Most common 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe problems
Share of the 308 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 →
2003 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.
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…
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."
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe:
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 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe owners say
Suspension all 56 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 09V123000 (suspension) in October of 2009. The suspension was treated with a rust proofing material to prevent the failure from occurring. In June of 2015, while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle appeared to be pulling to the left and a crunching noise was present from the rear of the vehicle. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the rear driver side wheel was tilted outward. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rear trailing arm fractured due to severe corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Brought my vehicle in for a alignment and they discovered the rusted and corradiated rear left trailing control arm on my 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe, I brought to dealership after that to get a recall and the told me that since the vehicle was bought in nd and that state is not included in the recall they will decline the work, even thou minn. Is right next door like I live about 1 mile to mn they still wouldn't except the recall, it is obvious the part that is on recall fits my car, when looking on the right side arm there is no rust or corrosion. The dealer states it is not safe to drive vehicle, because the arm is starting to bend also. So what do I do now, it will be very costly to fix,
Brakes all 43 →
The contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the ABS system activated, and there was an abnormal shuddering in the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the ABS needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I was in a minor accident when the braking system failed on my 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. I could not stop the SUV and ran into a guardrail . I could have been hurt or killed because of this. Others could have been hurt or killed. The dealership in beaver falls, pa has done nothing for the problem and I have brought it in and they said that my model is not affected which I find that very hard to believe. I am selling the car but I also want to let someone know that I am taking it to the dealer in the morning to get the coil recalls done. If the dealer decides not to do that either and with the air bag problem someone is going to get hurt or maybe killed driving this car and I just want to do my part and I do not want a law suit on my shoulders. I will give them one more chance to do the right thing. …
Air bags all 42 →
I was in a minor accident when the braking system failed on my 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. I could not stop the SUV and ran into a guardrail . I could have been hurt or killed because of this. Others could have been hurt or killed. The dealership in beaver falls, pa has done nothing for the problem and I have brought it in and they said that my model is not affected which I find that very hard to believe. I am selling the car but I also want to let someone know that I am taking it to the dealer in the morning to get the coil recalls done. If the dealer decides not to do that either and with the air bag problem someone is going to get hurt or maybe killed driving this car and I just want to do my part and I do not want a law suit on my shoulders. I will give them one more chance to do the right thing. …
My airbags were defective. I was in a car accident, and the airbags did not deploy. After the accident, I was taken to the hospital to treat multiple bodily injuring, which could have been prevented if the airbag had deployed. I was driving in town when the accident occurred. I overshot a turn and hit a poll on the left side of the car. The car flipped and was totaled. Again, no airbags were deployed. I have included pictures of the car after the accident. My main concern is the issue with the airbags. I feel as though these should have worked properly and that I am fortunate enough that the accident was not any worse, as more serious injuries could have then occurred. If needed, I have more pictures; however, due to the file size allowed, I have limited it to key picture. Please let me know.
2003 Hyundai Santa Fe engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 25 / 20 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 25 / 20 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 24 / 20 |
| 2.7L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 19 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe a good car?
Based on 308 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Santa Fe rates average: 15% 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 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe?
The suspension — 56 complaints, 18% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rear. Next are the brakes (43) and air bags (42).
How many recalls does the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2003 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 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 80,000 miles; 33% 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.