2021 Hyundai Santa FE Windshield Recall (21V00M)
Hyundai Motor America · 26,413 vehicles · Reported December 28, 2021
Hyundai Motor America is recalling 26,413 2021 Hyundai Elantra; 2021 Hyundai Santa FE; 2021 Hyundai Sonata vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury. Dealers will make the repair free of charge.
Recall 21V00M at a glance
| NHTSA campaign number | 21V00M000 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer recall number | 216 |
| Date reported to NHTSA | December 28, 2021 |
| Manufacturer | Hyundai Motor America |
| Vehicles | 2021 Hyundai Elantra; 2021 Hyundai Santa FE; 2021 Hyundai Sonata |
| Units affected | 26,413 |
| Build dates | October 29, 2020 to December 17, 2020 |
| Component | Visibility > Windshield |
| Safety risk | A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury. |
| Fix | Available at dealers |
What is wrong with the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE in recall 21V00M?
During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Is it safe to drive a 2021 Santa FE with recall 21V00M?
NHTSA has not told owners to stop driving, but the risk is real: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
NHTSA describes the risk this way: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
NHTSA has not issued a do-not-drive or park-outside warning for this recall. Still, get the repair done as soon as it is available, and stop driving if you notice symptoms related to the windshield.
Which vehicles are included in recall 21V00M?
Recall 21V00M covers 26,413 vehicles: 2021 Hyundai Elantra; 2021 Hyundai Santa FE; 2021 Hyundai Sonata.
NHTSA lists 26,413 vehicles in this campaign, built October 29, 2020 to December 17, 2020. Not every vehicle of these models and years is included, so check your VIN.
| Model years | Make | Model |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Hyundai | Elantra |
| 2021 | Hyundai | Santa FE |
| 2021 | Hyundai | Sonata |
What is the fix for the Santa FE windshield recall?
Yes. Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge.
Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.
When was recall 21V00M announced?
Hyundai Motor America reported recall 21V00M to NHTSA on December 28, 2021. NHTSA lists the owner letter date as June 20, 2022.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| October 29, 2020 | First affected vehicle built (per Hyundai Motor America's filing). |
| December 17, 2020 | Last affected vehicle built. |
| December 28, 2021 | Hyundai Motor America filed the defect report with NHTSA; NHTSA assigned campaign 21V00M000. |
| June 20, 2022 | Owner notification letters mailed (per NHTSA). |
This recall was filed 57 months ago, and vehicles were built over a span of 49 days. If your Santa FE was built in that window, the VIN check below is the way to confirm it is included.
How do I check if my Santa FE is part of recall 21V00M?
Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If recall 21V00M is open on your Santa FE, it will be listed there.
The fastest check is NHTSA’s VIN lookup. Type in the 17 characters from your registration or insurance card. Because only some 2021 Santa FE vehicles are included, the VIN check is the only reliable way to know. A brand-new recall may take several days to show up.
What should Santa FE owners do about recall 21V00M?
Check your VIN, schedule the free recall repair, and keep a repair order for every dealer visit.
- Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm recall 21V00M000 applies to your Santa FE.
- Call a Hyundai dealer and schedule the recall repair. Ask how long the repair takes and whether parts are in stock.
- Get a repair order for every visit, even if the dealer only inspects the vehicle. Read it before you leave and make sure your complaint is written the way you described it.
- Write down when symptoms involving the windshield happen: date, mileage, speed, weather and what you felt or heard. Photos and short videos help.
- Count the days the vehicle is at the dealer. Days out of service add up toward California's 30-day presumption.
- If the problem comes back after the repair, return to the dealer and contact a lemon law attorney.
What are Santa FE owners reporting to NHTSA?
Owners have filed 431 complaints with NHTSA about these vehicles since 2020, 13 of them about the lighting and visibility.
Since recall 21V00M was reported on December 28, 2021, owners have filed 10 complaints with NHTSA about the lighting and visibility on these vehicles. 2 of them (20%) describe the same problem happening more than once or coming back after a repair attempt.
How we counted: we matched NHTSA owner complaints for the model years in this recall that list the lighting and visibility and were received on or after December 28, 2021, then flagged narratives that describe a repeat failure or a problem returning after a dealer repair, recall service or software update. Data from NHTSA, accessed October 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports and may involve a related lighting and visibility issue rather than this exact defect; automated text matching can miss or misread some reports.
NHTSA’s public complaint database lists 431 owner complaints filed since 2020 for the vehicles in this recall, and 13 of them involve the lighting and visibility. Complaints are reports from owners and have not been verified by NHTSA, but a high count for the same component is a sign the problem is widespread.
- 2021 Hyundai Santa FE: 166 complaints in total, 5 about the lighting and visibility
- 2021 Hyundai Sonata: 134 complaints in total, 1 about the lighting and visibility
- 2021 Hyundai Elantra: 131 complaints in total, 7 about the lighting and visibility
Here is what some owners told NHTSA, in their own words (excerpts, unverified):
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00M000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.
