2010 Hyundai Santa Fe SE Auto FWD
All photo credits
- Photo: 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.7L GL in Natural Khaki, front right, 2025-07-06 by Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Photo: 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe SE, front left, 03-22-2026 by MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Photo: HYUNDAI SANTA FE (CM) China (8) by Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Photo: 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe Premium CRDi 2.2 Rear by Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Photo: Hyundai Santa Fe interior by Corvettec6r, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe SE Auto FWD is a 276-hp V6 with a 6-speed automatic and front-wheel drive. It starts at $25,995 MSRP and is rated at 23 mpg combined.
It makes 276 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque at 5000 rpm. EPA fuel-economy estimates are 20 mpg city and 26 mpg highway (23 mpg combined).
The Santa Fe measures 184.1 inches long on a 106.3-inch wheelbase and has a curb weight of 3,902 lb.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | |
| Body Type | SUV |
| Powertrain | Gas |
| Price | |
| MSRP | $25,995 ($38,736 *) |
| MSRP with Destination | $26,790 ($39,921 *) |
| Destination Charge | $795 |
| Engine | |
| Engine Type | Lambda II G6DC 3.5L DOHC V6, MPI, Dual-CVVT, naturally aspirated |
| Horsepower | 276 hp |
| Torque | 248 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm |
| Valvetrain | DOHC 24-valve with Dual-CVVT |
| Bore and Stroke | 92 x 87 |
| Injection Type | Multi-point fuel injection |
| Drivetrain | |
| Drive Type | Front-Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic |
| Fuel Economy | |
| City | 20 MPG |
| Highway | 26 MPG |
| Combined | 23 MPG |
| Recommended Fuel | Regular unleaded |
| Suspension | |
| Front Suspension | MacPherson strut with coil springs |
| Rear Suspension | Independent multi-link with trailing arms, coil springs, and gas-filled hydraulic shock absorbers |
| Turning Diameter | 35.8 ft |
| Tires & Wheels | |
| Wheels Front | 18 in |
| Wheels Rear | 18 in |
| Tires Front | 235/60R18 |
| Tires Rear | 235/60R18 |
| Dimensions & Weight | |
| Length | 184.1 in |
| Width | 74.4 in |
| Height | 67.9 in |
| Wheelbase | 106.3 in |
| Front Track | 63.6 in |
| Rear Track | 63.8 in |
| Ground Clearance | 8.1 in |
| Cargo Volume | 34.2 ft³ |
| Curb Weight | 3,902 lbs |
| Interior | |
| Headroom Front | 40.2 in |
| Headroom Rear | 39.6 in |
| Legroom Front | 42.6 in |
| Legroom Rear | 36.8 in |
| Shoulder Room Front | 59.5 in |
| Shoulder Room Rear | 58.6 in |
| Hip Room Front | 55.8 in |
| Hip Room Rear | 55 in |
Similar cars
Rivals to the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe SE Auto FWD with similar size, power and price from around the same years.
Safety & Recalls
NCAP safety ratings
| Overall | Not rated |
| Frontal crash | Not rated |
| Frontal – driver | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal – passenger | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash | Not rated |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ (16.9 % risk) |
Recalls
3 recalls on file with NHTSA for the 2010 Hyundai SANTA FE. Not every recall applies to every trim or VIN — check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Apr 1, 2013 · EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign 13V113000
Oct 6, 2011 · EQUIPMENT
CURT MANUFACTURING IS RECALLING CERTAIN TOW PACKAGE WIRING HARNESSES, PART NUMBER 55538, THAT CONNECT TOW VEHICLE LIGHTING CIRCUITS TO TRAILER LIGHTING CIRCUITS SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 THROUGH 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE VEHICLES. THE UNITS ARE NOT WATER-TIGHT AND MOISTURE CAN SEEP INTO THE CONVERTER MODULE AND DEFEAT THE MODULE'S INTERNAL CIRCUIT PROTECTION.
Consequence: WITHOUT THE CIRCUIT PROTECTION, THE MODULE CAN OVERHEAT POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.
Remedy: CURT MANUFACTURING WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE TOW PACKAGE WIRING HARNESS. THE REMEDY WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 17, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CURT MANUFACTURING AT 1-715 831-8713.
NHTSA campaign 11E040000
Apr 28, 2011 · POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
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.
Consequence: 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.
NHTSA campaign 11V261000
260 owner complaints to NHTSA for the 2010 Hyundai SANTA FE
Owner Complaints
260 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Hyundai SANTA FE (8 mention a crash, 6 a fire, 6 an injury). See all on nhtsa.gov
| Power Train | 109 |
| Engine | 37 |
| Electrical System | 28 |
| Unknown Or Other | 23 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 21 |
| Suspension | 14 |
Complaints are unverified reports submitted to NHTSA by owners. They cover the whole model year, not a specific trim, and a count alone doesn't show how common a problem is.
Source: US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (nhtsa.gov), matched as 2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. US-market vehicles only; data cached for up to 7 days.