2002 Hyundai Santa FE Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the rear suspension, where corrosion of the rear trailing arms and control arms is described, sometimes to the point of the arm breaking or a wheel shifting. Steering and structure complaints commonly describe the same rusted area around the subframe and control-arm mounting points. A smaller but consistent group of complaints describes engine stalling, rough running in damp weather, and occasional unintended acceleration or a sticking throttle.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Rear trailing/control arm corrosion and breakage

   • 37 complaints (22%)
   • median 133,500 mi at 12.5 yrs old (30 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2021

   Complaints describe the rear of the vehicle feeling loose or as if it is sliding, rear tires wobbling, or the rear end dropping after a control arm or trailing arm rusts through. Several owners say a mechanic found a hole or heavy corrosion in the rear trailing arm, and in some cases the arm broke or detached while driving, leaving the rear wheel turned inward or nearly off. Owners who contacted the manufacturer were often told of recall 09V123000 but that their vehicle was not covered, and some who had the recall work done reported the corrosion returned or the repair was not enough. Mostly reported between roughly 70,000 and 190,000 miles, with many complaints from vehicles operated in states that use road salt.

   Recall 09V123000Recall 14V435000

   What to check: Have a mechanic inspect the rear trailing arms, control arms and their mounting points for rust or holes, especially on a vehicle from a salt-belt state. Ask whether recall 09V123000 was performed and whether any anti-corrosion treatment or replacement parts were installed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was riding down the road and felt the car feel as if it was floating. The next thing I know the car feels like the tire came off and it had. 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.”

   NHTSA complaint #11398868, filed 2021-03, 190,000 miles

   “Took my car for an alignment and tires. Frame where the lower control arms bolt up has serious rust issues. I see in some notes that the rust and corrosion has been an issue for the Hyundai's. Is there any way I am eligible to get this repaired by Hyundai or at least at some discounted rate?”

   NHTSA complaint #10475887, filed 2012-09, 160,022 miles
2. 2
   Vehicle speed control

   Unintended or stuck-open acceleration

   • 13 complaints (8%)
   • median 96,000 mi at 10.2 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2018

   Owners describe the engine speeding up on its own, sometimes to wide-open throttle, while the gas pedal was not pressed, and braking did not immediately slow the vehicle. Some reports link it to a throttle position sensor failure, others to a throttle or cruise control cable, and a few note it happened while in manual mode or while pulling into a parking space. Dealers in several complaints could not duplicate the problem or retrieve a fault code. Reported from roughly 75,000 to 126,000 miles, without a clear pattern in weather or driving conditions.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle position sensor and throttle/cruise cables have been checked or replaced, and whether any throttle-related service bulletin was applied. Have a mechanic inspect the throttle body and cable routing before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe has experienced two throttle position sensor failures within the last 4 months. This causes sudden acceleration and transmission downshifts and up shifts. Fortunately both times occurred on in town streets and I was able to keep control of the vehicle. Could be serious if it occurred while trying to merge into highway traffic.”

   NHTSA complaint #10348416, filed 2010-08, 79,500 miles

   “I had just dropped off my son to school when the accelerator started to rev up and after dropping him off it continued to do so until I got close to my place of employment when the car started to accelerate more and I had a hard time stopping it I had both feet on the brakes and was pulling the emergency brake at the same time, as I pulled into a parking spot the car would not stop and I went over a parking bumper and turned the car off! …”

   NHTSA complaint #10439058, filed 2011-12, 40 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Engine stalls or runs rough, sometimes in damp weather

   • 15 complaints (9%)
   • median 87,500 mi at 8.7 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • filed 2005–2019

   Complaints describe the engine shutting off without warning while driving, sometimes restarting on its own, and other times running rough or jerking between gears. Several owners were told the crankshaft position sensor had failed and had it replaced, in one case more than once; a few note that a recall for the sensor did not cover their vehicle. Others report the problem is worse in rain or humid conditions, and some dealers could not reproduce the failure or find a cause. Spread from about 60,000 to 160,000 miles, with some owners saying the problem appeared or worsened in wet or humid weather.

