2003 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Recalls & Reliability
390 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 28/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 120,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2003 sits among all Santa Fe years
What owners report
“Left front trailer arm came off while driving, tire came off vehicle. Sub frame rusted through. Car used to be kept in one of the salt belt states. No recall to this part according to hyundai, only recall for coil spring and rear trailer arm.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Santa Fe
“The brakes do not brake properly and the stopping distance is extended before coming to a complete stop when car is driven in early morning.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Santa Fe
“Never had accident air bag light just came on no reason just started it up not moving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Santa Fe
“My 2003 santafe has an idle problem. It feels like it might stall when i'm sitting at a red light. This happens intermittenly and their is no code in the computer so they say they can't replace any parts. The car has bucked about 5 or 6 times over the last 2 months while i'm driving down the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Santa Fe
“The subframe is rusted through. It was garage kept and doesn't even have 150,000 miles on it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Santa Fe
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 297 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 91,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 46,000 and 130,000 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…
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…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ABS ECU. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 24, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.
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.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 09V123000.
Technical service bulletins
88 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2003 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 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
The 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe drew 390 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 28/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe are suspension (58 complaints), brakes & stability (44), and airbags (42).
At what mileage do 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe problems around 91,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 46,000 and 130,000 miles.
Does the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 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.