2004 Hyundai Santa Fe Suspension
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, SHE HEARD A POPPING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE COIL SPRING HAD FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,425. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE, 2.7 LITER ENGINE, 4WD. FRONT SPRING ON PASSENGER SIDE BROKE YESTERDAY, WHILE THE CAR WAS IN THE GARAGE, CAUSING MY TIRE TO PUNCTURE. THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLAT BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A TIRE STORE THAT I LEARNED THE SPRING HAD SIMPLY SNAPPED IN HALF. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS AND THIS IS, CLEARLY, A FAULTY PART. AFTER SEEING DOZENS AND DOZENS OF SIMILAR CONSUMER COMPLAINTS I AM ASTOUNDED THAT HYUNDAI HAS NOT RECALLED THESE VEHICLES (APPEARS TO SPAN 2001 TO 2006) OR BEEN SUED BY SOMEONE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT. THANK GOD I WAS NOT DRIVING MY CAR AT THE TIME. I WONDER HOW MANY FATAL ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY HYUNDAI'S NEGLIGENCE IN NOT BEING FORTHCOMING IN REPLACING THIS PART. MY CURRENT REPAIR COST ESTIMATE IS $521. BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR IF OTHER DAMAGE FROM THE SPRING BREAKAGE HAS OCCURRED. WILL KNOW TOMORROW. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRINGS FRACTURED ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,326 AND THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,800. UPDATED 06/18/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE COIL SPRING ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE PUNCTURED A TIRE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PURCHASE 4 NEW TIRES. UPDATED 06/25/2013 *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE EXITING A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND PENETRATED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 125,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING OUT OF HER DRIVEWAY, THE DRIVER FRONT COIL SPRING FRACTURED AND RUBBED AGAINST THE TIRE. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.
MY WIFE'S SANTA FE EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER COIL SPRING OVER THE WEEKEND WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS THAT IT WAS ABOUT TO FAIL AND WE ARE VERY LUCKY THAT SHE WAS NOT DRIVING IT AT THE TIME. IT DOES HAVE 131,000 MILES ON IT, BUT I HAVE NEVER HAD A COIL SPRING SNAP LIKE THIS ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED. BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE, HYUNDAI NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT APPROXIMATELY $1500 (STILL GETTING QUOTES) FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED SOME TIME AGO. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE COIL SPRING BROKE AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000.
I BEGAN BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I HEARD A CRUNCHING TYPE SOUND, AND THEN IT STOPPED BRIEFLY. I CONTINUED TO BACK UP AND THE SOUND HAPPENED AGAIN FOLLOWED BY A LOUD NOISE AND AIR GUSHING OUT OF MY PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL. THE TIRE WENT COMPLETELY FLAT. ONCE THE TIRE WAS REMOVED WE DISCOVERED THE COIL SPRING HAD BROKEN AND SLICED THE TIRE ALL THE WAY AROUND. IT APPEARS FROM MY RESEARCH THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. LUCKILY I WAS NOT DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH MY SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR. *TR
CAR WAS IS GARAGE. WENT TO BACK OUT AND HAD BARELY MOVED AN INCH IN REVERSE WHEN I HEARD A POP AND A WHOOSHING NOISE OF THE FRONT LEFT TIRE DEFLATING. CAR WAS THEN SLANTED/LOPSIDED TO THE LEFT BECAUSE THE TIRE WAS SO DEFLATED. TRIED TO REMOVE TIRE AND COULDN'T GET IT OFF. DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT LEFT COIL SPRING HAD SNAPPED OFF AND IT WAS LODGED IN THE TIRE. THE SHARP JAGGED END OF THE SPRING IS WHAT POPPED THE TIRE. LUCKY I WASN'T DRIVING WHEN THIS HAPPENED! *TR
