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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 · Sep 12, 2023
Service Brakes

I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE NEW I 2018 IT ONLY HAS 5,518 MILES THE THE ABS LITE CAME ON I TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER THEY RAN A CHECK ON IT SHOWES THE R R WHEEL BEARING WHEEL ASSEMBLY BAD / IT SHOULD BE WARRANTYED OF TIME IVE HAD FOR 63 1/2 MONTHS IT SHOULD BE CLASSED AS A FACTORY DEFECT /IT HASNT CAUSED ANY PROBLUM BUT WOULD OF HAD…

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I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE NEW I 2018 IT ONLY HAS 5,518 MILES THE THE ABS LITE CAME ON I TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALER THEY RAN A CHECK ON IT SHOWES THE R R WHEEL BEARING WHEEL ASSEMBLY BAD / IT SHOULD BE WARRANTYED OF TIME IVE HAD FOR 63 1/2 MONTHS IT SHOULD BE CLASSED AS A FACTORY DEFECT /IT HASNT CAUSED ANY PROBLUM BUT WOULD OF HAD I BEEN ON A TRIP IT COULD OF CAUSED AN ACCIDENT THEY GAVE EST TO REPAIR AT 676.44 FOR PARTS AND 289.98 LABOR / A TOTAL OF 966.42

NHTSA ODI #11544069

Mileage unknown · Aug 14, 2023
Structure

paint peeling from roof of vehicle

NHTSA ODI #11538478

87,000 miles · Aug 11, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that she received an alert notification on her phone of an undisclosed recall. The contact then notified the dealer and confirmed that the VIN was included the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and scheduled an appointment. The contact …

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The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that she received an alert notification on her phone of an undisclosed recall. The contact then notified the dealer and confirmed that the VIN was included the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and scheduled an appointment. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed to the dealer, she noticed smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact then heard a loud explosion coming from under the hood and abruptly depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull off the roadway. The contact became aware of a trail of oil on the ground. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an internal combustion failure and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was deemed a total loss by the dealer, but the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was previously included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) and Service Campaign 953: ECM & Cluster Update. The contact was provided a case number and advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.

NHTSA ODI #11537999

Mileage unknown · Aug 11, 2023
Structure

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's body coating is clearly a hazardous manufacturer defect. The paint warranty for this and other models and model years was extended to 5 years late last year, but did not provide us with any safeguard. As a warranty, correction of the defect would only be approved by Hyundai if there was an obser…

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The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's body coating is clearly a hazardous manufacturer defect. The paint warranty for this and other models and model years was extended to 5 years late last year, but did not provide us with any safeguard. As a warranty, correction of the defect would only be approved by Hyundai if there was an observed problem. Within weeks of the end of the vehicle's 5-year warranty period, the pearl white paint suddenly started bubbling on the front hood in June 2023. Within a month, the bubbling and peeling had extended along the entire width of the hood as the deterioration accelerated with wind impact during each drive and water impact during frequent Florida downpours. The white paint separated cleanly from the base coating, clearly indicating poor paint material and/or factory application (i.e., failure of coating layers to adequately bind). The situation had degraded to making further driving hazardous, as moving at speeds above 35 - 40 mph caused additional peeling and flaking, which caused distractive flagging of loosened patches followed by tearing of large and small pieces of paint. The former would suddenly detach and "fly" towards and past the windshield, while the latter separated from the hood in streams that resembled snowflakes. These seriously distracted the driver, and presumably nearby motorists as well, putting all at risk. Fortunately, this has not resulted in an accident. We're aware that Hyundai is responsible for this road hazard, but cannot rely on a timely recall to remedy the matter. So, at the end of July, we had the vehicle stripped to expose the metal, and reapply coatings the way they should have been at the factory. This of course was done at significant personal cost. So far, this has played out very unfavorably in terms of the public perception of the lack of accountability for this manufacturing defect by Hyundai and the NHTSA, both of whom have been keenly aware of this years-long, on-going risk to U.S. motorists.

