Certain vehicles may develop a bearing noise within the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) column worm shaft assembly. If bearing noise is heard, follow the procedure in this bulletin to replace the worm shaft bearing.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2019 Hyundai Santa Fe steering problems
moderate Owners of the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe have filed 12 NHTSA complaints about the steering at roughly $700 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See steering across all vehicles →
Complaints
12
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
| Model year | steering complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 Santa Fe | 6 |
| 2016 Santa Fe | 3 |
| 2017 Santa Fe | 27 |
| 2018 Santa Fe | 8 |
| 2019 Santa Fe (this page) | 12 |
| 2020 Santa Fe | 6 |
| 2022 Santa Fe | 3 |
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering steering on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Certain vehicles may develop a bearing noise within the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) column worm shaft assembly. If bearing noise is heard, follow the procedure in this bulletin to replace the worm shaft bearing.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Certain vehicles may develop a bearing noise within the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) column worm shaft assembly. If bearing noise is heard, follow the procedure in this bulletin to replace the worm shaft bearing.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Certain vehicles may develop a bearing noise within the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) column worm shaft assembly. If bearing noise is heard, follow the procedure in this bulletin to replace the worm shaft bearing
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This bulletin provides information regarding replacement of the column-mounted Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) system as separate components.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners report steering fails in multiple ways: power steering goes dead without warning light, steering wheel locks up solid, or Lane Keeping Assist suddenly jams the wheel hard left. These failures happened at various mileages—as low as 2,000 miles and as high as 113,000—and created immediate safety hazards: one driver crossed into the oncoming lane when steering locked on a curve, another nearly collided with a car when Lane Keeping Assist forced a hard left turn on I-15, and a third had the wheel lock up on a 30-mph back road.
In one case, the dealership replaced the steering column, then the rack and pinion, then the intermediate shaft, then the clock spring over 44 days without fixing a popping noise, admitting they had no diagnosis. Another owner's steering column cost $4,000 to replace. Hyundai declined buyback when mileage exceeded warranty limits. Some owners also report Forward Collision Assist disabling intermittently and Blind Spot Detection warnings that only clear after turning the vehicle off for hours. One owner's lane-keeping system warning light came on and couldn't be disabled, forcing the car to drive straight only. Dealers have replaced steering components in multiple cases without identifying the underlying cause.
Same Hyundai Santa Fe steering reports on nearby years: 2017
Failure modes owners describe
Electric Power Steering Failure / Loss of Power Assist
Complete loss of power steering assist, rendering steering extremely difficult or impossible to control. In some cases the steering wheel seized or locked up entirely. Failures occurred without warning codes in some instances, or with concurrent Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Detection warnings.
When: Various mileages reported: one at ~2,000 miles; others at higher mileage including 113k miles. One occurrence after parking on an incline and restarting.
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel becomes extremely hard to turn or completely locks up; Loss of power assist with no warning light in some cases; Concurrent warnings for Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Detection System; Steering wheel seizes without warning; Popping or thud noise when turning wheel after lockup
Codes mentioned: Lane Keeping Assist warning, Blind Spot Detection warning, Forward Collision Assist malfunction
Repairs/costs cited: Steering column replacement ($4,000 in one case). Dealership also replaced rack and pinion, intermediate shaft, and clock spring in separate attempts to fix steering issues without initial success. Multiple repair attempts over 44+ days in one case.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Hyundai declined buyback or vehicle exchange in at least one case with steering issues. Warranty coverage questioned when mileage exceeded 100k miles. One owner reported Hyundai customer service (Case #16268782) offered Enterprise rental car reimbursement rather than direct owner compensation.
Lane Keeping Assist System Malfunction / Unexpected Steering Intervention
Lane Keeping Assist system activates unexpectedly or with excessive force, causing sudden hard steering inputs that the driver must fight to maintain control. System sometimes prevents vehicle from turning normally. Concurrent with or independent of power steering failures.
When: Reported at highway speeds (65-70 mph), on curves and winding roads including I-15 Virgin River Gorge. One incident occurred when car was picked up from home.
Symptoms owners cite: Lane Keeping Assist causes sudden hard left steering without warning; Vehicle pulls hard to the left toward emergency lane; Steering wheel becomes extremely difficult to control at highway speeds; Lane Keeping Assist light illuminates and cannot be disabled; Vehicle forced to drive straight; left/right turns become extremely hard; Haptic (vibration) feedback in steering wheel responds to driver attention warning
Codes mentioned: Lane Keeping Assist warning/malfunction
Repairs/costs cited: Steering column replacement performed. Dealers replaced steering components but did not diagnose root cause in at least one case.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No specific TSB or recall mentioned. Hyundai customer service acknowledged issue (Case #16268782) but offered rental car reimbursement rather than direct resolution.
Steering System Intermittent Failures and Sensor/Control Malfunctions
Forward Collision Assist and Lane Keeping Assist systems intermittently disable or malfunction, suggesting electronic control or sensor issues affecting steering assistance and collision avoidance systems.
When: Intermittent; occurring during normal highway and local driving.
Symptoms owners cite: Forward Collision Assist intermittently disables during driving; Blind Spot Detection warning appears and does not clear until vehicle is turned off for several hours; Dashboard turns red with warning message 'BAC Active' and vehicle shakes; Vehicle veers right out of lane when assistance system is active
Codes mentioned: Forward Collision Assist malfunction, Blind Spot Detection warning, BAC (Blind Spot Assist Control) Active warning
Repairs/costs cited: Some issues resolved by turning vehicle off for extended period (several hours or overnight). Dealers have replaced steering column and steering components without always identifying root cause.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No specific warranty program or recall mentioned for these intermittent sensor/control failures.
Synthesized from 12 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Had steering trouble with your 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the steering problem on the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 12 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $700 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Based on the 12 complaints filed, steering issues most often appear around 6,033 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2019/Hyundai/Santa Fe.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.