2021 Hyundai Sonata owner, NY, NHTSA complaint 11464009, filed May 10, 2022
Dark spot in low beam headlight field causes loss of view for driver as the dark spot passes from object to object. People or animals, even signs lose illumination as the dark spot covers them. Reflective barrels in construction areas lose their reflectivity at night as this spot covers them.
2021 Hyundai Santa FE owner, FL, NHTSA complaint 11415375, filed May 6, 2021
NOTICE: THIS CONCERN IS NOT THE RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT, IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO BRING ATTENTION TO WHAT I FEEL IS POOR ENGINEERING/DESIGN OF THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS ON THE BACK END OF THE 2021 HYUNDAI SANTA FE.
2021 Hyundai Santa FE owner, NY, NHTSA complaint 11422424, filed June 26, 2021
Can recall 21V00M make my Santa FE a lemon in California?
Not by itself. A recall repair that fails, or repeat dealer visits for the same defect, can support a California lemon law claim.
Recall 21V00M000 does not automatically make your Santa FE a lemon. California's Song-Beverly Act asks two questions: does a warranty defect substantially impair the vehicle's use, value or safety, and did the manufacturer fail to fix it in a reasonable number of tries (Civ. Code 1793.2(d))?
A headlight, wiper or visibility defect on the 2021 Hyundai Santa FE can make night or rain driving unsafe, and repeat repairs for the same problem count toward a lemon law claim.
The recall repair is available at dealers. If it works, great. If the same symptom comes back, the recall visit is one repair attempt and the next visit is another.
Civil Code 1793.22(b) sets out a presumption that applies in the first 18 months or 18,000 miles: two or more repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, four or more attempts for the same defect, or more than 30 total days out of service for repairs. Written notice to the manufacturer is required in some cases. Owners outside that window can still have a claim.
An owner who prevails in a lemon law case can recover reasonable attorney fees and costs from the manufacturer (Civ. Code 1794(d)). You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.
In our cases, a recall repair visit counts as a repair attempt, and it's strongest when the owner complained about the problem before the recall came out. A recall shows the defect is real and that enough owners reported it for the manufacturer to issue a fix.
The biggest mistake I see is waiting too long. The mileage offset starts at your first repair visit for the problem, so the sooner you take it in, the better. If the problem comes and goes, take it in when it happens. You can't go back to that date later.
If you get a recall notice, call a lemon law attorney right away. You may have taken the car in for the same problem before and forgotten, or there may be other recalls related to it.
Jacob Shayesteh, Esq. (SBN 362320), Founder and Managing Attorney. Quotes lightly edited for clarity. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Has your Santa FE been back to the dealer for this problem?
Call 877-536-6620Other Hyundai Santa FE recalls
Frequently asked questions about recall 21V00M
Did the recall 21V00M fix work?
Since recall 21V00M was reported on December 28, 2021, owners have filed 10 complaints with NHTSA about the lighting and visibility on these vehicles. 2 of them (20%) describe the same problem happening more than once or coming back after a repair attempt. If your vehicle still has the problem after the recall repair, go back to the dealer, get a repair order, and talk to a lemon law attorney.
When will owners be notified?
According to NHTSA, owner notification letters were or are scheduled to be mailed June 20, 2022.
Is the 21V00M000 recall repair free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are done free of charge at authorized dealers.
How do I know if my Santa FE is part of recall 21V00M000?
Enter your 17-character VIN in NHTSA's recall lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or call a dealer. The VIN is on your registration, insurance card and the lower corner of the windshield.
Does a recall mean my car is a lemon?
Not on its own. A lemon law claim depends on whether a covered defect keeps coming back or keeps the vehicle out of service. A recall repair that fails, or repeat visits for the same problem, can support a claim.
Does the recall fixing my car mean I have no case?
Not necessarily. Even if the recall repair fixed it, you may still have a case, and a car that's a year or more old can still qualify.
Do used cars qualify for California lemon law?
We take certified pre-owned, demo and dealer vehicles. Since the California Supreme Court's Rodriguez decision in 2024, ordinary used cars generally do not qualify.
How long does a recall lemon law case take?
Recall-related cases typically resolve in one to three months from your first call. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What does a lemon law attorney cost?
You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.
Sources
- NHTSA recall record 21V00M000 (recall report and owner letters are posted there)
- NHTSA complaints and recalls data, accessed October 1, 2026
- California Civil Code 1793.2 and 1793.22
Attorney advertising. America’s Lemon Lawyer is a trade name of Wynn Law Group, APC. Responsible attorney: Jacob Shayesteh, Esq. (SBN 362320). This page is general information, not legal advice. America’s Lemon Lawyer is not affiliated with NHTSA or Hyundai. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.