Hyundai Santa Fe DM Highlander (2012-2018)

Good car but a few issues – Bought 2nd hand with 100k on the clock and then electronic brake failed then after 150k the harmonic balancer failed. The head lights are not bright at all. Great fuel economy and love the 7 seats. Show details ·  1

Great Car – Great car for the price. We bought second hand with 114,000 kms, looked and drives as brand new. 2014 Santa Fe does not have EGF for diesel - because its higher overall emission standard doesn't require it! Show details

Audio Unit fail three time in less than 3 years plus electronic parking break issue (Highlander MY15 – My navigation/audio unit has constantly given us issues since we bought this Highlander model back in 2015. The unit has automatically reset the system a couple of times during last three years of ownership which wiped out our personal preferences. The unit display "fatal errors" message in December 2015, which dealer reset the system to fix… Read more

this issue. The unit again display "fatal errors" message again in September 2017 and consequently the unit was replaced by dealer. Again, the replaced unit display "fetal errors" in March 2018 and Hyundai dealer decided to replace with another unit, rather than identifying the underlying problem with this issue. The audio unit shut itself off during the Easter while found to be working again next day. In additions, our Map has not been updated since late 2015 despite servicing at Hyundai dealer and Hyundai has not released Map update according to the dealer. Complimentary Sat nav update as promoted by Hyundai is misleading representation as far as I am concern.

On top of that, the vehicle was stranded on our driveway once due to its electronic parking break being locked in placed. We have to sent vehicle on the flatbed truck to the nearest dealer which was found to be "software" issues with electronic parking break.

Consideration the price tag of $55,000 on this vehicle, we are disappointed with Hyundai for its quality and after sales services provided.

We recently brought another vehicle and decided to stay away from Hyundai brand.

Enjoying our Santa Fe – We chose the Santa Fe (purchased March 2016) after firstly looking at the Tucson. Have driven the Tucson as a loan car since then & still like it, but we wanted the flexibility of a 7 seater. We have used 7 seats with 2 adults in rear row for a week last year & they were fine for space even with one at 1.8m tall. The trick is to move the middle… Read more

row forward slightly.

Driving the diesel Santa Fe is relaxing because the handling is good, the engine power is more than adequate, the quietness above 50kph is comparable to the petrol version. It's a great cruiser on the highway but doesn't feel too big in town. Easy to get 7 litres/100km on the hwy, and average around 7.5 in mix of city & hwy. Now have 30,000km on the odometer.

Cooling on front leather seats is brilliant for Qld. Interior is high quality with dashboard well laid out. Sound system with sub woofer is top quality.

Our car has been reliable & first 75K of driving is covered by free servicing so it can't be cheaper than that. (the offer of free servicing came a few months after we bought, so a real bonus)

Hoping for a long & economical run in this car. We usually keep cars about 10 years so the 5 year warranty was a plus in this purchase

Driving in style – This car is definitely designed for luxury driving. The drivers seat moves back for comfortable entry into the drivers seat then you choose 2 personal preset seating settings to choose from (my husband has set his preferred seat to setting 1 and I am setting 2). No more finding the right setting.... it's all done in a click of 1 button. The… Read more

dashboard offers loads of different settings from speed, fuel, distance travelled, km used in conjunction with petrol, next service due date etc. When you go over the speed limit you are warned verbally "you are over the speed limit". Your side mirrors indicate when it's not safe to change lanes. The car is installed with an amazing reverse camera which has 3 colours to demonstrate the position of your car.. the aim is to line up with the blue rectangle in order to be straight.

The GPS is very clear and precise and offers you roads you want to avoid to shortest route, easiest route and it indicates traffic jams with alternative routes.

It comes with a Bluetooth handfree mobile system in order to allow driver to call safely. The steering wheel allows you to make phone calls so your eyes don't focus on the screen and hands don't need to be removed from the wheel.

There is no cd player however it has bluetooth, mp3 and USB connectivity.

The large computer screen allows you to preset several radio stationsw to avoid tuning and scanning.

The car is keyless start and entry but key needs to be with you.... it beats looking through your handbag for the key.

The cooling and heating system is amazing.. the seats have heating and cooling and the rear /boot also has its own air conditioning so everyone travels in comfort.

Light and wipers are automatic.... no need to put them on.... just focus on the road and let the car do the rest.

The car automatically brakes if you get too close to another car... when you are on the freeway just press cruise control and let the car do the rest... it detects lanes and keeps you well aligned.

