How safe is the Hyundai Santa Fe?
Drivers of the 2020–2023 Hyundai Santa Fe died at a rate of 22 per million registered vehicle years, 39% lower than the average of 37 for all vehicles. That makes it close to the middle of the pack for driver safety: it ranks 57th of 129 vehicles, safer than 55% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
Where the Hyundai Santa Fe sits among all 129 vehicles
Hyundai Santa Fe (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 37
The rate is based on plenty of data, so this ranking is reliable.
2WD vs. 4WD
IIHS rates each drivetrain separately. The score above combines them, weighting the version with more data more heavily.
| Version | Deaths* | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Santa Fe 2WD | 32 | 15–48 |
| Hyundai Santa Fe 4WD | 17 | 4–29 |
Vehicles ranked near the Hyundai Santa Fe
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | Chevrolet Silverado 2500 crew cab 4WDPickup · Very large | 21 | 59 |
| 55 | GMC Sierra 2500 crew cab 4WDPickup · Very large | 21 | 58 |
| 56 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab 4WDPickup · Large | 21 | 55 |
| 57 | Hyundai Santa FeSUV · Small | 22 | 55 |
| 58 | Volkswagen TiguanSUV · Midsize | 22 | 55 |
| 59 | Acura MDX 4WDLuxury SUV · Midsize | 21 | 55 |
| 60 | Hyundai PalisadeSUV · Midsize | 24 | 54 |
How it compares with other SUVs
Among the 46 SUVs ranked, the Hyundai Santa Fe is 22nd. The safest SUVs are below. See all SUVs.
| SUVs rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet Tahoe 4WDSUV · Large | 0 | 100 |
| 2 | Toyota RAV4 Prime Plug-in hybrid 4WDSUV · Small | 5 | 96 |
| 3 | Volkswagen AtlasSUV · Midsize | 6 | 95 |
| 4 | Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4WDSUV · Very large | 6 | 94 |
| 5 | Ford Escape hybridSUV · Small | 7 | 91 |
| 22 | Hyundai Santa FeSUV · Small | 22 | 55 |
Earlier models
In the earlier IIHS study of 2019–2020 models, the Hyundai Santa Fe had a driver death rate of 18 (range 4–32) and ranked 39th of 127. The newer rate is higher.
Common questions
Is the Hyundai Santa Fe a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the Hyundai Santa Fe is close to the middle of the pack for driver safety. Its driver death rate of 22 per million registered vehicle years is 39% lower than the average, and it ranks 57th of 129 vehicles across all classes.
How does the Hyundai Santa Fe compare with other SUVs?
It ranks 22nd of 46 SUVs. The safest is the Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD, with a rate of 0.
Is the 2WD or 4WD Hyundai Santa Fe safer?
The 4WD version had the lower driver death rate (2WD: 32, 4WD: 17). Their ranges overlap, so the difference may be down to chance.
Why is this different from the Hyundai Santa Fe's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.