Hyundai Santa Fe Complaints (2010)

260 consumer complaints on file.

#11771703October 16, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
The vehicle is a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe with about 157,000 miles. Hyundai issued Service Campaign 947 (TSB 17-01-005) for underbody corrosion on 2007–2010 Santa Fe models, but the campaign was never performed on this vehicle. When the vehicle was taken to an authorized Hyundai dealer, the dealer inspected it and found the frame rusted out in multiple places, with extensive holes. The dealer also told me that some of the main parts listed in the campaign bulletin need to be replaced. A separate independent inspection found a hole in the unibody and noted it would fail a state safety inspection. I am concerned that corrosion this severe in the frame and unibody could compromise the vehicle’s structural integrity and the safety of its occupants and others on the road. I do not know whether other vehicles are similarly affected, but the campaign covers a large population of this model. The problem has been confirmed by an authorized dealer and by an independent shop, and both have photos. The vehicle is at the dealer now and is available for inspection. The dealer is submitting its findings to Hyundai Motor America for review, and I have a case open with Hyundai Customer Care. I received no warning lights or messages before this was found. The rust was found during inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766962September 25, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Radiator fan remains on when the vehicle is turned off and requires the fan to be unplugged to disengage. If it is not unplugged it will continue to run until the battery is dead. If not caught at the time exiting the vehicle then I am left stranded until I can get the vehicle jumped but even with a dead battery if you plug up the fan again will continue running nonstop. The vehicle does not run hot. There are no known issues that present before this happens and no error codes when hooked up to diagnostics.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757175August 15, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The vehicle’s transmission slips while driving on the highway at approximately 65–75 mph. The slipping occurs at highway speeds and appears to affect the vehicle’s ability to maintain consistent power and acceleration. Problem The vehicle’s transmission slips while driving on the highway at approximately 65–75 mph. The slipping occurs at highway speeds and appears to affect the vehicle’s ability to maintain consistent power and acceleration. Safety Concerns This creates a safety concern because unexpected transmission slipping at highway speeds could result in a sudden loss or interruption of power. This may make it difficult to maintain speed, merge, pass, or respond safely to changing traffic conditions. The issue could increase the risk of an accident, particularly in heavy or fast-moving traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754183August 1, 2026
ENGINE
On XXX I was waiting at a light and the check engine light was blinking. When I started up, the car was very sluggish. It continued to be sluggish on my trip home - 5 miles. I brought it to Meineke [XXX] [XXX]. They ascertained that the engine was shot. They flushed out the oil in the engine and there was lots of metal in the oil. They instructed me to go to Hyundai immediately. There was a engine recall and their research showed that I was included under the recall warrenty. I've included their assessment. Both the drives to the Meineke from my house and to Hyundai from Meineke were scary. I didn't feel safe in the car. I went directly to [XXX], manager of Larry Miller Hyundai at [XXX], Phone [XXX]. He said that he needed to clear the recall with Hyundai. He called me back in a few days and told me that all the test diagnostics were made and that a censor malfunction was the cause of the problem and the front breaks needed work. I gave him the go-head. The cost was $1,319. I wasn't convince that was the primary problem. I use my car for short trips. I was driving to the gym on XXX - having driven less than 50 mile since the recent repair - once again I stopped at a light and the check engine light lit up permanently - not flashing. The engine started to shake when it was idle and there was an unusual sound coming from it. I finished my drive to the gym although the drive just didn't feel normal or safe. Right now (XXX) I am having my car towed to Hyundai. It is not safe to drive. My belief is that corporate Hyundai refused to fix the engine repair part of a class action lawsuit which includes replacing the engine. They had to see that my recall warrenty ends in September and they figured they'd stall until the warrenty was no longer valid. This is just a guess, but a very educated guess. They had to know that the engine was no longer safe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728662April 1, 2026
ENGINE
Engine fire
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727026March 25, 2026
