Major Problems with 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe Derived from Complaints & Recalls

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Worst 3 complaints of 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe

2003 Hyundai Santa Fe FRONTAL Victims: 2 Mileage: 115000 miles

2003 Hyundai Santa Fe STRUCTURE Victims: 2

2003 Hyundai Santa Fe AIR BAGS Victims: 2 Mileage: 150000 miles

Browse 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe complaints by category

Problems with SUSPENSION, AIR BAGS and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM are the most frequent issues recorded by the NHTSA from Hyundai Santa Fe owners.

Problem Category	Number of Problems
SUSPENSION when at a stop vehicle would intermittently jerk forward. dealerships notified but the problem was not resolved. *ak...	43 ~ 100237 miles
AIR BAGS while driving 35 mph consumer's vehicle rear ended another vehicle. upon impact none of the airbags deployed. *ak the police...	31 ~ 64914 miles
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM right after i purchased my santa fe in march of 2003 at random times my car bucked when the car...	25 ~ 61454 miles
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL vehicle was parked and without prior warning it suddenly jumped out of gear and accelerated to 55 mph. as a	20 ~ 54267 miles
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN i took possession of a brand-new hyundai santa fe (2003 - 25 miles on odometer) on friday june 20 2003....	20 ~ 40697 miles
BODY > STRUCTURE tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that there was an overpowering fuel smell in...	13 ~ 104556 miles
STEERING i had a problem for quite some time with hearing a clicking sound when i would turn my steering wheel...	13 ~ 102987 miles
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING vehicle stalled intermittently while driving at any speed. dealer was unable to duplicate the problem. *ak...	13 ~ 56069 miles
ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC vehicle has had a high pitched whine at 35 mph coasting accelerating or braking. noticeable to all drivers/passengers but not...	11 ~ 17640 miles
SERVICE BRAKES tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph the brake light...	10 ~ 94516 miles
POWER TRAIN when the gas pedal was applied the vehicle had a delay in accelerating. dealer notified. *ak the dealer stated that...	9 ~ 92861 miles
UNKNOWN OR OTHER vehicle reads different mileage than what its suppose to be. *ph the vehicle locks itself. (keys on peg in the	9 ~ 76065 miles
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC consumer had extened stopping. please provide any additional information. ts...	9 ~ 50901 miles
WHEELS the vehicle hit a pot hole while driving 55-56 mph. the condition causes the left rear alloy wheel to split	8 ~ 121618 miles
ENGINE tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundia santa fe. the contact stated hat while driving approximately 5 mph a loud...	7 ~ 111921 miles
SEAT BELTS the airbag indicator would not go out after start of engine. brought car back to dealer where i was advised...	7 ~ 87473 miles
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that there was an overpowering fuel smell in...	6 ~ 136208 miles
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE the vehicle for the last 3 years was not getting the gas mileage suggested by manufacturer. it was taken repeatedly...	6 ~ 113383 miles
ENGINE > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING while driving vehicle "died" and would not restart. dealer diagnosed the camshaft gear had broken. ak scc *jb...	6 ~ 39713 miles
REAR > SUSPENSION tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the front left trailing arm corroded which caused the bar to...	5 ~ 92760 miles
FRONTAL > AIR BAGS while driving the brakes failed. upon applying the brakes the vehicle continued to coast the first time this happened. the...	5 ~ 54856 miles
STRUCTURE consumer experiencing problems with windshield wiper blades and has the impression that it is a common problem. *la the dealer...	5 ~ 32490 miles
UNDERBODY SHIELDS > FRAME AND MEMBERS > STRUCTURE the right front rocker arm rusted out causing the right front wheel to no longer be properly supported. the lower...	4 ~ 123750 miles
FRAME AND MEMBERS > STRUCTURE i took my 2003 hyundai santa fe in to the dealer to replace the alternator. i was told that their...	4 ~ 87250 miles
VISIBILITY tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. while driving 70 mph the rear fixed window on the left quarter...	4 ~ 89250 miles
CLUTCH ASSEMBLY > POWER TRAIN the vehicle was driving on the way home. the following day the vehicle would not go into gear. the clutch	4 ~ 31000 miles
