Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the Hyundai Santa Fe fails its MOT on, with rough repair costs, and how each model year's MOT pass rate compares with other cars of the same age. Based on 64,535 MOT tests across 21 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: large car | Fuel: Diesel, Petrol
79%
Hyundai Santa Fe pass rate
83%
Hyundai average
82%
All-model average
The Hyundai Santa Fe has an average MOT pass rate of 79%, which is 4 points below the Hyundai average and 3 points below the average across all models in our data. Newer Hyundai Santa Fes pass their MOT more often than older ones, by 14 percentage points on average, which is mostly down to age and wear.
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What the Hyundai Santa Fe Fails Its MOT On
Of the 10,149 MOT tests on the Hyundai Santa Fe that failed at the first attempt in 2025, the share that failed on each part of the test, next to the share for all cars and vans of the same ages. A test that failed on two areas counts in both.
Lights and electrics
43%Cars and vans the same age: 40% · Typical repair £15-£200
Suspension
36%Cars and vans the same age: 36% · Typical repair £150-£600
Brakes
27%Cars and vans the same age: 23% · Typical repair £80-£450
Tyres
20%Cars and vans the same age: 21% · Typical repair £50-£300
Body, chassis and structure
14%Cars and vans the same age: 13% · Typical repair £200-£1200
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Position lamp: not working (13% of failed tests, lights and electrics)
- Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (12% of failed tests, suspension)
- Drive shaft CV boot split or insecure (9.5% of failed tests, body, chassis and structure)
Source: CarCostCheck analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results and failure items for 2025: first attempt at each MOT, fail and pass-after-repair defects, DVSA's defect categories (names shortened). Repair costs are rough UK ranges, not quotes. Method and national figures: MOT failure reasons 2025.
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Hyundai Santa Fe Years to Avoid
Every car in the 2024 MOT data was tested at the same age as the other cars first registered that year, so each Santa Fe year is compared with all cars from the same year. Years with 1,000+ tests that were at least three years old are included.
Failed more often than cars their age
Passed more often than cars their age
No year passed 3 or more points more often than other cars of the same age.
A lower pass rate means that year failed its MOT more often in 2024; it does not mean every car from that year is bad. Old cars still on the road are often the best-kept ones, which can lift the pass rates of the oldest years. How a car has been looked after matters more, so check the MOT history of the car you are looking at.
Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability by Year
MOT pass rate for each model year, from DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024 (retests included). Newer cars usually pass more often simply because they are younger. All Cars is the pass rate of every car first registered that year, with the gap in points. Highest and lowest are marked among years with 100+ tests that were at least three years old when tested. Fuel and engine size are a guide only.
| Year | Fuel | Engine | Pass Rate | Fail Rate | All Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Diesel | 2.2L | 89% | 10% | 93% (-4) |
| 2020 | Diesel | 2.2L | 94% | 6% | 92% (+2) |
| 2019 | Petrol | 2.4L | 89% | 10% | 91% (-2) |
| 2018 | Diesel | 2.0L | 90% | 9% | 89% (+1) |
| 2017 | Diesel | 2.2L | 88% | 12% | 87% (+1) |
| 2016 | Diesel | 2.2L | 86% | 13% | 86% (0) |
| 2015 | Diesel | 2.2L | 85% | 15% | 84% (+1) |
| 2014 | Petrol | 2.0L | 79% | 21% | 82% (-3) |
| 2013 | Petrol | 3.3L | 76% | 23% | 80% (-4) |
| 2012 | Diesel | 2.0L | 74% | 26% | 79% (-5) |
| 2011 | Diesel | 2.2L | 72% | 28% | 77% (-5) |
| 2010 | Diesel | 2.4L | 72% | 27% | 75% (-3) |
| 2009 | Diesel | 2.2L | 73% | 26% | 75% (-2) |
| 2008 | Diesel | 2.2L | 72% | 26% | 74% (-2) |
| 2007 | Diesel | 2.2L | 72% | 27% | 73% (-1) |
| 2006 | Diesel | 2.0L | 69% | 30% | 73% (-4) |
| 2005 | Petrol | 2.0L | 69% | 31% | 73% (-4) |
| 2004 | Petrol | 2.7L | 70% | 29% | 72% (-2) |
| 2003 | Petrol | 2.4L | 68% | 30% | - |
| 2002 | Petrol | 2.4L | 69% | 29% | - |
| 2001 | Petrol | 2.4L | 61% | 38% | - |
Hyundai Santa Fe Running Costs
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Hyundai Santa Fe FAQ
What are the most common Hyundai Santa Fe problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the Hyundai Santa Fe that failed at the first attempt most often failed on lights and electrics (43% of the 10,149 failed tests), suspension (36%) and brakes (27%). The single most common fault was "Position lamp: not working" (13%). Across 64,535 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 79% ended in a pass.
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
The Hyundai Santa Fe has an average MOT pass rate of 79%, from 64,535 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). Comparing each model year with all cars first registered the same year, so that age is allowed for, it passed within 2 points of other cars of the same age, so about average for its age.
Which Hyundai Santa Fe years should I avoid?
Compared with all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), the 2011 (72% of 6,616 tests passed, against 77% for all 2011 cars), the 2012 (74% of 6,090 tests passed, against 79% for all 2012 cars) and the 2013 (76% of 2,963 tests passed, against 80% for all 2013 cars) failed their MOT most often for their age. A year's pass rate does not tell you about one car, so check the MOT history of the car you are buying.
How much does it cost to fix common Hyundai Santa Fe faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a Hyundai Santa Fe typically costs £80-£450 and suspension repairs £150-£600, while exhaust and emissions fixes can cost £80-£800. Lighting and wiper fixes are usually under £200.
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Other Hyundai Models
Common problems pages for other Hyundai models