2010 Hyundai Santa FE

No clear pattern

18% of complaints about the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2010 vehicle, but with only 333 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is power train (111 complaints), typically at 1.7 yr or about 11,000 miles.

Complaints: 333
Median age at failure: 5.0 yr
Median mileage: 41,000 n=265
Crash / fire / tow: 9.6% of reports
Safety recalls: 3

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

13V113000 2013-04-01

Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai

Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

11E040000 2011-10-06

Equipment

CURT MANUFACTURING IS RECALLING CERTAIN TOW PACKAGE WIRING HARNESSES, PART NUMBER 55538, THAT CONNECT TOW VEHICLE LIGHTING CIRCUITS TO TRAILER LIGHTING CIRCUITS SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 THROUGH 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VEHICLES. THE UNITS ARE NOT WATER-TIGHT AND MOISTURE CAN SEEP INTO THE CONVERTER MODULE AND DEFEAT THE MODULE'S INTERNAL CIRCUIT PROTECTION.

WITHOUT THE CIRCUIT PROTECTION, THE MODULE CAN OVERHEAT POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.

11V261000 2011-04-28

Power train:driveline:driveshaft

HYUNDAI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 SANTA FE 2WD VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AND 2.4L ENGINES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 15, 2009 THROUGH MARCH 5, 2010. THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT MAY SUFFER FROM NOISE AND EXCESSIVE WEAR DUE TO A MISALIGNMENT OF THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WITH THE RIGHT SIDE OUTPUT GEAR. CONTINUING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION LEADS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WHIRRING/WHINING NOISE AND CAN EVENTUALLY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION MAY CAUSE LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Power train 1,159 mi 6 mo in service

ENGINE HESITATION AND ACCELERATION,PULLING TO THE RIGHT OF THE ROAD. WHEN BRAKING ALMOST COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. CAN HEAR WHEEL NOISE,LIKE TIRES ARE GOING TO FALL OFF. *TR

Power train 250 mi 7 mo in service

NEW 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE--AFTER APPROX 3 WEEKS OWNERSHIP, CAR TRIES TO GO INTO REVERSE, MAKES LOUD NOISE, WHEN STARTED. DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERY TIME, MAYBE 3-4 TIMES A WEEK. ALSO HAVE "MISS" /"JERK" WHEN CAR SHIFTS AT SLOW SPEED FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR-VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER 3 TIMES FOR PROBLEMS--FIRST TWO TRIPS DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE-TRANS SHIFTER CABLE ADJUSTED LAST TRIP TO DEALER BUT PROBLEM PERSISTS--. *TR

Power train 2,500 mi 11 mo in service

BRAND NEW 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE INTERMITTENTLY LURCHES FORWARD AND REVERSE WHEN STARTED UP IN PARK. APPEARS AS IF STARTING UP "IN GEAR" WHEN IN PARK. *TR

Electrical system 11,000 mi 1.8 yr in service

WHEN PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE FROM STOPPED POSITION THERE IS A NOTABLE PAUSE. (1-3 SECONDS??)THIS THEN CAUSES YOU TO PUSH ACCELERATOR FURTHER ,THEREBY CAUSING A MUCH MORE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. I AM USED TO IT BECAUSE IT HAS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY SINCE CAR WAS NEW, BUT SOMEONE COULD GET IN TROUBLE. HYUNDAI SERVICE SAYS ITS BECAUSE THE PEDAL IS SENDING A POSITION OF PEDAL THROUGH AN ELECTRONIC SIGNAL TO FUEL METERING SYSTEM.

Other Santa FE model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2010 Hyundai Santa FE

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Santa FE model years

How to read this