2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Engine Problems

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 They had to see that my recall warrenty ends in September and they figured they'd stall until the warrenty was no longer valid.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)

NHTSA ID

11754183

Incident

Jun 28, 2026

Engine fire

NHTSA ID

11728662

Incident

Feb 14, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11727026

Incident

Mar 11, 2026

Mileage

145,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11715168

Incident

Dec 26, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11662795

Incident

May 22, 2025

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

NHTSA ID

11643002

Incident

Feb 10, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11598573

Incident

Jul 3, 2024

Mileage

183,000 mi

The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the timing chain, the gaskets, and spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to a different independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the timing chain and the bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,550.

NHTSA ID

11526548

Incident

Oct 21, 2021

Mileage

108,550 mi

The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was initially taken to the dealer to have a manufacturer recall performed for P966. The contact then stated that on multiple occasions after the recall was performed while driving approximately 20-30 MPH, she heard a loud knocking noise at the hood of the vehicle before the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that she was able to restart the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The manufacture was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 207,628

NHTSA ID

11484808

Incident

Aug 24, 2022

Mileage

207,628 mi

My engine blew. No warning lights were on. The acceleration started sounding weird and so I slowed it down. It started running at high rpms and then it started clanking and parts flew out from behind my car from then engine while in interstate and now my engine is blown. There wasn't much warning and no warning lights at all except my tire light which is always on even though tires are filled and don't lose air

NHTSA ID

11475528

Incident

Jul 24, 2022

On April 22,2021 I took my Hyundai Santa Fe to McGrath Hyundai Serv Ctr for routine oil change. I paid for this oil chge and was given a MultiPoint Inspection rpt detailing my car was in good condition needing only routine maintenance updates. Mileage was documented 46,008 mi. My car was in excellent condition, regularly maintained at Hyundai service centers. 9 days later my engine failed without any warning. I had only driven about 30 mi after service.This is a safety issue as the failure could've occurred while I was driving. I towed the car back to the serv ctr where I was told I would need a new engine. There was no reason ever given for the sudden failure other than that this was a bad engine. I called Hyundai Corp Care to ask for help. I was told my 100,000/10yr warranty had expired 6 mos. earlier and there was NO recall. I later found this not to be true as NHTSA had done an investigation earlier causing Hyundai to recall 1000's of Santa Fe's for the EXACT reason that my engine failed. My VIN is not included in this recall but the problem was exactly the same. I read in the NHTSA report this recall applied to engines manufactured before 2011. After many phone calls/emails, Hyundai Corp agreed to a "good will" offer to replace the engine for 80%. I was told they would remove the bad engine and drop in a new one. However, there was faulty communication between Hyundai Corp and Hyundai service center. My hands were tied. 175 days later I was returned my car with a remanufactured short block. Approximately 2 mos later my oil light began to flicker. I returned to serv ctr where I was told I now need to manually check my oil regularly. The service engine light no longer works as it should. The warning light no longer works for other safety issues also. Hyundai was not truthful in owning up to the existence of the engine safety issue. They should have owned my problem and repaired as part of the recall. I no longer feel safe driving my car.

NHTSA ID

11454510

Incident

May 1, 2021

The contact owned a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact was calling from an insurance company and stated that while the driver was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to lose motive power and decelerated inadvertently. There was smoke coming from the air vents and flames were seen coming from the front wheel wells. After exiting the vehicle, flames engulfed the vehicle and the vehicle was destroyed. The fire department was called to the scene and a report was taken before the vehicle was towed away. No injuries were reported. The cause of the failure was not determined. Later the insurance company concluded that the fire was caused by a faulty engine. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ID

11426632

Incident

Jul 3, 2021

Mileage

100,000 mi

DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN IT JUST SHUT OFF. TOOK VEHICLE TO A SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME ENGINE HAD A HOLE IN THE BLOCK FROM A CONNECTING ROD. THAT CAME OFF THE CRANKSHAFT .VEHICLE ONLY HAS 104358 MILES ON IT AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED WITH FREQUENT OIL CHANGES.

NHTSA ID

11415953

Incident

Feb 4, 2020

Mileage

104,358 mi

102,734 MILES AND THE CAR STARTED TO JUMP WHILE DRIVING. FELT LIKE RPM WOULD NOT SHIFT. AFTER MULTIPLE MECHANICS LOOKED AT IT, CONFIRMED THE TRANSMISSION WAS GONE. DUE TO BEING A SECOND OWNER, ONLY BY 1500 MILES HYUNDAI WOULD NOT COVER. THE 2WD WERE RECALLED, BUT NOT THE AWD. CLEARLY THERE ARE ISSUES WITH ALL MAKES. THEN AFTER FIXING THAT THE PURGE VALVE SOLENOID NEEDED REPLACED AND THEN THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT THESE RECALLS WERE NOT ACTIVE FOR THE AWD. THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE DRIVING ON ANY ROAD AND WE ARE LUCKY THE CAR DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. THIS STARTED 9/18/2020 AND WORK COMPLETE 01/05/2021

NHTSA ID

11386661

Incident

Sep 18, 2020

Mileage

102,724 mi

ENGINE SEIZED.

