2010-2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Brake Job Guide: Symptoms, Costs and the Right Parts

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

A brake job on a 2010-2013 Hyundai Santa Fe usually means front pads and rotors first, with the rear pads, rear rotors and the small parking brake shoes inside the rear rotors following later. Every Santa Fe in this range has disc brakes at all four corners, and the service is a straightforward bolt-on job for a careful DIYer, as long as you know which generation you own and check the recall history before you start.

Which Santa Fe You Have Matters: 2010-2012 vs 2013

This year range straddles two generations. The 2010, 2011 and 2012 Santa Fe are the second-generation (CM) body. For the 2013 model year Hyundai launched the redesigned third generation (DM), sold as the two-row Santa Fe Sport and the three-row Santa Fe. Pads, rotors and calipers are not interchangeable between the two, so always shop by exact year, and for a 2013, by whether it is a Sport or the long-wheelbase three-row model.

What both generations share is the layout:

• Front: ventilated disc rotors with a single-piston sliding caliper.
• Rear: solid disc rotors with a single-piston sliding caliper.
• Parking brake: a drum-in-hat design, meaning a small set of brake shoes sits inside the center "hat" of each rear rotor. The rear pads do not hold the vehicle when parked; the shoes do.
• Fluid: DOT 3 or DOT 4 per Hyundai's service specifications.

Hyundai's published brake specifications for the 2013-and-later generation give these numbers:

For the 2010-2012 models, read the minimum thickness cast into the rotor itself and confirm it against the factory service manual for your build rather than assuming the 2013 numbers carry over.

Symptoms Your Santa Fe Is Due for Brakes

• High-pitched squeal while driving that stops or changes when you brake. That is the mechanical wear indicator, a small metal tab on the pad that contacts the rotor when the friction material is nearly gone.
• Grinding. The pad backing plate is now touching the rotor. Stop driving on it; the rotors are almost certainly scored past saving.
• Steering wheel shake or pedal pulsation when braking from highway speed. Usually uneven rotor thickness. On a heavy SUV this shows up first on the front rotors.
• Pulling to one side. Often a front caliper slide pin that has seized in its bore, which also makes one pad wear much faster than the other.
• Soft or sinking pedal, or the brake warning light. Low fluid from a leak or from worn pads (the fluid level drops as the pistons move out). Check for wetness at each caliper and hose before replacing pads.
• Parking brake that will not hold on a slope. Worn or out-of-adjustment shoes inside the rear rotor hats.

Recalls and Known Issues to Check First

Run your VIN through NHTSA before you buy parts. Three campaigns touch the brake system on these years:

• 10V613000, 2011 Santa Fe rear calipers. Certain 2011 models built from September 28 through November 25, 2010 may have rear brake calipers that were not properly machined, which can let brake fluid leak. Left alone, that can progress to a soft pedal and reduced braking. Dealers inspected the calipers and replaced them free of charge. If your 2011 has a wet rear caliper, confirm this recall was completed.
• 13V113000, stop lamp switch (2007-2011 Santa Fe). A failing brake light switch can leave the brake lights dark, prevent cancelling cruise control with the pedal, stop the shifter leaving Park, and turn on the ESC light. Dealers replace the switch free.
• 23V651000, ABS module (2013 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport). The ABS module can leak brake fluid internally and short, which can cause an engine compartment fire even while parked. The remedy is a replacement ABS fuse at the dealer, and owners were told to park outside until it is done.

An ABS or ESC warning light on these SUVs is not always a pad or rotor problem. Diagnose the light first; a brake job will not fix a switch or module fault.

What the Job Involves

Front pads and rotors

The front brakes do most of the stopping on a vehicle this heavy, so they wear first. The job is: lift and support the SUV on stands, remove the wheel, remove the guide rod bolt and swing or lift the caliper off, remove the pads, shims and retainer clips from the carrier, then remove the carrier to take off the rotor. Clean rust off the hub face so the new rotor sits flat, install the rotor and carrier, fit new retainer clips, compress the piston and install the new pads. Hyundai's service information lists a pad service limit of 2.0 mm (0.0787 in) and a front rotor minimum of 26 mm (1.02 in), and it gives torque values for the caliper-to-knuckle bolts and guide rod bolts. Torque to the factory values for your model year.

