The Lemon Index2003 Hyundai Santa Fe.
The 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe is worse than average by owner complaints: 100 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 121, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about brakes, it has 4 recalls, and it gets 17 to 20 mpg combined. The best Hyundai Santa Fe year is 2016.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 308 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Hyundai Santa Fe year. 2003 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 32K to 120K miles on the car (245 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- suspension complaints mostly came at 98K–152K miles
- airbags complaints mostly came at 26K–111K miles
- transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 29K–94K miles
Recalls 4
- suspension 2014
The affected vehicles may experience front coil spring corrosion from road s.
- suspension 2009
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, …
- brakes 2004
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…
Show all 4 recalls
- equipment 2003
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.".
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Hyundai told dealers about
Hyundai sent dealers 90 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Automatic transaxle final gear whine noise
- Automatic transaxle oil leak between transaxle and transfer case
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedRear trailing arm corrosion failure2008–2009
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★★ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★☆☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $3200–3800 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.4L 4-cyl, 2.7L 6-cyl, 3.5L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
While applying brakes vehicle made a very loud noise. When taken to get serviced the cause could not be determined.
2003 Hyundai Santa Fe owner · NHTSA complaint 10111170
More owner reports
Santa fe has problems with the location of the gas pedal and the brake pedal and the Sonata has problems with the engine operation.
NHTSA complaint 10089424
When the gas pedal was applied, the vehicle had a delay in accelerating. Dealer notified.
NHTSA complaint 10033531
Quick answers
Is the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 1.2× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 121; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Hyundai Santa Fe year by this measure is 2016.
What are the most common 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are brakes (23%), transmission & drivetrain (19%) and visibility (12%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe have?
4 safety recalls (latest: suspension). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe get?
17 to 20 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 32,800 and 120,000 miles. The middle report was at 80,000 miles, from 245 complaints.
Does the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 19% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe cost in fuel a year?
About $3200 to $3800 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe have?
2.4L 4-cyl, 2.7L 6-cyl, 3.5L 6-cyl.
What Hyundai Santa Fe year is better than the 2003?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2016, 2015 and 2018.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works