2003 Hyundai Santa FE Suspension Problems
Owners have filed 56 complaints with NHTSA about suspension problems on the 2003 Hyundai Santa FE, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 120,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “control arm” (16% of reports).
- 56suspension complaints
- 120,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 25%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Control arm: mentioned in 9 of 56 complaints (16%)
- Sub frame: mentioned in 8 of 56 complaints (14%)
- Rear trailing: mentioned in 7 of 56 complaints (13%)
- Coil spring: mentioned in 5 of 56 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do suspension problems happen?
Based on 45 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 56 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Hyundai Santa FE suspension complaints by model year
| Model year | Suspension complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Santa FE | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2025 Santa FE | 3 | 2% | 11,000 |
| 2022 Santa FE | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2020 Santa FE | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2019 Santa FE | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2017 Santa FE | 10 | 1% | 20,000 |
| 2016 Santa FE | 2 | 1% | 30,700 |
| 2015 Santa FE | 2 | 1% | 25 |
| 2014 Santa FE | 6 | 1% | 17,900 |
| 2013 Santa FE | 23 | 4% | 11,100 |
| 2012 Santa FE | 14 | 4% | 99,694 |
| 2011 Santa FE | 16 | 9% | 53,000 |
| 2010 Santa FE | 14 | 5% | 76,000 |
| 2009 Santa FE | 7 | 2% | 88,703 |
| 2008 Santa FE | 11 | 2% | 80,000 |
| 2007 Santa FE | 30 | 4% | 78,838 |
| 2006 Santa FE | 13 | 12% | 83,801 |
| 2005 Santa FE | 21 | 10% | 85,650 |
| 2004 Santa FE | 69 | 23% | 91,315 |
| 2003 Santa FE | 56 | 18% | 120,000 |
| 2002 Santa FE | 59 | 36% | 133,500 |
| 2001 Santa FE | 76 | 36% | 120,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Suspension:front:springs:coil springs
Problem: 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 Âsalt belt" states and the District of Columbia: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The affected vehicles may experience front coil spring corrosion from road salt, causing the coil spring to fracture and make contact with the tire.
Risk: If the front coil spring fractures due to corrosion it could cause the coil spring to make contact with the tire, possibly puncturing the tire and increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: 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. Hyundai's number for this recall is 124.
Suspension:rear
Problem: 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, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these jurisdictions during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the rear trailing arms, which could lead to thinning or perforation of the rear trailing arm steel. Owners may see or feel slight to moderate changes in vehicle operation which will increase if the vehicle is not repaired. These changes include a lowering of vehicle height that can lead to tire misalignment and steering pull. Owners may also notice a creaking sound.
Risk: If the corrosion is allowed to progress, the rear trailing arm may fracture while driving, thereby increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: 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. Rear trailing arms that do not require replacement will have drainage holes added and will be treated with rust-proofing material to arrest the corrosion process. Inspection, treatment and replacement procedures will be conducted at no cost to owners. The recall is expected to begin during may 2009. Owners may contact the hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The driver's side rear trailing arm lower broke again. Was driving all of a sudden felt it start fishtailing and pulled over and thank God I didn't crash
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…
Rear trailing arm corroded and busted while in motion. Caused rear end to collapse and fishtail. Passenger side snapped, drivers side is very corroded. Just purchased this car a couple weeks ago, had no idea these parts were unstable.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Hyundai Santa FEs have suspension problems?
No. NHTSA has 56 owner complaints about suspension for the 2003 Hyundai Santa FE (18% of the 308 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Hyundai Santa FE suspension?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list suspension. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do suspension problems start?
The median reported mileage is 120,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about suspension problems on the 2003 Hyundai Santa FE?
The most frequent phrase is “control arm”, in 9 of 56 complaints, followed by “sub frame” (8).
See all 2003 Hyundai Santa FE problems or suspension problems across all Santa FE years.