NHTSA ID

11378305

Incident

Jun 15, 2018

Mileage

110,000 mi

ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OR I EXPERIENCE A LURCHING. AT TIME IT JUST WON'T ACCELERATE. THIS HAPPENS ON SEVERAL OCCASION THIS YEAR

NHTSA ID

11362147

Incident

Oct 1, 2020

FOR NO REASON THE CAR WILL STALL AND ALL STEERING AND BRAKE FUNCTIONS ARE DISABLED. HAPPENS WHEN STOPPED OR WHILE DRIVING. CAR HAS TO BE PUT IN PARK AND RESTARTED. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER

NHTSA ID

11303027

Incident

Jan 29, 2020

Mileage

145 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. ON A DIFFERENT OCCASION, THE VEHICLE RATTLED AND MADE ABNORMAL NOISES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MIDWEST SUPERSTORE (LOCATED AT 1100 E 30TH AVE, HUTCHINSON, KS 67502, (620) 662-6631), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,194.

NHTSA ID

11218083

Incident

Dec 3, 2018

Mileage

74,194 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE SPORADICALLY REVVED WHILE DRIVING. WHEN STARTED, THE ENGINE WOULD REV TO 40 MPH. ALSO, THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LEIGH VALLEY HYUNDAI (675 STATE AVE, EMMAUS, PA 18049, (610) 967-6500), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,868.

NHTSA ID

11203990

Incident

Apr 12, 2017

Mileage

89,868 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOTOR STARTED KNOCKING AND SPUTTERING, AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. BOB KING HYUNDAI (1601 SILAS CREEK PKWY, WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27127, (336) 724-2861) STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT ALSO TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

NHTSA ID

11193558

Incident

Mar 3, 2019

Mileage

115,000 mi

ENGINE STOPPED AND ROD KNOCKING STARTED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY

NHTSA ID

11155264

Incident

Nov 5, 2016

Mileage

70,000 mi

THE ENGINE WAS GONE ON MY CAR

NHTSA ID

11002546

Incident

Feb 1, 2017

Mileage

52,000 mi

AS I AM DRIVING MY 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT NORMAL SPEED LIMIT OF 55 MY ENGINE STALLS WITH NO WARNING SIGN.. VERY DANGEROUS LUCKILY I WASN'T HIT.. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME THE CAR WENT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WAS JUST THE BATTERY AND NOBODY CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.. SNAP THE PICTURE AFTER EVERYTHING HAPPENED THEN I GET A LIGHT. THANK GOD ME AND MY KIDS WASN'T HIT OR KILLED.

NHTSA ID

10993919

Incident

Jun 7, 2017

Mileage

98,543 mi

WHILE DRIVING LAST WEEK, THE ENGINE CUT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP AS I WAS APPROACHING A RED LIGHT, BUT IT TOOK 3 STARTS TO GET THE ENGINE TO TURN OVER AGAIN. THE VEHICLE DRIVES LIKE IT IS HESITATING. I'VE HAD ALL FACTORY MAINTENANCE DONE AND DEALER CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. JUST HIT 90K MILES. ADDITIONALLY, THE A/C TURNS ITSELF ON RANDOMLY. THIS HAPPENED BEFORE AND THE TECHNICIAN REPAIRED IT WHILE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. IT IS DOING IT AGAIN, AND IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY FOR REPAIR. I'LL BE DRIVING ALONG AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE A/C UNIT COMES ON. ALSO, MY DOORS WON'T LOCK WITH THE AUTO LOCK ON THE KEY FOB NOR WITH THE DOOR LOCK BUTTON ON THE DOOR PANEL. IT AFFECTS ONE DOOR AT A TIME. I HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR THE LOCK ATTENUATOR TO BE REPAIRED ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR TWICE, REAR PASSENGER DOOR AND NOW THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR.

NHTSA ID

10985460

Incident

May 6, 2017

Mileage

89,894 mi

ENGINE STALL DURING STATIONARY CRANKING AND DRIVING ON CITY STREETS AFTER SHAKING NOISE HEARD. RELATED TO RECALL 49.

NHTSA ID

10978646

Incident

Apr 11, 2017

Mileage

150,000 mi