WINDSHIELD > VISIBILITY cracked windshield. *ak...	4 ~ 11950 miles
FRONT > SUSPENSION tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. while driving approximately 65 mph there was a significant loss in the...	3 ~ 106648 miles
TANK ASSEMBLY > STORAGE > FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the vehicle was parked when the contact noticed fuel on the ground...	3 ~ 93687 miles
SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE > FRONTAL > AIR BAGS air bag light stays on. scan it needs a new clockspring(air bag). dealer won"t pay for it. 2003 hyundai santa	3 ~ 16567 miles
LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS > WHEELS after the heavy rains had occurred here in miami on may 16th 2006 there were unknown vibrations in my right...	3 ~ 51138 miles
CONTROL UNIT/MODULE > ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC while driving at low speeds and applying the brakes there was extended stopping distance which increased the possibility of an...	3 ~ 49794 miles
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES the rear driver side door does not always unlock with the remote. the dealer and hyundai refuse to give me...	3 ~ 21667 miles
SIDE/WINDOW > AIR BAGS on february 3 2004 thomas ashfield my husband was driving to the high school to pick up our daughter. while...	3 ~ 29002 miles
PADS > DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS while applying the brake pedal the vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic	3 ~ 5253 miles
SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY > VISIBILITY my 2003 sante fe's sunroof leaks.no matter if i am driving or the vehicle is parked.dealership stated when i asked...	3
EXTERIOR LIGHTING the airbag light stays on for no reason it has been on for 8months now and no fuses are blown	2 ~ 60911 miles
HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM > STEERING dt: the consumer stated that he had to have the power steering unit rebuilt on the 2003 hyundai santa fe....	2 ~ 76645 miles
PEDALS AND LINKAGES > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC santa fe has problems with the location of the gas pedal and the brake pedal and the sonata has problems...	2 ~ 15000 miles
ROTOR > DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS rusting brake rotors on my 2003 hyundai santa fe causing excessive noise and unsafe brake function. hyundai wants to reprogram...	2 ~ 50 miles
ACCELERATOR PEDAL > VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL while accelerating after a complete stop the vehicle failed to respond. dealer could not duplicate or correct the problem. *ak...	2 ~ 10500 miles
EQUIPMENT the vin on my new 2003 hyundai santa fe is an invalid one. the dmv database that my inurance accesses...	2 ~ 500 miles
MANUAL TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN thr cruise control accelerates the car for no apparent reason. the automatic transmission jerks when shifting dislodging all passangers. the...	2 ~ 20395 miles
CRUISE CONTROL > VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL thr cruise control accelerates the car for no apparent reason. the automatic transmission jerks when shifting dislodging all passangers. the...	2
WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER > VISIBILITY consumer experiencing problems with windshield wiper blades and has the impression that it is a common problem. *la the dealer...	2 ~ 29444 miles
FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM > STORAGE > FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER fuel gauge failed to read the correct fuel level in the gas tank. dealership serviced the vehicle 4 times and	2 ~ 5 miles
DOOR > BODY > STRUCTURE tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. while driving at 55 mph and attempting to roll up the...	1 ~ 150000 miles
COIL SPRINGS > SPRINGS > FRONT tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. while driving approximately 65 mph the contact heard a loud abnormal...	1 ~ 100000 miles
COIL SPRINGS > SPRINGS > REAR tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. while driving 20 mph the contact heard an abnormal sound near...	1 ~ 100000 miles
CONTROL ARM > FRONT > SUSPENSION tl* the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph the springs...	1 ~ 133000 miles
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL the paint is deteriorating my fuel pump had to be replaced and my car won't start. i replaced the alternator...	1 ~ 150000 miles
LOWER ARM > CONTROL ARM > FRONT tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. while driving approximately 65 mph there was a significant loss in the...	1 ~ 133943 miles
