Hyundai Santa Fe review - Reliability and safety

The Hyundai Santa Fe was awarded a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, scoring an impressive 94 per cent in the adult occupant category and 88 per cent for child occupant safety. Rivals from Skoda, Peugeot and Nissan are all five-star cars too.

Part of the reason for the Santa Fe’s great rating was its selection of standard active safety equipment. Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) is standard across the range and has pedestrian detection capabilities, while hill start and descent control systems are also standard, along with a lane departure warning and lane-keep assist. 

Ultimate models add rear-cross traffic alert and a blind-spot detection system that can actively intervene by applying the car’s brakes on either side to try to avoid a side-swipe accident. The Santa Fe Ultimate spec is also equipped with Highway Driving Assist, featuring lane-keeping assistance, smart cruise control, map data and vehicle sensors which can instigate corrective measures when required.

The Santa Fe didn't feature in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, while Hyundai itself finished in 11th spot on a list of 29 manufacturers. The Kona compact SUV topped the Driver Power survey in 2021, and finished in a strong fourth place in 2022.

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Warranty 

All Hyundai models come with an unlimited mileage, five-year warranty that’s amongst the best in class –especially if you plan to keep your Santa Fe for more than the average two or three years. Neither the Skoda Kodiaq nor the Peugeot 5008 can match this - both supplied with a standard three-year/60,000-mile package.

Servicing

Hyundai offers fixed-price, individual service plans tailored to your expected annual mileage. Customers have the option of paying a lump sum upfront or via monthly installments.