I would recommend this car to all my friends and family

I LOVE MY HYUNDAI! – We brought our Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander 2014, last year and I've loved every second of owning it. I had numerous cars in the past, but this car beats the rest. It's smooth, extremely fuel efficient, the leather seats are a dream to clean and its spacious, making it ideal for the kids in the back. From here on in, I'd only ever purchase another Hyundai. Show details

Luxurious family car – Ive had my car since Jan 2016. I still genuinely love driving it. Its smooth, comfortable and luxurious. At this price point, nothing compares. Ive had no major issues with the car but the after sales service is poor. There was a minor electric issue with a switch which was replaced at a service, under warranty. Occasionally the screen freezes which they dont seem to want to fix but its very sporadic and doesnt happen often. Show details

Loved this car – Bought a 2016 D Sante Fe Highlander and it is the best car I have ever owned. Loved the reactive cruise control plus all the safety features of this car. Cannot rate it highly enough. Love Love Love it! Show details

Very Dissapointing – I Own this Santa fe highlander 2016 from last 3 years. I had first 2 years very smooth but last 1.5 years are very dissapointing. The Suv had broken down twice & had to go back where i bought it from. The Sellers are pretty honest & friendly but overall quality for brand is average. I had this Hyundai brand after long time but sorry to say its… Read more

really below average . M sorry Hyundai but m not gonna recommend any of ur car to my mates or any1 i knw at all. Thanks Very unsattiesfied & devastated customer.

2013 Santa Fe BEWARE – We had a 2013 Santa Fe Highlander. This car is a great looking car inside & out. The interior feels good quality & has lots of little storage nooks. Is nice to drive, however I feel the steering is a little sensitive, especially on freeway driving. Air conditioning problems from early on, which can’t seem to be fixed. Our car has just done… Read more

100,000 k’s. Whilst just coming off the freeway recently, our DIFF exploded & oil started pouring from underneath. Hyundai didn’t really want to know about this problem. Surely this is a safety concern for Hyundai??? Could have been a very dangerous situation for us.

After investigating Santa Fe’s of this year, I found 2 other people who had encountered this serious DIFF problem!!!!

Really, really disappointed with this car.

We replaced with a 2nd hand diff (brand new was $6k) & traded it for a Nissan.

Glad to see it gone.

Do not trust auto parking! – I bought this car for the auto-parking which worked a treat for months, until it didn't. It smashed me into the vehicle it was parking behind and dented my Sante Fe (luckily other car was fine). I feel Hyundai should repair the dent but they have not been helpful. The doors are also too low and get stuck on the curb almost every day (poor design), otherwise its great car.  Show details

Gearbox problems, rattles and average service – I bought the Santa Fe DMII Highlander new at Hyundai in Frankston/VIC. I bought a car off the floor, as my previous car was written off. The Hyundai cars get good reviews, John Cardogan is all for it (autoexpert on Youtube) and the drive was good. The cabin plastics are a little cheap and the car developed some cabin rattles over time. At… Read more

around 20,000 km the gearbox developed shifting problems and the dealer tried twice to upgrade the software and "re-learn" the gearbox. I was under the impression nothing had changed and told them to look at replacing the gearbox.

At 45,000km the gearbox didn't shift into certain gears anymore and reversing was not possible.

It took Hyundai Australia nearly 2 weeks to approve a new gearbox.

I passed the car onto my wife, who never liked the car and we sold it privately.

Purchase a wagon or a people mover, there is no need to drive a SUV to haul kids, other cars do it better.

An Outstanding SUV providing luxury and performance – We have had our Santa Fe Highlander for almost two years now and we couldn't be more satisfied with our purchase. The performance is outstanding feeling more like a sports sedan than a SUV, whilst providing every luxury and comfort for both driver and passengers at an affordable price. Reliability and running costs are unbeatable with Hyundai… Read more

providing free servicing for five years. I thoroughly recommend the 2017 Santa Fe Highlander for anyone in the market for a larger SUV with excellent performance, safety, convenience and reliability.

Love my 2016 Santa Fe Highlander – I bought the 2016 Santa Fe Highlander nearly 2 years ago. I shopped around for an SUV for 12 plus months but kept coming back to the Santa Fe. Has heaps of extras as 'standard' features, drives beautifully and I love love love the heated/cooled seats and the panoramic roof. Only thing I'd like to see added would be a CD player - but hey a girl can't have everything ;-) I'd highly recommend this car to anyone looking to buy an SUV.  Show details

Love it 5+++STARS – Review on Santa Fe DM3 Highlander - 2016 model The performance and handling is excellent. Even surprised my husband. Only issue is he is experience a bit of a stall when it comes to city driving when accelerating. Anyone else have that issue? Comfort wise, I love it. Even my cousin who owns BMW are surprised at the features. We have front and… Read more

back heated leather seat with air cond seats at the front. Panoramic roof - bonus to keep baby busy.

It may not be as good in legroom if you are tall. For my 6foot 3 husband, it is tight squeeze if he sits on the passenger side and with the babyseat right behind him, he cant move seat back any further... but since it is my car, its ok by me.