ENGINE, EQUIPMENT, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to immediately start, but started after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the starter, oil filter, and engine filter, and changed the oil. On a hot day, there was a loud sound coming from the vehicle, and it was noticed that the unoccupied vehicle was attempting to start independently. The contact unlocked the vehicle and opened the vehicle door, put the keys in the ignition, and continued to crank for approximately four minutes. The accelerator pedal was pumped, and the vehicle stopped. There was smoke coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle eventually stopped. There were flames coming from the vehicle. The contact called 911, an independent mechanic, her father, and the fire department. The Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire and disconnect the battery. The mechanic determined that the engine cover was burned. There were no reported injuries. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact indicated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 11E040000 (Equipment). The insurance company referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11715168February 2, 2026
ENGINE
I hadn't used the car in a few weeks (rarely leave the house because I work from home). I went to visit a friend on December 26th or 27th (don't remember exact date). On the way there the engine started having a knocking noise. On the way home after eating a meal with the friend, the knocking got louder, and the car was losing power. As I drove up a hill, the engine was providing almost no power, and then I heard a very loud bang, and a blue-ish, white smoke cloud came out from under the car, and it died completely. As a secondary issue, since this was right after Christmas, I couldn't find an open shop to have it towed to, so it was left on the side of the road overnight. The next day when I drove back to meet a tow-truck driver at the car, we found it had been broken into overnight, and my wife's childhood Christmas decorations were stolen. Nothing else of value was taken. I did have police come out and make a report at the time. I only just discovered that the engine was under a recall for "Campaign 966" for this exact issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712911January 23, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 142,000. It was later discovered, during a VIN check, that the mileage was 223,000. The mileage was last recorded in June 2025. The local Police Department was notified of the fraud. However, due to insufficient information about the seller, no report was filed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11662795May 23, 2025
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Driving approximately 70-75mph on highway with cruise control set. Car starts to make rattling sound & engine warning light goes on, car struggles to accelerate and hovers around 60mph. Upon inspection of engine oil in car, fresh oil has been burned up quickly! Added 1 quart. Drove 45mins at 70-75mph. Notice Engine light on again. Check engine oil. Had quickly burned through 1qt! Add new quart of oil. Let car rest overnight. Driving 70mph without use of cruise control. Then use cruise control. After a bit car engine sounds of rattling & struggling to accelerate. RPM gauge seen going up & down. Through rear view mirror I see lots of bluish smoke. Pull over to let engine rest. Check oil = still 3/4. Use engine dectection device. Indicates that cylinders 3 &4 misfiring. Reset car warning indicator with my detection device. Finish drive going 60mph to arrive at destination without car engine warning going back on.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643002February 16, 2025
ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The engine locked down due to the improper power train, driveline, driveshaft. Oil leaking and malfunction of power train, driveline, driveshaft caused motor to knock and lock down
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643004February 16, 2025
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Brakes locked
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11642620February 13, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
The battery warning light illuminated. The alternator was not holding power. I was on the freeway and the vehicle lost total power. After seeing a certified mechanic I was made aware of a oil leak from the valve gasket that was leaking on to the alternator wires and caused it to loose power. There is a recall for the same vehicle with the exact same issues, however my vehicle is not on the list of vehicles affected by this recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11608666August 15, 2024
POWER TRAIN
Transmission will not shift out of 1st. Gear .50000 miles this is second time in less than 2 months. Dealer replaced cable in top of transmission worked for 600 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11598573July 3, 2024
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 183,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11566683January 20, 2024
SUSPENSION
At any speed period, if i hit a pothole or those little ripple things on side of the country county roads, any of them causes my vehicle to jerk and makes a a sound like the entire right front end is going to fall apart at any moment and it either jerks my vehicle off the road on the right side or it either jerks the vehicle into the opposite lane towards on coming traffic. My truck has caused me to go completely off of the highway into the grass to avoid a collision...and anytime I hit the most tiniest of bumps it sounds Like the entire right side suspension is going to fall completely off and at high speeds it shakes uncontrollably...
