Hyundai Santa Fe — model-year timeline & key facts
Published · Researched 2026-09-21
Compiled from the Hyundai Santa Fe deep-research dossier; researched 2026-09-21. UNVERIFIED flags from the source research are preserved verbatim.
Key facts
| Powertrain | ICE/Hybrid |
|---|---|
| Power | 277 (2.5T gas) / 231 (hybrid system) |
| Range | UNVERIFIED (ICE/hybrid) |
| Battery | 1.5 (hybrid only) |
| 0–100 km/h | UNVERIFIED (~7.6 gas) |
| Fast charge | n/a |
| New price US | $36.5k–51k new (2026) |
| New price EU | UNVERIFIED (sold in EU; ~€55k+ est) |
| New price CN | Not sold (grey import only — UNVERIFIED) |
| Used price signal | KBB listings: 2021 from $12.2k, 2023 Limited ~$21–25k fair value, 2024 from $21.4k |
| Value call | 2026 gas (new 8AT) for new buyers; 2023 hybrid for used buyers |
| Sweet-spot year | 2026 |
| Years to avoid | 2024; 2021 |
| Reliability flag | 8DCT failures on 2021–2025 gas; hybrid 12V drain reports |
| Biggest risk | 8DCT mechanical failure / recall on 2021–2025 gas models |
| Community verdict | Buy the hybrid or the 2026 8AT; avoid DCT-era gas years |
Model-year timeline 2021–2026
| Year | Generation / changes / reliability / used prices |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 4th gen TM facelift · 2.5T 277hp 8DCT; 1.6T hybrid (226hp sys) 6AT launched; 2.5 NA 191hp dropped later · Early DCT teething; generally solid · Covered by Oct 2022 DCT stop-sale recall (2021–22 MY) · $12k–21k |
| 2022 | TM carryover · PHEV added (261hp, 1.5kWh); hybrid carryover · DCT circuit-board fault → stop-sale · 22V-746-ish DCT recall/stop-sale (61,861 veh incl. Santa Fe) · $14k–23k (PHEV to ~$23k) |
| 2023 | TM final year · No changes · Best sorted of the TM run · Residual DCT warranty claims · $12k–25k |
| 2024 | 5th gen MX5 launch · Boxy redesign; 2.5T 277hp 8DCT; hybrid 231hp 6AT; standard 3rd row (US) · First-year redesign bugs: DCT rollaway, battery drain reports, panel/trim niggles · 24V-529 DCT rollaway (12,349, ~100% defect rate); rearview camera OTA · $21k–38k |
| 2025 | MX5 carryover · No powertrain changes · DCT software fixes in place; 12V drain reports continue on hybrids · Seat-belt anchor recall (2026 announcement, covers 24–26) · $20k–40k |
| 2026 | MX5 · 2.5T drops DCT → 8-speed torque-converter AT; hybrid 6AT unchanged · Too early for owner data; fix addresses the #1 complaint · 2024–26 seat-belt anchors · New: ~$36.5k–$51k; used $30k+ UNVERIFIED |
Sweet-spot year: 2026
Years to skip: 2024; 2021