ON MY 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, THE TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY SLIPS, THEN SLAMS INTO GEAR WITH SUCH FORCE THAT THE VEHICLE LURCHES FORWARD, AND FEELS LIKE YOU ARE BEING REAR-ENDED. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING, HOWEVER HYUNDAI HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR SAME, AND THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THE ISSUE. *TR
2010 hyundai Santa Fe powertrain problems
moderate 102 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500
Complaints
102
Recalls
0
Crashes
0
Avg fix
$2,500
What owners are reporting 10 most recent
I HAVE A 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, GLS. WHILE DRIVING IT, THE TRANSMISSION BROKE. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER, AND PULL OVER. IT DID NOT MOVE AT ALL. IT JUST HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS OR PREVIOUS PROBLEMS, NOISES, ETC. IT HAS 21,082 MILES / 7MONTHS OF USE. *TR
I BOUGHT A PRE-OWNED 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE ON 12/13/10 WITH ~14K MILES I WAS DRIVING TO PHOENIX TODAY 12/25/10 AND WHEN LEAVING A STOP LIGHT THERE WAS A CLUNK AND THEN MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. AFTER DOING RESEARCH TODAY I HAVE FOUND THAT 2010 SANTA FE'S HAVE ISSUE WITH THEIR TRANSMISSION BUT NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED. ME AND MY 13 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER ARE NOW STRANDED IN PHOENIX UNTIL WE CAN GE…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND MADE A LOUD NOISE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION APPEARED TO FAIL TO SHIFT GEARS. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED EVER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2010. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO H…
BOUGHT OUR 2010 SANTA FE WITH 2700 MILES (THE OWNERS WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING IT) ON NOVEMBER 11TH. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY I NOTICED THAT IT BANGED LOUDLY AND LURCHED SOMEWHAT UPON GOING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. IT DOES IT AT ANY TIME OF DAY SO IT'S NOT LIMITED TO COLD STARTS. BROUGHT INTO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TESTED AND RESET THE COMPUTER. MY SERVICE MANAGER SEEMED TO BE AWARE OF THE OBVIOUS PROBLEMS T…
I HAVE A 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND I GET A HARD SHIFT WITH A LOUD BANG WHEN SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND OR 2ND TO 3RD. IT SEEMS TO DO THIS WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS COLD BUT IT DOES IT EVEN WHEN WARM. I HAD MINE IN 3 TIMES FOR REPAIR WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION ON THE LAST REPAIR. THE NEW TRANSMISSION IS THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL ONE. HYUNDAI KNOWS ABOUT THIS AND THEY KNEW ABOUT…
THE CAR MAKES A JERKING SOUND WHEN SWITCHING FROM PARK TO DRIVE OR REVERSE WHEN IT'S HOT. IT ALSO JERKS LIKE IT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT GEAR TO GO INTO WHILE DRIVING ON OCCASIONS.
SAFETY: 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE ENGINE SEEMS TO RACE AT SLOW SPEEDS/COASTING, THEN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION "SKIPS" THEN "SLAMS" BACK INTO GEAR. BROUGHT BACK INTO DEALERSHIP TWICE, FIRST WAS TOLD THEY HAD HEARD OF A SIMILAR ISSUE BUT THAT IT WAS "WITHIN TOLERANCE" SO IT WAS NOT FIXED, WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND BEFORE STARTING A LONG TRIP I TOOK IT BACK AND HAD THEIR SENIOR TECH DRIVE IT HOME (TO SEE …
I HAVE A 2010 HYUNDAI SANTE FE UTIL. I BELIEVE I AM HAVING AN ISSUE WITH MY "ALL WHEEL DRIVE COUPLER". MY WIFE USES THIS VEHICLE. CURRENTLY WE ARE EXPERIENCING LOUD BANGS THAT FEEL LIKE WE ARE BEING HIT FROM BEHIND WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. IT IS IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN I INVESTIGATED THIS ONLINE I SEE MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. I AM WONDERING WHY THIS IS NOT CONSIDERED …
WE PURCHASED 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE ALMOST FROM THE START WE NOTICE AN OCCASION SHE WOULD BANG INTO GEAR WHILE DRIVING IN 30 - 40 MPH TRAFFIC AND STOPS. AFTER NUMEROUS TRIPS TO DEALER THEIR ANSWER WAS THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE. THE LAST 2 TRIPS TO THE DEALER I EXPLAINED IF YOU DRIVE IN STOP & GO TRAFFIC MOVING ABOUT 30-40 MPH YOU WILL FEEL THE BANG LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. I WAS TOLD THE CANNOT…
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2010 hyundai Santa Fe?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 102 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $2,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Other problem areas on this vehicle
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities.
Repair cost estimates are independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area.
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