HYUNDAI HYUNDAI · model year

2001 HYUNDAI HYUNDAI

17 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2001HYUNDAIHYUNDAI carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2001 HYUNDAI is electrical system:ignition with 3 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (2) and vehicle speed control (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 21 investigation files overlapping the 2001 HYUNDAI, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

17
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

17 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION3
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD1
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT1
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT1
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1

Recent Complaints

20080111FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

FILING A COMPLAINT AGAINST HYUNDAI NORTHEAST AUTO OUTLET AT 3301 GRANT AV REPORTING THE HYUNDAI SERVICE DEPT. I OWN A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. I TOOK MY CAR TO SERVICE DEPT.,FOR THE 34 PT. CHECKUP ON 11/26/07. ALSO,DECIDED TO GET CAR INSPECTED AT THE SAME TIME. THEY REPLACED THE CRANKSHFT SENSOR. WAS TOLD TO DRIVE MY CAR AT LEAST 150 MILES SO THAT THEY CAN RESET THE MONITORS WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT ON. THIS COST ME $257.00 NOW,VISIT #2- ON 1/03/08 ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY FIND 3 NEW PROBLEMS. THEY REPLACED A VALVE CANNISTER,PURGE VALVE,GAS CAP. THEY STATE THEY ALSO CLEARED THE CODES TO PASS INSPECTION. BUT, AGAIN I HAD TO DRIVE MY CAR ANOTHER 50+ MILES AGAIN SO THAT THEY COULD RESET THE MONITORS. ENGINE LIGHT WAS OFF, WHICH WAS A GOOD SIGN. THIS COST ME $508.00. HOWEVER, THE NEXT MORNING,I STARTED UP THE CAR. IT STARTED VERY ROUGH AND FELT LIKE IT WAS READY TO STALL OUT ON ME. ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON ALSO. VISIT #3- ON, 1/8/08 TOOK CAR BACK AGAIN,EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. THEY SAI

Mileage: 63,318

20080111ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

FILING A COMPLAINT AGAINST HYUNDAI NORTHEAST AUTO OUTLET AT 3301 GRANT AV REPORTING THE HYUNDAI SERVICE DEPT. I OWN A 2001 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. I TOOK MY CAR TO SERVICE DEPT.,FOR THE 34 PT. CHECKUP ON 11/26/07. ALSO,DECIDED TO GET CAR INSPECTED AT THE SAME TIME. THEY REPLACED THE CRANKSHFT SENSOR. WAS TOLD TO DRIVE MY CAR AT LEAST 150 MILES SO THAT THEY CAN RESET THE MONITORS WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT ON. THIS COST ME $257.00 NOW,VISIT #2- ON 1/03/08 ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY FIND 3 NEW PROBLEMS. THEY REPLACED A VALVE CANNISTER,PURGE VALVE,GAS CAP. THEY STATE THEY ALSO CLEARED THE CODES TO PASS INSPECTION. BUT, AGAIN I HAD TO DRIVE MY CAR ANOTHER 50+ MILES AGAIN SO THAT THEY COULD RESET THE MONITORS. ENGINE LIGHT WAS OFF, WHICH WAS A GOOD SIGN. THIS COST ME $508.00. HOWEVER, THE NEXT MORNING,I STARTED UP THE CAR. IT STARTED VERY ROUGH AND FELT LIKE IT WAS READY TO STALL OUT ON ME. ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON ALSO. VISIT #3- ON, 1/8/08 TOOK CAR BACK AGAIN,EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED. THEY SAI

Mileage: 63,318

20051222POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THE ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON CAUSING A DOWN SHIFTING AFTER A BANGING IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. IT WAS A SENSOR THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE RUNNING GEAR. WITHOUT IT THE CAR DOES NOT DRIVE. THAT IS PART OF THE RUNNING GEAR. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY 231.00. IF I CAN NOT DRIVE THE CAR DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE RUNNING GEAR. *JB

20050518SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT

I HAVE HAD BALL JOINTS ON MY 2001 SANTA FE REPLACED THREE TIMES SINCE 5/03. THE FIRST WAS 5/03 AT 44K AND THE DEALER REPLACED COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THE SECOND WAS 9/04 AT 80K NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY HAD A PRIVATE MECHANIC COMPLETE, AND THE THIRD WAS 3/05 AT 100K AGAIN BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC. I HAVE CALLED HYUNDAI 3 TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE TO MY INQUIRIES.

Mileage: 40,000

20050118POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

MY SANTA FE LX-AWD REAR DIFFERENTIAL WHICH ALSO COULD BE DEFINED AS REAR AXLE WAS TOTALLY FAILED AND ALL THE DIFFERENTIAL FLUID IS LEAKING AND THE WHOLE THING NEED TO BE REPLACE. MY CAR IS 87K MILE WHILE HYUNDAI SERVICES DEALER STATED THAT THIS PART IS COVERED UNDER THE 5/60K BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. I STILL BELIEVED THAT THIS PART SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY; WHICH IT IS 10/100K MILES. WHEN I GO INTO MOST WEBSITES TO SHOP FOR THIS PART THEY MOSTLY RELATED TO THE POWER TRAIN PARTS. THE DEALER EXPECTED ME TO PAY NEARLY $2400 FOR JUST THIS PART TO BE FIX. THIS IS NOT INCLUDED LABOR YET. THERE IS NO WAY FOR ME TO AFFORD TO PAY FOR THIS PART AND OF COURSE NOT TO MENTION ABOUT LABOR....I SERIOUSLY FEEL THAT THIS PART SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE POWER TRAIN 10/100K WARRANTY INSTEAD OF 6/60K WARRANTY. SINCE THIS IS PART OF A TRANSMISSION TURNING THE TRANSAXLE TO THE REAR BECAUSE OF MY CAR IS AWD! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY BUT THE PART IS RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE FO

