2003 Hyundai Santa FE Recalls, Complaints & Specs
4 safety recalls list the 2003 Hyundai Santa FE, and owners have filed 308 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
- 2001
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
- 2026
4 safety recalls for the 2003 Hyundai Santa FE
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Coil springs (suspension)
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, Illinois,…
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.…
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Suspension: rear
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,…
Remedy: 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…
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Service brakes, hydraulic: control unit/module
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.5 liter v-6 engines, 4-wheel drive and antilock braking systems (ABS), if the brake pedal is depressed at speeds between 3 and 12 MPH when the brake pad friction surfaces are wet, a vibration may occur between the brake discs and pads causing ABS sensor electronic signal noise to…
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the ABS ECU. Owner notification began on march 24, 2004. Owners should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
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Labels (equipment)
Certain sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
Remedy: Owners will be provided with a correct label and installation instructions. Owner notification began on october 29, 2003. Owners should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
308 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2003 Hyundai Santa FE have filed 308 complaints with NHTSA; 26 describe a crash and 5 describe a fire. Reports cite 20 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 80,547 miles. Complaints peaked in 2004 with 30 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“The contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the ABS system activated, and there was an abnormal shuddering in the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to an indepe”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, November 1, 2024 · Service brakes, hydraulic
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 17, 2024 · Steering
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe (Santa Fe 2WD, Santa Fe 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 17–20 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 15–18 / 19–25 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
| Engine | 4/6 cyl, 2.4/2.7/3.5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd; Automatic 5-spd; Manual 5-spd |
Compare Hyundai Santa FE model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Hyundai Santa FE model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 2003 Hyundai Santa FE
How do I know if my 2003 Hyundai Santa FE has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 4 campaigns currently list the 2003 Hyundai Santa FE; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Hyundai dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 03V520000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Hyundai models
- Sonata16,085 complaints
- Elantra8,715 complaints
- Tucson6,287 complaints
- Palisade2,447 complaints
- Accent2,032 complaints
- Ioniq 51,339 complaints
- Veloster1,292 complaints
- Genesis1,244 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.