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2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Recalls & Complaints

1

open safety recall on record

Serious

88 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.90 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious17V358000

Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch

If the hood is not securely closed or the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, raises the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy & full details

Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary latch cable, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for the recall is 163.

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.

Complaint volume

88 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

3Crashes
19Fires
4Injuries
0Deaths

Across 88 complaints. Severity Index 0.90.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine41 · 47%Unknown Or Other14 · 16%Electrical System5 · 6%Air Bags3 · 3%Service Brakes, Hydraulic3 · 3%Fuel/Propulsion System3 · 3%Service Brakes3 · 3%Power Train3 · 3%
  1. Engine — 41 reports
  2. Unknown Or Other — 14 reports
  3. Electrical System — 5 reports
  4. Air Bags — 3 reports
  5. Service Brakes, Hydraulic — 3 reports
  6. Fuel/Propulsion System — 3 reports
  7. Service Brakes — 3 reports
  8. Power Train — 3 reports
  9. Engine And Engine Cooling — 2 reports
  10. Structure:Body — 2 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2013 (6) · 2014 (5) · 2015 (3) · 2016 · 2017 (3) · 2018 (4)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.