Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Santa Fe: Reliability Compared

Honda Pilot reliability comparison

Honda Pilot

68
GoodReliability score: 68 out of 100, rated Good
VS
More ReliableHyundai Santa Fe reliability comparison

Hyundai Santa Fe

70
GoodReliability score: 70 out of 100, rated Good

A slight edge goes to the Hyundai Santa-FE over the Honda Pilot on reliability, mainly because it visits the shop less often. Both rate good. The Santa-FE averages 0.2 unscheduled visits a year to the Pilot's 0.5, though oil burning and a higher recall count temper its lead.

How Do the Honda Pilot and Hyundai Santa Fe Generations Compare?

Most used shoppers will be looking at late third-generation or fourth-generation cars of both models. The Pilot's fourth generation began with the 2023 model year, and a facelift arrived for 2026. Its weakest years, 2019 and 2020, belong to the third generation, which ran 2016 to 2022 and was refreshed for 2019. The Santa-FE's fifth generation starts with 2024. Its fourth generation ran 2019 to 2023 with a refresh in 2021, and the weak 2022 model sits there. The weak 2018 model closed out the third generation, which ran 2013 to 2018.

Verdict

The Hyundai Santa Fe is more reliable than the Honda Pilot, scoring 70/100 vs 68/100.

Reliability tilts slightly toward the Santa-FE. Both land in good standing, but the Santa-FE needs unscheduled shop visits far less often, 0.2 a year against 0.5, and a repair is less likely to be major, 10% against 13%. Annual repair cost is close, so the gap is small. The Santa-FE also carries more recalls and a heavy oil-burning pattern, which keeps its lead narrow rather than clear.

Key Differences

  1. 1Hyundai Santa Fe costs $27 less per year to repair
  2. 2Honda Pilot has 9 fewer total recalls
  3. 3Hyundai Santa Fe has 3% lower major repair risk

Category Scoreboard

1Honda Pilot
—
5Hyundai Santa Fe
Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair Risk

Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Santa Fe: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Santa Fe at-a-glance reliability comparison
MetricHonda PilotHyundai Santa Fe
Reliability Score68/10070/100
Years Tracked99
Total Recalls5160
Complaints per 10k Sold9.18
Annual Repair Cost$542/yr$515/yr
Repair Frequency0.5/yr0.2/yr
Major Repair Risk13%10%
Year Wins3 (1 tied)5 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda Pilot and Hyundai Santa Fe?

Electronics and drivability dominate the Pilot's complaints. The infotainment screen goes blank with "Network Communication Lost," taking the backup camera and sometimes the gauge cluster with it. Stop/start can fail to restart the engine. Some engines fail with knocking, and transmissions shudder from about 50,000 miles. Santa-FE complaints lean on engines that burn oil, often from roughly 78,788 miles, which can end in stalling or engine failure. Its crash-linked reports sit in areas the Pilot does not list: service brakes, with 11, and vehicle speed control, with 8, including surging while parking.

Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Santa Fe common problem areas comparison
ComponentHonda PilotHyundai Santa Fe
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2.4Low0.9Very Low
ENGINE1Very Low1.5Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1.1Low1.2Low
POWER TRAIN0.9Very Low1.3Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE0.6Very Low0.2Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES0.3Very Low0.5Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM0.6Very Low—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM0.4Very Low0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL0.1Very Low0.3Very Low
STEERING0.2Very Low0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER0.1Very Low0.1Very Low
AIR BAGS0.1Very Low0.1Very Low
STRUCTURE0.1Very Low0.1Very Low
SEAT BELTS0.1Very Low0.1Very Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION0.1Very Low—None
VISIBILITY—None0.1Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING—None0.1Very Low
TIRES—None—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING—None—None
SEATS—None—None
TRAILER HITCHES—None—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda Pilot or Hyundai Santa Fe?

Independent repair-cost data puts the Pilot at $542 a year and the Santa-FE at $515. That $27 yearly gap adds up to about $135 over five years, which is small. The bigger difference is frequency. The Pilot makes 0.5 unscheduled shop visits a year, while the Santa-FE makes 0.2. A Pilot repair is also more likely to be major, at 13% against 10%.

How Does Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Santa Fe Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Santa Fe year-by-year reliability scores
YearHonda PilotHyundai Santa FeEdge
202681/1000R / 0C75/1005R / 5CHonda Pilot
202571/1004R / 111C75/1006R / 109CHyundai Santa Fe
202472/1006R / 82C73/1009R / 109CHyundai Santa Fe
202372/1005R / 93C70/1004R / 244CHonda Pilot
202272/1003R / 105C66/10014R / 223CHonda Pilot
202163/1008R / 358C69/10010R / 165CHyundai Santa Fe
202060/1009R / 431C70/1002R / 165CHyundai Santa Fe
201956/10011R / 794C69/1003R / 201CHyundai Santa Fe
201863/1005R / 408C63/1007R / 489CTie

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Honda Pilot scored 72/100 and the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe scored 73/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Honda Pilot vs the Hyundai Santa Fe?

Pick the Santa-FE if you want fewer trips to the shop and a lower chance of a major repair. Check the oil level at every fuel stop and ask for service records, since oil burning is its main engine complaint. Test the brakes and parking behavior on a drive. Steer clear of 2018 and 2022, the weakest years. The 2025 and 2026 models rate well, but they have had little time to collect complaints, so do not read that as proof. Pick the Pilot if you can live with electronics glitches and want a car that visits the shop less than once a year on average. Before buying, run the infotainment, cameras, and stop/start through a full drive, and ask whether the fuel pump recall work was done. Avoid 2019 and 2020, the weakest years. The 2023 model rates well and is a reasonable target among newer years. The 2026 has had too little time on the road to judge.

Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Santa Fe: Common Questions

Is the Honda Pilot more reliable than the Hyundai Santa-FE?
No, the Santa-FE has a slight edge. Both have good standing, but the Santa-FE averages 0.2 unscheduled shop visits a year against 0.5 for the Pilot. Its repairs are also less likely to be major, at 10% versus 13%. The gap is small.
Which has more recalls, the Pilot or the Santa-FE?
The Santa-FE has more. Federal recall records show 60 across its nine model years from 2018 to 2026, against 51 for the Pilot. The Pilot has drawn more owner complaints in total, though, at 2382 versus 1710.
Which costs less to repair?
The Santa-FE costs slightly less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $515 a year for it and $542 for the Pilot. Over five years that is about $135, so repair cost alone should not decide the purchase.
What is the biggest problem with the Hyundai Santa-FE?
Oil burning in the engine is the main one. Owners find the engine several quarts low with no visible leak, often from about 78,788 to 110,000 miles. Left unchecked, it can cause misfires, knocking, stalling, or engine failure.
What goes wrong most often on the Honda Pilot?
Electrical trouble leads. The infotainment screen goes blank with "Network Communication Lost," and the backup camera and radio go with it. Stop/start that will not restart the engine is also common. Owners report this from the first weeks of ownership to about 86,000 miles.

Related Reliability Comparisons

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How we score the Honda Pilot and Hyundai Santa Fe

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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