Worst 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Transmission / Drivetrain
Automatic Transmission
Engine Problems
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 65 | — | — | 70,340 mi | |
| Automatic Transmission | 44 | — | — | 6,353 mi | |
| Engine Problems | 36 | — | 3 | 87,868 mi | |
| Electrical Faults | 26 | 2 | 4 | 61,552 mi | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 21 | 2 | — | 28,123 mi | |
| Suspension Failures | 14 | — | — | 88,444 mi | |
| Fuel System | 10 | 1 | — | 68,853 mi | |
| Airbags | 9 | 2 | — | 45,531 mi | |
| Engine & Cooling | 9 | 1 | — | 16,544 mi | |
| Steering Defects | 8 | 1 | 1 | 75,473 mi | |
| Body Structure | 8 | — | — | 104,878 mi | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 7 | 1 | 1 | 68,965 mi | |
| Brakes | 7 | 1 | — | 50,286 mi | |
| Gasoline Fuel System | 6 | — | — | 23,762 mi | |
| Visibility | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Structural Problems | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Wipers & Visibility | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Other Equipment | 2 | — | 1 | — | |
| Latches / Locks | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Hydraulic Brakes | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Sunroof/Moonroof | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Air Bags:Side/Window | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Electrical System:Instrument Panel:Speedometer/Odometer | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Electrical System:Starter Assembly | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 1 | — | — | — |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,718,212 vehicles.
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 informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
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.
Other Hyundai Santa Fe Years
2010 Hyundai Santa Fe — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
What are common problems with the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe?
At what mileage do problems start on the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe?
How safe is the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Does the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe have any recalls?
Should I buy a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.
Wider context: See the full Hyundai Santa Fe reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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