2002 Hyundai XG350 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2002 XG350 most often write about the airbag warning light coming on after a wiring or connector problem in the seat or harness, and about suspension noise and corrosion in the rear. A second cluster of reports covers the fuel filler neck clicking off or spewing fuel back, and a smaller but consistent theme is the car lunging or surging from a stop. Many complaints come from vehicles over 60,000 miles, and several describe repeated dealer visits that reset a light or code without a lasting fix.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light on (seat/harness wiring)

   • 12 complaints (20%)
   • median 67,563 mi at 6.4 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2014

   Owners describe the airbag warning light coming on and staying on, sometimes flashing, often after the driver seat has been moved or something stowed beneath it. Dealers reportedly found high resistance or a broken wire in the seat-back or harness connector, reseated a plug and reset the module, and in some cases quoted replacement of the seat back or a pad assembly. Several owners report the light returning after days or weeks, and shops have told them they cannot be sure the airbags would deploy. Usually reported between about 30,000 and 100,000 miles, on vehicles of varying age.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Start the car and confirm the airbag light goes out after the bulb check; ask for any prior repair records for seat wiring, connectors or the airbag module. Note that the inflator advisories above concern counterfeit or non-supplied inflators, not this wiring symptom.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The air bag light stayed on after starting the car - all else seemed ok. I called the dealer and he said it was not important that a connector had probably just come loose and that the air bag would probably still work if needed. When I took it to the dealer he removed the driver's side seat and said he found a broken wire and repaired it - at a cost of about $56 - for a car that has a bumper-to-bumper warranty. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10143787, filed 2005-11, 38,000 miles

   “Air bag light came on my 2002 Hyundai XG350. Contacted the dealer I bought it from, and they checked it out for me and found... Found code b1378 side airbag resistance too high, need to replace driver seat back. Was told this was their 3rd from this dealer that needed replaced, and found out from others that they have had the same situation. Was told due to the defect, could potentially cause the airbags to not deploy when in an accident. The light is still on as the problem has not been fixed yet. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10278184, filed 2009-07, 74,432 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Rear suspension noise, bushings and corrosion

   • 8 complaints (13%)
   • median 60,892 mi at 5.3 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2006–2021

   Complaints describe a clunking or thumping from the left rear over bumps, which dealers attributed to worn strut or stabilizer bushings and recommended replacing both struts. Others report broken lower ball joints, tie rod wear, and severe corrosion of the rear subframe and control arm mounting points, with one owner noting a rear tire leaning after a control arm separated. Some owners say the repairs were treated as wear items rather than warranty work. Mostly reported from roughly 45,000 to 100,000 miles, with the corrosion reports tending to come on older, higher-mileage cars.

   Recall 09V1240001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Have the rear subframe, control arm mounts and strut towers inspected for rust on a lift, and ask whether recall 09V124000 was completed; bounce each corner and listen for clunks on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “As my wife was pulling into a parking spot, the driver's side lower ball joint broke off and the wheel collapsed. The wheel, tire, fender, axle and c/v joints were all damaged. My wife was lucky that she wasn't driving at a high rate of speed at the time. When I had it towed to the dealership I was told that it was not covered under my extended bumper to bumper warranty , because it was a wear item. The car has only 68,000 miles on it. It is a Hyundai xg 350. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10205599, filed 2007-10, 68,000 miles

   “Left rear drivers side thumping noise as car neared the 60,000. Mile mark, it seems that this is reported b y Hyundai as a worn shock bushing which wear out naturally (Hyundai's wording) and needs replacing, other friends having hyundais have gone well past 60k and have not had this issue, but we certainly will never purchase or recommend a Hyundai to anyone, since everything seems to be the buyers issue according to Hyundai.”

   NHTSA complaint #10268985, filed 2009-05, 57,000 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Lunging or surging from a stop

   • 8 complaints (13%)
   • median 42,000 mi at 4.9 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2010

   Owners describe the car starting off slowly and then suddenly accelerating or lurching forward, both from a stop and while cruising at highway speed, with the brake the only way to check it. Complaints mention repeated dealer visits, replacement of the throttle body, electronics and computer modules, and rewiring, without a lasting cure. Some reports also describe rough running and hard or delayed shifts alongside the surge. Reported across a wide range, from a few thousand miles to over 100,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: On a test drive, creep from a stop several times and note any uneven or sudden pickup, and ask for service records showing whether the throttle body, pedal sensor or transmission control module has already been addressed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “New 2003 hyundia XG350 sudden acceleration when starting off from a stop. Car starts off slow then suddenly accelerates causing the car to lunge forward. May cause rear end crashes . We have had many close calls especially in bumper to bumper traffic. Dealer is un-able to correct. Says this is an engineering problem Hyundai is working on. I have had this problem since taking delivery oct. 2002. Dealer has had car in shop repeated times to attempt corrective action. Dealer acknowledges product problem with 2003 and 2003 models.”

