2.8

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
51,138 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #3

Dec 112006

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 36,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving 25 mph, the front passenger side tire detached from the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, but they were unable to determine the cause of the failure. One week later, while driving at an unknown speed, she heard a loud thud and noticed that the two bars that hold the tire in place were completely missing, including the lug nuts. She returned to the dealer and they were unable to determine why the bolts were shearing off. The failure only occurs to the front passenger side tire. The contact filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. The VIN and engine size were unknown. The failure mileage was 36,000 and current mileage was 66,000.

- Glenville, NY, USA

problem #2

Jul 062007

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 48,014 miles
We took the R 2003 Hyundai sanat fe in for an oil change and 45,000 mile service. At the 45,000 mile service our tires were rotated. We noticed after this service that the right wheel was making a noise. The noise did not occur consistently. My husband was driving the car with our two children inside and had just pulled into a parking lot when the right front wheel feel off. All of the lugs were completely sheared off. We could recover 3 of them. Damage occurred to the under carriage as well as the body of the car. We were extremely lucky that they were traveling at a low rate of speed. They could have been easily killed if the wheel fell of while driving on one of our local expressways. Our dealership that we purchased the car and have it serviced at won't take any responsibility and states that any extended warranties that we purchased will not cover the damage or repairs. We have involved our insurance Agency. Once the car is repaired I fear that this could happen with any of the other three tires.

- Rochester, NY, USA

problem #1

May 262006

Santa Fe 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 69,400 miles
After the heavy rains had occurred here in miami on May 16th, 2006, there were unknown vibrations in my right front tire. About a week later, I was out with a friend. While turn out of a parking lot, we noticed a load popping sound. When we arrived at the location to pickup his vehicle. He got out of the car to inform me that I was missing three lugs from my rim. The next day I went back to the parking lot and found the broken lugs from my car. I also tried to remove another lug from the rim to ensure its' integrity and it broke off as well. When I called one of the nearest Hyundai dealers, I was informed that they know how tight to tighten the lugs and that it must have been my error.

- Miami, FL, USA