IllustrationWHILE DRIVING HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE THAT WAS COMING FROM REAR END. THIS CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER FOR ANALYSIS, AND MECHANIC REPLACED THE DRIVELINE. *AK
2002 Santa Fe Santa Fe Trailer
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Other model years Selected year
Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 13 of 44 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
44 reportsOWNER MANUAL STATED VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN ISO FIX SYSTEM, BUT SYSTEM WAS NEVER INSTALLED. *AK
I AM SINGLE AND NO ONE ELSE HAS ACCESS TO MY CAR, I FUEL IT MYSELF, AND I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN FOR THE ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON, THEY STATED THE GAS CAP IS NOT TIGHT. I CLICK IT 4 TIMES EVERY TIME TO MAKE SURE SINCE THEY SAID IT WILL COST $ 75.00 TO RESET IT AS IT DOES NOT RESET ITSELF. THIS TIME WHEN I TOOK IT IN, THE LIGHT …
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I AM SINGLE AND NO ONE ELSE HAS ACCESS TO MY CAR, I FUEL IT MYSELF, AND I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN FOR THE ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON, THEY STATED THE GAS CAP IS NOT TIGHT. I CLICK IT 4 TIMES EVERY TIME TO MAKE SURE SINCE THEY SAID IT WILL COST $ 75.00 TO RESET IT AS IT DOES NOT RESET ITSELF. THIS TIME WHEN I TOOK IT IN, THE LIGHT CAME ON THEN WENT OFF THEN CAME ON AGAIN, SO SINCE IT DOES NOT SET ITSELF AND THE CAP WAS NOT LOOSE (I CHECKED FIRST THING), THEN I DO NOT SEE HOW THEY CAN SEE IT IS LOOSE. I EVEN ASKED THEM IF MAYBE THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE CAP OR WHY IT CAME LOOSE, THEY SAID THEY DID NOT KNOW IT WAS JUST LOOSE. I THINK THERE IS A SENSOR PROBLEM OR GAS CAP CRACK OR PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CAP CAN NOT LOOSEN ITSELF NOR CAN VAPORS ESCAPE WHEN IT IS CLICKED 4 TIMES AND VERY TIGHT AND NOOELSE HAS ACCESS TO MY VEHICLE.*AK
2002 HYUNDAI SANTE FE.AVE HAD 3 ALTERNATORS AND BATTERIED REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE. LAST WEEK THE THIRD WAS INSTALLED. VEHICLE STILL WILL NOT CRANK LIGHTS DIM WIPERS SLOW. RADIO CUTS OFF WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. ANTI BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON AND THE LIGHTS FLASH WHEN CAR IS TURNED OFF AND KEY IS OUT OF …
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2002 HYUNDAI SANTE FE.AVE HAD 3 ALTERNATORS AND BATTERIED REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE. LAST WEEK THE THIRD WAS INSTALLED. VEHICLE STILL WILL NOT CRANK LIGHTS DIM WIPERS SLOW. RADIO CUTS OFF WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. ANTI BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT COMES ON BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON AND THE LIGHTS FLASH WHEN CAR IS TURNED OFF AND KEY IS OUT OF IGNITION/.*AK
LUG STUD BOLTS FAILED ON ONE WHEEL. WHEN CHECKED DUE TO NOISE FROM THAT WHEEL THREE OF FIVE BOLTS WERE BROKEN OFF. I TRIED TO TIGHTEN ON OF THE TWO REMAINING NUTS, THINKING THE NUTS MAY HAVE JUST COME LOOSE, AND THE BOLT CAME OFF SHOWING ABOUT 10% OF THE BOLT REMAINED, THE REMAINDER HAVING ALREADY BROKEN.*AK
I HAVE THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL HVAC SYSTEM IN MY SANTE FE. THE AIR CONDITIONING WILL WORK NORMAL FOR A TIME PERIOD. THEN WHEN IT IS TURNED ON FROM THE OFF POSITION BY USING THE "AUTO" MODE IT WILL SOUND LIKE THE AIR IS BLOWING BUT ONLY A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF AIR WILL COME OUT. IF IT IS LEFT ON AND IN THE HIGH FAN MODE A DRIPPING S…
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I HAVE THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL HVAC SYSTEM IN MY SANTE FE. THE AIR CONDITIONING WILL WORK NORMAL FOR A TIME PERIOD. THEN WHEN IT IS TURNED ON FROM THE OFF POSITION BY USING THE "AUTO" MODE IT WILL SOUND LIKE THE AIR IS BLOWING BUT ONLY A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF AIR WILL COME OUT. IF IT IS LEFT ON AND IN THE HIGH FAN MODE A DRIPPING SOUND CAN BE HEARD. THE SYSTEM WILL NOT RESET ITSELF UNTIL THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TURNED OFF FOR A GOOD LENGTH OF TIME (SOMETIMES HOURS). THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. IT OCCURRED LAST YEAR (IN JULY AND AUGUST 2002) BUT WAS NOT FIXED UNTIL OCTOBER. THE DEALERS REMEDY WAS TO REPLACE THE TEMPERATURE PROBE IN THE SYSTEM. IT TOOK WEEKS TO GET THE PART IN AND BY THE TIME IT WAS ACTUALLY REPLACED THE OUTSIDE WEATHER WAS TOO COLD TO PROPERLY TEST THE SYSTEM. IT WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE RIGHT FIX BECAUSE IT IS STILL HAPPENING THIS SUMMER. THE VEHICLE IS GOING BACK AGAIN FOR REPAIR.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. DEALER HAS INSPECTED SEVERAL TIMES BUT CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE OR CODE.*AK
FRONT BRAKES SQUEALING,NOISE GOES AWAY WHEN BRAKE PEDAL PUSH. LESS THEN 13K MILES. SERVICE MANAGER SAYS THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE SANTA FE. *NLM
THE WINDSHIELD HAS BEGAN TO CRACK FROM THE LOWER RIGHT-HAND CORNER (PASSENGER'S SIDE) UP ABOUT 16" IN AN "S" SHAPED PATTERN. THERE IS -NO- INDICATION OF A ROCK OR OTHER ITEM HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP (FAIRFAX HYUNDAI, FAIRFAX, VA) THAT IT IS THE RESULT OF A ROCK -BUT- THERE IS -NO_ IMPACT CRATER …
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THE WINDSHIELD HAS BEGAN TO CRACK FROM THE LOWER RIGHT-HAND CORNER (PASSENGER'S SIDE) UP ABOUT 16" IN AN "S" SHAPED PATTERN. THERE IS -NO- INDICATION OF A ROCK OR OTHER ITEM HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP (FAIRFAX HYUNDAI, FAIRFAX, VA) THAT IT IS THE RESULT OF A ROCK -BUT- THERE IS -NO_ IMPACT CRATER TO SUGGEST THIS. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT "STRESS FRACTURES" I WAS TOLD -THOSE- OCCUR FROM THE "INSIDE-OUT" AND THAT THIS WASN'T A STRESS FRACTURE... I FIND THAT TO BE B.S. *AK
THE WINDSHIELD HAS BEGUN TO CRACK FROM THE LOWER LEFT HAND CORNER (DRIVER'S SIDE) UP ABOUT 12" IN AN "S" SHAPED PATTERN. THERE IS NO INDICATION OF A ROCK OR OTHER ITEM STRIKING THE WINDSHIELD. IT CAME UP OUT OF NOWHERE! *NLM THANKS, L. CHASE
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.