2001 Hyundai Santa Fe — Known Issues & Recalls

Your rear trailing arm cracked and broke in half, which caused your wife to lose control and run off the road. This is a structural suspension failure that created an unsafe driving condition. The repair will require replacing the broken trailing arm component.

While driving at 55 mph, your vehicle suddenly pulled to the right and you lost control. You were able to drive it home slowly, but inspection revealed the rear passenger-side trailing arm had cracked due to rust and corrosion. This is a serious suspension failure that caused unexpected loss of control. The repair will likely require replacing the fractured trailing arm and possibly addressing rust damage to prevent future failures.

Your mechanic found severe corrosion on the driver's side rear trailing arm, which is a suspension part that affects how your car handles. This corrosion could cause the trailing arm to crack, which increases the risk of losing control of your vehicle. You've contacted your Hyundai dealer and the manufacturer about this safety issue, but haven't received a response. The fix will likely involve replacing the corroded rear trailing arm with a new one.

While driving at 35 mph, your car suddenly started swerving side to side without any warning lights. A mechanic found that the rear trailing arm on the driver's side was corroded and had failed, causing the rear wheel to shift toward the fender and lose control. The fix will require replacing the corroded rear trailing arm.

While accelerating to 45 mph, your car began swerving rapidly side to side with no warning lights. You discovered the rear passenger wheel was pushed up against the fender, and the rear trailing arm was severely corroded and nearly broken. Hyundai initially said the repair would be covered under recall, but later denied the claim because your car wasn't registered in one of the 20 'salt belt' states — though the recall was later expanded nationwide. The fix will require replacement of the corroded rear trailing arms on both sides.

While driving your 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe at low speed, you heard a popping sound from the rear of the vehicle. When inspected, your husband found corrosion on the rear control arm, which had caused the driver's side rear control arm to crack and fracture. This suspension problem could affect your vehicle's handling and safety. The repair will likely involve replacing the corroded rear control arm.

Your driver's side lower control arm has rusted through and started making noise while you were driving at 55 mph. Although your vehicle has two recalls, neither addresses this control arm rust issue. A mechanic will need to inspect and replace the rusted lower control arm to restore safe suspension operation.

The rear driver side trailing arm on your suspension is severely rusted. This component helps support and control your rear wheel, so rust can weaken its structural integrity and potentially affect handling and safety. A mechanic will likely need to inspect the arm and possibly replace it if the rust has compromised its strength.

Your rear driver-side suspension spring has rusted through, causing your tire to lean inward toward the car body. This happened at very low speed while backing out of your driveway, and you're concerned that the recall for this issue was only sent to certain states despite salt being used on Tennessee roads in winter.

Your fuel gauge keeps clicking and won't read correctly—it shows full even when the tank is empty, despite replacing several parts. Your car jerks and hesitates while driving as if the transmission is slipping, and even after replacing the transmission twice, the gears only respond to manual shifting. Additionally, a rear wheel came off while driving, and the dealership indicated they couldn't identify or repair the cause.

You noticed your car rubbing against itself while driving, and discovered the front driver's side subframe has rusted severely. Both Firestone and the Hyundai dealership warned you not to drive it due to risk of the tire falling off, with repair estimates ranging from $2,000 to $5,000. Fixing this issue requires replacing the rusted subframe, which involves removing and installing a new structural component underneath the vehicle.

Your trailing arm (a rear suspension component) broke while driving at 45 mph due to rust and corrosion from road salt. Even though your 2001 Santa Fe has a recall for this same part, the recall only applies to vehicles in designated salt-belt states, and Utah isn't currently included—even though you live near the Great Salt Lake and road salt is commonly used there. Fixing this will require replacing the rusted trailing arm and inspecting the rest of your rear suspension for corrosion damage.

Your steering wheel became difficult to turn while driving. A mechanic found that both front struts, front wheel bearings, tie rods, wheel cylinders, and the driver's side cross member (a structural frame component) all needed replacement, and the subframe showed corrosion damage. These issues likely combined to make steering harder and could affect vehicle stability and control.

Your Santa Fe stalls unexpectedly while driving, even at low speeds or while turning, which can be scary and dangerous. Despite replacing numerous components over the past year—including the battery, alternator, starter, timing belt, serpentine belt, spark plugs, sensors, and gaskets—the stalling problem persists. The root cause remains unclear after all these repairs. A thorough diagnostic should be performed to identify the underlying electrical, fuel system, or engine issue causing the stalls.

You've been hearing a clanking noise from the back passenger side wheel area since you bought the vehicle, and it seems to be getting worse. The wheel area looks very rusted, and you're concerned the wheel might fall off while driving. A mechanic will need to inspect the suspension components, wheel assembly, and mounting hardware on that side to identify and repair the loose or damaged part.

Your front coil springs broke suddenly and had to be replaced by the dealer. While driving at low speed, your rear lower control arm on the driver's side also fractured. Additionally, your crankshaft sensor failed, causing the vehicle to continue having problems. The manufacturer stated your vehicle wasn't part of any recall. Repairs will likely involve replacing the suspension components and crankshaft sensor.

Your rear driver's side wheel tilted inward toward the vehicle while driving slowly. You also noticed the rear coil spring was severely rusted and corroded. This happened at 108,000 miles. The repair will likely involve replacing the rusted coil spring and checking the suspension components that allowed the wheel to lean inward.

Your vehicle's subframe has failed due to corrosion, which was discovered during routine maintenance at 126,000 miles. The subframe is a critical structural component that supports your vehicle's suspension and drivetrain. Replacing a corroded subframe typically involves removing the suspension and drivetrain components, replacing the rusted subframe, and reinstalling everything.

Your vehicle has an open recall related to front coil spring protector installation that was never completed. You're asking whether Hyundai will cover the repair for free at a dealer, or if you'll need to pay for it yourself since you just purchased this used vehicle.

When you try to fill up your gas tank, the pump keeps clicking off repeatedly, regardless of how full the tank actually is. To get a truly full tank, you have to override the pump's automatic shut-off many times—sometimes 50+ times—and keep pumping until gas spills out of the filler neck, which can take 45 minutes. This appears to be a manufacturing design flaw with the fuel tank or filler neck that prevents the pump from recognizing when the tank is full.