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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

What owners actually said

320 reports
Mileage unknown · Feb 7, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

While driving in the Highway, my car lost engine power and lead to my car run no more than 40 miles per hour, after this I took my car to the garage and the said it was the knock sensor that course this issue. After being in the garage, my car knock sensor was replace for a new one to make sure this was giving good reads and w…

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While driving in the Highway, my car lost engine power and lead to my car run no more than 40 miles per hour, after this I took my car to the garage and the said it was the knock sensor that course this issue. After being in the garage, my car knock sensor was replace for a new one to make sure this was giving good reads and while driving in a two way street it happen again and I believe this could be very dangerous if it happen while passing another car on in a crossway. Yes. Yes. As soon it happen the check engine light started blinking. It happens 3 times end of Nov 2023, early December and late December 2023.

NHTSA ODI #11570678

Mileage unknown · Jan 26, 2024
Power Train

My car is burning oil. Took the car to the dealership where an oil consumption was complete, a chamber cleaning, and then another failed consumption test. Hyundai will only cover 60% of the engine replacement because I am the second owner. I think this is unacceptable, how do they think they’re only 60% responsible for selling c…

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My car is burning oil. Took the car to the dealership where an oil consumption was complete, a chamber cleaning, and then another failed consumption test. Hyundai will only cover 60% of the engine replacement because I am the second owner. I think this is unacceptable, how do they think they’re only 60% responsible for selling cars like this? If I didn’t find this problem out when I did, I would have been stranded on the side of the road or I could have even burning my apartment complex to the ground. Someone has to do something about this, Hyundai is knowingly selling faulty cars and allowing the resell of these cars with no intention to ever cover the damages. My extended warranty will not cover anything because there is no cause of this problem. There is a class action against Hyundai over this that should be settled soon, meanwhile, these car dealerships are selling these used Hyundai/Kia timebombs. 
 Meanwhile, I’m putting a quart of oil in my car every fill up of gas, I owe 4 years on the car still, and I’m stuck. I included my email correspondence with the heartless Hyundai rep...I'm not even sure this is the right spot, I just don't want someone else to fall into this same trap as I did.

NHTSA ODI #11567954

Mileage unknown · Jan 22, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion System

Engine died on highway. Noc sensor code indicates is a known problem for this engine. 2.4 liter Hyundai sante fe sport. Before engine died was burning much oil even after oil changes and borught in for recalls to dealer 2 mo before. Excessive burning of ooil wa a know issue at that time July 2023. Now Hyundai dealer saying …

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Engine died on highway. Noc sensor code indicates is a known problem for this engine. 2.4 liter Hyundai sante fe sport. Before engine died was burning much oil even after oil changes and borught in for recalls to dealer 2 mo before. Excessive burning of ooil wa a know issue at that time July 2023. Now Hyundai dealer saying the issue is a customer issue due to carbon build up on a valve. High burnin rate of oil is responsible for the carbon build up on the valve causing the engine to fail. Not a cusotmer problem but a engine design issue.

NHTSA ODI #11567092

Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 2024
Engine

The check engine light came on. The vehicle attempts to stall when changing gears after a stop or deceleration and the engine shutters at speeds 65mph or greater. I am afraid the vehicle will stall if a fast acceleration is required such as moving onto a highway. A diagnostic was performed to confirm the engine is causing the "C…

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The check engine light came on. The vehicle attempts to stall when changing gears after a stop or deceleration and the engine shutters at speeds 65mph or greater. I am afraid the vehicle will stall if a fast acceleration is required such as moving onto a highway. A diagnostic was performed to confirm the engine is causing the "Check Engine Light or Service Engine Soon Light."