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11557213November 28, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the traction control and ABS warning lights illuminated. The vehicle later lost motive power after pulling into the driveway. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and transferred the contact to the dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 113,196.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11555182November 15, 2023
STEERING, SUSPENSION, POWER TRAIN
Whenever i hit a bump on the side of the road, the truck jerks really badly and if im not grasping the steering wheel with all my strength, it will jerk me off the highway from the bump making the entire car go off the road. Also, each bump i hit, i hear a very very loud metal on metal knocking sound from the right passenger side of the tire area. Not sure if it is a strut assembly or engine mount that wasn't correctly bolted down during manufacturing. Also, when i press the gas pedal, it sounds as if theres some type of cable thats being stripped or something. And whenever i am holding the steering wheel straight and firmly, the truck automatically has a mind of its on at times and will jerk the car to the right or to the left while im holding the wheel still. All mechanics have said that they don't see anything wrong with it but there's obviously something wrong with it and I am scared to drive it. It has got to be a manufacturers defect on those components of the vehicle. Please remedy this or replace my vehicle with one of the same or lesser valued cars . This truck is going to end up killing me or someone else or both ... Thanks
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551974October 26, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2010 Hyundai Sante Fe caught fire on 9/27/23 while I was operating the vehicle and this fire ultimately caused my electrical systems to overheat and the wiring to melt. There was no indication that my alternator was about to fail (no battery light on my dash, no issues with starting my car) and I regularly maintenance my car with oil changes, tire rotations, and I redid my whole brake system in August 2023. My safety, the safety of my passenger, as well as the safety of ALL the patrons in the building that sat above the parking garage I was located in when the fire was burning were put at risk by this incident. My passenger acted quickly enough to put out the fire before anything more serious occurred, however according to my insurance we didn't let the fire burn long enough for there to be damage... even though my electrical harness is melted from it overheating due to the fire... The dealership/insurance have inspected my vehicle and say that the fire occurred because the alternator shorted out/failed however I believe this is false and Hyundai is covering their butts. When alternators fail the car doesn't just burst into flames, typically the car just fails to turn on since the alternator is no longer charging the battery... at least that's what I've read and heard from friends that are mechanics. Hyundai and Kia have been plagued by fire problems since 2015. The Center for Auto Safety successfully petitioned U.S. regulators to seek recalls in 2018 and says that the automakers have recalled more than 9.2 million vehicles for fires and engine problems. More than two dozen of the recalls involved over 20 models from the 2006 through 2021 model years and ALL are for fire risk. This is a KNOWN issue with Hyundai cars in general. My thought is that the same issues that are listed in the most recent Hyundai recall for the Sante Fe's from 2011-2015 is what occurred in my vehicle but Hyundai is refusing to take ownership of the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11532175July 13, 2023
SEAT BELTS, AIR BAGS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am the original owner of a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. It currently has less than 100,000 miles on it as I drive it infrequently. On June 12, 2023, my airbag light lit on the display and has since remained. I immediately contacted the local Hyundai dealership and made the next available appointment. I was concerned because I had recently completed the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) service campaign on 4/3/2023. Initially, I took my vehicle to an auto repair facility where a diagnostic test determined my SUV had a B1620 error code and was advised to take it to a Hyundai dealership. My Hyundai appointment was on 6/23/2023. I shared the information about the error code with the technicians. The dealership confirmed I had a B1620 error code where the Supplemental Restraint System Control Module (SRSCM) shorted out. I also showed the dealership employees an Extended Warranty Notification letter I received from Hyundai about faulty clock springs, but the dealer stated the module was completely separate and not part of the recall. The repair estimate was quite costly at around $2,600. From my understanding, the SRSCM controls all safety features. The dealership informed me the air bag light/error code means my entire safety system is completely disabled. This is not a mechanical issue but rather a safety red flag.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11530935July 7, 2023
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted and driven to the residence. The contact stated that the replacement of the knock sensor detection system (KSDS) was previously completed under an unknown recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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