2001 Hyundai Santa FE: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2001 Hyundai Santa FE
On the 2001 Hyundai Santa FE, the failure owners report most often is control arm, ball joint or bushing failure, and the reports cluster around 120,000 miles. The earliest to appear is other engine problem, reported by a median of 75,000 miles. Overall it scores 62 out of 100, high risk for a 2001.
High risk for a 2001 — 269th riskiest of the 320 2001 vehicles we can rate. 293 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What breaks on the 2001 Hyundai Santa FE
Owners have reported 44 named failure modes on the 2001 Hyundai Santa FE, and the three most-reported carry 30% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure leads with 36 reports, about 0.6 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 99k to 137,500 miles.
Other suspension problem follows with 28 reports, usually reported between 81k to 145,000 miles.
Other engine problem follows with 25 reports, usually reported between 60k to 115,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into suspension (71), engine (51) and electrical (36).
At what mileage it happens
175 of the reports on the 2001 Hyundai Santa FE came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 105,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 19% by 50,000 miles, 47% by 100,000 miles and 85% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 3 filed above the top of the chart.
The busiest stretch is between 120,000 and 130,000 miles, which alone holds 10% of the dated reports.
15% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
In the order they tend to show up: other engine problem around 76k, other suspension problem around 120k, control arm, ball joint or bushing failure around 120k and rust or structural corrosion around 148k.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 44. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 3 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 7 mention a crash, 5 a fire and 5 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.89, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: control arm, ball joint or bushing failure at $400–$2,200, other suspension problem at $350–$2,000, other engine problem at $300–$4,000 and alternator or charging system failure at $450–$1,600. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
26% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 36 | 28 | 99k | 120k | 138k | 0.6 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 28 | 23 | 81k | 120k | 143k | 0.4 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 25 | 12 | 60k | 76k | 113k | 0.4 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 19 | 7 | — | 3k | — | 0.3 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 16 | 6 | — | 94k | — | 0.3 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 15 | 14 | 111k | 148k | 166k | 0.2 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 14 | 6 | — | 57k | — | 0.2 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 11 | 4 | — | 75k | — | 0.2 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 10 | 5 | — | 54k | — | 0.2 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 9 | 3 | — | 113k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 7 | 2 | — | 72k | — | 0.1 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| Strut, shock or spring failure | suspension | 7 | 7 | — | 108k | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 6 | 5 | — | 12k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure | fuel | 6 | 3 | — | 125k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other steering problem | steering | 6 | 3 | — | 68k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Overheating | cooling | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 5 | 4 | — | 35k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 5 | 2 | — | 57k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 4 | 3 | — | 154k | — | 0.1 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 3 | 3 | — | 133k | — | 0.0 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Wheel bearing or hub failure | drivetrain | 3 | 3 | — | 140k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Premature brake pad or rotor wear | brakes | 3 | 2 | — | 91k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 3 | 3 | — | 106k | — | 0.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Tire blowout or tread separation | wheels | 3 | 3 | — | 121k | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | Critical |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 2 | 2 | — | 55k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Fuel leak or fuel odor | fuel | 2 | 2 | — | 121k | — | 0.0 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 89k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 140k | — | 0.0 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Power steering pump or fluid leak | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 58k | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 2 | 2 | — | 99k | — | 0.0 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 2 | 1 | — | 120k | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Oil leak | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 53k | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Manual clutch or hydraulics failure | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 58k | — | 0.0 | $900–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Engine sensor failure | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 116k | — | 0.0 | $180–$900 | Moderate |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 76k | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 1 | 1 | — | 105k | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Wheel, stud or lug nut failure | wheels | 1 | 1 | — | 110k | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,500 | Critical |
| DPF, EGR or DEF system failure | emissions | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $800–$5,000 | High |
| Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin | emissions | 1 | 1 | — | 42k | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,000 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 120k | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 1 | 1 | — | 120k | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Unclassified problem | other | 7 | 2 | — | 65k | — | 0.1 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2001 Hyundai Santa FE draws about 4.7 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 81st percentile of complaint rates among 2001 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 62,327 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2001 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 40 MPH, a thumping noise was heard from the front of the vehicle. It was driven to the dealer who determined the front driver side lower ball joint needed to be replaced. The problem reoccurred on four other occasions and the lower ball joint was replaced each time.
Traveling on the highway about 65 miles per hour the vehicle suddenly turn to the right and lunged downward to a point the vehicle felt as if it was going to flip over. I brought the vehicle to a repair shop and found the right rear lower control arm had rusted completely through. I have pictures of the part if needed. When the repair shop called the hyundai parts department the person answering the phone said this type of problem was common problem with santa fe suvs. That next thing that made me think this was a problem that hyundai was aware of, was that the replacement part had be redesigned and now has weep holes so not to retain water or moisture. The repair shop tested the remaining control arms on the vehicle to find the left rear lower control arm was almost rusted through. The repair shop said that this vehicle has the same degree of rust on these parts that a ten year old car would have. This vehicle is only six years old and has been garaged during this time. Hyundai seems to be aware of the defect due to the redesign of the part in question and that hyundai parts department is aware of the number of failures. Is…
Other suspension problem
Vehicle rattles and shakes when driving in city. Noise appears to come under the carriage. Taken several times to the dealer and they are unable to locate the source of the problem. Have a written complain with hyundai.*ak
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 hyundai santa fe. While driving 65 MPH, the contact heard a loud cracking sound coming from the passenger side rear wheel. The contact lost control of the vehicle and became worse when he depressed the brake pedal. The vehicle began to fishtail, but gradually decelerated to a complete stop. The contact noticed that the passenger side rear wheel looked as if it were turned at a 15 degree angle. The vehicle was towed and the mechanic stated that the suspension trailing arm was rusted and cracked. The current mileage is 103,000 and failure mileage was 13,000.
