Does the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE have any recalls?

Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE, the most recent reported on April 1, 2013 (Exterior lighting: brake lights, switch). Check a specific car by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE?

Owners have filed 260 complaints with NHTSA. The most frequently reported area is power train (109 complaints), followed by engine (37).

How many 2010 Hyundai Santa FE complaints mention a crash or fire?

8 of 260 complaints report a crash and 6 a fire; 7 injuries were reported in total. Complaints are unverified reports from owners.

2010 Hyundai Santa FE recalls and problems

2 recalls and 260 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE.

recalls

260

owner complaints

complaints mentioning a crash

mentioning a fire

Recalls apply to specific production ranges. To see whether a particular car still has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Repairs for safety recalls are free at authorised dealers.

2010 Hyundai Santa FE recalls

Exterior lighting: brake lights, switch

NHTSA campaign 13V113000 · reported April 1, 2013 · Hyundai Motor Company · 1,712,336 vehicles potentially affected

The problem: 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.
The 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.
The fix: 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.

Power train: driveline, driveshaft

NHTSA campaign 11V261000 · reported April 28, 2011 · HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY · 5,876 vehicles potentially affected

The problem: 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.
The risk: Damage to the transmission may cause loss of motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: 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.

Most reported problems

Areas named in owner complaints to NHTSA. One complaint can name several areas.

Power train109
Engine37
Electrical system28
Unknown or other23
Vehicle speed control21
Suspension14
Structure12
Fuel/propulsion system10
Air bags9
Engine and engine cooling9

What owners report

Recent complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. These are unverified accounts from owners, not findings.

Oct 16, 2026 · Structure
The vehicle is a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe with about 157,000 miles. Hyundai issued Service Campaign 947 (TSB 17-01-005) for underbody corrosion on 2007–2010 Santa Fe models, but the campaign was never performed on this vehicle. When the vehicle was taken to an authorized Hyundai dealer, the dealer inspected it and found…

Sep 25, 2026 · Unknown or other
The Radiator fan remains on when the vehicle is turned off and requires the fan to be unplugged to disengage. If it is not unplugged it will continue to run until the battery is dead. If not caught at the time exiting the vehicle then I am left stranded until I can get the vehicle jumped but even with a dead battery…

Aug 15, 2026 · Power train
The vehicle’s transmission slips while driving on the highway at approximately 65–75 mph. The slipping occurs at highway speeds and appears to affect the vehicle’s ability to maintain consistent power and acceleration. Problem The vehicle’s transmission slips while driving on the highway at approximately 65–75 mph…

Aug 1, 2026 · Engine
On … 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 […] […]. They ascertained that the engine was shot. They flushed out the oil in the engine and there was lots of metal in…

Apr 1, 2026 · Engine · fire reported
Engine fire

Santa FE model years compared

Year	Recalls	Complaints	Crashes	Fires
2007	7	684	30	8
2008	4	541	17	7
2009	2	359	27	5
2010	2	260	8	6
2011	2	181	12	8
2012	1	355	25	17
2013	3	605	14	41

Across all years, the 2017 Santa FE has the most complaints (971). All Hyundai Santa FE years →

Questions

Does the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE have any recalls?: Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE, the most recent reported on April 1, 2013 (Exterior lighting: brake lights, switch). Check a specific car by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Hyundai Santa FE?: Owners have filed 260 complaints with NHTSA. The most frequently reported area is power train (109 complaints), followed by engine (37).
How many 2010 Hyundai Santa FE complaints mention a crash or fire?: 8 of 260 complaints report a crash and 6 a fire; 7 injuries were reported in total. Complaints are unverified reports from owners.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint data, updated October 27, 2026. Latest complaint received October 16, 2026.