Model year 2019 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe at 19–25 mpg combined across 8 versions. NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 229 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

3

EPA combined mpg

19–25

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

NHTSA lists this vehicle as SANTA FE XL.

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Hyundai dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 3 safety recalls for the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe, newest first.

Trailer hitches

NHTSA 23V181000 Reported Mar 17, 2023 Park outside
Filed by
Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 244)
Units affected
584,784 (estimate)
Problem
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Santa Fe, 2021-2023 Santa Fe HEV, 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-in HEV and Santa Cruz vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk
A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 244. This recall is an expansion of previous recall number 22V-633.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Service brakes, hydraulic: Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: Control unit/module

NHTSA 22V056000 Reported Feb 3, 2022 Park outside
Filed by
Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 218)
Units affected
357,348 (estimate)
Problem
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
Risk
An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 218.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Side/window

NHTSA 18V715000 Reported Oct 11, 2018
Filed by
Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 177)
Units affected
8,204 (estimate)
Problem
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles. The Side Curtain Air Bag (SCAB) mounting bolts may interfere with and damage the air bags during deployment.
Risk
In the event of a crash, if the air bags become damaged during deployment they may not inflate properly, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the SCAB installation bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 177.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe EPA fuel economy
VersionEngineTransmissionDriveFuelCity/Hwy/CombFuel cost/yrCO2 g/mi
Santa Fe AWD2.0L 4-cyl turboAutomatic 8-speedAll-Wheel DriveRegular19/24/21 mpg$3,200422
Santa Fe AWD2.4L 4-cylAutomatic 8-speedAll-Wheel DriveRegular21/27/23 mpg$2,900380
Santa Fe FWD2.0L 4-cyl turboAutomatic 8-speedFront-Wheel DriveRegular20/25/22 mpg$3,050408
Santa Fe FWD2.4L 4-cylAutomatic 8-speedFront-Wheel DriveRegular22/29/25 mpg$2,700362
Santa Fe XL AWD3.3L 6-cylAutomatic 6-speedAll-Wheel DriveRegular18/24/20 mpg$3,350445
Santa Fe XL FWD3.3L 6-cylAutomatic 6-speedFront-Wheel DriveRegular18/25/21 mpg$3,200432
Santa Fe XL Ultimate AWD3.3L 6-cylAutomatic 6-speedAll-Wheel DriveRegular17/22/19 mpg$3,550479
Santa Fe XL Ultimate FWD3.3L 6-cylAutomatic 6-speedFront-Wheel DriveRegular18/23/20 mpg$3,350453

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicleOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover riskForward collision warning
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV AWD5 stars4 stars5 stars4 stars14.6%No
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV FWD5 stars4 stars5 stars4 stars15.5%No
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL SUV AWD5 stars4 stars5 stars4 stars15.7%No
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL SUV FWD5 stars4 stars5 stars4 stars15%No

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe owner complaints

Owners have filed 229 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe, most recently on Oct 19, 2026. 17 mention a crash, 13 a fire, 10 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe complaints
Component named in complaintsMentions
Engine83
Unknown or other53
Power train38
Electrical system28
Structure: Body15
Service brakes13
Steering13
Fuel/propulsion system12
Air bags7
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking6

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Hyundai Santa Fe model years

Hyundai Santa Fe by model year
YearCombinedRecallsComplaintsOverall rating
2027 Santa Fe21–36 mpg——5/5
2026 Santa Fe21–36 mpg4585/5
2025 Santa Fe22–36 mpg52404/5
2024 Santa Fe22–36 mpg71914/5
2023 Santa Fe24–34 mpg22905/5
2022 Santa Fe24–34 mpg82655/5
2021 Santa Fe24–34 mpg81875/5
2020 Santa Fe22–25 mpg22185/5
2018 Santa Fe19–24 mpg54325/5
2017 Santa Fe19–24 mpg71,3275/5
2016 Santa Fe19–23 mpg33065/5
2015 Santa Fe19–23 mpg43395/5

All Hyundai Santa Fe years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2019 Hyundai models

Sources

  • Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
  • Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
  • Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
  • Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
  • NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Hyundai.