Terrific vehicle – This is my second Santa Fe 2012 then 2016 great in all aspects due to update July 2019 to another Santa Fe Highlander as I as well as my family have really enjoyed the car one daughter bought 2012 when I updated and oldest daughter preparing to buy current vehicle but much to my disappointment it will not be the 2019 Santa Fe as there is no spare… Read more

and yes I have had flat tyres so I am now considering a Kia Sorrento what a blow but then that is life. Have enjoyed every aspect of Santa Fe ownership with excellent service from Hyundai and great reliability.

The Perfect Upgrade – Really happy with the decision to purchase a Santa Fe, great for our family, our two large dogs and the kids to come! We chose the Santa Fe over the Tucson due to the extra room in the boot and the extra two seats. The diesel engine makes for great fuel efficiency and I only fill up once a fortnight usually getting about 600-700k per tank. It is… Read more

comfortable and the leather seats and finishings are very luxurious.We looked at similar models in Ford, Toyota and Nissan but this was the best quality and price point to suit us. Would highly recommend.

Great Car – Love this car. Handles well. Very quiet considering I have the diesel. Economical to run especially as I do long trips to Melbourne regularly. Plenty of legroom for rear seated passengers and for small kids in third row. I wish to GPS announced road names and not just “turn left at the next roundabout”.  Show details

Excellent Car – This car looks and performs so well. The interior and exterior looks premium. If you take the badge of it would be mistaken for a German Car! However, the since the car is diesel, accelerating from 0 km/h, it kind of struggles. But on the freeway, overtaking with this car, it is a beast.  Show details

AMAZING CAR – Bought the Hyundai santa Fe Highlander in 2016. Great car which ticks most of the big named cars boxes but the design in this car is great and looks nicer tghan the BMW and the internal space is grea, the drives smoothly and when you need power it has it and Hyunfai have come a long way. Love the full open roof. I got the cream interior which… Read more

looks great and love the cooling and heating seat options. The only negative comment I have to make is the sound due to being diesl from the outside and also the car does not have park assist to leave a tight spot

Good car ecomony of 9.9L/100 instead of 7.8L/100 – I have highlander model. Excellent car but little bit expensive as compared to competitor.It should provide capability to automatically stop vehicle in emergency instead of just reducing speed like Mazda new CX 5.The average 7.8L/100km is impossible to achieve.Its not easy to get into 3rd row and less space in 3rd row and not comfortable in 3rd row.  Show details

Flawed car in the long term – We bought our series 1 DM Highlander new. Initial impressions were very good with a nice diesel drivetrain, standard features and great fuel economy. However, long term issues led to having to get rid of ours. Ride is fidgety and uncomfortable on typical Australian highways (fixed in the revised models I believe). Ford Territory way better… Read more

in this regard.

Front suspension has very little adjustment so a good wheel alignment on ours was not possible (no camber or caster adjustment!).

Towing capacity 2000kg but we had trouble towing 1300kg without overheating in summer. Radiator is too small. Rear towball weight is also a misery 100kg without upgraded springs. Useless for anything over a box trailer. Towed OK after upgrading the rear suspension but dangerously insufficient engine braking (almost none).

Lots of dash rattles and squeaks.

Oil consumption for the first 30000km 3l between services. Settled after towing.

Rear diff seal and 2 door lock actuators replaced under warranty. No issues with the dealer getting this done.

Overall a very flawed car and a massive disappointent. Needed more development for Australian conditions. Best to avoid as a towing vehicle and i'd recommend an extended test drive before committing. The later ones may well be a lot better?

Best value for money – I have been a loyal Hyundai customer for quite sometime now, never had a reason to complain. Product quality is excellent and service is exceptional. 5 years free servicing that I got was icing on the cake. I bought Santa Fe highlander about 11 months ago. Pros: 1. Smooth ride, excellent stability and handling 2. Great fuel economy 3.… Read more

Great interior and exterior styling

4. Top safety rating

5. Adaptive cruise control is awesome. Makes long distance driving effortless

6. Assisted parking works very well.

Cons:

1. Towing capacity is not that great

2. Last 2 seats are only for kids. Now way adults can sit there comfortably.

3. While seating 7, there is absolutely no luggage room.

4. Dashboard LCD goes blank sometimes. I have to manually reset it.

New version (MY16) has nearly everything that needed improving fixed – Very comfortable car to drive, has an abundance of features and is great value for money. Performance is more than adequate without going overboard for the legal limits. Decent cabin refinement for the price level. The entertainment unit has been updated and is really responsive now and the adaptive cruise works great. We upgraded from an MY13… Read more

and almost all the little things that we wanted changed were fixed in the new model.

A couple of niggly things is the Auto Hold and fog lights turn off each time you turn off the car so you have to turn them on each time. And the Adaptive cruise resets to the furthest distance each time its turned on. But these are extremely minor faults on an otherwise great car.