I DRIVE A USED, 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE GLS. VERY RECENTLY, I WAS JUST LEAVING WORK WHEN A SEEMINGLY VERY ORDINARY THING HAPPENED TO MY CAR. I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN, WAITING TO TAKE A LEFT TURN. AS SOON AS I ACCELERATED AND BEGAN TO TURN, MY VEHICLE SUFFERED A BLOWN-OUT FRONT-PASSENGER SIDE TIRE. AS THE TIRE BLEW OUT, I HEARD A LOUD "CLUNK"AND THEN A "POP". SURPRISED, I PULLED THE CAR OVER AS SOON AS I COULD, OFF OF THE MAIN ROAD. I HAD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE COME OUT TO CHANGE THE TIRE, BECAUSE I FOUND THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE TOOLS REQUIRED IN MY CAR TO CHANGE A TIRE. AFTER THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER PUT ON THE SPARE, I PAID HIM FOR HIS SERVICES AND WENT TO LEAVE. AS I TURNED THE WHEEL TO LEAVE, MY VEHICLE SUFFERED ANOTHER BLOW-OUT, SAME SIDE. MY CAR THEN HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE NEAREST SHOP TO BE LOOKED AT. TURNS OUT, MY FRONT-RIGHT COIL SPRING SNAPPED AND PIERCED MY TIRE(S). I CURRENTLY HAVE 73,000 MILES ON MY CAR, WHICH IS A GOOD AMOUNT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, COIL SPRINGS DO NOT JUST SNAP FROM NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE VEHICLE IS 7 YEARS OLD, NOT TWENTY. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? I FOUND OUT THAT WHEN THE COIL SPRING SNAPPED, IT ALSO SNAPPED THE STRUTS AND THE STRUT MOUNT, ON TOP OF MY TWO TIRES. THE TOTAL AMOUNT FOR THE DAMAGE WAS ABOUT $1200.00, AS BOTH SIDES NEEDED NEW PARTS TO ENSURE THE BEST HANDLING OF THE CAR. ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS, WHAT IF I WAS ON THE EXPRESSWAY DOING 65? IT'S A SCARY THOUGHT TO KNOW THAT I MAY NOT HAVE COME OUT OF THIS ALIVE. I AM VERY LUCKY IT HAPPENED AT SUCH A LOW SPEED, WITH HARDLY ANY CARS AROUND, OR ELSE I WOULD NOT HAVE LIVED TO TELL THE TALE. I HAVE NOTICED THAT SEVERAL OTHER SANTA FE OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. AND GOD FORBID, MAYBE EVEN MORE THAT HAVE NOT LIVED TO TELL. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT, AND IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT. *TR
5/25/2011, APPROX. TIME 8:45 A.M. 2004 SANTA FE LX, 38,828 MILES ON VEHICLE. ORIGINAL OWNERS, BOUGHT NEW. VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN OUR DRIVEWAY, GOT IN TO LEAVE FOR DOCTORS APPT., MOVED ABOUT TWO FEET, WHEN WE HEARD THIS LOUD NOISE AND AIR GUSHING SOUND FROM THE RIGHT FRONT OF OUR CAR. WENT OUT TO INVESTIGATE AND FOUND THE COIL SPRING HAD RUPTURED AND CUT THROUGH THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. THANK GOD WE WERE NOT TRAVELING ON ANY ROAD OR INTERSTATE HWY., I WOULD NOT BE TELLING THIS. HYUNDAI MOTORS OF AMERICA, CORPORATE OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED OF MY ISSUE, AND THE FACT THE LEFT SPRING COULD RUPTURE AT ANY TIME. THEY OFFERED IN GOOD FAITH TO PAY FOR RIGHT SPRING AND TIRE, BUT WOULD NOT REPLACE LEFT FRONT SPRING. HYUNDAI MOTORS OF AMERICA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE DEFECTED COIL SPRINGS AND RECALL ALL 2004 SANTA FE TO REPLACE FRONT COIL SPRINGS AND ANY OTHER MECHANICAL SYSTEMS THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THE RUPTURED COIL SPRINGS. MANY OWNERS OF 2004 SANTA FE ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, HOPEFULLY HYUNDAI WILL TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE THEIR ARE ANY FATALITIES, GOD BLESS US, AND I PRAY HE WILL KEEP US SAFE!!!!! *TR
WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT, SMOOTH SECTION OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAY MY WIFE AND I HEARD A VERY LOUD BOOM, AS IF WE HAD HIT A LARGE ROCK OR SOMETHING. THERE WAS NO VIBRATION THAT AN IMPACT WOULD HAVE CAUSED. WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAD CAUSED THE NOISE. 2004 HYUNDAI, SANTA FE DROVE FINE. TWO DAYS LATER, WHEN MAKING A LOW SPEED RIGHT TURN, THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. WHEN THE TIRE WAS REMOVED IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE COIL SPRING HAD BROKEN, MADE CONTACT WITH THE TIRE AND RIPPED IT ABOUT THREE QUARTERS AROUND COMPLETELY THROUGH. AFTER RESEARCHING THE TOPIC I WAS APPALLED AT HOW MANY COMPLAINTS THERE WERE ABOUT BROKEN SPRINGS ON 2004 SANTA FES. IT SEEMS TO BE A RECURRENT PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. IF THE SPRING HAD RUPTURED THE TIRE WHEN IT APPARENTLY BROKE, ON THE HIGHWAY I HESITATE TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, OR HOW MANY LIVES WOULD BE AT RISK. I BELIEVE IT IS TIME HYUNDAI STEPPED-UP AND RECALL THE SPRINGS. *TR
