An upgraded 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe has been revealed in the US with a conventional torque-converter automatic transmission in place of the large seven-seat SUV’s problematic dual-clutch auto.
The US market’s petrol-powered Santa Fe previously employed an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT) made by the Korean automaker’s affiliate, Hyundai Transys, which has been the subject of multiple recalls in North America.
The most recent US recall impacted more than 12,000 vehicles with an estimated defect rate of 100 per cent. Affected Santa Fe vehicles could unexpectedly shift themselves from Park to Neutral and roll away.
This followed a previous October 2022 recall and stop-sale in the US, impacting 61,861 vehicles including the 2021-2022 Santa Fe.
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For the 2026 model year, Hyundai Motor America has replaced the DCT in 2.5-litre petrol Santa Fe with an eight-speed torque-converter automatic.
There’s no change for the Santa Fe Hybrid also offered in US showrooms, which continues to use a six-speed torque-converter automatic.
The news doesn’t impact the Santa Fe sold in Australia, which is manufactured in South Korea. The US-market version is produced in the US state of Alabama.
The Santa Fe has had only one transmission-related recall in Australia, where owners were warned of a potential loss of power while driving.
An Australian recall issued in January 2023 impacted 4469 Hyundai vehicles fitted with the eight-speed DCT, including the previous-generation Santa Fe as well as the Kona small SUV, Sonata N Line sedan, and the hot i30 N hatch and sedan.
Hyundai Australia confirmed to CarExpert it has no plans to replace the eight-speed DCT that has been in the current-generation Santa Fe since it was released here in 2024.
Transmissions for Hyundai and Kia, which is also part of the broader Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), are made in the US as well as South Korea, China, and the Czech Republic.
The Kia Sorento sold in the US also uses the same eight-speed DCT, which is codenamed D8LF1, and was included in the latest US recall due to the same issues.
Despite this, the US arm of the automaker told Car and Driver it won’t follow Hyundai in switching to a conventional automatic for the Sorento.
Dual-clutch transmissions are designed to reduce fuel consumption and improve responsiveness by pre-selecting the next ratio and producing faster, smoother gear shifts when operating correctly.
Several manufacturers have faced challenges after faulty DCTs in their vehicles resulted in jerkiness and even total transmission failure.
The most prominent were from the Volkswagen Group, including its Audi brand, and Ford Australia – which is facing an ongoing class-action law suit following a record $10 million fine from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in 2018 for its mishandling of the customer complaints about its ‘Powershift’ DCTs.
Hyundai first offered a dual-clutch transmission in its Veloster sports hatch in Australia in 2012.
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