2010 Hyundai Santa FE: common problems

Owners of the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE filed 260 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 260
involving a crash: 8

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 42% of all complaints
2 Engine 14% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
4 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
5 Suspension 5% of all complaints
6 Structure 5% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
8 Visibility 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Powertrain: 109 complaints (42% of all).
Engine: 37 complaints (14% of all).
Electrical system: 28 complaints (11% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 21 complaints (8% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 14 complaints (5% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 3 complaints
3.5 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 2 complaints
automatic, 6-speed
manual, 6-speed

Drive: FWD, 4WD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 260 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

jerking, harsh shifts38 · 15%
stalls while driving37 · 14%
knocking, grinding or other noise29 · 11%
warning lights, check engine27 · 10%
hesitation when accelerating17 · 7%
loss of power / limp mode14 · 5%
windows, sunroof12 · 5%
door locks, latches, handles11 · 4%
smoke, burning smell, fire11 · 4%
vibration9 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	109	0
Engine	37	0
Electrical system	28	2
Vehicle speed control	21	2
Suspension	14	0
Structure	12	0
Service brakes	11	2
Visibility	11	0
Fuel/propulsion system	10	1
Air bags	9	2
Engine and cooling	9	1
Fuel system	9	0
Steering	8	1
Exterior lighting	7	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Simply meaning, if the power steering pump was the issue, there would be noise and a gradual failure; however, this was very sudden. As of this writing, the steering is very difficult and the vehicle is unsafe to drive. Thank god I have an extended warranty and now it is in the shop for diagnoses.
Steering · crash · 2019-09-19 · NHTSA complaint #11256594
On 6/17/2018 @ approximately 5:00pm while driving my santa fe, I began to have surging power. I attempted to disengage the cruise control but could not. I would slow down only to speed right back up as if I had pushed the resume button, I had not.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2018-06-21 · NHTSA complaint #11103044
The contact was standing with the driver's side door open and heard a thump sound. The vehicle started to roll backwards out of a parking space. The contact was struck by the door while attempting to re-enter the vehicle, but was unable to as she was dragged by the vehicle.
Parking brake · crash · 2018-03-22 · NHTSA complaint #11080951
On the internet, my son found many reports of incidents of sudden acceleration for the hyundai santa fe for my model year and for other recent years and he suggested I file this report with the nhtsa.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2013-05-19 · NHTSA complaint #10512739
The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The driver sustained face and head injuries. The vehicle was towed to a salvage lot. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
Air bags · crash · 2013-04-17 · NHTSA complaint #10508600
Surviving daughter suffers from memory loss but at the time of the accident claims the brakes failed.
Service brakes · crash · 2011-01-07 · NHTSA complaint #10375848
Hyundai issued Service Campaign 947 (TSB 17-01-005) for underbody corrosion on 2007â2010 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.
Structure · 2026-10-16 · NHTSA complaint #11771703
The vehicleâs transmission slips while driving on the highway at approximately 65â75 mph. The slipping occurs at highway speeds and appears to affect the vehicleâs ability to maintain consistent power and acceleration.
Powertrain · 2026-08-15 · NHTSA complaint #11757175

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

201044
201142
20128
201312
201418
201510
201627
201713
201817
201916
202012
202111
20226
20239
20243
20254
20268

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,572 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Santa FE has 276 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 260, about average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine, electrical system. Total complaints: 260. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: jerking, harsh shifts (15%), stalls while driving (14%), knocking, grinding or other noise (11%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2010 Hyundai Santa FE from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2010 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.