2003 Hyundai Santa Fe. 70k miles. 2WD.

Lately I've been hearing a knock from the left front suspension area when the vehicle sways or rolls. It's kind of a metallic "clunk" from the left frontal area. Kinda sounds like somthing is loose and clunking back and forth when the vehicle rolls and sways.

Strut maybe??

You may hear the clunk as you corner at some speeds but not others. You'll want to check for unusual play in your steering (sign of loose ball joints). It's not unusual at that mileage.

Don't ignore it, it's potentially dangerous and will at a minimum cause premature tire wear.

I agree. Sounds like a faulty ball joint. Don't wait

I had the same problem. After replacing a ball joint and several other front end parts, the mechanic located this little ditty online. Ordered the new style parts and voila, problem solved. There is a TSB on the HMASERVICE website that describes it in detail with photos.

DESCRIPTION:

Some 2001 MY and 2002 MY Santa Fe vehicles may experience a "knocking" or "squawking" noise from the front suspension while driving the vehicle over rough road surfaces at low speeds. This noise may originate from the front stabilizer bar bushing. This bulletin provides a procedure to correct this condition.
VEHICLES AFFECTED:
Model: 2001-2002 SANTA FE
Affected vehicle production date range: Produced through April 12, 2002
Affected VIN range: Produced through KM8SC73D22U278297
PARTS INFORMATION:

PROCEDURE:
NOTE
Verify that the vehicle is affected by identifying the vehicle production date and VIN.
Apply this procedure to both the right and left sides.
Record the customer's preset radio stations.
Open and secure the hood.
Disconnect the negative battery cable.
Remove the power steering oil reservoir from the mounting bracket.
Remove the power steering return hose tie wrap at the location shown.

Remove the steering column universal joint lower mounting bolt.

NOTE
Make sure to place alignment marks between the universal joint and gear box for reassembly.

Lift the vehicle on a hoist.
Remove the engine under cover.
Remove the exhaust front pipe.

Remove the crossmember at the front and rear roll stoppers.

NOTE
Do not disconnect the transaxle and engine support mounts.

Support the front suspension crossmember assembly on a frame supporter.
Remove the crossmember mounting bolts (4 each).
Slowly lower the crossmember assembly a maximum of 3 inches with the supporter.



NOTE
A 3 inch clearance is sufficient to access the stabilizer bar bracket upper nut.
While lowering the frame, check that there is no interference with adjacent parts.
If the vehicle is a 4WD, do not support the frame assembly on the transfer case.
If you lower the frame assembly more than 3 inches, disconnect all parts between the crossmember and the body.
Remove the front stabilizer bar bracket and bushing.

Install the new front stabilizer bar bushing and bracket.
Replace the stabilizer bar bushing and bracket on the other side.
Reinstall all removed components in the reverse order of removal.
Torque all bolts using the torque specification provided in the following table and appropriate shop manuals.
TORQUE SPECIFICATION:
ITEM Nm

Kg.cm

Lb.ft


Steering universal joint assembly
15 - 20
150 - 200
11.1 - 14.8

Front roll stopper insulator bolt and nut
50 - 65
500 - 650
36 - 47

Rear roll stopper insulator bolt and nut
50 - 65
500 - 650
36 - 47

Crossmember mounting bolts
160 - 200
1600 - 2000
118 - 147

Stabilizer bar bushing bracket bolt
45 - 55
450 - 550
33 - 41


WARRANTY INFORMATION:
OP CODE OPERATION OP TIME CAUSAL PART NUMBER NATURE CODE CAUSE CODE
54813R0F
2WD both sides - front stabilizer bar bushing and bracket replacement
1.2 M/H
54813-26000
(Bushing - front stabilizer)
*N29
**C10

54814R0F
4WD both sides - front stabilizer bar bushing and bracket replacement



*N29: Abnormal noise


**C10: Weakened