NHTSA ODI #11566246

Mileage unknown · Dec 31, 2023
Suspension

On January 30th 2023 we made an appointment to take our 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport to our local dealership in Newmarket Ontario Canada due to a clunking in the front end of the vehicle. On inspection our 2018 Santa Fe Sport was identified as having a BROKEN COIL SPRING on the driver side. Along with this inspection it was also …

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On January 30th 2023 we made an appointment to take our 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport to our local dealership in Newmarket Ontario Canada due to a clunking in the front end of the vehicle. On inspection our 2018 Santa Fe Sport was identified as having a BROKEN COIL SPRING on the driver side. Along with this inspection it was also noted the passenger strut/shock had been leaking and was out of fluid. The Newmarket Hyundai Dealership considered this to be an emergency repair. This was determined because the coil and or both coils could totally break and puncture the front tires. This information I obtained from the Hyundai recall 167!!! Although according to the recall seemed to be only in America we truly believe our 2018 Santa Fe Sport in Canada falls into the same category of the Hyundai recall 167. It has cost us a considerable amount of money as I personally am on a Disability Government Pension as well as my wife is also on a fixed Income Retirement Pension. As for our last 3 Brand New Purchases have been nothing but Hyundai Vehicles for their reliability Safety and long lasting enjoyment!!!! That being said we are a little disappointed that this front end Coil Spring Shock/Strut issue has now made us scared of what Could have happened because of this defect that does not seem to apply at the moment in Canada. We were certainly hoping to purchase at least 1 more Hyundai SUV Product or a Hyundai vehicle with continued Reliability Safety and Always a Pleasure to Drive Product. Unfortunately this occurence has caused us a considerable amount of doubt now as we were truly scared for our lives after the issue was diagnosed by the Hyundai Dealership. My wife and I would truly like to continue to believe in the Hyundai Product of Vehicles but are now extremely concerned about Reliability and Safety at this point. According to the diagnosis there could have been a CATASTROPHIC INCIDENT!!!

NHTSA ODI #11562838

Mileage unknown · Dec 29, 2023
Engine

This is a certified preowned vehicle. I am the second owner. I do my own maintenance. Currently this engine/vehicle has 64553 miles, I noticed it starting to use oil around the high 40k mile mark. There are no oil leaks. I have to add oil multiple times between oil changes and I just read that some of these can lock up and compl…

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This is a certified preowned vehicle. I am the second owner. I do my own maintenance. Currently this engine/vehicle has 64553 miles, I noticed it starting to use oil around the high 40k mile mark. There are no oil leaks. I have to add oil multiple times between oil changes and I just read that some of these can lock up and completely stop. I suspect this would be caused by people not checking their oil regularly however I am concerned that is the oil consumption is bad enough that this can happen at any time while driving so I wanted to add my complaint to any other existing complaints.

NHTSA ODI #11562606

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

Mileage unknown · Dec 19, 2023
Engine

HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION: To the documented tune of 40 quarts consumed April17 - December 15, 2023, encompassing 24,116 driven miles. Hyundai America and this dealer knows all about this issue and is stalling on the remedy because it requires total engine replacement. Presently I am experiencing a P1326 engine knock sensor fault …

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HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION: To the documented tune of 40 quarts consumed April17 - December 15, 2023, encompassing 24,116 driven miles. Hyundai America and this dealer knows all about this issue and is stalling on the remedy because it requires total engine replacement. Presently I am experiencing a P1326 engine knock sensor fault and I'm told by my mechanic a prospective catalytic converter failure due to high oil consumption. Experiencing loss of power and NO acceleration merging onto highway.

NHTSA ODI #11560844

120,000 miles · Dec 6, 2023
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the power steering and power brake functionality were still operable. The contact pulled the vehicle over and attempted to restart the vehicle however, after se…

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The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the power steering and power brake functionality were still operable. The contact pulled the vehicle over and attempted to restart the vehicle however, after several attempts he stopped. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there had been failure of pistons and rods in cylinders #1 and #3. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI #11558793

Mileage unknown · Nov 26, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion System

After buying my 2018 hyundai Santa Fe Sport this past June, I have been told the car has an oil consumption problem and is burning off oil quickly. For example, I have to add a quart of oil every 500 miles. The car has 98000 miles on it. No warranty with car dealer was established at time of sale

NHTSA ODI #11556822

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.