2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems

Brakes locked

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.

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 They had to see that my recall warrenty ends in September and they figured they'd stall until the warrenty was no longer valid.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

Engine fire

THE CAR WILL GO INTO NEUTRAL GEAR ALL ON ITS OWN AND THEN SLIP BACK INTO GEAR LUNGING THE CAR FORWARD. OCCUPANTS OF THE CAR WILL GET A WHIPLASH EFFECT. THE CAR IS USUALLY IN 2ND OR THIRD GEAR WHEN IT NO LONGER HAS POWER. THIS CAN BE VERY VERY DANGEROUS IN A MERGING TYPE OF DRIVING SITUATION. THE DRIVER IS COUNTING ON THE CAR TO BRING THEM INTO TRAFFIC, MAINTAINING A CERTAIN SPEED AND CONTROL. ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN THE CAR IS NOT RESPONDING. IT IS A VERY FRIGHTENING SITUATION. FOLLOWED BY THE LURCHING OF THE CAR. IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR HAS JUST BEEN HIT IN REAR. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH, FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON LINE ON MANY MANY WEB SITES. EVERYONE SAYS THE SAME THING. THEY BRING IT TO THE DEALER, AND THE DEALER USUALLY CAN NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IN SOME CASES THE DEALER HAS TEST DRIVEN THE CAR AND HAS FELT THE PROBLEM AND HAS REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, ONLY TO HAVE THE NEW TRANSMISSION DO THE SAME THING. USUALLY THOUGH, THE DEALER AND OR HYUNDAI GET AROUND THIS PROBLEM BY SAYING THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE HEARD OF THIS AS BEING AN ISSUE, THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL THE DEALER EXPERIENCES THE PROBLEM OR SEES THAT THE COMPUTER REGISTERS IT IN THE CARS COMPUTER SYSTEM. BUT THAT IS PART OF THE PROBLEM. NO CHECK LIGHT COMES ON, NOTHING REGISTERS. SO, ALL OF THESE UNSAFE CARS ARE OUT THERE. A SITUATION WAITING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. WE HAD A FRIEND'S CAR BEHIND US WHEN WE LOST POWER, AND THEY SAID THEY ALMOST ENDED UP REAR ENDING US. IT'S NOT A SAFE CAR. HYUNDAI SAID "THEY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING FOR US EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW THERE IS AN ISSUE. THAT MORE PEOPLE HAVE TO COMPLAIN". THEY NEED TO DO A RECALL. IT IS MY HOPE THAT YOU ALL CAN TAKE SOME ACTION. I DO NOT WANT TO SELL THIS CAR OR TRADE IT IN, IT WOULD BE PUTTING SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE ON THE LINE. HYUNDAI IS BRUSHING US ALL OFF. *KB

TRANSMISSION SLAMS INTO GEAR, ALSO SLIPS INTO GEAR AND SOMETIMES MOVES WHEN IN PARK. *TR

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.

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.

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.

Brakes locked

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

CAR RANDOMLY STALLS AND SLOWS DOWN TO A CRAWL UNDER ACCELERATION. SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS WHEN GOING UPHILL, MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. SOMETIMES IT'S JUST NORMAL DRIVING. IT IS VERY UNPREDICTABLE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IT HAS HAPPENED OFF AND ON FOR THE LAST 2-3 YEARS. DEALER IS CLUELESS.

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...

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

Brakes locked

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

WAS JUST WASHING THE CAR IN MY DRIVEWAY AND AS I SPRAYED THE WINDSHIELD TO FIRST RINSE THE POLLEN OFF, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM BOTTOM TO TOP. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY CHIPS OR CRACKS PRIOR TO THAT.

THE HEADLIGHT LENS HOUSINGS (2) HAVE DETERIORATED TO THE POINT THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FAIL TO PROPERLY LIGHT THE ROAD. THIS NOT A CASE OF THE HOUSINGS YELLOWING BUT RATHER THE HOUSING MATERIAL HAS DEVELOPED FRACTURES AND IS CRUMBLING ON THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR. THERE IS NO METHOD TO CORRECT THIS FRACTURING. THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE HYUNDAI DEALER REPEATEDLY OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.

The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. Additionally, the contact self-inspected the vehicle and noticed and excessive amount of corrosion on the subframe. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The back driver side child safety lock is stuck between on and off and the door will not open. I am an Uber driver. If there was an accident a passenger might get trapped inside.

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.

The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

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

When im driving down the road and the slightest bump is on yhe side of the road, the truck feels like its not connected to the framing or the wheels or something because when i hit the bump it jerks the wheels to the right and that's the only side it does it on and it does it so abruptly at times it almost pushes me into another car or it jerks the steering wheel out of my hands. Im not sure if theres a recall thats causing this or not but my mom has a vehicle like mine but a 2011 model and hers does the same thing on the right side.

The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the driver’s side front wheel felt wobbling. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light was illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V113000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

REAR TAIL LIGHTS RETAIN MOISTURE AND WATER, CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO MALFUNCTION AND SHORT OUT WHEN BULBS ARE REPLACED. THIS ISSUE IS VISIBLE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND IN MOTION. THIS ISSUE HAS CAUSED ME TO BE PULLED OVER BY POLICE OFFICERS AS WELL AS IT CAN CAUSE UNSAFE BRAKING CONDITIONS DUE TO NO BRAKE LIGHT BEING ILLUMINATED ON THE VEHICLE. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED WITH THIS VEHICLE. BRAKE LIGHT BULB WILL BE REPLACED BUT AS SOON AS IT RAINS OR ANY CONDENSATION COLLECTS IN THE HOUSING, IT CAUSED THE BRAKE LIGHT TO NOT ILLUMINATE UPON PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL.

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.

I'VE HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED, ALIGNMENT DONE, ROTORS CHECKED, AND IT STILL SHAKES LIKE SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT, AND IT'S SCARING ME, I'M HANDICAP, AND I FEEL LIKE MY FRONT END IS GONNA COME APART OR MY CAR IS GONNA FLIP, WHEN I'M DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IT'S DOING JUST FINE BUT WHEN I GO TO PRESS ON MY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN MY CAR IS SHAKING LIKE I'M GOING THROUGH AN EARTHQUAKE OR TORNADO, AND IT ALSO SEEMS TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM LIKE WHEN YOU PUSH PUSH THE GAS TO GET SPEED SO YOU COULD JUMP ON THE HIGHWAY IT LIKE JERKS A LITTLE BETTER SHE IS A LITTLE HARD TO BE ABLE TO CATCH UP AND IT'S NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE

The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. Additionally, the contact self-inspected the vehicle and noticed and excessive amount of corrosion on the subframe. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. WENT TO DEALER FOUR TIMES ON THIS ISSUE AND WAS ADVISED THAT THIS IS NORMAL AS THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR CAN BE AFFECTED BY HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES, RADIO FREQUENCY FROM AN AIRPORT, A POLICY STATION, AN INTERNAL ELECTRONIC DEVICE ATTACHED, ETC. ETC. HOWEVER, UNDERSTAND FROM MY FRIENDS WHO DRIVE TOYOTA AND HONDA THAT THIS ISSUE DOES NOT EXIST. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK AND COULD NOT BE OPENED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,176.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SANTE FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,000. *TR

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.