Problems · NHTSA complaints

2004 Hyundai Santa Fe problems

Owners filed 303 complaints about the 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe with NHTSA between Jan 2004 and Dec 2023. The most-cited component is suspension (69).

Complaints
303
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
32
Reported by owners
Fires
7
Reported by owners
Injuries
35
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Suspension69
  2. Air bags43
  3. Vehicle speed control39
  4. Fuel/propulsion system25
  5. Service brakes, hydraulic24
  6. Engine and engine cooling22
  7. Power train21
  8. Electrical system18
  9. Engine16
  10. Service brakes16
  11. Fuel system, gasoline13
  12. Structure12
  13. Steering11
  14. Seat belts8

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200424
200525
200614
200711
200811
200912
201017
201130
201220
201321
201437
201523
201623
20177
201810
20199
20203
20213
20220
20233

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Suspension

69 reports1 related recall
“IT HAD 124 RECALL NHTSA 14V43500 I CALL HYUNDAI OFF GOVERNMENT SITE TOLD THEM ABOUT 124 AND BROKEN SPRING THEY SET UP APPOINTMENT SO THEY ONLY PUT ON BRACKETS BUT NO SPRING WANTED $1004 FOR THE STRUT SPRING ON THEY TOLD ME ON CALL CENTER THEY REPLACE SPRING AS IT SAID ON NHTSA SITE THEY WOULD NOT DO IT CALL BACK TO HYUNDIA AS NUMBER ON GOVERNMENT SITE THEY MADE A CASE NUMBER 16604156 AMBER AT 714 594 1764 SHE SAID SPRING WAS NOT IN RECALL I SEND PICTURE OF IT BEFORE UP THERE TO DEALER SHE HAD NO CLUE WHAT WAS SO I DONT WHO RIGHT ON RECALL SHE SAID GOVERNMENT NHTSA SITE ARE NOT CORRECT BROWN LEESBURG HYUNDAI LEESBURG VA 20176”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 3, 2020SuspensionODI 11296864

Air bags

43 reports11 crashes
“MY AIR SBAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. IT WON'T TURN OFF.I DON'T IF IT IS A PROBLEM WITH MY AIR BAGS OR JUST THE LIGHT.IT HAS BEEN THIS WAY FOR YEARS.THERE WAS NOT REASON FOR IT TO TURN ON. I'VE NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT,SO I DON'T IF IT WILL WORK WHEN NEEDED. I DON'T THINK I SHOULD FOR IT. I THINK THIS A MALFUNCTION AND SHOULD CHECKED BY A DEALER AT NO COST.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 17, 2019Air bagsODI 11256061

Vehicle speed control

39 reports5 crashes
“VEHICLE WAS SOLD WITHOUT TITLE OR DISCLOSURE DEALERSHIP TOOK MONEY REFUSE TO HEAR COMPLAINTS. CONTACT ME AS I AM HANDICAPPED AND HAVE NO TITTLE TRYING TO RETURN VEHICLE IT VEERED TOWARD DITCH AS THE VEHICLE IS INOPERABLE AND DANGEROUS PER DMV”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 20, 2019Vehicle speed control, Wheels, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11208686

Fuel/propulsion system

25 reports
“This was a recall for hundai santa fe vehicles from 2001-2006. For unknown reasons I was not aware of recall. It was for 15 years or 150 miles. It is a danger as my car leaks gas. I am at 135,000 miles. But my car is a 2004. I purchased the vehicle in the last 2 years. I believe the recall should extend till the repair is complete for the reasons as follows. 1. it can explode. 2. it is a polluter 3. Hyundai acknowledges it as faulty equipment. 4. Corporations must be resonsible or they are irresponsible. 5. Cars are expensive they must maintain as least minimum safety requirements.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 10, 2021Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11420393

Service brakes, hydraulic

24 reports11 crashes1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, HE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DECELERATE WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000. ..UPDATED 09-21-12*BF”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 21, 2012Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10471773

Engine and engine cooling

22 reports2 fires
“MY AIR BAGS LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AND WILL NOT TURN OFF. THE SUSPENSION IS HORRIBLE, I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID" THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. AND SOMETIMES WHEN I TURN MY VEHICLE ON THE ENGINE REVELS UP AND SOUNDS AS IF THE ACCELERATION IS STUCK. SCARES ME TO DEATH. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 28, 2012Suspension, Engine and engine cooling, Air bagsODI 10456747
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.