Sell your 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe for cash

The 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe is a SUV that came with a choice of 2.4L 4-cyl and 3.5L 6-cyl engines. At 16 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.

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2010 Hyundai Santa Fe at a glance

Body styleSport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD
Engines2.4L 4-cyl, 3.5L 6-cyl
TransmissionsManual 6-spd, Automatic 6-spd
DriveFront-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive
FuelRegular Gasoline
Fuel economy19–21 city / 26–28 highway / 22–23 combined MPG
EPA annual fuel cost$2,900–$3,050 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles)
Tailpipe CO₂386–404 grams per mile
Versions tested by EPA5 configurations: Santa Fe 2WD, Santa Fe 4WD
Age16 years

Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data. Your car's exact equipment may differ.

What affects its junk value

  • Age: at 16 years old, most of a 2010 Santa Fe's value comes from reusable parts and scrap metal, not resale.
  • Weight: as a SUV, it's heavier than a typical car, and scrap weight is a big part of any junk offer. See how scrap prices by weight work.
  • Catalytic converter: like all gas and diesel cars, it has a catalytic converter containing precious metals, one of the most valuable parts on a junk car. An offer assumes it's still in place. More on catalytic converters.
  • Recalls: NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2010 Santa Fe. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking it.
  • Known problems: owners reported the most issues with the power train, typically around 72,000 miles. If that's what failed on yours, it can still be sold as-is.

How junk car offers are calculated

2010 Hyundai Santa Fe recalls

NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls covering the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.

Exterior LightingApr 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V113000

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…

Risk: 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 o

Power TrainApr 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V261000

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…

Risk: Damage to the transmission may cause loss of motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.

Common 2010 Santa Fe problems

Owners have filed 259 complaints about the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe with NHTSA. 8 reports involved a crash and 6 reports involved a fire. Owners reported 7 injuries.

Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.

Most-reported components

  • Power Train66
  • Power Train44
  • Engine37
  • Electrical System26
  • Unknown or Other23
  • Vehicle Speed Control21

Typical mileage when problems were reported

  • Power Train72,000 mi
  • Power Train4,000 mi
  • Engine90,000 mi
  • Electrical System59,000 mi
  • Unknown or Other58,000 mi
  • Vehicle Speed Control24,000 mi

2010 Hyundai Santa Fe crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe.

VersionOverallFrontal crashSide crashRolloverRollover risk
4 Dr, FWD/AWDNot rated——★★★★☆16.9%

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP). Ratings from different model years or rating systems aren't directly comparable.

2010 Hyundai Santa Fe service bulletins

Manufacturers have filed 121 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.

2 of them are warranty extensions. Warranty extensions mean the manufacturer agreed to cover a specific repair beyond the normal warranty. They rarely still apply to a car this age, but they point to known weak spots.

Most common bulletin topics

  • Engine and Engine Cooling16
  • Power Train15
  • Equipment13
  • Power Train10
  • Service Brakes7
  • Engine6

Recent bulletins

  • Service Bulletin/Repair InstructionsOct 2026 · 26-EM-016H TSB

    Some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning pr

  • Service Bulletin/Repair InstructionsOct 2026 · 26-EM-015H TSB

    Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides the inspection and repair proce

  • OtherApr 2026 · DTN DCS

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured

  • OtherApr 2026 · DTN DL

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver's-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin P

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA opened 3 defect investigations covering the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe.

EngineDP22003 · opened Sep 2022, closed Dec 2023

Loss of Motive Power

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spa

Vehicle Speed ControlDP21003 · opened Nov 2021, closed Jun 2023

Throttle control system vulnerabilities

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated October 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (ETC) system on certain Kia vehicles resulting in the opening of DP21-003. Accordi

Power TrainPE11010 · opened Apr 2011, closed May 2011Led to recall 11V258000

Transmission Intermediate Driveshaft

On April 25, 2011, Kia Motors Corporation submitted a defect notification letter to NHTSA 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 (NHTSA Recall No. 11V-258).The recal

Other Hyundai Santa Fe years

‹ Sell a 2009 Santa Fe · Sell a 2011 Santa Fe › · All Hyundai Santa Fe years

Other 2010 Hyundai models

Selling a 2010 Santa Fe: questions

How much is a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe worth for junk?

It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. As a heavier vehicle, its scrap weight adds to the offer. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.

Can I junk a 2010 Santa Fe that doesn't run?

Yes. We buy 2010 Santa Fes that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.

Can I sell a 2010 Santa Fe with open recalls?

Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What paperwork do I need to sell my 2010 Santa Fe?

Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.

Before you sell

Sources

Data retrieved October 2026.

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