Your vehicle report
2010 Hyundai Santa FE
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 260
- Received Apr 2010 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips41 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine stalls and loses power while driving27 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine suddenly shuts off while driving17 complaints · 6.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #13V113000Hyundai 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.
- Recall #11V261000Hyundai 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 8 crashes, 6 fires, 7 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
- Rear door latch fails to open or close
- Paint peels off roof and hood
- Glass shatters or cracks without impact
1 more problem
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 44 |
| 2011 | 42 |
| 2012 | 8 |
| 2013 | 12 |
| 2014 | 18 |
| 2015 | 10 |
| 2016 | 27 |
| 2017 | 13 |
| 2018 | 17 |
| 2019 | 16 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 8 |
| Total | 260 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 41 | 16% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 27 | 10% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 17 | 6.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 14 | 5.4% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 14 | 5.4% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 10 | 3.9% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 8 | 3.1% | – | |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 6 | 2.3% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 6 | 2.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 6 | 2.3% | 14.4× | |
| Heater blows cold air, defroster fails | 5 | 1.9% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 5 | 1.9% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 5 | 1.9% | – | |
| Coil springs break and puncture tires | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 3 | 1.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #13V113000April 1, 20131,712,336 vehicles affected
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 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.
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.
Remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
NHTSA recall #11V261000April 28, 20115,876 vehicles affected
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.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the right side output gear and intermediate shaft free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during june 2011. Owners may contact hyundai's customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN