Your vehicle report
2003 Hyundai Santa FE
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 308
- Received Jan 2003 to Nov 2024
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Frame rusts and corrodes through22 complaints · 7.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbag warning light stays on19 complaints · 6.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes17 complaints · 5.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #14V435000Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model Year 2001-2006 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured from March 31, 2000, through February 15, 2006, that are registered and operated, or which were originally sold and registered, in the following 20 “salt belt" states and the District of Columbia: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The affected vehicles may experience front coil spring corrosion from road salt, causing the coil spring to fracture and make contact with the tire.
- Recall #09V123000Hyundai is recalling 83,355 my 2001-2003 santa fe vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these jurisdictions during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the rear trailing arms, which could lead to thinning or perforation of the rear trailing arm steel. Owners may see or feel slight to moderate changes in vehicle operation which will increase if the vehicle is not repaired. These changes include a lowering of vehicle height that can lead to tire misalignment and steering pull. Owners may also notice a creaking sound.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 26 crashes, 5 fires, 20 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Tires blow out or tread separates
- Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches
- Coil springs break and puncture tires
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 26 |
| 2004 | 30 |
| 2005 | 25 |
| 2006 | 19 |
| 2007 | 14 |
| 2008 | 11 |
| 2009 | 21 |
| 2010 | 22 |
| 2011 | 22 |
| 2012 | 14 |
| 2013 | 13 |
| 2014 | 26 |
| 2015 | 25 |
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2018 | 10 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 308 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 22 | 7.1% | – | NHTSA recall #09V123000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 19 | 6.2% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 17 | 5.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 16 | 5.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 15 | 4.9% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 13 | 4.2% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 11 | 3.6% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 9 | 2.9% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 9 | 2.9% | – | NHTSA recall #04V131000 |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 8 | 2.6% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 8 | 2.6% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 7 | 2.3% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 6 | 1.9% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 6 | 1.9% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Coil springs break and puncture tires | 4 | 1.3% | – | NHTSA recall #14V435000 |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Cruise control fails to disengage | 4 | 1.3% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #14V435000July 18, 2014271,773 vehicles affected
suspension: front: springs: coil springs
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model Year 2001-2006 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured from March 31, 2000, through February 15, 2006, that are registered and operated, or which were originally sold and registered, in the following 20 “salt belt" states and the District of Columbia: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The affected vehicles may experience front coil spring corrosion from road salt, causing the coil spring to fracture and make contact with the tire.
If the front coil spring fractures due to corrosion it could cause the coil spring to make contact with the tire, possibly puncturing the tire and increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the coil spring, free of charge. The recall began on October 24, 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 124.
NHTSA recall #09V123000April 16, 200983,355 vehicles affected
suspension: rear
Hyundai is recalling 83,355 my 2001-2003 Santa fe vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these jurisdictions during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the rear trailing arms, which could lead to thinning or perforation of the rear trailing arm steel. Owners may see or feel slight to moderate changes in vehicle operation which will increase if the vehicle is not repaired. These changes include a lowering of vehicle height that Can lead to tire misalignment and steering pull. Owners may also notice a creaking sound.
If the corrosion is allowed to progress, the rear trailing arm may fracture while driving, thereby increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rear trailing arms for internal corrosion damage. If specified levels of corrosion damage are found, the rear trailing arms will be replaced. Rear trailing arms that do not require replacement will have drainage holes added and will be treated with rust-proofing material to arrest the corrosion process. Inspection, treatment and replacement procedures will be conducted at no cost to owners. The recall is expected to begin during may 2009. Owners may contact the Hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
NHTSA recall #04V131000March 16, 200417,401 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.5 liter V-6 engines, 4-WHEEL drive and antilock braking systems (ABS), if the brake pedal is depressed at speeds between 3 and 12 mph when the brake pad friction surfaces are wet, a vibration may occur between the brake discs and pads causing ABS sensor electronic signal noise to develop. At speeds below 5 mph, the ABS sensor signal noise may cause the ABS electronic control unit (ecu) to activate the ABS, extending the stopping distance.
If an extended stopping distance occurs, it could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will reprogram the ABS ecu. Owner notification began on march 24, 2004. Owners should contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
NHTSA recall #03V520000December 18, 2003249,309 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
The tire pressure labels do not contain the information required by the standard.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with a correct label and installation instructions. Owner notification began on october 29, 2003. Owners should contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Hyundai Santa FE.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN