealers stated that it was an engine failure but there was no check engine warning flashing and unfortunately, Hyundai hasn’t recalled the Santa Fe to address this issue. It was stated that these faulty engines consumed almost 2 quarts of oil for every 1,000 miles.
- Fuel System – The car was found to vibrate a lot while idling and it also failed to respond when depressing the accelerator, even though the engine was running. The issue was diagnosed and the throttle body was found to be faulty.
- Transmission – Users weren’t able to shift the gear to reverse and this required them to switch the car off and back on in order to get rid of the issue.
- Steering – The steering on this car had to be constantly corrected as it gets offset post-driving. Dealers stated that this was happening due to a design flaw in the steering unit.
Safety Problems
- Seatbelt – The seatbelt alarm fails to engage when any of the belts aren’t latched and users also found the rear passenger belt to get stuck in the latch.
- Airbags – Multiple users claimed the airbags never deployed during a head-on collision and the dealers had no explanation for this issue.
Interior Problems
- Seats – Users reported that the rear seat bolts loosen over time causing them to make noises while driving.
- Windshield – It was found that the seal around the windshield was weak and let water leak onto the dashboard.
Exterior Problems
- Headlamps – The lights were seen to cast a shadow which becomes a disturbance when driving at night. This was due to a poorly designed headlight unit and there aren’t any fixes for this issue.
- Sunroof – Multiple users found the sunroof to shatter while driving without any prior damage or any contact.
2016 Hyundai Santa Fe recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
5th June 2017 |
17V358000 |
Secondary hood latch may bind and not latch |
If the hood is not properly latched, it could lead to the hood opening while driving and obstructing the visibility of the driver. |
The secondary latch cable will be replaced. |
|
2. |
10th March 2016 |
16V145000 |
Absence of front seatbelt audible warning |
The front seat occupants may forget to latch the seatbelt if there is no audible warning. |
The wires will be rerouted in the front seat buckle harness to their proper location. |
Should you buy the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Selling over 130,000 Santa Fe’s for 2016, Hyundai has yet again formulated a reliable car and the majority of the issues have solutions ready, making things very easy for the owners. The Hyundai is sure worth the $30,400 but the only issue we found to be annoying is the headlight shadows which might take a while to get used to. We recommend picking the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe as it’s easy to maintain and carries a very practical layout, making it ideal for someone looking for a compact SUV that won’t eat up a lot of money.
