Is the Toyota Grand Highlander more reliable than the Hyundai Santa-FE?

Yes, the Grand Highlander has a clear edge. Complaint rates are similar, but Santa-FE owners report engine oil burning that leads to stalling and engine failure. The Santa-FE also has crash-linked brake and sudden acceleration complaints. The Grand Highlander is newer, so it has had less time to collect complaints.

Which has more recalls, the Grand Highlander or the Santa-FE?

The Santa-FE has far more. Federal recall records show 60 recalls across 9 Santa-FE model years, against 10 across 3 Grand Highlander model years. The Santa-FE has been sold for more years, so some of the gap is simply time on the road.

What is the main problem with the Hyundai Santa-FE?

Engine oil burning is the biggest one, with 318 engine complaints. Owners find the engine quarts low with no leak, often around 78,788 to 110,000 miles. Left alone, it can bring shuddering, misfires, knocking, stalling, and some engines fail outright.

Does the Grand Highlander have any airbag problems?

Yes. Most air bag complaints cite recall 24V461000, where the curtain airbags may not deploy as intended in certain crashes if the front windows are down. Owners describe months waiting for parts. Ask a dealer to verify the repair was done before you buy.

Which costs less to repair, the Grand Highlander or the Santa-FE?

A comparison is not possible, because only the Santa-FE has repair-cost data here. Independent data puts it at $515 a year, with 0.2 unscheduled shop visits and a 10% chance a repair is major. The Grand Highlander has no figures.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota Grand Highlander: Reliability Compared

Hyundai Santa Fe

Good

More Reliable

Toyota Grand Highlander

Good

Toyota Grand Highlander comes out ahead of the Hyundai Santa-FE on reliability. Heavy engine oil burning on the Santa-FE is the deciding fact. It also has crash-linked brake and acceleration complaints, while Grand Highlander owners mostly report hesitation and a slow airbag recall fix.

How Do the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Grand Highlander Generations Compare?

A short production run defines the Grand Highlander. It is in its first generation, called AS10, and the used market covers only 2024 to 2026. These cars have had little time on the road, so their complaint count will likely keep growing. The Santa-FE has a much longer history. The third generation ran 2013 to 2018, and the fourth ran 2019 to 2023 with a refresh in 2021. The fifth generation, MX5, began in 2024. A used Santa-FE shopper will most often see third, fourth, or fifth generation cars, and 2018 and 2022 carry the weakest standing.

Verdict

The Toyota Grand Highlander is more reliable than the Hyundai Santa Fe, scoring 79/100 vs 70/100.

A clear edge goes to the Grand Highlander. Complaint rates per vehicle sold are close, but the problems differ in seriousness. Santa-FE owners report heavy oil burning that can end in stalling or engine failure, plus crash-linked brake and sudden acceleration complaints. Grand Highlander complaints center on hesitation, a slow airbag recall fix, and a fuel gauge that reads empty early. Those are frustrating, but less dangerous. Federal recall records also show far fewer recalls for the Grand Highlander. It is newer, though, so it has had less time to collect complaints.

Key Differences

1Toyota Grand Highlander has 50 fewer total recalls
2Toyota Grand Highlander scores 9 points higher in reliability
3Hyundai Santa Fe has 0.2 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

1Hyundai Santa Fe

—

2Toyota Grand Highlander

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint Rate

Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota Grand Highlander: Which Is More Reliable?

Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota Grand Highlander at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Hyundai Santa Fe	Toyota Grand Highlander
Reliability Score	70/100	79/100
Years Tracked	9	3
Total Recalls	60	10
Complaints per 10k Sold	8	8.2
Year Wins	1	2

What Are the Common Problems With the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Grand Highlander?

Oil burning drives the Santa-FE's record. Owners find the engine several quarts low with no leak, then report shuddering, knocking, stalling at highway speed, and outright failures. Brakes that do not stop the car and surging while parking led to crashes, with crash-linked reports in brakes, power train, and speed control. The Grand Highlander's reports are milder. Drivers describe stuttering and a few seconds of no acceleration when pulling away, a gauge showing empty with gallons left, and hood flutter at highway speed. Its only crash-linked area is air bags, with one report, and most air bag complaints concern the wait for recall parts.

Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota Grand Highlander common problem areas comparison
Component	Hyundai Santa Fe	Toyota Grand Highlander
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.2Low	1.7Low
POWER TRAIN	1.3Low	1.4Low
ENGINE	1.5Low	—None
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.9Very Low	0.6Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	1.1Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.3Very Low	0.4Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.1Very Low	0.6Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	0.5Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.5Very Low	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	0.4Very Low
STEERING	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.2Very Low	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY	0.1Very Low	—None
SEAT BELTS	0.1Very Low	—None
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.1Very Low	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
TRAILER HITCHES	—None	—None

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

How Does Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota Grand Highlander Reliability Compare by Year?

Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota Grand Highlander year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Hyundai Santa Fe	Toyota Grand Highlander	Edge
2026	75/1005R / 5C	88/1000R / 0C	Toyota Grand Highlander
2025	75/1006R / 109C	80/1003R / 33C	Toyota Grand Highlander
2024	73/1009R / 109C	69/1007R / 171C	Hyundai Santa Fe

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe scored 73/100 and the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander scored 69/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Hyundai Santa Fe vs the Toyota Grand Highlander?

If you want the lower-risk choice, buy the Grand Highlander. It suits a family that wants a midsize SUV with fewer serious complaints. Every model year is 2024 or newer, and the data lists 2024 and 2025 among its weaker years. Because all of them are recent, complaints are still piling up. Confirm that curtain airbag recall 24V461000 was actually completed, since one owner was told it was done when it was not. Test drive for hesitation when pulling away from a stop. Pick the Santa-FE if you want a wider choice of model years and can shop carefully. Independent repair-cost data puts annual repairs at $515. Avoid 2018 and 2022, its weakest years. Ask for oil change records and check the oil level yourself, since burning was often reported between roughly 78,788 and 110,000 miles. Walk away from any car with a low oil light history or unresolved stalling. Have a mechanic test the brakes before you commit.

Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota Grand Highlander: Common Questions

Is the Toyota Grand Highlander more reliable than the Hyundai Santa-FE?: Yes, the Grand Highlander has a clear edge. Complaint rates are similar, but Santa-FE owners report engine oil burning that leads to stalling and engine failure. The Santa-FE also has crash-linked brake and sudden acceleration complaints. The Grand Highlander is newer, so it has had less time to collect complaints.
Which has more recalls, the Grand Highlander or the Santa-FE?: The Santa-FE has far more. Federal recall records show 60 recalls across 9 Santa-FE model years, against 10 across 3 Grand Highlander model years. The Santa-FE has been sold for more years, so some of the gap is simply time on the road.
What is the main problem with the Hyundai Santa-FE?: Engine oil burning is the biggest one, with 318 engine complaints. Owners find the engine quarts low with no leak, often around 78,788 to 110,000 miles. Left alone, it can bring shuddering, misfires, knocking, stalling, and some engines fail outright.
Does the Grand Highlander have any airbag problems?: Yes. Most air bag complaints cite recall 24V461000, where the curtain airbags may not deploy as intended in certain crashes if the front windows are down. Owners describe months waiting for parts. Ask a dealer to verify the repair was done before you buy.
Which costs less to repair, the Grand Highlander or the Santa-FE?: A comparison is not possible, because only the Santa-FE has repair-cost data here. Independent data puts it at $515 a year, with 0.2 unscheduled shop visits and a 10% chance a repair is major. The Grand Highlander has no figures.

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How we score the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Grand Highlander

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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