2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
27/100
#12 most-complained of 16 Santa Fe years
The 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe has a Complaint Index of 27 and ranks 12th out of 16 model years, earning a "Good" verdict relative to other Santa Fe years. NHTSA lists 258 complaints, 2 recalls, and 8 crashes tied to this model year.
- Complaints
- 258
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes / fires
- 8 / 6
- Injuries / deaths
- 7 / 1
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 23
- 20 city / 26 hwy
Top 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain109 (42%)
- Engine63 (24%)
- Electrical System32 (12%)
- Other24 (9%)
- Fuel System19 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires17 (7%)
- Brakes14 (5%)
- Structure & Body14 (5%)
- Airbags9 (3%)
- Visibility & Wipers9 (3%)
What owners report
- Owners report the blinker switch on the steering column sparking and smoking, sometimes with blinkers stuck on or clicking erratically.
- Some drivers describe sudden engine surging or revving where the vehicle would not slow down and the gear shifter locked in drive.
- Several complaints describe brake light or brake switch failures, including one where rear brake lights reportedly failed before a rear-end collision.
- One owner reported the power steering locking up suddenly while turning, making the vehicle hard to steer afterward.
- A few complaints mention airbags not deploying during a frontal crash, resulting in injuries.
- One report describes the vehicle rolling backward unexpectedly after being parked with the emergency brake engaged.
2010 Hyundai Santa Fe recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 13V113000Apr 1, 2013Electrical System1,712,336 vehicles
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.
Risk: 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 11V261000Apr 28, 2011Transmission & Powertrain5,876 vehicles
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.
Risk: 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.
2010 Hyundai Santa Fe fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 20 MPG
- Highway
- 26 MPG
- Combined
- 23 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,800
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2010 compared with other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2010 Santa Fe has a Complaint Index of 27 and ranks 12th of 16 model years, which earns it a "Good" verdict relative to other Santa Fe years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe?
- Transmission & Powertrain issues make up 42% of complaints (109 of 258), followed by Engine problems at 24% (63 complaints) and Electrical System issues at 12% (32 complaints).
- Does the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2010 Santa Fe: one for a stop lamp switch in the electrical system and one for an intermediate shaft issue affecting 2WD models with automatic transmissions and 2.4L engines.
- How does the 2010 Santa Fe compare to other years?
- With a Complaint Index of 27, the 2010 model performs better than years like 2013 (87), 2017 (100), and 2025 (93), which are rated "Avoid," though it trails the 2018 model, which has a Complaint Index of 0.