2018 Hyundai Santa FE Sport Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Santa FE Sport years
- More complaints than other years 2nd of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 323 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Santa FE Sport. That ranks 2nd out of 6 Santa FE Sport model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (198 complaints, 61%), typically at around 74,500 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 8 fires, 7 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 323owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 Hyundai Santa FE Sport problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 198 | 61% | 74,500 | “oil consumption” (29%) | $1,300 |
| Unknown or Other | 38 | 12% | 12,750 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 36 | 11% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 33 | 10% | 26,105 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 21 | 7% | 18,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 18 | 6% | 700 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 13 | 4% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 4% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 3% | 6,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 7 | 2% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 2% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 2% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 1% | 9,755 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Firerelated | 1 | 0% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 77,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Hyundai Santa FE Sport recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/modulePark outside
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2018 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 16, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 237. This recall is an expansion of recall 22V-056.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/modulePark outside
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Santa Fe, 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport, 2019 Santa Fe XL, and 2014-2015 Tucson vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 31, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 218.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2018 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The side curtain air bags on these vehicles have a component that may detach during deployment of the inflatable curtain air bag.
Risk: If the component detaches during deployment, the curtain air bag may not inflate properly during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, if the detached component were to enter the vehicle occupant compartment, there could be an increased risk of occupant injury.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 9, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 171.
Suspension:front:springs:coil springs
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2018 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The front coil springs may have been improperly manufactured and, as a result, may fracture under certain loads while driving.
Risk: If the coil spring fractures, it can puncture the tire, causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: All of the affected vehicles are currently unsold on dealer lots. Dealers will replace both front coil springs, free of charge prior to the vehicle's sale. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 167.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires (AQ23002) — opened Nov 17, 2023, still open.
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe is burning oil and I run the risk of engine failure. I have to check my oil level daily. The mechanic who performed my last oil change said he is seeing this frequently with this age Hyundai Santa Fe. He said Hyundai should be willing to replace my engine but of course they…
While driving over the pass the car suddenly lost power and was running very rough. Luckily there was an exit close by that we took and the engine died on the exit. We were able to get it started and get to a parking lot where it died and would not start again. While trying to start it in the…
The driver window as well as the driver rear window fuse blows out. It poses a threat when you need to get the windows down in an event of emergency.
My 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (2.4L Theta II GDI, VIN [XXX], approx. 110,000 miles) has suffered a chain of engine and emissions-system failures that create a loss-of-power safety hazard. At about 80,000 miles, Hyundai replaced the original engine under warranty for excessive oil consumption, a…
Bought this as a used vehicle with around 77k miles. The SUV was running fine for a little while until I drove onto the highway. It eventually began to bog down and there was hesitation and jumping instead of acceleration. This continued my entire trip home with the check engine light on. The car…
Other Hyundai Santa FE Sport years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 323 | 4 |
| 2017 Santa FE Sport | 356 | 3 |
| 2016 Santa FE Sport | 70 | 1 |
| 2015 Santa FE Sport | 83 | 3 |
| 2014 Santa FE Sport | 164 | 5 |
| 2013 Santa FE Sport | 200 | 6 |
See all Hyundai Santa FE Sport problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Hyundai Santa FE Sport?
Owners most often report engine, unknown or other, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 198 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Hyundai Santa FE Sport?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 Hyundai Santa FE Sport a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Santa FE Sport model years, the 2018 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.