   NHTSA complaint #10016530, filed 2003-04, 4,500 miles

   “2002 Hyundai XG350 sudden acceleration when starting off from a stop. Car starts off slow then suddenly accelerates causing the car to lunge forward. Also, car will run smooth then start cutting out and can't get the car to go any faster than 40mph. Dealer has replaced several computer modules but did not cure the symptoms.”

   NHTSA complaint #10352514, filed 2010-08, 135,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Stalling, rough running and check-engine light

   • 9 complaints (15%)
   • median 89,176 mi at 7.9 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2018

   Complaints describe the engine stalling at speed or in traffic, rough idle and vibration after a cold start, and check engine lights that return after being reset. Owners report dealers unable to duplicate the stall, and in other cases replacing sensors or modules without resolving the light. A few reports describe a burning odor or engine compartment fire while parked; others mention a cracked engine block with oil loss. Spread from low mileage up to about 140,000 miles, with no clear pattern.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Scan for stored codes before buying, check that the check-engine light illuminates and then clears on start, and look for oil leaks or fresh sealant around the block and pan.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My Hyundai xg 350 2002 had a little over 100,000 miles on it. On 2/12/2018, while driving on a route 17 south in mahwah, nj, I hear a high pitch cracking sound with a smoke coming out of the car and soon the car became disabled on the side of highway route 17 s leaking a engine oils all over the place. At the body shop, they found out that the the bottom part of the engine got cracked with a adult-fist size hole leaking engine oils all over the place. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11076912, filed 2018-03, 100,700 miles

   “Nary 05/21/2003 the consumer has had two incident with the vehicle losing power and stalling while on the highway. The vehicle was also serviced for the check engine light, car alarm, air conditioner , and power sun roof. Dealer notified”

   NHTSA complaint #10020381, filed 2003-05
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Fuel filler clicks off or fuel spits back

   • 5 complaints (8%)
   • median 64,693 mi at 7.0 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2006–2011

   Owners report the pump nozzle clicking off repeatedly as if the tank were full, or fuel spewing back out of the filler neck during refueling. Dealers reportedly traced this to a charcoal canister breaking down, with charcoal blocking the fill vent or a tank valve, and recommended replacing the canister and cleaning the lines. Some owners link the problem to driving through car washes and describe repeat canister replacements for the same symptom. Typically reported between about 50,000 and 85,000 miles, sometimes after a car wash.

   Recall 04V369000Recall 04V178000

   What to check: Fill the tank slowly at a station and watch for early shutoff or fuel spitting back, and ask whether the canister or tank valve has been replaced; confirm recall 04V178000 or 04V369000 was performed if the car spent time in a covered state.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2002 Hyundai XG350. I bought it used in july 2003, at hub Hyundai west in houston, texas I have to keep returning it to the Hyundai dealer to have the fuel canister valve repaired. 3 times since I've owned the vehicle. It seems when I run my car through a automated car wash 3 or 4 times the canister becomes saturated with water and shorts out. I have recently found out that other Hyundai vehicles are having the same problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10157744, filed 2006-05, 55,386 miles

   “When attempting to fill fuel tank reading empty on gauge, tank keeps stopping like the tank is full of gasoline, Hyundai new port richey admits there is an issue with the charcol canister and that charcol floats up the fill vent breather hose causing this issue and suggests that the canister be replaced. This start happening at 50k miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #10274040, filed 2009-06, 50,000 miles

Buying note. A 2002 XG350 is an old car, so condition matters more than paperwork: have the rear subframe and suspension mounts checked for rust, verify any open recalls were completed, and confirm the airbag light behaves correctly. Budget for possible fuel-canister and throttle/transmission diagnosis, since several complaints describe symptoms that came back after repair.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 52 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.