Rear pads, rotors and parking brake shoes

The rear caliper comes off the same way. The rear rotor can be harder to remove because the parking brake shoes sit inside its hat: if a lip has worn into the drum surface, back off the parking brake adjuster before pulling the rotor, or it will hang up on the shoes. With the rotor off, inspect the shoe lining and springs. Hyundai's procedure for the 2013-on generation is to turn the adjuster's toothed wheel until the rotor will not turn, then back it off five notches, and to bed in new shoes or rotors with light, repeated parking brake applications while driving slowly. Skipping the adjustment is the most common reason a parking brake will not hold after a rear rotor job.

What to Replace at the Same Time

• Rotors with pads when they are below minimum thickness, scored, or causing pulsation. On a family SUV that tows or runs heavy, fresh rotors with new pads is usually the better long-term value than machining. Browse replacement brake rotors and ceramic brake pads, which run clean and quiet for daily driving.
• Pad hardware. New retainer clips and shims are cheap insurance against squeal. See our brake hardware kits.
• Caliper slide pins. Clean and re-grease them with a high-temperature brake lubricant. If a pin is seized, or a piston boot is torn or leaking, replace the caliper; see replacement brake calipers.
• Rubber brake hoses if they are cracked or bulge under pressure. Our brake hoses collection covers flexible lines.
• Parking brake shoes whenever the rear rotors come off and the lining is thin or contaminated.
• Brake fluid. A fresh DOT 3 or DOT 4 flush if it is dark or has not been changed in years. Never add DOT 5 silicone fluid.

Replace pads and rotors in axle sets, both fronts or both rears, never one side only.

How Hard Is It, and What Drives the Cost

Front pads and rotors are a moderate DIY job with basic hand tools, a jack and stands, a torque wrench, and a caliper piston tool. The rear axle takes longer because of the drum-in-hat parking brake and the extra adjustment step. Plan on bleeding the system if you open any hydraulic connection, such as when replacing a caliper or hose.

The price of the job depends on a few things rather than one number:

• Pads only vs pads and rotors. Rotors are the biggest parts cost, and labor goes up when they come off.
• One axle vs both. Fronts are due much more often than rears.
• Add-ons. Seized calipers, parking brake shoes and a fluid flush each add parts and labor.
• Pad compound. Ceramic pads cost more than basic semi-metallic but produce less dust and noise.

Doing it yourself removes the labor portion entirely. Start with brake pads and matching rotors for your exact year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2010-2013 Santa Fe have rear disc brakes or drums?

Rear discs. The only drum is the small parking brake drum built into the hat of each rear rotor, which uses its own shoes.

Are 2012 and 2013 Santa Fe brake parts the same?

No. The 2013 model year moved to a new generation, and the 2013 Santa Fe Sport and three-row Santa Fe are listed separately. Shop by exact year and model.

What brake fluid does the Santa Fe use?

Hyundai specifies DOT 3 or DOT 4. Check the master cylinder reservoir cap to confirm for your vehicle.

Why does my Santa Fe squeal even though the pads look fine?

Check the inner pad, which you cannot see from outside and which wears faster when a slide pin sticks. Also look for missing shims or dry, rusted retainer clips.

Why will my parking brake not hold after I replaced the rear rotors?

The drum-in-hat shoes have to be adjusted to the new rotor. Adjust them per the service procedure, then bed them in.

Was my 2011 Santa Fe part of the rear caliper recall?

Only certain 2011 models built between late September and late November 2010 were included. Enter your VIN at NHTSA or with a Hyundai dealer to confirm.

Sources

1. NHTSA recall 10V613000 - 2011 Santa Fe rear caliper machining defect, build dates, remedy
2. NHTSA recall 13V113000 - stop lamp switch recall covering 2007-2011 Santa Fe
3. NHTSA recall 23V651000 - ABS module fluid leak and fire risk, 2013 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport
4. The Weekly Driver - 2011 Santa Fe rear caliper recall details
5. Hyundai Santa Fe (DM) service manual - brake specifications - rotor and pad dimensions, DOT 3/DOT 4 fluid, drum-in-hat parking brake
6. Hyundai Santa Fe service manual - front disc brake repair - pad and rotor service limits, replacement steps
7. Hyundai Santa Fe service manual - parking brake assembly - drum-in-hat shoe adjustment and bed-in