NHTSA ODI #11537952

Mileage unknown · Aug 11, 2023
EngineUnknown Or Other

In May, my vehicle began having issues with acceleration and was choking when going uphill, or would start choking when slowing to turn or start moving after being stopped. The engine light came on and had code P1326. Dealership did a system update and it went away. The car broke down not long after, wouldn't start. Replaced bat…

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In May, my vehicle began having issues with acceleration and was choking when going uphill, or would start choking when slowing to turn or start moving after being stopped. The engine light came on and had code P1326. Dealership did a system update and it went away. The car broke down not long after, wouldn't start. Replaced battery as it wouldn't charge and was drained. Still didn't work. Towed it to dealership. After several days, they said it might be the crankshaft position sensor. A local mechanic replaced it, it did not fix it. Spark plugs were completely burnt up and covered in gas. Changed spark plugs and it seemed fixed, until it broke down last week. Has code P0420 now. Checked oil, it has absolutely no oil in it and it has only been about 3000 miles since my last oil change. It is due for an oil change, but should not be completely out of oil. Burning oil can clog cat converter, causing P0420 code. My vehicle has a theta engine, which was involved in a lawsuit and settlement, which I only learned about yesterday, and have missed the deadline to file a claim. The vehicle has lost acceleration and died while driving, posing a risk to myself and other drivers. Vehicle is unreliable and unsafe. Dealership failed to tell me anything about my spark plugs, and did not mention my vehicle having oil issues. Non-dealership mechanics have been the ones to bring the issues to my attention. Corporate Hyundai will also not help.

NHTSA ODI #11537924

Mileage unknown · Aug 7, 2023
Engine

Bought a used 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport in December of 2022, as a second owner from a third party car dealer. No extended warranty was purchased. The vehicle currently has 122,750 miles. At the second oil change service done at Valvoline they told us it was not showing it had oil at the dipstick. I have driven it 337 miles thu…

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Bought a used 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport in December of 2022, as a second owner from a third party car dealer. No extended warranty was purchased. The vehicle currently has 122,750 miles. At the second oil change service done at Valvoline they told us it was not showing it had oil at the dipstick. I have driven it 337 miles thus far and it is already showing at the low mark. There is a recent settled law suit regarding excessive oil consumption. Some articles regarding the law suit listed 2010-2012 and 2015-2021 Hyundai Santa Fe as being affected, but the settlement only lists 2010-2012, as such the VIN recall search brings nothing. This vehicle is excessively consuming oil and I suspect the engine will seize in the near future.

NHTSA ODI #11537053

62,000 miles · Aug 7, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that upon taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an oil change, she was informed that there was no oil in the vehicle. The mechanic determined that oil was leaking into the engine and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The mechanic replaced the spar…

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The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that upon taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an oil change, she was informed that there was no oil in the vehicle. The mechanic determined that oil was leaking into the engine and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The mechanic replaced the spark plugs on 4 occasions; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing abnormal oil consumption. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who could not repair the vehicle, but advised the contact to replace the oil every 1,000 miles. The contact stated that she had been adding a quarter of oil every 2-3 days. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle was undrivable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

NHTSA ODI #11537040

Mileage unknown · Jul 27, 2023
Engine

Car went dead in the middle of the highway and put me and my daughter in danger. Dealership didn't do anything to fix or warn me of what was about to happen. was taken into dealership for excessive oil consumption

NHTSA ODI #11534855

Mileage unknown · Jul 26, 2023
EngineUnknown Or Other

I was driving 55 miles an hour down a major highway all of the sudden my vehicle jumps and lost all power. I did managed to make it onto the side of the road. I turned off the vehicle and turned it back on it was making a crazy noise. It is now not drivable due to the engine failure.

NHTSA ODI #11534692

Mileage unknown · Jun 26, 2023
Engine

- KSDS (Knock Sensor) Engine Light - Had to have Car towed - Nonactive recall for KSDS system for my vehicle, in spite of the Campaign 966 for Hyundai vehicles within the range of years for the class action lawsuit

NHTSA ODI #11529032

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.