repaired · 2016 Q1
Springs: coil springs
Risk. 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…
2004 Hyundai Santa FEProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 303 owner complaints about the 2004 Hyundai Santa FE, most often about the suspension. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-435 the manufacturer reports only 28% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 6, 2023. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2004 Hyundai Santa FE has problems
303 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
69Suspension
43Air bags13 crash/fire/injury
39Vehicle speed control5 crash/fire/injury
25Fuel/propulsion system
24Service brakes, hydraulic12 crash/fire/injury
22Engine and engine cooling
21Power train
18Electrical system
16Service brakes
9816 other systems21 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 69 | 0 |
| Air bags | 43 | 13 |
| Vehicle speed control | 39 | 5 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 25 | 0 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 24 | 12 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 22 | 2 |
| Power train | 21 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 18 | 3 |
| Service brakes | 16 | 3 |
| 16 other systems | 98 | 21 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2004 Hyundai Santa FE recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
Risk. IF AN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE OCCURS, IT COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
no report yet
Other: labels
Risk. THE TIRE PRESSURE LABELS DO NOT CONTAIN THE INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Hyundai.
Mileage at failure
When do suspension problems start?
91kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 57 suspension complaints. 60% were reported before 100,000 miles.
3under 30k miles34under 100k miles23100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Air bags
8 owners mentioned a cost$2,400median
Middle half: $950 – $3,250
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2004 vs. every other Santa FE year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Santa FE median. How we score
'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2004 Hyundai Santa FE safety ratings
2004 Hyundai Santa Fe 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words
What Santa FE owners report
Recent suspension complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
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…
I JUST GOT IT A FEW MONTHS AGO AND HAPPENED TO LOOK UP RECALLS,AND SEEN 3 I TOOK IT TO A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE WERE JUST 2 BUT ONE WAS SUSPENSION AND THEY HAVEN'T CALLED ME ABOUT IT IN AROUND A MONTH NOWB
THIS WAS COVERED BY HYUNDIA RECALL CAMPAIGN 124. I FILLED UNDER CASE # 9878948. SPRING REPAIR 2/12/14, SOLD CAR 4/5/14, RECALL 2/4/15. THEY ONLY WOULD PAY FOR $318 OF THE $917 TOTAL REPAIR AND SAID IT HAS TO GO TO A HYUNDIA DEALERSHIP. THEY REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE SENSERS, STRUT MOUNTS, SWAY BAR…
Own a 2004 Santa FE?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.