Head-to-head reliability
Hyundai Santa FE vs FORD F 150
How the Hyundai Santa FE and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Hyundai Santa FE averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Hyundai Santa FE has 2,279 complaints and 41 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 27,559 complaints and 141 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Hyundai Santa FE | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 2,279 Better | 27,559 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 41 Better | 141 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 87 Better | 762 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 227.9 Better | 2755.9 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 82 Better | 714 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 10 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Hyundai Santa FE
- 01ENGINE965
- 02POWER TRAIN417
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER386
- 04ELECTRICAL SYSTEM269
- 05SERVICE BRAKES156
“While driving on the on ramp to [XXX] the car completely stopped and all systems shut off. There were two dash lights that flashed quickly with one being the check engine light but I did not see the other long enough to identify it. The dealership could not r…”
“After turning off the radio with the push button control the instrument cluster and navigation display panel went completely dead black. After pushing multiple buttons several times the panel came back to life. This has not yet been reported to the dealer. On…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN9,972
- 02ENGINE4,861
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3,475
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER3,212
- 05STRUCTURE1,486
“When I am parking the truck, I press and hold the brake pedal, While the truck shifter in in "Drive", I press the start/stop button to shut truck down, the shifter gets stuck in "drive" and doesn't automatically shift in to park. The truck locks down and will…”
“My truck is a 2025 Ford F150 STX with 5,900 miles on it. This truck was purchased new at River City Ford in Lavalette, WV The component in questions seems to be involved with the turbos and more specifically the wastegate that attached to the turbos. Also, ye…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Hyundai Santa FE — 41 recalls
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson and Santa Fe vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power and engine damage, possibly resulting in an oil leak.
The risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash. An oil leak in the presence of hot engine components can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire.
The fix: Dealers will replace the engine, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 23, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 281.
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.
The risk: Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix: Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289…
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid, Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 IONIQ 5, Santa Cruz, Kona, Palisade, Palisade Hybrid, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, and Tucson vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel displa…
The risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 855-371-9460. Hyundai's number…
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, 2023-2026 Genesis G90, 2024-2026 Hyundai Santa Fe, and Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid vehicles. The driver and passenger seat belt anchors may detach.
The risk: A detached seat belt anchor will not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and reinforce or replace the seat belt anchors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 29, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and Genesis cus…
FORD F 150 — 141 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 F-150, 2022-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, Maverick, 2024-2026 Ranger, 2023-2026 F-600 SD, 2022-2027 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2026 E-Transit vehicles. When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may los…
The risk: Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driver’s ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: The integrated trailer module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, 2024 Expedition and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine. The engines may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 23, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for th…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Bronco, 2024 Ranger, 2025 Mustang, Explorer, and Aviator vehicles. The transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly, which can cause reverse gear failure, or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear.
The risk: Unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will replace the transmission main control valve body, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S19.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Expedition, and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. The engine may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | Hyundai Santa FE | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 28 | 9 |
| 2025 | 119 | 320 |
| 2024 | 134 | 600 |
| 2023 | 200 | 1448 |
| 2022 | 191 | 3292 |
| 2021 | 163 | 4939 |
| 2020 | 199 | 2530 |
| 2019 | 192 | 5718 |
| 2018 | 108 | 5505 |
| 2017 | 945 | 3198 |
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Hyundai Santa FE or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Hyundai Santa FE vs FORD F 150
- Hyundai Santa FE total complaints
- 2,279
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 27,559
- Hyundai Santa FE total recalls
- 41
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 141
- Hyundai Santa FE avg complaints/year
- 227.9
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 2755.9
- More reliable overall
- Hyundai Santa FE
- Hyundai Santa FE top complaint area
- ENGINE
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN