2010 Hyundai Santa Fe: sudden unintended acceleration

Filed Jun 14, 2021 · SD

The problem is that the vehicle sometimes hesitates to move forward, and then suddenly accelerates quickly and roughly. It happens when the vehicle is stopped as in traffic. It sometimes makes a clunking noice, it feels like someone hit me from behind. I have taken it to the dealership before a couple years ago, when this happened and they re-programmed it. It was fine for awhile then it happened again, so I took it to the dealership again, they did an inspection….they are saying now it needs a $1300 part, it will cost over $1600.

Filed May 19, 2013 · Acceleration, Fuel system · 10,000 miles · NY · crash

I had just pulled into the driveway of a house I own that I rent; I was there to meet my tenants to discuss a couple of repairs that needed to be done in the house. I was slowing the car with my foot on the brake as I approached the end of the driveway by the side door of the house. Then I heard a sudden, extremely loud engine noise that sounded like the engine revving very fast and the car suddenly accelerated. I was propelled forward about 50 feet into the back yard and crashed into some lilac bushes directly ahead of me and into the steep dirt bank behind the bushes, which stopped the car. There is no garage and the driveway ends where the lawn begins. The front end of the car is quite damaged and the vehicle is presently in the dealer's repair garage. On the internet, my son found many reports of incidents of sudden acceleration for the hyundai santa fe for my model year and for other recent years and he suggested I file this report with the federal safety agency.

Filed Feb 26, 2013 · Acceleration · 35,000 miles · TX

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that while stopped, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, while at a stop and attempting the accelerate, the vehicle surged forward. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.

Filed Dec 7, 2012 · Acceleration · 25,000 miles · PA

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate uphill, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact engaged the emergency brake, shifted out of drive and then back into drive. As the contact applied the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lunged forward abnormally. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer however, the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 25,000.

Filed Jul 17, 2011 · Electrical, Engine · 11,000 miles · VA

When pushing the gas pedal to accelerate from stopped position there is a notable pause. (1-3 seconds??)this then causes you to push accelerator further ,thereby causing a much more sudden acceleration. I am used to it because it has happened intermittently since car was new, but someone could get in trouble. Hyundai service says its because the pedal is sending a position of pedal through an electronic signal to fuel metering system.

Filed Jun 10, 2011 · Transmission · 795 miles · VA

The weekend we purchased our 2010 hyundai santa fe limited, v6, while driving in area with moderate grades vehicle had trouble shifting between 1st & 2nd gears, 2nd & 3rd gears. We thought it could be the area we were driving in, so we continued to drive it to see if that was it. It was not. Hard shifting has continued for the complete extent of our ownership commencing at the start. On 12/7/2010, took the vehicle in to be checked, cause: found transmission jerking. Module assy-auto trans control re, reset adaptive trans values. Recall, p0111, ECM update, performed camp tc7. Bring back if continues after a couple weeks. It did continue, but I am a busy person. On 4/21/2011, returned again stating that vehicle was continuing to shift hard, jerking. Dealer svc states could not duplicate. Vehicle duplicated for me on way home from svc appt. On 6/10/11, returned again for same problem with hard shifting at low speeds, jerking. Cause: TCM upgrade, re-reset adaptive trans values, after which svc dept said could not duplicate again. Svc mgr states that a new reflash had been issued since they upgraded it last on 12/7/2010. Thru research I find no new upgrade has been released on svc messages/notifications. I believe I've been mislead. I am positive that the vehicle will do this again. Also, intermittently when only cranking the vehicle and before the vehicle is put in gear it will immediately have a feeling of a large "bang or slam" and then lunge forward even though still in park. The vehicle also makes "popping" sounds when in park kind of like small "backfires". I have also asked them to investigate this and did not get a satisfactory response. They state that all of these symptoms are connected to the "new reflash" that has come out since the 12/7/2010 svc appt. It "should" fix it. I say recall it.

