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. The slipping occurs at highway speeds and appears to affect the vehicle’s ability to maintain consistent power and acceleration. Safety Concerns This creates a safety concern because unexpected transmission slipping at highway speeds could result in a sudden loss or interruption of power. This may make it difficult to maintain speed, merge, pass, or respond safely to changing traffic conditions. The issue could increase the risk of an accident, particularly in heavy or fast-moving traffic.
2010 Hyundai Santa Fe transmission problems
109 complaints (42% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 11,000.
- owner complaints
- 109
- of this car's complaints
- 42%
- typical mileage
- 11,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Automatic transmission44
- Driveline: driveshaft1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Hyundai Santa Fe transmission problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe transmission
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Jerking 30Harsh shifting 21Transmission failure 18Hesitation 17Slipping 9Won't shift 6
Related recalls
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 11V261000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Transmission Intermediate Driveshaft
On April 25, 2011, Kia Motors Corporation submitted a defect notification letter to the federal safety agency regarding a transmission intermediate driveshaft condition in approximately 12,690 model year (MY) 2011 Kia Sorento 2-wheel drive vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and 2.4L engines (the federal safety agency Recall No. 11V‑258).The recall addresses a defect with the external shape of the engine block which can prevent the intermediate shaft bearing bracket from mating evenly with the engine block.This can cause a misalignment of the intermediate shaft with the right side output gear.Resulting damage could cause a loss of motive power.Additionally, on April 27, 2011, Hyundai Motor Company submitted a defect notification (the federal safety agency Recall No. 11V‑261) for the same issue in approximately 6,169 MY 2010 Sante Fe 2-wheel drive vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and 2.4L engines that use the same components as the recalled Kia Sorento vehicles.This investigation is closed.
PE11010
What 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Brakes locked
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.
Transmission will not shift out of 1st. Gear .50000 miles this is second time in less than 2 months. Dealer replaced cable in top of transmission worked for 600 miles.
Whenever i hit a bump on the side of the road, the truck jerks really badly and if im not grasping the steering wheel with all my strength, it will jerk me off the highway from the bump making the entire car go off the road. Also, each bump i hit, i hear a very very loud metal on metal knocking sound from the right passenger side of the tire area. Not sure if it is a strut assembly or engine mount that wasn't correctly bolted down during manufacturing. Also, when i press the gas pedal, it sounds as if theres some type of cable thats being stripped or something. And whenever i am holding the steering wheel straight and firmly, the truck automatically has a mind of its on at times and will jerk the car to the right or to the left while im holding the wheel still. All mechanics have said that they don't see anything wrong with it but there's obviously something wrong with it and I am scared to drive it. It has got to be a manufacturers defect on those components of the vehicle. Please remedy this or replace my vehicle with one of the same or lesser valued cars . This truck is going to end up killing me or someone else or both ... Thanks
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted and driven to the residence. The contact stated that the replacement of the knock sensor detection system (KSDS) was previously completed under an unknown recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the timing chain, the gaskets, and spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to a different independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the timing chain and the bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,550.
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that there was a winding noise coming from the front end of the vehicle underneath the hood. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The knock sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted and had gotten worse. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer who determined that the failure had caused the transmission to fail, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact was unable to have the vehicle repaired free of charge due to the warranty mileage being exceeded. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The appropriate failure mileage was 11,000.
The contact's mother owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that upon a cold start, the vehicle would make an abnormal, clunking sounds while shifting gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the transmission was replaced. Recently, the contact stated that the failure had recurred, and the check engine warning light briefly appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was diagnosed and showed low pressure in the transmission sensor. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but the mechanic could not diagnose the failure. The dealer drained the transmission fluid and discovered metal shavings inside the transmission fluid. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer also stated that the vehicle was no longer covered under warranty. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. There was no warning light illuminated. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The contact mentioned the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 11V261000 (Power Train) as a possible solution to the failure however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Questions about the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe transmission
Does the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 109 complaints about the transmission of the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe, 42% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe transmission problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 11,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe transmission?
Yes, 1 recall: 11V261000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Hyundai Santa Fe have bad transmission?
The Hyundai Santa Fe model years with the most transmission complaints are 2017 (166 complaints), 2010 (109 complaints) and 2022 (57 complaints).
Other 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe problems
Engine 46Electrical 28Acceleration 21Fuel system 19Suspension 14Body 12Brakes 12Visibility 11Airbags 9Steering 8Lights 7Driver assistance 3Tires 3Locks 2Seat belts 1Seats 1Wheels 1
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