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Hyundai Santa Fe (2021)

368 real MOT outcomes analysed • 89.8% first-time pass rate

2021 Hyundai Santa Fe

CarHunch analysed 368 real MOT records for the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe. Real test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — from verified DVLA records. Updated as new MOTs are recorded.
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AI Analysis Reliability Overview Check a Specific Reg Buyer's Checklist Pass Rate by Fuel Mileage Distribution MOT Averages Colour Breakdown Compare Models

Moderate sample. 368 vehicles on record. Figures are indicative — the specific vehicle's history matters more than these averages.

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe is a strong performer, passing its MOT on the first try 89% of the time—well above the UK average of 80%—with only 6.5% of vehicles ever developing a dangerous defect, which is reassuringly low. The diesel powerplant is proving reliable, maintaining that same 89% pass rate across the 363 tested examples.

At just over 30,000 miles median mileage, these Santa Fes are still relatively young, yet they're averaging only 0.34 failures per vehicle, suggesting they're holding up well to early-life wear. When you do get advisories (averaging 1.8 per car), they're typically minor issues rather than failure-level problems—so before buying, get a pre-purchase inspection to catch any neglected maintenance, but don't expect structural surprises on this model.

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe passes its MOT first time more often than most UK vehicles (89.8% vs ~80% average) — and when it does fail, it's usually something minor and cheap to fix.

⚠️ Around 1 in 20 of these vehicles have had a dangerous MOT failure at some point — usually tyres or brakes, and often a one-off issue rather than a persistent problem. The group stats won't tell you which one you're looking at.
First-time pass
89.8%
UK average ~80%
Better than average
Dangerous (ever)
6.5%
At least once in MOT history
Check this vehicle
Avg failures / car
0.34
Over 2.4 tests on record
Low
Typical mileage
31k
Middle half: 24k–39k
For context
✅ Good baseline reliability. A 89.8% first-time pass rate puts this well above the UK average — it's a well-sorted vehicle in this age bracket.
🔧 Expect consumable spend. An average of 1.8 advisories per vehicle tells you wear items (tyres, brakes) get flagged regularly. Budget for them — they're not surprises.
🔍 The dangerous defect figure is real. Most are one-off tyre failures or brake issues — not structural problems. But it's exactly why checking the individual vehicle's history is essential, not optional.

These stats describe 368 vehicles as a group. The specific vehicle you're looking at could be the one good example or the one outlier. Run its registration to find out.

A solid choice — agree?

See this vehicle's full MOT history & AI hunches

Spot recurring advisories, hidden issues, and how it compares to 368 Hyundai Santa Fe cars.

UK

Before you buy a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe

Based on MOT data from 368 vehicles — here's what to check.

  • 📋 Check the full MOT history. 6.5% of these vehicles have had a dangerous defect recorded - recurring advisories often signal problems years before they become failures.
    Search the reg on CarHunch for the full MOT history, reliability stats and a free AI-powered analysis of that exact vehicle.
  • 🔍 Brake pipes, sills and subframes are the key areas on a vehicle this age — structural rust is hard to spot without getting underneath. A mechanic will check all of this before you commit, and give you a concrete basis to negotiate on price. Inspection ClickMechanic →
  • 📄 Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and clocking won't appear in the MOT records — a dedicated history check covers all of this. Our link gets you 20% off automatically. History carVertical Get 20% off via CarHunch

Pass Rate by Fuel Type

Fuel type Vehicles Pass rate Avg failures
Diesel (99%) 363 89.8% 0.34

Colour Breakdown

Based on 57,210 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles registered in the UK — across all years. From DVLA registration records.

Silver 31.6%
18,076
Black 26.2%
14,965
Blue 12.7%
7,288
White 8.9%
5,113
Grey 8.5%
4,856
Red 5.5%
3,126
Green 3%
1,727
Beige 1.7%
947
Brown 1.3%
731
Orange 0.4%
219
Gold 0.2%
128
Bronze 0.1%
34

Mileage Distribution

Most 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles sit in the blue band. If the vehicle you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.

30,607
typical
23,556
low mileage
39,010
high mileage

Half of all 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles fall between 23,556 and 39,010 miles.

Is the mileage you're seeing normal?
✓ Under 23,556 miles — lower than most. Could be great, or could be a vehicle that rarely moved. Check test frequency and mileage progression in the MOT history.
✓ 23,556–39,010 miles — normal for age. This is where most 2021 Hyundai Santa Fes sit.
⚠ Over 52,663 miles — higher than typical. Not necessarily a problem, but check service history and look out for advisory build-up on tyres and brakes.

MOT History Averages

2.4
Avg MOT tests per vehicle
0.34
Avg failures per vehicle
1.8
Avg advisories per vehicle
Other model years — Hyundai Santa Fe: All Santa Fe years → Which year to buy? →
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Or browse all models: Hyundai →

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Compare with another model

See how the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe stacks up against a rival.

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