   Recall 03V030000

   What to check: Ask whether the crankshaft position sensor has been replaced and whether recall 03V030000 applies to the VIN. During a test drive, watch for a check engine light, rough idle or hesitation, and take extra care in wet weather.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car just stopped while driving the lights still worked as did the radio it then restarted after a few minutes....I changed the camshaft sensor and that seemed to fix it for a time then it started to happen again after a heavy rain...I love my car that I just got used but if it keeps doing this it is not safe for anyone on the road...please help”

   NHTSA complaint #10515000, filed 2013-06, 89,000 miles

   “The 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe v6 will either not start, stall when moving or run extremely rough. The problem is more noticeable when it is raining or humid out. We are the original owner of the Santa Fe and have maintained the vehicle. This has been a recurring problem for the past eight years. The issues comes and go but have been more constant over the past four years. In the past, I have replaced the battery and had a tune up performed by the lester glenn Hyundai dealership. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10523002, filed 2013-07, 86,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   ABS activates on its own or brakes feel weak

   • 20 complaints (12%)
   • median 87,834 mi at 8.6 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • filed 2004–2018

   Complaints describe the ABS pump or motor running when the pedal was not pressed, ABS and traction control lights coming on randomly, and the brakes feeling as though they were not working or the pedal dropping to the floor. Some owners were told a brake line had ruptured, while others had a mechanic find rusted or cracked ABS tone rings on the axle ends. A few mention grinding or vibration during braking that dealers could not diagnose. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 145,000 miles, with no strong seasonal pattern in the complaints.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for brake and ABS service records, and check the ABS tone rings and brake lines for rust. Note whether the ABS light stays on after start-up or the ABS pump runs at a standstill.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2002 Hyundai Santa Fe gls. When moderately braking to slow down to exit the interstate the car rapidly decelerated and vibrated violently. Pulled over and could not get the car to go over 20 MPH. My initial impression was that the transmission was failing. This happened randomly on several occasions. The 2nd time it occurred I had the car towed to the nearest Hyundai dealer. Dealer could find nothing wrong with the vehicle. I drove the car back without incident and dropped it off at the Hyundai dealer that sold me the car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10277988, filed 2009-07, 85,669 miles

   “Premature rusting of powerstering 2 (5 year), & transmission 2 (6 year ), & brake (7 year), steel lines . And ABS, traction control sensor ring on front drive wheels shaft, rust & split, needed to replace axles as the only fix. Right front axle to transmission case seal slips out and leaks oil has been repaired 5 times under warranty & still need to be put back in a oil changes (3000miles) on 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe .”

   NHTSA complaint #10296870, filed 2009-12, 90,000 miles
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Front-end rust at subframe and lower control arms

   • 12 complaints (7%)
   • median 160,022 mi at 11.0 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • filed 2009–2018

   Complaints describe heavy rust in the front subframe and around the lower control-arm mounting bolts, in some cases with a bolt already broken. Owners say a technician refused to do an alignment because of the corrosion, or that steering became hard to control as the frame and control arm deteriorated. Some note that the rear recall work had been done years earlier but the front frame was not covered. Generally reported above 140,000 miles, often noticed during an alignment or tire service.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have the front subframe, lower control-arm mounts and bolts inspected for rust on a lift, especially on a vehicle from a road-salt state, and ask for any prior alignment or frame repair records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving at 25 MPH, my wife had to hold the steering wheel at 10 o'clock in order to keep the vehicle going straight. The dealer told us that the subframe and controller arm had broke - a recall campaign which was repaired in 2010 (or so we thought). Due to this the car is not drivable and we are told by the dealership that, although the subframe and controller arm will be covered, the damage to the struts and tires are our responsibility to the sum $973.31. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10701219, filed 2015-03, 91,000 miles

   “Took vehicle in for a normal oil change, and when technician was under the car, he took some pictures of the frame in the front right corner by the front right tire. He was showing me the frame was rusting very, very badly. He warned us that if we hit a small pot hole/bump or the curb at even 5 MPH the frame could bust and we could crash. The steering would shake and made chugging feeling when trying to turn, was looked at and power steering looked to be fine and fluid was full. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10664149, filed 2014-12, 184,500 miles

Buying note. On this model year, the suspension and frame rust reports are the ones to weigh most, so a lift inspection of the rear trailing arms and front subframe matters more than mileage alone. Service records for the crankshaft position sensor, throttle, and ABS, plus a check of whether the relevant recalls were completed for the VIN, will tell you a lot about how the vehicle has been maintained.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.