2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Electrical System

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.

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.

SMOKE COMING FROM TURN SIGNAL SWITCH

THE TURN SIGNAL "CLICKING NOISE" STARTED WORKING CONTINUOUSLY AND INDEPENDENTLY FROM THE ACTUAL POSITION OF THE THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER AND THE ASSOCIATED LIGHTS ON THE PANEL. ELECTRICAL SMOKE CAME FROM THE STEERING COLUMN FROM THE AREA NEAR THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR HANDLE. I REMOVED THE 10 AMP FUSE TO INTERRUPT THE POWER TO THE TURN SIGNAL AND THE SMOKING STOPPED. THIS OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND DID NOT CHANGE UNDER ANY DRIVING CONDITIONS.

PASSENGER REAR DOOR (RIGHT REAR) LOCK ACTUATOR MECHANISM FAILURE. DOOR IS LOCKED AND **CANNOT BE UNLOCKED OR OPENED FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE CAR**, WHETHER BY MANUAL OR KEY FOB METHOD. MANUAL DOOR LOCK BUTTON (ON RIGHT REAR DOOR) INSIDE CAR DIFFICULT TO ACTUATE, DOOR HANDLE ACTUATION (CABLE?) SEEMS LIKE IT MAY BE DETACHED (VERY EASY TO ACTUATE DOOR HANDLE, NO RESISTANCE). WORKED FINE, UNTIL IT FAILED WITH NO WARNING. TRIED TO OPEN RIGHT REAR DOOR AND WAS UNABLE TO. I RARELY USE THIS DOOR, SO IT MAY HAVE FAILED PRIOR TO WHEN I NOTICED IT. APPROX 59,000 MILES WHEN PROBLEM NOTICED. *SERIOUS* SAFETY ISSUE IF DOOR MALFUNCTIONS WITH PASSENGERS IN CAR--THE DOOR IS 100% USELESS--AND IT COULD HAPPEN TO ANY OF THE DOORS I ASSUME.

I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN, WHEN THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES. WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE THE TURN AND PULL OVER. PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND CONTINUE DRIVING WITH NO PROBLEMS. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE WE GOT THE CAR. SINCE IT IS SPORADIC, DEALER CANNOT FIND WHAT IS WRONG. WORRIED THAT INCIDENT MIGHT OCCUR WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND GET REAR-ENDED. *TR

THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR SHUTS OFF WHEN IT RAINS. WARM AIR BLOWS THROUGH THE VENTS. *TR

WHILE SITTING IN CRAWLING TRAFFIC OR COMING TO A SLOW STOP AT A STOP SIGN, ON OCCASION THE CAR WILL LOSE ALL ELECTRICAL POWER (LIGHTS, RADIO, INTERIOR LIGHTING GOES BLACK) AND THE ENGINE THEN STALLS OUT. THE GAS TANK IS TYPICALLY HALF FULL OR BELOW BUT NEVER ON EMPTY. I HAVE TO PLACE THE CAR IN PARK OR NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE RUNS FINE BEFORE AND AFTER THE INCIDENTS. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST THREE TIMES A MONTH SINCE JUNE 2011 AND HAS ALMOST CAUSED MULTIPLE CAR ACCIDENTS. THE CAR'S POWER ALSO SEEMS TO DIM WHEN APPLYING THE BREAKS DURING NORMAL DRIVING ON OCCASION. THE HEADLIGHTS, INTERIOR LIGHTS AND RADIO TOUCH SCREEN GO DIM WHEN BREAK IS APPLIED. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE ALREADY AND COMPLAINED BUT NOTHING WAS DONE. SINCE THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REPEAT THE EVENT, THEY CLAIMED THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. THE DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED THAT I LEAVE THE CAR STALLED OUT AND HAVE IT TOWED IN. I EXPLAINED THAT THE CAR WILL START AGAIN ONCE IN PARK OR NEUTRAL, THEREFORE A TOW TRUCK WILL NOT TOW IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. *TR

INTERMITTENT ISSUE WHERE THE GAS PEDAL DOES NOT WORK - DEPRESSING IT DOES NOT CAUSE THE ENGINE TO REV AT ALL. THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH THE VEHICLE AT 40 MPH, THEN NO POWER AS VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN TO 15 MPH BEFORE IT STARTED WORKING. OTHER SYMPTOMS WHEN THIS OCCURS ARE AS FOLLOWS: WITH HEADLIGHTS TURNED ON, THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL IS STUCK "ON". IF HEADLIGHTS ARE OFF, SELECTING THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL CAN CAUSE VARIOUS DASH LIGHTS TO BLINK, AND ENGINE LOSES POWER IN SYNCH WITH THE BLINKING LIGHTS.

2010 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SE / OWNED 5 1/2 WEEKS / 824 MILES. STARTED VEHICLE LATE MORNING, PREPARING TO DRIVE OUT OF THE GARAGE. SMOKE BEGAN POURING FROM THE A/C VENTS. IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE ENGINE & GOT OUT OF VEHICLE. CALLED 911 FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT. SMOKE CONTINUED FOR COUPLE OF MINUTES AFTER THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. EVIDENT FROM THE SMELL IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION/BURN. FIREMEN CONFIRMED THIS. FIREMEN CHECKED UNDER THE VEHICLE & THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, BUT NO EVIDENCE OF SMOKE, FIRE OR BURN IN EITHER LOCATION. I HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. NO CONCLUSION AT THIS TIME. *TR