Other engine problem
On june 12th the vehicle started to rattle and proceeded to shake. The vehicle would not accelerate but instead decelerated on 695 towards towson. The vehicle was drifting at 25 MPH. I then proceeded to the nearest exit which was bel air road. I proceeded onto this exit when my vehicle shut off losing all power. At this time my dashboard lights were on. I had no power but my vehicle was still in gear and I safely stopped my vehicle in a shopping plaza. Engine failure new engine placed into my vehicle. *ak july 5th the vehicle was taken back to thompson hyundai by my father. The mileage out was 25,593. Thompson hyundai forgot to screw down the engine properly resulting in loud noises from the engine. I placed another call to thompson asking for documentation of the service rendered. I then noticed another screw which was not secure on the engine. In addition, I would be bringing the vehicle back to get the documentation and to get the steering checked. Thompson never wrote up a service slip for the screws. July 8th the vehicle broke down. The vehicle was towed into thompson again. I placed a call to thompson and spoke with gary…
On june 12th the vehicle started to rattle and proceeded to shake. The vehicle would not accelerate but instead decelerated on 695 towards towson. The vehicle was drifting at 25 MPH. I then proceeded to the nearest exit which was bel air road. I proceeded onto this exit when my vehicle shut off losing all power. At this time my dashboard lights were on. I had no power but my vehicle was still in gear and I safely stopped my vehicle in a shopping plaza. Engine failure new engine placed into my vehicle july 5th the vehicle was taken back to thompson hyundai by my father. The mileage out was 25,593. Thompson hyundai forgot to screw down the engine properly resulting in loud noises from the engine. I placed another call to thompson asking for documentation of the service rendered. I then noticed another screw which was not secure on the engine. In addition, I would be bringing the vehicle back to get the documentation and to get the steering checked. Thompson never wrote up a service slip for the screws. July 8th the vehicle broke down. The vehicle was towed into thompson again. I placed a call to thompson and spoke with gary welch…
Recalls on the 2001 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2001 Hyundai Santa FE, affecting an estimated 148,228 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover suspension:front:springs:coil springs, suspension:rear, equipment:other:labels and electrical system:starter assembly. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:COIL SPRINGS
271,773 vehicles 2014-07-18- Defect
- Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model Year 2001-2006 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured from March 31, 2000, through February 15, 2006, that are registered and operated, or which were originally sold and registered, in the following 20 salt belt" states and the District of Columbia: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The affected vehicles may experience front coil spring…
- Consequence
- If the front coil spring fractures due to corrosion it could cause the coil spring to make contact with the tire, possibly puncturing the tire and increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the coil spring, free of charge. The recall began on October 24, 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 124.
SUSPENSION:REAR
83,355 vehicles 2009-04-16- Defect
- 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, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Road salt applied in these jurisdictions during the winter months may result in progressive, internal corrosion of the rear trailing arms, which could lead to thinning or perforation of the rear trailing arm…
- Consequence
- If the corrosion is allowed to progress, the rear trailing arm may fracture while driving, thereby increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear trailing arms for internal corrosion damage. If specified levels of corrosion damage are found, the rear trailing arms will be replaced. Rear trailing arms that do not require replacement will have drainage holes added and will be treated with rust-proofing material to arrest the corrosion process. Inspection, treatment and replacement procedures will be conducted at no cost to owners. The recall is expected to begin during may 2009. Owners may contact the hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
249,309 vehicles 2003-12-18- Defect
- 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."
- Consequence
- The tire pressure labels do not contain the information required by the standard.
- Remedy
- Owners will be provided with a correct label and installation instructions. Owner notification began on october 29, 2003. Owners should contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
25,643 vehicles 2003-01-02- Defect
- On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 2.7 liter v-6 engines, improperly manufactured crankshaft position sensors (cps) were installed. The cps cases were improperly manufactured and did not meet dimensional specifications. Internal gaps within the cases allowed epoxy to contact the printed circuit board, which resulted in cracking of the printed circuit board capacitor.
- Consequence
- A damaged cps capacitor could result in engine stalling.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the cps. Owner notification began on march 10, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact hyundai at 1-800-829-9956.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2001 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2001 sits in the model line
High risk for a 2001 — 269th riskiest of the 320 2001 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 26 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2002 comes out best at 61 and 2017 worst at 85, with 2001 itself at 62.
No other year of this model scores meaningfully better than 2001, so if this generation is what you want, the year is not the lever.
Within the 2001–2006 generation specifically, 2002 is the strongest year at 61 and 2003 the weakest at 67.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2001-2006 generation, 2002 Hyundai Santa FE scores best at 61 and 2003 Hyundai Santa FE worst at 67.
Where to spend the inspection money
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other engine problem from about 60k, other suspension problem from about 81k, control arm, ball joint or bushing failure from about 99k and rust or structural corrosion from about 111k.
On a 2001 Hyundai Santa FE with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other engine problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.
The limits of complaint data
293 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 293 reports, 175 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 60% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Hyundai Santa FE?
The most-reported failures are control arm, ball joint or bushing failure (36 reports, median 120,000 miles), other suspension problem (28 reports, median 120,000 miles) and other engine problem (25 reports, median 75,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2001 Hyundai Santa FE problems start?
Other engine problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 75,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 60,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 105,000 miles.
Is the 2001 Hyundai Santa FE reliable?
It scores 62 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 269th riskiest of the 320 2001 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2001 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Hyundai Santa FE is best?
Within the 2001–2006 generation, 2002 scores best at 61 out of 100 and 2003 worst at 67. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed