2010 Hyundai Santa Fe
The Verdict
Worst problem area
Transmission & Drivetrain
Transmission & Drivetrain leads by volume: 109 of 258 complaints (42%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Brakes include more reported injuries (4) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed fell from 358 in 2009 to 258 in 2010.
Data last changed . Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology
Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | vs. 2010 Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 3,100–3,300 | 3,100–3,300 | 2,700–2,850 | 2,700–2,950 | 2,700–2,950 | |
| Combined MPG | 19–20 | 19–20 | 22–23 | 21–23 | 21–23 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 17–18 / 23–24 | 17–18 / 23–24 | 19–21 / 26–28 | 19–20 / 25–27 | 19–20 / 25–27 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 444–468 | 444–468 | 386–404 | 386–423 | 386–423 | |
| Complaints filed | 541 | 358 | 258 | 181 | 353 | |
| Recalls issued | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 17 | 27 | 8 | 12 | 25 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 7 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 17 | |
| Injuries reported | 12 | 26 | 7 | 9 | 7 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe have?
3 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What is the most common complaint about the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Transmission & Drivetrain: 109 of 258 NHTSA complaints (42%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe get?
EPA rates it 22–23 MPG combined.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe?
EPA estimates $2,700–$2,850 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (5)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Manual 6-spd | 4 | 2.4L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD | 19 mpg (low) | 26 mpg (low) | 22 mpg (low) | $2,850 (high) | 404 g/mi (high) |
| Configuration 2 | Automatic 6-spd | 4 | 2.4L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD | 20 mpg | 28 mpg (high) | 23 mpg (high) | $2,700 (low) | 386 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 3 | Automatic 6-spd | 6 | 3.5L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD | 20 mpg | 26 mpg (low) | 23 mpg (high) | $2,700 (low) | 386 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 4 | Automatic 6-spd | 4 | 2.4L | 4-Wheel Drive | Regular | Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD | 21 mpg (high) | 27 mpg | 23 mpg (high) | $2,700 (low) | 386 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 5 | Automatic 6-spd | 6 | 3.5L | 4-Wheel Drive | Regular | Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD | 20 mpg | 26 mpg (low) | 22 mpg (low) | $2,850 (high) | 404 g/mi (high) |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 46 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 109 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 28 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Brakes | 14 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Steering | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 22 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 16 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 24 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (3)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH · Campaign 13V113000 · Apr 1, 2013
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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.
EQUIPMENT · Campaign 11E040000 · Oct 6, 2011
Defect: CURT MANUFACTURING IS RECALLING CERTAIN TOW PACKAGE WIRING HARNESSES, PART NUMBER 55538, THAT CONNECT TOW VEHICLE LIGHTING CIRCUITS TO TRAILER LIGHTING CIRCUITS SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 THROUGH 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VEHICLES. THE UNITS ARE NOT WATER-TIGHT AND MOISTURE CAN SEEP INTO THE CONVERTER MODULE AND DEFEAT THE MODULE'S INTERNAL CIRCUIT PROTECTION.
Consequence: WITHOUT THE CIRCUIT PROTECTION, THE MODULE CAN OVERHEAT POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.
Remedy: CURT MANUFACTURING WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE TOW PACKAGE WIRING HARNESS. THE REMEDY WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 17, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CURT MANUFACTURING AT 1-715 831-8713.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT · Campaign 11V261000 · Apr 29, 2011
Defect: 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.
Consequence: 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.