"How reliable is the 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe?"

"Based on 219 NHTSA complaints, the 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe has a median complaint mileage of 105000 miles. The most common issue is Suspension."

"What are common problems with the 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe is Suspension, accounting for a significant portion of the 219 total complaints filed."

2002 Hyundai Santa Fe: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 219 complaints

219

Total Complaints

105,000mi

Median Mileage

Suspension

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

85,558 25th Percentile

105,000 Median Mileage

151,246 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Suspension

Steering

Rear

Vehicle Speed Control

Service Brakes

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Electrical System

Power Train

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"FRONT BRAKES REPAIRED, I WAS INFORMED THAT CONTROL ARM AND BALL JOINT ON RIGHT TIRE WERE BAD, PARTS WERE LOOSE AND NOT STATIONARY. *BF THE INSIDE OF THE FRONT TIRE WERE BALD ON THE INSIDE DUE TO THE WAY THE ALIGNMENT HAD CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THE DEFECTIVE PART. *SC"

"CONSUMER EXPERIENCED AN ALARMING GRINDING SOUND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE. GRINDING SOUND OF THE BRAKES OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE ON SNOW-COVERED ROADS. (NAR) *LA ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ABOUT 30 MINUTES THE BRAKES WORKED FINE. *NM"

"MY 2002 V6 4WHEEL DR HYUNDAI SANTA FE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 65- 70 MPH DROPPED A DRIVE LINE, IGNITING FLAMES TO THE REAR OF THE CAR. LITHIA OF FRESNO CLAIMS IT WAS DUE TO LOW FLUIDS IN THE TRANSFER CASE, THUS IT OVERHEATED AND THE LINE SNAPPED OFF. I HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED 2 WEEKS PRIO..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Suspension 40 complaints

25th: 116,253 mi Median: 150,095 mi 75th: 163,755 mi

Steering 15 complaints

25th: 120,012 mi Median: 151,246 mi 75th: 168,000 mi

Rear 15 complaints

25th: 95,000 mi Median: 130,000 mi 75th: 145,000 mi

Vehicle Speed Control 15 complaints

25th: 89,500 mi Median: 101,085 mi 75th: 133,000 mi

Service Brakes 10 complaints

25th: 111,250 mi Median: 146,600 mi 75th: 152,383 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

NJ: 23 IL: 22 NY: 20 FL: 15 PA: 13 WI: 12 CA: 10 GA: 10 OH: 10 MA: 8

Who Files Complaints?

11%

Original Owners

89%

Second+ Owners

Hyundai Santa Fe — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2001	293	105,000	Suspension	7
2003	390	86,000	Suspension	36
2004	386	73,768	Suspension	40
2005	300	78,250	Air Bags	27
2006	143	65,700	Air Bags	16
2007	981	75,450	Fuel/Propulsion System	42
2008	718	75,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	32
2009	501	77,900	Fuel/Propulsion System	44
2010	330	41,000	Power Train	14
2011	266	40,000	Engine	26
2012	472	56,500	Engine	41
2013	805	52,500	Engine	25
2014	675	60,000	Engine	27
2015	325	67,430	Engine	13
2016	283	60,000	Engine	7
2017	1182	16,000	Engine	20
2018	138	18,000	Engine	8
2019	253	9,612	Engine	20
2020	242	4,909	Engine	14
2021	224	17,250	Power Train	4
2022	259	10,500	Power Train	13
2023	272	2,689	Unknown Or Other	22
2024	133	9,500	Power Train	8
2025	119	7,250	Unknown Or Other	6

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28