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What 235 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Hev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (235)Crash / fire / injury (10)Engine (150)Transmission & drivetrain (20)Brakes (17)Electrical system (11)Airbags (9)Fuel system (9)Seat belts (8)Body & structure (6)Speed control (5)Engine & cooling (4)

3 of 235 complaints match · Seat belts · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Sep 6, 2024SeatsSeat beltsCrash1 injury

I was rear-ended and the driver's seat did not maintain it's position and fell into the seat behind it.

NHTSA ODI 11613053

Jun 23, 2018Seat belts1 injury

RECENTLY WE COULD NOT UNDO THE SEATBELT THAT OUR 6 YEAR OLD GRANDSON WAS STRAPPED IN. THE MORE TRIED TO EXTEND IT TO RELEASE THE TENSION THE TIGHTER IT BECAME. MY GRANDSON WAS BEING CRUSHED AND WAS SCREAMING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING AND WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. I HAD TO RUN INTO THE GARAGE AND GET A PAIR OF SCISSORS AND CUT THE SEATBELT TO GET HIM OUT. TO REPLACE THE SEATBELT IS GOING TO COST OVER $400 AND THE DEALER WILL NOT PAY FOR IT AS THEY SAID IT WAS OUR FAULT.

NHTSA ODI 11103563

Sep 8, 2016Seat beltsEquipmentCrash2 injuries

2016 HYUNDAI SANTE FE INVOLVED IN A NEAR HEAD ON COLLISION. COMBINED TOTAL SPEED OF IMPACT APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH. TWO OCCUPANTS BOTH WEARING SEATBELTS AT TIME OF CRASH. DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING CRASH. PASSENGER SHOULDER HARNESS FAILED (LOCKING MECHANISM DID NOT LOCK) RESULTING IN PASSENGER HEAD IMPACT WITH WIND SHIELD CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DEFORMATION OF WIND SHIELD AND HEAD INJURY TO THE PASSENGER. LAP BELT RESTRAINT PREVENTED PASSENGER FROM SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE INJURY. PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10904763

Working with the data? Download all 235 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Hev verdict →