Filed Jan 2, 2011 · Transmission · 6,900 miles · NC

I have a 2010 hyundai santafe with 6900 miles. Three times in the last week the vehicle would not shift and then it would slam into gear making a banging sound and would surge forward. It was like being hit from behind. Each incident occurred at speeds of 20-25mph while accelerating. I am very concerned about my safety when driving this vehicle.

Filed Sep 29, 2010 · Transmission · 200 miles · TX

My problem is with a 2010 hyundai santa fe, 4 cyl. The problem is that the vehicle sometimes hesitates to move forward, and then suddenly accelerates. It happens when the vehicle is stopped as in traffic. When the accelerator is depressed the vehicle does not immediately move forward, and then it suddenly moves forward very quickly. I have reported this problem three times to my dealer. They had a " factory" service mgr ride with me for about a half hour. The problem did not happen. It has happened unexpectedly many times since then. I was almost in a serious accident from this problem. The dealer put the car on the diagnostic machine and finds no problem. Today a friend of mine who has a gas station in asheville, nc had a customer ask him about the exact same problem with the identical vehicle. I spoke with the individual and his problem is exactly the same as mine ! That is why I am writing to your office. I have filed a complaint with hyundai [xxx] but the problem continues. I will be happy to let the gov test my vehicle. It is a safety hazard. My daughter had the same experience and said she would not drive it any more. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Filed Sep 13, 2010 · Acceleration, Transmission · 150 miles · AL · 1 injury

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 hyundai santa fe. The vehicle was parked on a slight incline with the engine running when it began to roll backward. The front passenger side door was open while the failure occurred. The contact ran to catch the vehicle as it independently reached a stop. The front passenger side door struck the contact resulting in serious injuries. She was transported by ambulance to the emergency room for treatment treated. A police report was available. A third party investigator was sent by the manufacturer to inspect the vehicle. The investigator found no failure within the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 to 10 MPH, the vehicle would intermittently surge forward. The vehicle was never taken to be examined for the cause of failure and was not repaired. The failure mileage was 150 and the current mileage was 3,200.

Filed Jul 31, 2010 · Transmission · 1,000 miles · NY

2010 hyundai santa fe v6 awd limited I put the key in the ignition to start it, and the vehicle lunged forward approximately 6 inches. The vehicle was in park when I started it. Luckily my foot was near the brake, so I instinctively slammed on the brake. I do not know how far it would have gone if I had not depressed the brake pedal. Luckily the vehicle in front of me was far enough away, also lucky that there was nobody walking between my vehicle. I looked on a hyundi forum and there several complaint's the dealer said they could not find anything wrong I asked them to contact the factory and they did not have any complaint's onthe same problem .I told them to look at your web site and the forum .I am a auto mechanic and I can tell you if the park paw that's holds the car in place lets go after constantly getting pulled away when this happens the truck can take off and hurt/kill somebody please help!!!!! Thank you

Filed Apr 23, 2010 · Transmission · 870 miles · NJ

2010 hyundai santa fe v6 awd limited I put the key in the ignition to start it, and the vehicle lunged forward approximately 6 inches. The vehicle was in park when I started it. Luckily my foot was near the brake, so I instinctively slammed on the brake. I do not know how far it would have gone if I had not depressed the brake pedal. Luckily the vehicle in front of me was far enough away, also lucky that there was nobody walking between my vehicle and the one in front of mine. I took it to sport hyundai dodge, they were very nice. They put it on their computer scanner, and of course it did not come up with any problem codes. Luckily I do not have remote start on this vehicle, because who knows where the vehicle might end up. I was also lucky that I was actually seated in the vehicle and not leaning in to start it. Hopefully this was a fluke situation and will never happen again. However, I will have to remember to start this vehicle with the brake depressed if there is something in front of my vehicle. Toyota depended on their computers too, which never came up with any error codes either, and they thought the customer was at fault, and look where it got them!