Very happy with my choice – Excellent driving experience especially on long trips. Very comfortable but not luxurious. Very economical. Not super quiet but certainly not noisy. Has many safety features which make for a confident and easy driving experience. Excellent storage capacity. Great sound system and many other features for attachments using USB etc. Love the "moon roof" .  Show details

Smart car to drive – Smart technology and fuel efficient car. The adaptive cruise control and the autonomous breaking system is great. The car torque is very good on diesel and run smoothly. The satnav is great so do the sound system. I had issue with the multimedia system initially but after updating the software the issue is fixed. It does not have apple air play,… Read more

will be better if it has that. Missing tech it does not have is 360 degree view. The third row sit could have been a little bigger if the manufacturer wants.

Best value a money can buy.

So in love – I'm totally in love with my new car. It is packed full of safety features and drives beautifully. I love the USB port for all my music, the panoramic roof is my children's favourite feature! It's great on fuel too Highly recommend this car to anyone..especially if safety is your number one priority  Show details

Great value for money – Bought it back in Dec 2014 for the Mrs to do the school runs and weekend/holiday trips. Been behaving itself with no problems at all. Even did Grampians off road track (but it was dry weather) and was very impressed how the AWD handled the terrain. The low clearance was an issue in some parts of the track and caused dents/scratches on the exhaust pipes/silencer. Ride is comfortable, enough grunt even with 6 adults.  Show details

Great Vehicle – Great vehicle to drive. Great value considering what other manufacturers provide. Heaps of legroom too. Tyre noise on rougher roads but extremely quiet for a diesel. Will not download contacts from phone. Waiting for Android firmware upgrade for Sat Nav come Media system etc. Safety features on this SUV are considerable. Size was a decision to purchase it. Although a larger SUV but not so big to be a distraction.  Show details

Good in every way EXCEPT failed Audio Unit in first month - made by someone else - has taken 7 weeks – All good EXCEPT on very first 1 month service they discovered audio unit (maps, radio, Bluetooth i.e. hands free in car!) had failed and after 7 weeks have still not got parts. Excuse is it's manufactured by third party....but I bought a Hyundai and thus don't care about that - I just want it fixed. As it is, having to return the car for a… Read more

second time - meaning time of work, inconvenience, etc - VERY annoying. Never had that problem EVER before with Ford (over 14 years).

August 1st 2018 Update: Must replace all 4 tyres at same time!! $1k + environmentally bad

Had one tyre wear because somehow it was not aligned and pumped to same pressure as other, and now been told by service people: "must change all 4 tyres else not operating car to manufacturers spec and voids warranty on issues with driveline I.e. transmission".

Cost is $1k to change all tyres, and other three still got a year in them. Not a good policy or solution HYUNDAI! Wasteful of resources just because your AWD can't cope. Should at least allow front and rear differences.

Should be at the top of your SUV list to look at - but no DPF on the Diesel is a disgrace Hyundai – There is no doubt that this vehicle is value for money in the SUV segment and it makes some of the Germans look very pedestrian. The value is awesome with all the bells and whistles that would cost you anything up to another $40k in a German. It drives very well for an SUV and I struggle to find anything wrong in that respect. A few quibbles… Read more

inside would be some of the Plastics look average and the carpet looks average but the biggest problem is Hyundai has sent this vehicle to Australia without a Diesel Particulate Filter! This is an absolute disgrace as a Diesel emits 4 X the amount of noxious Nitrogen Dioxide and a massive 22 X the amount of particulates to an equivalent petrol. These particulates cause Lung Cancer, Brain Cancer and Heart Failure. This vehicle is marketed to move kids around and its poor form from Hyundai to sell this vehicle here without a DPF while in other markets they install it and other manufactures selling in Australia install them to their Diesels to protect your Health.

Disappointed. Issue with transfer case leaking – Bought a new Series 2 MY16 model in late November 2015. Was extremely happy with the car. It had all the features for a reasonable price and had great performance...until I took it in for it's 6 months service. The dealer service department spotted what was suspected to be an oil leak and a replacement seal was ordered. After bringing the car… Read more

back in they found a leak with with the transfer case. Was told that they have to replace the transfer case and the car was out of commission for more than a week.

Very disappointed especially since the car only had less than 8000 km and replacing major components and no offer of a courtesy car especially since this is a warranty job.

I love my car! – Fantastic car People tend to think hyundais are still cheap. However you definitely get plenty of value in what you pay with these cars. I would highly recommend the Highlander as they just look better, have leather seats and big sunroof. My friend just spent over 100k on a Range Rover and my Santa Fe has more features! Plenty of room in the… Read more

back seat with 2 kids car seat.

3rd row is a bit squishy but good for a quick drive.

I love the heated seats and it is just a joy to drive.

The sat nav tends to get things wrong from time to time but other than that you can't go wrong.