2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. CONSUMER STATES WHILE PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE, POKING A HOLE THROUGH THE SIDEWALL OF AN 8 MONTH OLD TIRE *TGW
ON APRIL 21, 2011 WENT TO BACK SUV OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WHEN THE FRONT LEFT TIRE WENT FLAT. AFTER REMOVING THE TIRE FOUND TIRE HAD A HOLE ON INSIDE WALL OF TIRE . THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE COIL SPRING PROTRUDING OUT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION FOUND THE COIL SPRING BROKEN. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. I FEEL VERY LUCKY THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. *TR
I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH WHEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, I HEARD A BANG AND THE CAR VEERED OUT OF CONTROL. IT WAS A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE. I REGAINED CONTROL OF THE CAR I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO INVESTIGATE AND I NOTICED THAT THE COIL SPRING BROKE. THE FOLLOWING DAY I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO THE HYUNDAI DEALER AND THEY CHARGED AN OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT TO REPLACE. NOT VERY LIKELY THAT I WOULD PURCHASE ANOTHER HYUNDAI. *TR
I PARKED MY VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT AT 8AM AND THEN BY 1PM MY COIL SPRING BROKE DESTROYING MY TIRE AND RESULTING IN MY GETTING TOWED. HAD MY COIL SPRING BROKE ON THE HIGHWAY I WOULD HAVE CRASHED *TR
BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS ON MY 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE BROKE THE RIGHT AT 22,000 MILES AND THE LEFT AT 32,000 MILES. LUCKILY THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED BOTH TIMES. *TR
WAS JUST PULLING THE CAR DOWN THE DRIVE WAY AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. I STOPPED THE CAR AND A FRIEND WAS GOING TO CHANGE THE TIRE. HE NOTICED THE SPRING HAD BROKEN LOOSE AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE DRIVE WAY FOR 12 TO 15 HOURS BEFORE WE WENT TO DRIVE IT. WE HAD NOT EVEN MADE IT ON THE ROAD AND WAS ONLY GOING A COUPLE MILES PER HOUR AND ABOUT 15 TO 20 FEET. WE WERE ON OUR WAY, GOING OUT OF TOWN AND WERE THANKFUL THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THIS HAPPEN GOING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WERE WE COULD HAVE BEEN HURT OR HURT SOME ONE ELSE. SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK WE HAVE A NEW BORN AND A TWO YEAR OLD IN THIS VEHICLE. THANKFULLY THEY WERE NOT WITH US. THIS FRONT END SUSPENSION PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT, SOMEBODY IS NOT GOING TO BE AS LUCKY AS WE WERE. FOR US IT WAS THE DRIVE WAY AND NOT DRIVING ON THE HIGH WAY AT A HIGH SPEEDS WITH OUR FAMILY. *TR
DRIVERS SIDE COIL SPRING BROKEN. STRUT MOUNT ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW IN 2004. AS THE MILEAGE WILL TELL YOU, I DON'T DRIVE IT MUCH. MY CAR HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS WHEN I WENT TO GO TO WORK. AS I STARTED BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY I HEARD A VERY LOUD NOISE WHEN I TURNED THE WHEEL. I DECIDED NOT TO TRY DRIVING IT. MY HUSBAND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND THE SPRING BROKEN. THEY SAID I WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT DRIVING IT AT THE TIME AS IT COULD HAVE PUNCTURED THE TIRE AND CAUSED A BLOWOUT. SINCE THIS INCIDENT, IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN, ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THIS TIME IT HAD BEEN SITTING FOR ABOUT 4 DAYS IN THE DRIVEWAY AND WHEN I WENT TO BACK OUT, I HEARD IT. WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO A NEARBY GARAGE AND FOUND THE SPRING HAD BROKEN AND WAS RUBBING ON THE TIRE. THIS TIME THE MILEAGE WAS ABOUT 25,000 MILES. HYUNDAI DOES NOT SEEM TO THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE SPRINGS. I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS PERTAINING TO THIS COMPLAINT, BUT I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT AT 27,000 MILES I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE BOTH REAR CONTROL ARMS. THERE SEEMS TO BE A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM ON THE VEHICLE. PLEASE LOOK INTO IT.
