2002 Hyundai Santa FE: common problems

Owners of the 2002 Hyundai Santa FE filed 165 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 165
involving a crash: 9

What fails most often

1 Suspension 36% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
3 Structure 10% of all complaints
4 Steering 10% of all complaints
5 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
6 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
7 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
8 Electrical system 7% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Suspension: 59 complaints (36% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 21 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 17 complaints (10% of all).
Steering: 16 complaints (10% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 15 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
2.7 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: FWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 165 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion44 · 27%
knocking, grinding or other noise12 · 7%
stalls while driving12 · 7%
vibration8 · 5%
jerking, harsh shifts7 · 4%
steering or power steering problems7 · 4%
unintended acceleration6 · 4%
headlights and tail lights5 · 3%
seat belts5 · 3%
warning lights, check engine5 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Suspension	59	4
Service brakes	21	1
Structure	17	0
Steering	16	0
Vehicle speed control	15	1
Engine and cooling	14	0
Powertrain	13	0
Electrical system	11	0
Engine	10	0
Seat belts	6	0
Wheels	6	0
Air bags	5	4
Fuel/propulsion system	4	0
Fuel system	3	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the right arm and the right rotator cuff which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The contact was later notified of nhtsa campaign number: 14v435000 (suspension). The vehicle was not inspected or diagnosed to determine the failure.
Suspension · crash · 2015-03-17 · NHTSA complaint #10694847
A defect in manufacturing causes the trailing arms to rust and over time weaken. According to two hyundai dealers this recall does not apply to my vehicle. While driving down the road at 65 mph the rear trailing arm broke causing the vehicle to enter a skid and almost complete a 360 degree spin.
Suspension · crash · 2010-08-22 · NHTSA complaint #10351166
My husband was in a frontal crash with the side of a school bus and the air bags never deployed on our 2002 hyundai santa fe. We reported this incident to hyundai and they sent an independent company out to investigate.
Air bags · crash · 2009-05-12 · NHTSA complaint #10268500
The driver side front air bag failed to deploy. Although she was wearing her seat belt, the contact struck the left side of her forehead on the steering wheel and was transported to the urgent care center for examination. The vehicle was destroyed. The road was slightly damp at the time of the crash.
Air bags · crash · 2007-10-23 · NHTSA complaint #10206699
My airbags did not deploy at all. Neither driver side or passenger side. I sustained back and neck injuries - currently in treatment. My vehicle was a total loss and is now in a salvage yard.
Air bags · crash · 2005-05-23 · NHTSA complaint #10121875
Rusted completely off. I had two children in the car and came very close to being hit in the rear because I lost control of the vehicle. It seems as if it is the control arm bar. This incident happened on gall blvd. Zephyrhills fl.
Suspension · 2021-03-03 · NHTSA complaint #11398868
Was driving on highway and my 2.4l engine just stopped and it was towed home the timing belt is chewed up. From my understanding this is happening to a lot of these engines the 2.4l
Engine · 2019-01-17 · NHTSA complaint #11170497
At low speeds the brakes lock up and the car goes into a jerking motion while approaching a stop light and while going into a store parking lot. The car is hard to steer and stop and the brakes must be depressed harder than normally required. This happens when the car gets wet but also during dry times.
Service brakes · 2018-06-06 · NHTSA complaint #11100178

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20042
20059
20065
20077
200812
200914
201023
201112
201210
20138
201420
201514
20163
20174
201811
20194
20203
20213
20231

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,430 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Santa FE has 276 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 165, below average.

What to check before buying

Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Hyundai Santa FE?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, service brakes, structure. Total complaints: 165. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (27%), knocking, grinding or other noise (7%), stalls while driving (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Hyundai Santa FE?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2002 Hyundai Santa FE from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2002 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.