PARKING BRAKE my emergency brakes went out while me and my 8 year old daughter was driving down a highway. *tr...	1 ~ 72400 miles
EXHAUST SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING the vehicle for the last 3 years was not getting the gas mileage suggested by manufacturer. it was taken repeatedly...	1 ~ 60300 miles
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM while driving to work vehicle in front of me stopped abruptly i stepped hard on the brake pedal i was...	1 ~ 95899 miles
ELECTRICAL > EQUIPMENT i purchased a 2003 hyundai santa fe 09/2007 with 78k mi. in may 2009 i took vehicle to dealership for...	1 ~ 81203 miles
LATCH > DOORS > LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. while opening the passenger side door the contact's finger was gashed by...	1 ~ 100000 miles
POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS > VISIBILITY about a year ago my passenger side windows would only work occasionally. then the back windows followed suit. then they...	1 ~ 125000 miles
ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM i took my 2003 hyundai santa fe in to the dealer to replace the alternator. i was told that their...	1
MECHANICAL > EQUIPMENT i own 2003 hyundai sante fe on june 2008 it started stalling hestitating on the highway it started jerking and...	1 ~ 28995 miles
SEAT HEATER/COOLER > FRONT ASSEMBLY > SEATS i owned a 2003 hyundai santa fe and the heated seat electrical unit failed to shut off and the interior...	1 ~ 50000 miles
LOWER BALL JOINT > CONTROL ARM > FRONT tl*the contact owns a 2003 hyundai santa fe. the contact stated that the lower ball joints were replaced at 65...	1 ~ 96000 miles
REAR/OTHER > SEAT BELTS i have a 2003 santa fe that has exceeded its warranty. my 10 year old daughter was buckling her safety...	1 ~ 80000 miles
BEAD > TIRES i have had a squeaking noise in the tires for several months. i continued to take it to hyundai and...	1
HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS > DELIVERY > FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE while driving my 2003 sante fe something happened to the fuel lines causing gasoline to pour out of the vehicle....	1 ~ 32000 miles
RACK AND PINION > STEERING consumer complained about a rack and pinion steering problem. consumer took vehicle back to the dealership on several occasions yet...	1 ~ 16448 miles
LINKAGES > WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER > VISIBILITY windoe wiper bolt becomes loose on my 2003 hyundai santa fe...	1 ~ 10000 miles
WIRING > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM while driving at 65 mph vehicle caught on fire. *ak...	1 ~ 23641 miles
ANTILOCK > SERVICE BRAKES, AIR a crack in the windshield appeared one day. nothing had hit the windshield. it is a small arc on the...	1 ~ 19000 miles
DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC while sitting at a stop on a slight incline with brake engaged vehicle rolled forward. driver engaged the brakes further...	1
TIRES while driving at 10 mph left passenger tire blew out. *ak...	1 ~ 5000 miles
GLASS, SIDE/REAR > VISIBILITY driving down freeway and driver's window blew in.dealer knows of no safety defects.*ak...	1 ~ 1000 miles
HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE > BODY > STRUCTURE two months after purchasing my santa fe i had to take it back to the dealer for water a water...	1
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER i purchased a 2003 santa fe lx 4wd with approx. 250 miles on it. less than 2 months after purchase...	1 ~ 1781 miles
CATALYTIC CONVERTOR > EMISSION CONTROL > EXHAUST SYSTEM i purchased a 2003 santa fe lx 4wd with the 2.7l engine. almost from the time i purchased the vehicle...	1 ~ 300 miles
COLUMN > STEERING the steering wheel failed to lock once the vehicle was turned off. *jb...	1
FRONT > SEAT BELTS while placing the seat belt on it broke. consumer informed the dealer that the seat belt broke. *ak...	1
HEATER CORE > DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM > VISIBILITY consumer experiencing problems with windshield wiper blades and has the impression that it is a common problem. *la the dealer...	1
IGNITION > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM vehicle reads different mileage than what its suppose to be. *ph the vehicle locks itself. (keys on peg in the	1
REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES > VISIBILITY the rear view mirror obstructs the view on the right side which causes the consumer not to see vehicles or	1
AXLE ASSEMBLY > POWER TRAIN consumer noticed fluid from the vehicle was on the ground upon inspection of the vehicle the dealer stated the axle	1

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