Last updated: 2026-10-10
Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota Venza: Reliability Compared
Hyundai Santa Fe
Toyota Venza
Reliability favors the Toyota Venza over the Hyundai Santa-FE by a wide margin. Santa-FE engines burn oil and some fail. Owners filed 1,710 complaints on the Santa-FE, including crash-linked brake and acceleration reports, against just 9 on the Venza.
How Do the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Venza Generations Compare?
Verdict
The Toyota Venza is more reliable than the Hyundai Santa Fe, scoring 80/100 vs 70/100.
The more reliable car is the Toyota Venza, and the gap is large. Its owners filed only a handful of complaints, none about engines or brakes. The Santa-FE earns a good standing, but its record includes heavy oil burning, engine failures, and brake and acceleration complaints tied to crashes. The Venza also has far fewer recalls and a lower yearly repair bill. One caution: the Venza covers only four model years, so its small complaint count partly reflects a smaller pool of cars.
Key Differences
- 1Toyota Venza costs $71 less per year to repair
- 2Toyota Venza has 55 fewer total recalls
- 3Toyota Venza scores 10 points higher in reliability
Category Scoreboard
Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota Venza: Which Is More Reliable?
| Metric | Hyundai Santa Fe | Toyota Venza |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability Score | 70/100 | 80/100 |
| Years Tracked | 9 | 4 |
| Total Recalls | 60 | 5 |
| Complaints per 10k Sold | 8 | 0.2 |
| Annual Repair Cost | $515/yr | $444/yr |
| Repair Frequency | 0.2/yr | 0.5/yr |
| Major Repair Risk | 10% | 10% |
| Year Wins | 0 | 4 |
What Are the Common Problems With the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Venza?
Engine and drivetrain trouble dominates the Santa-FE. Owners find the engine quarts low with no leak, then report shuddering, misfires, stalling at highway speed, and outright failure. Other reports cover rough transmission shifts, failed A/C sensors, and false forward collision braking. Four areas carry crash-linked complaints: service brakes (11), power train (9), vehicle speed control (8), and electrical (2). Some owners describe sudden acceleration while parking and brakes that did not stop the car. The Venza lists no crash-linked area. Its complaints are two lighting reports about shadows in the low beams and two fuel reports about a smaller usable fill than rated.
| Component | Hyundai Santa Fe | Toyota Venza |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 1.5Low | —None |
| POWER TRAIN | 1.3Low | —None |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1.2Low | —None |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 0.9Very Low | —None |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 0.5Very Low | —None |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 0.3Very Low | —None |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 0.2Very Low | —None |
| STEERING | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| AIR BAGS | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| VISIBILITY | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| SEAT BELTS | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| STRUCTURE | 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.
Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Hyundai Santa Fe or Toyota Venza?
How Does Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota Venza Reliability Compare by Year?
| Year | Hyundai Santa Fe | Toyota Venza | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 73/1009R / 109C | 80/1002R / 0C | Toyota Venza |
| 2023 | 70/1004R / 244C | 80/1002R / 0C | Toyota Venza |
| 2022 | 66/10014R / 223C | 80/1000R / 2C | Toyota Venza |
| 2021 | 69/10010R / 165C | 79/1001R / 7C | Toyota Venza |
Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe scored 73/100 and the 2024 Toyota Venza scored 80/100 — 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 Venza?
Hyundai Santa Fe vs Toyota Venza: Common Questions
- Is the Hyundai Santa-FE more reliable than the Toyota Venza?
- No. The Venza rates excellent and the Santa-FE rates good, with a large gap between them. Santa-FE owners report heavy oil burning that can end in engine failure. Venza owners filed only 9 complaints, mostly about headlight shadows and fuel tank fill. The Venza has also been sold for fewer years.
- Which has more recalls, the Santa-FE or the Venza?
- The Santa-FE has far more. Federal recall records show 60 recalls across 9 model years for the Santa-FE. The Venza has 5 across its 4 model years. The Santa-FE has been on sale longer, so part of the difference is simply more time on the road.
- Which is cheaper to repair, the Santa-FE or the Venza?
- The Venza is cheaper. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $444 a year against $515 for the Santa-FE, about $355 less over five years. Both have a 10% chance that a repair is major. The Venza does go to the shop unscheduled more often, at 0.5 visits a year.
- What is the biggest problem with the Santa-FE?
- Engine oil burning is the biggest. Owners find the engine several quarts low with no leak, often around 78,788 to 110,000 miles. Left alone, it can cause misfires, stalling, and engine failure. The Santa-FE also has crash-linked brake and sudden acceleration complaints.
- Does the Venza have any known problems?
- Only minor ones show up in owner complaints. Two owners describe shadows in the top of the low beam light pattern. Two others say the tank takes less fuel than the rated 14.5 gallons and the gauge reads oddly. A dealer called the low fill normal.
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Decided between Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Venza? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.
How we score the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Venza
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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