Hyundai Santa Fe - Reliability and safety

The Santa Fe only received a four-star out of five Euro NCAP score for the entry-level Premium version without the optional Smart Sense+ Pack, and the maximum five-star rating for mid-range Ultimate and above with it. That's a little disappointing when its chief rival, the Skoda Kodiaq, has a five-star rating throughout the range. There are still plenty of other safety assistance highlights provided as standard, including a driver monitor, forward-collision avoidance, lane following and adaptive cruise control, although the assorted beeps and bongs that come with these features might become a source of irritation for some drivers.

Among the Santa Fe’s safety suite is ‘Highway Drive Assist’, which combines adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality and lane following assist. Other tech on board includes forward-collision avoidance assist and driver-attention alert – although the latter can be activated just by looking either way when exiting a junction. Pricier models also feature ‘Blind Spot View Monitor’, which displays a feed from the exterior cameras on the driver’s display when you indicate. 

The latest Hyundai Santa Fe was too new to make it onto our most recent list of top 50 cars to own in the 2024 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. However, Hyundai finished 17th (out of 32) in the 2024 best car manufacturer rankings. Owners who responded to our survey praised their cars’ infotainment, running costs and value for money.

Warranty

Hyundai’s five-year warranty is still a strong offering in the new car market. Some rivals now offer coverage for a similar period, but not all have the same unlimited mileage limit.

There's also an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the hybrid battery pack. Also included are 12 months of free roadside assistance and free annual health checks (visual inspections) of your car.

Servicing

Hyundai offers a service plan that covers the first three dealer visits for the Santa Fe. However, a total of £690 is pricey when compared with some rivals, although buyers can opt to include the service plan with any finance package they take out.