1.2

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
144,803 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2002 Hyundai Santa Fe body / paint problems

body / paint problem

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2002 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner Comments

problem #5

Mar 212015

Santa Fe

  • 91,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving at 25 mph, my wife had to hold the steering wheel at 10 O'clock in order to keep the vehicle going straight. The dealer told us that the subframe and controller arm had broke - a recall campaign which was repaired in 2010 (or so we thought). Due to this the car is not drivable and we are told by the dealership that, although the subframe and controller arm will be covered, the damage to the struts and tires are our responsibility to the sum $973.31. Our personal mechanic states that the front tires (under 4 years old and having less than 3000 miles on them) and the struts (under 5 years old) would not need to be replaced if not for the issue with the subframe and controller arm. At our recall appointment on December 22, 2014 (for a separate issue), the dealership saw no issue during their inspection of the vehicle. Our 2002 Santa Fe has 91,000 miles, and in the last 3 months since that appointment has been driven less than 300 miles, as my wife's work is less than 2 miles from home. Hyundai motors America states that they are separate issues and therefore not part of the repairs they will cover.

- Harper Woods, MI, USA

problem #4

Mar 192014

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 100,002 miles
While driving to work, all of a sudden it felt like the body of the car was swaying away from the frame; there was complete loss of control so I pulled over to the side of the road; this scared the daylights out of me. A few minutes later, I drove the car to my mechanic and he told me later after he'd examined the vehicle that there was so much corrosion in the rear trailing arm that there was no place to weld anything on to. Complete corrosion of the rear trailing arms. I couldn't drive the vehicle any further. I was told it was a total loss. I had to buy another vehicle, which I could not afford, being on unemployment.

- Rhinelander, WI, USA

problem #3

Nov 262012

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 230,000 miles
While driving my 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe, there is pulling of the wheel causing the vehicle to turn sharply to the right. There is significant wear on the front tires and the vehicle will not stay in alignment. There is a screeching noise coming from the rear. After having the timing belt replaced, I was informed by the mechanic there was a rust problem in the front part of the vehicle toward the front right tire. He told me the car is unsafe to drive and the rust on this vehicle is more like rust of a vehicle that is 50 years old not ten years. He also said the frame could break at any time to contact a Hyundai dealership. I contacted the dealership and was told there were no recalls for this problem for my vehicle. I called Hyundai's 800 number only to be told the same thing.

- Cumberland Gap, TN, USA

problem #2

Oct 152012

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 120,012 miles
While driving on expressway I noticed the steering wheel went out of center and the vehicle began to wander. An inspection found that where the right front lower control arm attaches to the subframe was completely rotted out on the front bolt. Ordered a new sub frame and lower control arms to remedy the condtion.

- Mokena, IL, USA

problem #1

Jul 232012

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • 183,000 miles
I was going to have the oil changed & alignment on a 2002 sante fe. I was told that there was rust/rotted out frame was where the lower control arm mounts up to the right tire area. I am very upset with this since I had a pre-inspection done & all came back ok. It is in an area where if the tires are not off of it, it is very hard to see. I suspect it is rusted due to the salty location of Illinois.

- Blue Mound, IL, USA

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