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2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 179.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

95 reports with mileage · 225 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 196 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports8 fire reports3 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

36 reports
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170,000 miles · Mar 18, 2026
Service Brakes, HydraulicFire

The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights illuminated. The contact pulls over to the right side of the road, exits the vehicle, and notices flames coming from the engine, and smoke starts coming …

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The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights illuminated. The contact pulls over to the right side of the road, exits the vehicle, and notices flames coming from the engine, and smoke starts coming inside the vehicle. The contact mentioned that a bystander gave him a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire, the flames stopped, then a couple of seconds later, the failure persisted. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to J&J Towing. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating to the failure of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000(SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.

NHTSA ODI #11725196

160,000 miles · Jan 12, 2026
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingService Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH and approaching a stop, the vehicle stalled. The battery, check engine, and oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehi…

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The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH and approaching a stop, the vehicle stalled. The battery, check engine, and oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The warranty claim was denied. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

NHTSA ODI #11710285

125,000 miles · Feb 8, 2024
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 50 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized. The vehicle was n…

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The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 50 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle had not been repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

NHTSA ODI #11570762

Mileage unknown · Dec 26, 2023
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V056000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for t…

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The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V056000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI #11561906

77,000 miles · Sep 20, 2023
Service Brakes, AirService Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the traction control warning light illuminated, indicating that traction control had been activated. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle before the vehicle lost motive …

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The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the traction control warning light illuminated, indicating that traction control had been activated. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle before the vehicle lost motive power. After a visual inspection, the contact observed smoke coming from underneath the vehicle. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure but replaced the ABS fuse. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the ABS module. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who confirmed a failure with the ABS module. The contact was informed that the module was leaking brake fluid. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the brake sensor. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred; the traction control warning light illuminated, indicating that the traction control had activated, and the ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,000. The contact stated the vehicle was taken back to the dealer the ABS module was replaced 3 times since January 2023, it was defective. Hyundai USA was contacted but each time there was a problem and they refused to do anything.

NHTSA ODI #11545651

Mileage unknown · Jun 15, 2023
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. A local dealer was contacted but was unable to service the vehicle for several months. The contact stated that the manu…

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The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. A local dealer was contacted but was unable to service the vehicle for several months. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI #11527238

Mileage unknown · Apr 21, 2023
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for t…

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The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI #11518277

Mileage unknown · Feb 24, 2023
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was…

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The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect

NHTSA ODI #11508908

Mileage unknown · Dec 20, 2022
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for t…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI #11498268

Mileage unknown · Nov 29, 2022
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI #11495322

Official recalls

4

22V810000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

Oct 27, 2022

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: 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.

22V056000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

Feb 3, 2022

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: 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.

17V801000 · Air Bags:side/window

Dec 13, 2017

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

17V577000 · Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs

Sep 20, 2017

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the coil spring fractures, it can puncture the tire, causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

2

AQ23002 · Hyundai And Kia Abs Module Fires

Opened Nov 17, 2023 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, 21V-161, 21V-160, 21V-303, 22V-056, 22V-810, and 23V-651. Kia recalls 16V-815, 20V-518, 20V-519, 21V-137, 21V-331, 22V-051, 22V-800, and 23V-652 The purpose of this AQ is to evaluate the timeliness and scoping of Hyundai and Kia’s defect decision making and adherence with reporting requirements; and understand the varying defect descriptions and remedies between these recalls.

DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power

Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing.  There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.