Most common 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe problems
Share of the 209 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Hyundai Santa Fe complaints by model year
Best Santa Fe years: 2018, 2011. Years to avoid: 2017, 2025, 2023, 2013, 2024. Compare all years →
2001 Hyundai Santa Fe recalls (4)
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,…
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.
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,…
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.
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."
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.
Electrical system › Starter assembly
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.
Remedy: 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 within a reasonable time…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe:
Rear suspension trailing arm failure
In response to an information request letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi) during this preliminary evaluation, Hyundai provided odi with 15 allegations of corrosion failure of the left- and/or right-rear suspension trailing arm.three of the 15 consumers alleged a loss of vehicle control as a result of a rear trailing arm corrosion failure.similarly, odi has received 12 complaints of rear trailing…
Engine seizure
There is no summary currently available
Rear trailing arm corrosion failure
In a letter dated April 14, 2009, Hyundai-Kia America technical center, inc (Hyundai) notified NHTSA that it will conduct a safety recall of approximately 85,000 model year (my) 2001 through 2003 Hyundai santa fe vehicles manufactured prior to January 27, 2003, that are registered and operated in the following salt belt states and the district of columbia:connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine,…
What 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe owners say
Suspension all 76 →
The contact owns a 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that on separate occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was towed to Marco's body shop where it was diagnosed that both struts, new tires, front passenger side wheel cylinder, wheel mount, tie rod, and wheel bearings needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the mechanic noticed that the driver's side cross member had fractured and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that the subframe was corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number and advised to take the vehicle to the dealer at a different location. The failure mileage was 140,000.
I live in Roy city utah and i drive a santa fe 2001 and my trailing arm in the rear driver side snaped while i was going 45 mph. when i took it in to a shop to have it looked at they said that my trailing arm had snaped do to the rust corrision under the car. I know that there are recalls on the santa fe for the rear suspention trailing arms but only if you live in a salt belt state and utah is not one of those states and i think it should be because of the salt we use on our roads as well as i live 20 mins from the great salt lake . i have bearly had my car 5 months befor it broke i paid 2000.00$ for it. i guess i didnt fully understand the saltbelt state thing and i called young hayndai in ogden utah and they called a tow truck and had my car towed to the dealer ship they had it like 12 days or something befor they diganosed it. …
Engine & cooling all 40 →
The suv stalls while driving. This has happened multiple time. While driving, driving slow, taking a u turn. The battery, alternator, starter, power steering pump, water pump, rack and pinion, timing belt, serpentine belt, idler pulley, harmonic balancer, front axles, shocks, struts, some sensors, spark plugs/wires, gaskets, and many other parts are replaced in the last year. Don't know what is wrong but it is scary when it stalls suddenly.
On June 12th the vehicle started to rattle and proceeded to shake. The vehicle would not accelerate but instead decelerated on 695 towards towson. The vehicle was drifting at 25 MPH. I then proceeded to the nearest exit which was bel air road. I proceeded onto this exit when my vehicle shut off losing all power. At this time my dashboard lights were on. I had no power but my vehicle was still in gear and I safely stopped my vehicle in a shopping plaza. Engine failure new engine placed into my vehicle. July 5th the vehicle was taken back to thompson Hyundai by my father. The mileage out was 25,593. Thompson Hyundai forgot to screw down the engine properly resulting in loud noises from the engine. I placed another call to thompson asking for documentation of the service rendered. I then noticed another screw which was not secure on the engine. …
Electrical system all 35 →
The suv stalls while driving. This has happened multiple time. While driving, driving slow, taking a u turn. The battery, alternator, starter, power steering pump, water pump, rack and pinion, timing belt, serpentine belt, idler pulley, harmonic balancer, front axles, shocks, struts, some sensors, spark plugs/wires, gaskets, and many other parts are replaced in the last year. Don't know what is wrong but it is scary when it stalls suddenly.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the crankshaft position sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 03V030000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.
2001 Hyundai Santa Fe engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 25 / 20 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 21 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe a good car?
Based on 209 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Santa Fe rates average: 36% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Santa Fe at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe?
The suspension — 76 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rear. Next are the engine & cooling (40) and electrical system (35).
How many recalls does the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe, the most recent from July 18, 2014 (coil springs). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Hyundai Santa Fe?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2018 and 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017, 2025, 2023, 2013 and 2024. See the full Hyundai Santa Fe years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 105,000 miles; 15% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.