2002 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Recalls & Reliability
219 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 14/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 137,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2002 sits among all Santa Fe years
What owners report
“Frame rusted through on at least left side where the control arm is bolted.. Previously rear trailing arm rusted through.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Santa Fe
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 168 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 108,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 86,000 and 153,778 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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…
Fix: 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…
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,…
Fix: 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…
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."
Fix: 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.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.7 LITER V-6 ENGINES, IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSORS (CPS) WERE INSTALLED. THE CPS CASES WERE IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED AND DID NOT MEET DIMENSIONAL SPECIFICATIONS. INTERNAL GAPS WITHIN THE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CPS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 10, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 09V123000.
Technical service bulletins
50 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2002 Santa Fe TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
The 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe drew 219 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 14/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe are suspension (62 complaints), engine (24), and brakes & stability (21).
At what mileage do 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe problems around 108,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 86,000 and 153,778 miles.
Does the 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.