YearToAvoid

2012 Hyundai Santa Fe Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 24 transmission & powertrain complaints for the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe, 7% of all complaints for the year, with a median failure mileage of 21,825 miles. No related recalls are listed for this problem area. Two crashes were linked to these complaints.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
24
7% of 353
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
21,825 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

  • Vehicle unexpectedly surges, lunges, or goes to full throttle without driver input, sometimes while parking or coasting in stop-and-go traffic.
  • Vehicle loses power or acceleration on the highway, dropping to idle or limiting speed to around 30 mph, sometimes requiring the engine to be shut off and restarted.
  • Engine stalls without warning at low speeds, on freeway on-ramps, or in traffic, occasionally accompanied by oil or malfunction warning lights.
  • Dealers have replaced the throttle body and updated engine control module software, but owners report the stalling or power-loss problem recurring afterward.
  • Some owners report additional drivetrain faults such as a failing transfer case, a bad 4wd coupling assembly, and a transmission range shaft issue that caused intermittent no-start conditions.
  • One report describes a vehicle in park unexpectedly shifting to neutral and rolling down a driveway.

When 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe transmission complaints were filed

First complaint Nov 2, 2011, latest Dec 11, 2020.

2012 Hyundai Santa Fe transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per month2Nov 2011Feb 2013Jan 2014Apr 2014Feb 2015Jun 2016Sep 2019
24 complaints filed with NHTSA from Nov 2011 to Dec 2020; peak Jan 2013 (2).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Santa Fe model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 2010109 (42%)
  2. 201121 (12%)
  3. 201224 (7%)
  4. 201352 (9%)
  5. 201436 (7%)
  6. 201522 (9%)
  7. 201621 (9%)
  8. 2017163 (17%)
  9. 201810 (9%)
  10. 201935 (18%)
  11. 202026 (12%)
  12. 202150 (30%)
  13. 202257 (29%)
  14. 202344 (21%)
  15. 202442 (28%)
  16. 202521 (16%)

Frequently asked questions

How many transmission & powertrain complaints does the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe have?
NHTSA lists 24 transmission & powertrain complaints for the 2012 Santa Fe, which is 7% of the 353 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a transmission recall for the 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe?
No related recalls are listed in NHTSA data for the transmission & powertrain area on the 2012 Santa Fe.
At what mileage do 2012 Santa Fe transmission problems usually show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 21,825 miles.
Did the 2012 Santa Fe's powertrain problems cause any crashes?
NHTSA data shows 2 crashes and 0 fires or injuries linked to transmission & powertrain complaints on the 2012 Santa Fe.
How does the 2012 Santa Fe compare to other years for this problem area?
The 2012 Santa Fe's 24 complaints and 7% share are lower than the 2010 model year, which had 109 complaints and a 42% share, the highest in the range provided.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.