Hyundai Santa Fe Gearbox & Transmission Problems

A modern automatic transmission is a very complex piece of equipment with a whole bunch of parts that have to be talking to each other for it to work properly. Your best plan of attack is to have the vehicle inspected by a transmission specialist who is familiar with this transmission and should be able to diagnose the fault.

But it sounds like there’s something broken or loose inside that is not allowing the engine’s power to be transferred to the car’s wheels. This could be anything form an input or output shaft, a clutch assembly, torque converter or even the gearsets themselves. Perhaps the fault is in the valve body (the part that actually selects each gear) but until it’s torn down and inspected, you won’t know what’s going on.

The other major cause of a car not moving when it’s in gear is that there’s a broken driveshaft or CV joint. The symptoms can be very similar, so check the whole driveline before committing to repairs.

I definitely agree that 60,000km is pathetically short for the lifespan of a modern transmission. And if, indeed, the transmission has failed or is showing dramatic wear in that distance, I’d be asking Hyundai to help out with the cost of repairs. Even though the vehicle is out of warranty (by only about a year it would seem) the low kilometres and full factory service history might give Hyundai cause to come to the party on a pro rata basis.

Meantime, don’t hit the panic button yet. The fault could be a much simpler one than you might be imagining and could be something quick and easy to fix. The problem could be as simple as low transmission-fluid level. If the quoted cost to examine the transmission is putting you off, try an independent transmission specialist who should be more than familiar with this unit.

The 12-month warranty is designed to give you confidence in the car, but if you’ve completely lost faith in it then it could be best to sell it and move on.

The diesel is rated to tow up to 2.5-tonne so it should handle your camper with ease. There are a few reports of transmission/transfer case failures, as your mechanic has told you, but it’s not widespread, and with a warranty that lasts for five years with unlimited kilometres you should be well covered if something does go wrong.

Hyundai's new-gen Santa Fe has just launched in three model trims, all offered in all-wheel-drive in Australia. While other markets could have front wheel drive options, there are no Santa Fe models offered in rear wheel drive.

They have to drain the pan and drain the transmission to fix the faulty solenoid, so they’ll have to refill it with new fluid and use a new gasket. If the solenoid wasn’t faulty there would be no need to drain the pan or replace the gasket, so I think you have a good claim to be covered for the whole cost of the repair, including the new oil and gasket.

You should approach the dealer in the first instance, and then Hyundai directly if that fails to produce a satisfactory resolution.

Diff failures are not common, but not unknown either. I would try to get Hyundai to help out with the cost, their obligations to support their vehicles don't end when the warranty expires.

All of the models you list would do the job you want well, so it comes down to personal choice. Add in the Kia Sorento and you have the field pretty much covered. The Sorento generally gets the most ticks from CarsGuide reviewers.

Our trade contacts don't report any significant issues on the Santa Fe auto at this time; they've only done low kays to this point. Hopefully Hyundai replaced the transmission under warranty, so you're not out of pocket. Maybe if other Santa Fe owners have had this problem they might contact us and tell us about their experience.

You need to have them inspect the master cylinder and the clutch to determine what the problem is. If it is a leaking master cylinder, and as a result the clutch has been contaminated by the leaking fluid then you have a legitimate claim, but you won't know until the clutch can be checked.