Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (4)
Suspension: front, 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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: 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.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: 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.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: 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.
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."
Risk and remedy
Risk: 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.
Canadian recalls (3)
Show 3 Canadian recalls
Suspension
2014-08-01 · campaign 2014-322
On certain vehicles, the front suspension coil springs may be susceptible to corrosion. Over time, corrosion could cause the springs to fail, potentially damaging front tires and causing rapid air loss and/or tire failure, which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will inspect and replace coil springs as necessary. Additionally, a spring guide will be installed to prevent the coil spring from contacting the tire.
Suspension
2009-04-23 · campaign 2009-122
On certain vehicles operated in areas of heavy road salt usage (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador), road salt may cause internal corrosion of the rear trailing arms, which could lead to thinning or perforation of the trailing arm steel. In time, the trailing arms may fracture, which could result in a loss of vehicle control and a crash causing property damage, personal injury or death. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the rear trailing arms. Should the trailing arms not require replacement, drainage holes will be added, as well as treatment with rust-proofing material to arrest the corrosion process.
Label
2003-12-10 · campaign 2003-326
On certain vehicles, the wheel rims and the tire pressure labels do not comply with CMVSS 120. The rims do not contain the required markings and the tire pressure labels do not contain the rim size. Correction: Hyundai will provide owners with a corrected tire pressure label. Since the non-compliant wheel rims do not pose any safety risk, no corrective action is required.
Owner complaints (308)
Owners filed 308 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe (26 crashes, 5 fires, 20 injuries reported). Among 26 model years of this model, it ranks #8 for the most complaints (median 218).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Suspension | 56 | |
| Air bags | 42 | |
| Power train | 35 | |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 31 | |
| Structure | 30 | |
| Electrical system | 28 | |
| Vehicle speed control | 24 | |
| Engine and engine cooling | 21 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe 4-DR. | – | – | – | 3★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Santa Fe 2WD 2.4 L Automatic 4-spd | 18 | 25 | 20 | $3,350 |
| Santa Fe 2WD 2.4 L Manual 5-spd | 18 | 25 | 20 | $3,350 |
| Santa Fe 2WD 2.7 L Automatic 4-spd | 18 | 24 | 20 | $3,350 |
| Santa Fe 2WD 3.5 L Automatic 5-spd | 15 | 20 | 17 | $3,950 |
| Santa Fe 4WD 2.7 L Automatic 4-spd | 16 | 22 | 18 | $3,700 |
| Santa Fe 4WD 3.5 L Automatic 5-spd | 15 | 19 | 17 | $3,950 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.