Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I purchased this vehicle from used dealer in March 4,2016 despite not wanting to but had little choice after dealer sold the car I put money down on that day for cash while I wad retrieving the last document she sent ne home for when,I returbedvmy car was gone and the car in stuck in now is this Hyundai with a very shaky front end that rattles and literally skips off the road into the shoulder if in not very careful ,my mechanic days its the strut on driver side ,additionally the air bag light stays onbat all times and I just failed a safety inspection foe this vehicle and can not be allowed to drive fir lyft or number until its repaired I already had to fix brake lights tires battery and other safety issues on this car in addition to 1400 in air conditioning system estimates to,learn it was merely a electrical connection to the compressor as it appears to be the case fir dozens of …
Took my 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe in to the shop for an oil change/tune up and was told the frame on the vehicle is almost entirely rusted out in two different locations, the front passenger area near the engine and the driver side area below the front door. The car is 10 years old and I do live in a salt belt state, but I see that there were recalls for the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe for similar frame rust issues, so I now recommend that the recall investigation be extended to the 2005 models as well. I wonder if I am only narrowly avoiding loss of life for myself and my 4year old daughter because of this rust issue? I can only imagine what May have happened, had waited just one more month before having the undercarriage of the car reviewed by a professional? I shudder to think of it!! …
Unable to depress brake pedal. This is the third time in twelve months that this has happened. Last May 2014 I was in grand rapids michigan going about 45 and the same thing happened I kept moving over to a clear lane on my left trying to depress the brake and had to turn into the median and do a u- turn, the car rolled to a stop. I got out and checked under the pedal and there were no obstructions. I checked the brake fluid reservoir at the master cylinder and it was full. I got back in the car and tested the brakes and found them to work. I called my Hyundai dealer and had them look the car over and they had no explanation. Yesterday I was in stop and go traffic approaching a line of traffic and the same thing happened, I did not think to use the emergency hand brake but the good news no damage. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the frame was rusted and could potentially fracture. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the vehicle could fail an inspection due to the frame needing to be re-welded. The dealer (tarbox Hyundai, 3665 quaker ln, north kingstown, ri 02852, [phone]) was contacted. The manufacturer was notified and stated that the vehicle was excluded from NHTSA campaign numbers: 14V435000 (suspension) and 09V123000 (suspension). The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.
Noise and rubbing occurred while backing car out of driveway. Discovered left front coil spring broken and rubbing on tire causing damage to tire, dealer replaced coil under extended warranty and advised us to replace tire . This car did not arrive home the nite before this way as it was very obvious something was very wrong . The dealer wrote it off as normal wear and tear and said other side was fine . After reading other histories they will be hearing back from me ! In my opinion if this happened at road speed it would have taken out the tire, no if's and's or but's about it . It would not have been pretty as the broken end was dug into the tire. Can we say class action ? Where do we start ? Btw this car is serviced by the dealer only and properly taken care of !
Tl contact owns a 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving 60 MPH, the front end of the vehicle and the steering wheel would vibrate. The dealer stated that the rear right tire was out of round. They replaced the right rim and rear tire and rotated the tires. The contact stated that failure occurred again at 26,846 miles. The dealer stated that both front ball joints caused the failure then made the replacement however, the failure continued to occur. The dealer stated that a tire was out of round. In January of 2008, the front right ball joint was replaced again. The current mileage was 52,784 and failure mileage was 520. The tire information was unavailable. Updated 02/12/08. The lower ball joint was worn.
I was backing out of my driveway at 4 am to go to work. I heard a loud grinding noise. My driveway is not long and I am on the road in about 5 ft. As I was turning the wheel I heard a loud pop and the right side of the car went down. I assumed I ran over something or that my brand new tires had failed. I managed to pull the car back into the driveway. Later that day as my husband was changing the tire he discovered the right front coil had broke and it punctured the tire. Thank goodness this didn't happen as I was driving on the highway. By reading all the other broken coil issues this is obviously a big problem for 2005 Hyundai's and it should be addressed and investigated.
The left front coil spring on my 2005 Hyundai sante Fe broke while taking off from a stop causing the left front tire to blow out and the brake line to be damaged. It was brought to the dealer the spring, on the right hand side of the vehicle was found to be broken as well. Both front springs, left tire and brake line were replaced. I asked the service writer at the dealer if he's seen this before and he said he had one other time. This issue should be looked into with the sante Fe's as these parts should not have broke on a vehicle with 40,000 miles on it, as well as if I were at highway speed I'm quite sure there would have been a bad accident.
Started to back my vehicle out of the driveway and heard a loud grinding noise. Stopped, got out and inspected to find that the front right coil spring had snapped and punctured my tire. Vehicle is undrivable and had to be towed. There was absolutely no warning. I have read dozens of other complaints about this same thing happening on other 2005 hyundais. Hyundai really needs to look into this problem/defect. Thankfully, I was not driving at 55 MPH on a highway as I'm sure serious injury/damage would have occurred.
The left front strut coil spring broke in two,while vehicle was parked, I am a 30 year ase master technician, and this failure is not a normal wear occurrence, I have done some research, and have found this to be happening all over the united states. This is definately a safety issue , that the Hyundai corporation should be addressing before someone gets seriously hurt or worse.
Related recalls
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 complaints in other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the suspension of the 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe, 10% of the model year's 216 complaints. The component named most often is front (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe suspension problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-435 (coil springs, Jul 18, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 94,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 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.