Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Bought a set of duralast gold wrists a801116 asks since the day i put them in i had to replace parts whole charging a problem that turned out to be from the wires. Cause it was causing arcing in every one of the cylinders.
Engine died multiple times while in operation on a city street going straight, approximately 35-40 miles per hour and on hiway going approx. 60 MPH twice. We no longer drive it on a hiway. Repair shop can't find anything wrong.
We purchased this vehicle used in June of 2014 with 62,450 miles on it. The exterior and interior were in great shape. The vehicle was taken to a Hyundai dealer in July for an inspection of the rear suspension per a recall. At that time a complete inspection was done, with only a small oil leak found on one axle shaft. Two months later the vehicle was take back to the dealer for a recall for a broken spring. At this time a second inspection was completed. This time several issues were found from corrosion including leaking transmission lines, leaking engine oil pan, leaking boots at the front drive axles requiring them both needing to be replaced. The service manager at the Hyundai dealer stated he had never seen a vehicle with this level of corrosion. All components under the vehicle have extensive corrosion with apparently a rapid rate of deterioration. …
2003 Hyundai Santa Fe, 180K miles, 2nd owner. Customer states: fuel leaking from fuel tank onto ground; safety concern & fire hazard. Unable to park in garage/driveway. Fuel light on; low fuel level. Filled with $7.00 in gas ($2.70/gal). After fueling, fuel gauge hasn't moved. Added more fuel & set gas station fuel nozzle to auto stop when full. Gauge says 3/4 tank (normally would read full tank).then drove 12 miles no issues. Parked on residential street for 1-2 days. Searched online found 'warranty extension' on fuel tank. Driving to certified Hyundai dealer, 15 miles away. Drove 5 miles on interstate, losing power. Pulled off at nearest exit, died while driving in traffic, over interstate bridge. Oil, battery, check engine light, etc. On. Cars behind me mad, honking, rush hour. …
On 10/23/04, my 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe with 21,600 miles, began to experience a very low idle and then stalled out each time I had to stop at a stop sign or a stop light. I could start the vehicle without a problem each time but as soon as I would shift into "drive", the car would repeat the low idle/stall out process and I could not move the car an inch. The car had to be flatbed towed to the dealership. The dealership said they drove the car and hooked the car up to the computer but could not duplicate or find a reason for the problem. On 10/29/04, two days after I picked the car up from the dealership with a clean bill of health, the exact same scenario occurred again and the car was again flatbed towed to a different dealership to try to get another mechanic's view of the situation. They also could not duplicate the problem and nothing was found wrong with the car. …
Dt*: the contact stated there has been a continuous hesitation and surging of the vehicle, as well as, extremely poor gas mileage. The vehicle was inspected by a service dealer, the hesitation and surge could not be recreated and no problem was diagnosed. When inspected again by the same service dealer, a detached cable was found under the vehicle. There was also a spring under the accelerator pedal found to be disconnected. Once the items were repaired, the mileage improved, but the hesitation and surging continued. An independent mechanic test drove the vehicle and confirmed there was in fact a hesitation and a surging. On the next visit to the service dealer, a knock sensor was replaced. The manufacturer was alerted who recommended the contact try another service dealer. …
While driving at any speed vehicle stalled. Driver was not able to restart vehicle, and had it towed to the dealer for inspection. Mechanic determined that the crankshaft position sensor needed to be replaced, and replace it. However, the problem recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer for inspection. Then, mechanic replaced the engine compartment relay, fuel sensor assembly, and the computer module. Consumer stated there has been 6 incidents/failures that are causing serious concerns with starting and stalling. It became more frequent and started happening while driving Santa Fe on roads and highway. Consumer have confidence in the vehicle and fear of it stalling in the center lane where there is little options except getting hit and possible getting seriously injured.
The vehicle for the last 3 years was not getting the gas mileage suggested by manufacturer. It was taken repeatedly to dealer where we were told, "everything checked out just fine". All maintenance was done as required by dealer". As car became more sluggish and finally quit running altogether- we took it to an outside mechanic and learned that the catalytic converter had gone bad. I checked the internet and this is a common complaint with this vehicle- dealers are repairing transmissions and emission controls and customers are still complaining about bad gas mileage, sluggish vehicles. Now that the catalytic converter has been replaced- the car is getting the correct gas mileage and running better.
On November 5, 2004 at approx 7:30 pm our 2003 Santa Fe with only approx 14,000 miles suddenly "died" in the middle of the road. All of the vehicle warning lights came on, the heater and radio began making strange noises, the headlamps failed, and the vehicle engine stopped running and would not start, leaving the vehicle in the middle of the road, stranding me and my pregnant wife, with no lights or flashers in the middle of the road on a cold night. Hyunadai roadside service contractor cross country motorclub claimed that it would take over 3 hours to get the vehicle towed, so finally 9 after nearly 2 hours) county police towed the vehicle as a traffic hazard to fairfax Hyundai.
The car looses power but comes rite back ..sometimes stalls while in traffic but starts rite up..going on interstate lost power tact dropped to o all power lost came back on its own also cd player will come on by itself I think it May be something electrical I have read online many of the same problems with the sante Fe of that year ..no fix what is the deal with that no fix something is up with that lots of complaints online that I have read to many of the same problem Hyundai must know what is wrong but don't want to fix it to costly for the company...to bad for the consumer!!!
Engine complaints in other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe, 9% of the model year's 308 complaints. The component named most often is engine (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles, and 35% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.