Mileage: 87,171

20041214FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

MY HYUNDAI SATA FE, 2001, WAS PARKED AND UNATTENDED WHEN THE CAR IGNITED INTO FLAMES. A WITNESS SAW THE FIRE BEGIN IN THE HOOD OF THE CAR. ACCORDING TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT INCIDENT REPORT, THERE WAS NO CRIME OR ARSON. INSTEAD IT CLEARLY SAYS THAT THE CAUSE OF IGNITION WAS ACCIDENTAL, AND THE EQUIPMENT OR HEAT SOURCE FAILED. IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE ENGINE DUE TO MANUFACTURER. THIS WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HYUNDAI. HYUNDAI DID NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO FOR THE MALFUNCTION IN THE ENGINE. GEICO'S CLAIM DEPARTMENT NOTIFIED ME THAT MY CAR WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. THE INVESTIGATOR CLEARLY STATED THAT THIS ACCIDENT WAS NOT DUE TO MY ACTIONS. THEY ALSO SAID THAT I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT IN THE CAR OR I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR BURNED IN THE FIRE. HYUNDAI DID NOT WANT TO HELP ME WITH THIS MATTER. I STILL HAVE A LOAN OUT ON THE CAR. MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER 60,000 MILES AND I HAD FULL WARRANTY. GEICO HAS SETTLED FOR A SMALL AMOUNT OF

Mileage: 597,000

20031217EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

THE LOW BEAMS ON THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE VERY LITTLE ILLUMINATION. HEADLIGHTS SHINE DOWNWARD. *AK

20031117SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

THIS VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE WEATHER STRIPPING ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HAS A 4" LONG PIECE TORN OUT OF IT AT MID DOOR LEVEL AND THE DOOR FRAME HAS AN ABRASION APPROXIMATELY 6" LONG AT MID DOOR LEVEL. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT CAUSED THE ABRASION AND THE TORN WEATHER STRIPPING. I WAS TOLD THAT THE COST TO REPLACE THE WEATHER STRIPPING WOULD BE $98.00. I BELIEVE THAT THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR IS DEFECTIVE, IN THAT IT DOES NOT FULLY RETRACT INTO THE SEAT BELT HOLDER AFTER THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT IS DISENGAGED. *LA

20030411POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THE VEHICLE FELT AS THOUGH IT WAS JUMPING OUT OF GEARS, THE DEALER REPLACED A MODULE. *JB

Mileage: 25,000

20020916ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

CAR HAS PROBLEM STARTING AND THE RADIO AND LIGHTS WILL GO OFF FOR NO REASON WHILE THE CAR IS OPERATING. *AK

20020916EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

CAR HAS PROBLEM STARTING AND THE RADIO AND LIGHTS WILL GO OFF FOR NO REASON WHILE THE CAR IS OPERATING. *AK

20011214ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

THIS IS THE FIFTH ATTEMP TO REPAIR THIS CAR AT THE DEALER NOW THAT LEFT OFF A CLIP AND ENGINE LIGHT IS ON FOR THE FIFTH TIME I HAVE TO WAIT TWO WEEKS FOR PART. *AK

20011214UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THIS IS THE FIFTH ATTEMP TO REPAIR THIS CAR AT THE DEALER NOW THAT LEFT OFF A CLIP AND ENGINE LIGHT IS ON FOR THE FIFTH TIME I HAVE TO WAIT TWO WEEKS FOR PART. *AK

20011130ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

CAR HAS BEEN IN 4 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE FOR THE ENGINE LIGHT ON, THEY ORDER PARTS AND FIX IT AND WHEN WE GET IN BACK AFTER TWO DAYS THE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN THEY HAD TO GIVE US LOANER CARS TWICE ALREADY

20010712CrashSTEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

MY HUSBAND SWERVED SLIGHTLY TO MISS A COYOTE, THE HYUNDAI SANTA FE ROCKED BACK AND FORTH AND THEN ROLLED. IF IT WAS NOT FOR MY HUSBANDS EXTENSIVE DRIVERS TRAINING WITH THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT, I FEEL THIS ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE ENDED TRAGICALLY. I ASKED MY HUSBAND IF HE WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING HIS DODGE PICK-UP TRUCK OR MY CHEVY IMPALA IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, HE ANSWERED NO-WAY! I NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND THE HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY OF THIS. THERE WAS NO WARNING POSTED IN THE VEHICLE, NOR ON THEIR WEBSITE. WE HOPE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO PERHAPS COULD NOT CONTROL THE SUV IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS. THANK YOU, I HAVE NEVER COMPLAINED BEFORE BUT I FELT THIS NECESSARY IN CASE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. I DO NOT HAVE THE VIN NUMBER FOR THIS VEHICLE AS IT WAS TOWED AWAY AND TOTALED. OUR INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED IT, I HOPE WE CAN RE-COUP OUR DOWN-PAYMENT! THANK YOU AGAIN,[XXX], [XXX], CA [XXX]. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED

20010524ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

20010424VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CAR HESISTATES WHEN ACCELARATING, RPM LEVEL DROPS SIGNIFICANTLY. *AK

Compare 2001HYUNDAIHYUNDAI to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2001 HYUNDAI HYUNDAI have?
The 2001 HYUNDAI HYUNDAI has 17 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 HYUNDAI HYUNDAI?
The most-complained component for the 2001 HYUNDAI HYUNDAI is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 2001 HYUNDAI HYUNDAI safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.