I WENT INTO GARAGE TO MOVE MY 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE OUT SO MY HUSBAND COULD PUT OUR 2009 HYUNDAI SONATA INTO IT. THE SANTA FE HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE GARAGE FOR ABOUT 4 DAYS UNDRIVEN. WHEN I STARTED TO BACK UP, IT WAS MAKING A LOUD NOISE. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE WAY. NOT SEEING ANYTHING IN MY WAY, I CONTINUED TO BACK THE SANTA FE OUT TO THE STREET STILL HEARING A LOUD NOISE. MY HUSBAND CAME OVER TO SEE WHAT WAS MAKING THE NOISE AND NOTICED THAT THE WHOLE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FENDER WAS RESTING ON THE TIRE. UPON RAISING IT WITH THE JACK, HE NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSPENSION COIL WAS BROKEN. I EVEN TOOK PICTURES OF IT WHILE IT WAS JACKED UP. THE UPSIDE TO THIS WHOLE THING IS THAT WE WEREN'T DRIVING IT AT A HIGH SPEED WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I'M SURE WE WOULD HAVE FLIPPED THE VEHICLE AND BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR EVEN KILLED. WE HAVE 84,647 MILES ON IT AND WERE ALWAYS VERY METICULOUS WITH MAINTENANCE. WE WILL CALL THE DEALERSHIP TOMORROW, BUT FROM WHAT I CAN SEE, IT LOOKS LIKE AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 SANTA FE AND JUST THE OTHER DAY MY DRIVER SIDE COIL SPRING BROKE, LUCKY I WASN'T DRIVING IT AT THE TIME HOWEVER IT GOING TO COST ABOUT 1250.00 TO FIX. *TR
FAILURE OF FRONT COIL SPRING WHILE DRIVING. COIL SPRING SUDDENLY BROKE AND PUNCTURED TIRE. *TR
PASSANGER SIDE SPRING SEPERATED CAUSING TIRE DAMAGE. *TR
I BOUGHT MY 2004 HYUNDAI SANTA FE NEW IN FEBRUARY 2004. ALL OF THE BRAKE PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 23000 MILES DUE TO RUSTED CALIPERS. HOWEVER, MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT SOMETHING MUCH MORE SERIOUS. THE COIL SPRINGS ON BOTH FRONT MCPHEARSON STRUTS BROKE AND PENETRATED THE TIRES. THE LEFT FRONT SPRING BROKE IN FEBRUARY 2009 AT ABOUT 23000 MILES. THE RIGHT FRONT SPRING BROKE ON 6/9/09 AT APPROXIMATELY 24500 MILES. FORTUNATELY, THE SANTA FE WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE BOTH TIMES THE SPRINGS BROKE. HAD THE SPRINGS FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD OR ON THE THRUWAY, THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT I WOULD HAVE CRASHED OR ROLLED OVER. ALTHOUGH THE TOWS AND REPAIRS WERE MADE UNDER WARRANTY AT NO COST TO ME, I DON'T TRUST THE SANTA FE ANYMORE AND I DO NOT INTEND TO KEEP IT. *TR
WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH STEERING WHEEL PULLED TO THE LEFT. THIS WAS CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALERSHIP MECHANIC TRIED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE 3 TIMES, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. CRUISE CONTROL IS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. *AK *MR
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The 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe has 50 Suspension complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.