2010 Hyundai Santa Fe electrical problems

Filed Mar 25, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · 145,000 miles · CA · fire

The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to immediately start, but started after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the starter, oil filter, and engine filter, and changed the oil. On a hot day, there was a loud sound coming from the vehicle, and it was noticed that the unoccupied vehicle was attempting to start independently. The contact unlocked the vehicle and opened the vehicle door, put the keys in the ignition, and continued to crank for approximately four minutes. The accelerator pedal was pumped, and the vehicle stopped. There was smoke coming from the vehicle, and the vehicle eventually stopped. There were flames coming from the vehicle. The contact called 911, an independent mechanic, her father, and the fire department. The Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire and disconnect the battery. The mechanic determined that the engine cover was burned. There were no reported injuries. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact indicated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 11E040000 (Equipment). The insurance company referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

Filed Jan 23, 2026 · Electrical · 223,000 miles · CA

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 142,000. It was later discovered, during a VIN check, that the mileage was 223,000. The mileage was last recorded in June 2025. The local Police Department was notified of the fraud. However, due to insufficient information about the seller, no report was filed.

Filed Feb 16, 2025 · Brakes, Electrical · SC

The engine locked down due to the improper power train, driveline, driveshaft. Oil leaking and malfunction of power train, driveline, driveshaft caused motor to knock and lock down

Filed Feb 13, 2025 · Electrical, Transmission · CA

The battery warning light illuminated. The alternator was not holding power. I was on the freeway and the vehicle lost total power. After seeing a certified mechanic I was made aware of a oil leak from the valve gasket that was leaking on to the alternator wires and caused it to loose power. There is a recall for the same vehicle with the exact same issues, however my vehicle is not on the list of vehicles affected by this recall.

Filed Oct 26, 2023 · Electrical · VA · fire

My 2010 Hyundai Sante Fe caught fire on 9/27/23 while I was operating the vehicle and this fire ultimately caused my electrical systems to overheat and the wiring to melt. There was no indication that my alternator was about to fail (no battery light on my dash, no issues with starting my car) and I regularly maintenance my car with oil changes, tire rotations, and I redid my whole brake system in August 2023. My safety, the safety of my passenger, as well as the safety of ALL the patrons in the building that sat above the parking garage I was located in when the fire was burning were put at risk by this incident. My passenger acted quickly enough to put out the fire before anything more serious occurred, however according to my insurance we didn't let the fire burn long enough for there to be damage... even though my electrical harness is melted from it overheating due to the fire... The dealership/insurance have inspected my vehicle and say that the fire occurred because the alternator shorted out/failed however I believe this is false and Hyundai is covering their butts. When alternators fail the car doesn't just burst into flames, typically the car just fails to turn on since the alternator is no longer charging the battery... at least that's what I've read and heard from friends that are mechanics. Hyundai and Kia have been plagued by fire problems since 2015. The Center for Auto Safety successfully petitioned U.S. regulators to seek recalls in 2018 and says that the automakers have recalled more than 9.2 million vehicles for fires and engine problems. More than two dozen of the recalls involved over 20 models from the 2006 through 2021 model years and ALL are for fire risk. This is a KNOWN issue with Hyundai cars in general. My thought is that the same issues that are listed in the most recent Hyundai recall for the Sante Fe's from 2011-2015 is what occurred in my vehicle but Hyundai is refusing to take ownership of the issue.

Filed May 9, 2021 · Electrical · 120,000 miles · VA

This car has stalled at least six times in the past six months, usually as we are deaccelerating and in a downhill position (ie: driving slowly down a mountain, coming to a stoplight going down a hill, etc.). It has a new engine as of summer 2020. We took it to a local hyundai dealership and they ran a general diagnostics check-up with no results. We have searched this problem online for a solution and see many others reporting similar stalling concerns, but when we put our VIN into the recall system, there are no recalls affiliated with this car. The car drives great otherwise, but the stalling is very concerning.

Filed Oct 31, 2019 · Brakes, Electrical · 130,000 miles · TN

Rear tail lights retain moisture and water, causing the brake lights to malfunction and short out when bulbs are replaced. This issue is visible when the vehicle is stationary and in motion. This issue has caused me to be pulled over by police officers as well as it can cause unsafe braking conditions due to no brake light being illuminated on the vehicle. This is the 3rd time that this has happened with this vehicle. Brake light bulb will be replaced but as soon as it rains or any condensation collects in the housing, it caused the brake light to not illuminate upon pressing the brake pedal.

Filed Oct 24, 2018 · Electrical · 100,000 miles · TX

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 hyundai santa fe. The contact stated that the starter failed periodically. The starter was replaced, but the failure recurred. The contact researched the failure and found that there was too much paint on the negative connector to the engine from both the passenger and driver sides. An independent mechanic resolved the failure by sanding down the area by the connector to metal on metal. The failure was remedied. The dealer and manufacturer had not been contacted. The failure mileage was 100,000.

Filed Apr 23, 2018 · Electrical · CO

Smoke coming from turn signal switch

Filed Apr 15, 2017 · Electrical, Engine · 150,000 miles · TX

Engine stall during stationary cranking and driving on city streets after shaking noise heard. Related to recall 49.