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Used 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe Consumer Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
440 reviews
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Pros
Cons
5 out of 5 stars

160,000 miles and going strong

A. Non, 11/25/2015
2004 Hyundai Santa Fe LX Fwd 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
70 of 70 people found this review helpful

This is the first car I have owned since brand new that has even come close to having over 150,000 miles on it and still runs. To date, other than preventative maintenance and normal wear and tear, I've had the following problems: At 40k miles, a torn CV joint boot (warranty repair); At 60k miles the timing belt required replacement per scheduled maintenance ($600 @ dealership, including water pump and belt tensioner as precautionary replacements); At 130k miles replaced the timing belt, water pump and tensioner again a little late to schedule ($300 by family mechanic); At 152,000 miles the switch for the cruise control broke ($30 / 15 minute repair by myself); At 155,000 miles the alternator war replaced (2 hours, $275 parts/labor at a local shop). When you think about it, the alternator was really wear and tear as they do not last forever. And that's it. 160k miles and about $300 worth of repairs, $30 if you exclude the alternator. I maintain it religiously and take care of little things before they become big things. We've gotten our money's worth from this vehicle and then some. We don't off-road it or mistreat it, but it is not pampered by any means.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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4.88 out of 5 stars

Reliable, trouble free so far!

madmaxooohhh, 02/04/2013
2004 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS AWD 4dr SUV (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
35 of 36 people found this review helpful

I just turned 95,000 miles on my 2004 Santa Fe. No problems so far except normal maintenance: windshield wiper blades every 2 years, tires every 4 years-usually worn out by then, change oil every 6 months or 6-7000 miles for conventional or 7-10000 miles on synthetic. I changed the transmission oil twice (drain and fill) at 40k miles, and again at 80k miles). Oh, I changed both front bulbs after one of the bulbs burned out at around 70k miles. Replaced front and rear brakes and rotors at 85k miles. I will do the timing belt sometime soon. No problems! Best car I have owned so far.

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4.38 out of 5 stars

I miss my santa fe

johnpa2006, 08/10/2012
2004 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS Fwd 4dr SUV (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
33 of 34 people found this review helpful

Built solid, I loved my Santa Fe. engine purred like a kitten from mile zero all the way up to 142000 miles when I traded it in. Bought in 2004, traded in 2008 I still regret trading it in to this day. So many practical use reasons to own a Santa Fe.

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4.38 out of 5 stars

2004 hyundai Sante Fe paint problems

lorie920, 09/14/2013
2004 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS AWD 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
40 of 43 people found this review helpful

I bought it new in 2004. It has plenty of room for passengers and plenty of cargo room. The car has great power on take off. The biggest issue I have is they use bad paint. These hyundai's are peeling and fading. This in itself is why I won't buy the new 2013 Hyundai Sante Fe.

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5 out of 5 stars

Lived to tell about it!!!

Jana, 10/09/2008
2004 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS AWD 4dr SUV (2.7L 6cyl 4A)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful

Recently my daughter and I were in an accident with my 2004 Santa Fe which I was the driver my daughter the passenger. 3 vehicles were involved all of which were totaled off. The driver of the vehicle which hit us lost control and landed on my Santa Fe and rolled off, literally tearing open the drivers side and pushing us into another vehicle which stopped us from rolling into traffic.The accident reconstruction police team visited us at the hospital at which time they told us that had we been in any other vehicle the chances of the accident being fatal would have been much higher as the Santa Fe is designed to crumble around us in an accident and has the best accident ratings.Thank you Hyundai!

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