2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe. This model year has 212 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Suspension Failures.
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This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about the specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks, and open recalls.
Worst 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Suspension Failures
Engine Problems
Electrical Faults
Considering a 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe?
This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension Failures | 76 | 1 | — | — | |
| Engine Problems | 41 | — | 2 | — | |
| Electrical Faults | 35 | — | 2 | — | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 24 | 1 | — | — | |
| Structural Problems | 19 | — | — | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 14 | — | — | — | |
| Steering Defects | 13 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 8 | — | 1 | — | |
| Brake System | 8 | 2 | — | — | |
| Hydraulic | 8 | 2 | — | — | |
| Uncategorized Issues | 7 | — | — | — | |
| Equipment | 7 | — | — | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel System | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Airbag Malfunctions | 3 | 2 | — | — | |
| Gasoline | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Door Lock Issues | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Visibility | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Other | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| Child Seat | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Traction Control System | 1 | — | — | — |
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Complaint counts may exceed total complaints because one report can span multiple categories.
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 212 most recent complaints
I live in Roy city utah and i drive a santa fe 2001 and my trailing arm in the rear driver side snaped while i was going 45 mph. when i took it in to a shop to have it looked at they said that my trailing arm had snaped do to the rust corrision under the car. I know that there a…
The contact owns a 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that on separate occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was towed to Marco’s body shop where it was diagnosed that both struts, new tires, front passe…
The suv stalls while driving. This has happened multiple time. While driving, driving slow, taking a u turn. The battery, alternator, starter, power steering pump, water pump, rack and pinion, timing belt, serpentine belt, idler pulley, harmonic balancer, front axles, shocks, str…
The rear trailing arm cracked in half causing my wife to run off the road11
The contact's friend owns a 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while a friend was driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle began to veer off to the right without warning and the driver began losing control of the vehicle. Despite the failure, the contact's friend …
MY WIFE WAS ACCELERATING TO 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWERVE LEFT TO RIGHT RAPIDLY. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. SHE COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND POWERED OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. SHE NOTICED THAT THE…
GAS PUMP PROBLEM KEEPS CLICKING AND I'VE REPLACE MANY PARTY BUT STILL LIKE ITS FULL OF GAS BUT I BE ON EMPTY.CAR ALSO JERKS LIKE I'VE BEEN REAR ENDED WHILE DRIVING LIKE IT HAS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND I'VE REPLACE TRANSMISSION 2 TIMES. GEARS ONLY WORK MANUAL IT'S LIKE THE CAR HA…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL POPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE BACK TO HER RESIDENCE WHERE HER HUSBAND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND D…
THERE'S A REALL ON THIS VEHICLE THAT I JUST PURCHASED THE DESCRIPTION SAYS: FRONT COIL SPRING PROTECTOR INSTALLATION HOW CAN THIS ISSUE BE RESOLVED? THIS ISSUE SHOULD BEEN TAKING CARE OF AND REPORTED TO YOU GUYS BUT OBVIOUSLY IT HASN'T. SO I NEED TO KNOW IS IT STILL AVAILABLE…
OUR MECHANIC HAS IDENTIFIED SIGNIFICANT CORROSION TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TRAILING ARM, A SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL VULNERABILITY CONSISTENT WITH NHTSA SAFETY RECALL NOTICE 09V123000. THE NHTSA SAFETY RECALL OBSERVES THE DANGER OF THE REAR TRAILING ARM FRACTURING, AND INCREASING …
I HAVE BEEN HEARING A CLANKING SOUND SINCE I HAVE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED MID NOVEMBER 2019 . THE SOUND SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM THE BACK PASSANGER SIDE WHEEL AREA IT APPEARS TO BE GETTING WORSE AND FEELS LIKE THE BACK PASSANGER SIDE WHEEL IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF ANYTIME THE VEHICLE …
WHEN GETTING GAS, THE PUMP ALWAYS 'CLICKS OFF' WHEN IM PUMPING GAS. DOES NOT MATTER HOW FULL. THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE A FULL TANK IS TO CONTINUE PUMPING UNTIL GAS COMES OUT THE TOP OF THE FILLER NECK. THIS USUALLY MEANS OVERRIDING AS MANY AS 50 PUMP 'CLICK OFFS'. I HAVE SEEN OTHER…
DRIVERS SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM RUSTED OUT IT HAS 2 RECALLS ON IT BUT NOT THE CONTROL ARM WHY IF THE TRAILING ARMS ARE RUSTED IT SHOULD BE ADDED TO???????? STARTED MAKING NOISE NO WARNING WHILE DRIVEING 55 MPH HAPPENED ON 8/23/2019
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWERVE LEFT TO RIGHT RAPIDLY. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND POWERED OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, BUT TH…
REAR DRIVER SIDE TRAILING ARM BADLY RUSTED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS FRACTURED WITHOUT WARNING AND HAD BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER (HYUNDAI EAST, 11200 E CENTRAL AVE, WICHITA, KS 67206, (316) 977-7800). IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, T…
I HAD BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE HOME AND NOTICED THE CAR WAS RUBBING AGAINST THE CAR. THE SUBFRAME HAS RUSTED SO MUCH THAT I CAN'T DRIVE IT. HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO FIRESTONE. THEY SAID NOT TO DRIVE IT AND YOU SHOULD HAVE IT TOWED TO OUR HOUSE. THEY SAID THE TIRE WOULD FALL OF…
REAR DRIVER SIDE SPRING RUSTED OUT CAUSING TIRE TO LEAN INTO CAR. ONLY BACKING OUT OF DRIVE WAY AT 2 MPH. WHY WAS ONLY RECALL SENT TO SO CALLED "SALT STATES"? I LIVE IN TENNESSEE AND SALT IS USED ON ROADS IN WINTER.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL LEANED INWARD INTO THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR COIL SPRING OF THE SUSPENSION WAS RUSTED AND CORRODED. FRIENDSHIP HONDA IN JOHNSON CITY, TENE…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN OIL CHANGE, IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUBFRAME FAILED DUE TO CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS …
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe.
Recalls for 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
4 campaignsNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe. Recalls are free to fix at any authorized dealer. Run a VIN check below to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
2001 Hyundai Santa Fe — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?▾
Notable Issues. The 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe has 212 NHTSA owner complaints, 4 crash-related, and 4 recall campaigns. The most reported issue is Suspension Failures (76 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe?▾
#1: Suspension Failures (76 complaints). #2: Engine Problems (41 complaints). #3: Electrical Faults (35 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe?▾
The 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe has 4 crash-related complaints and 4 fire reports out of 212 total NHTSA complaints. 2 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe have any recalls?▾
Yes — 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affect the 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe. The largest issue: SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
Should I buy a 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe?▾
The 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe has notable issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Suspension Failures issues. Always run a VIN check on the specific car you're considering to check for accident history, open recalls, and title brands.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinSpector AI.
Wider context: See the full Hyundai Santa Fe reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99.