Most common 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport problems
Share of the 323 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport complaints by model year
Best Santa Fe Sport years: 2016, 2015. Years to avoid: 2017, 2018. Compare all years →
2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport recalls (4)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
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.
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
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.
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.
Air bags › Side/window
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.
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.
Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs
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.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport:
Loss of Motive Power
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.
Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires
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.
What 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport owners say
Engine & cooling all 207 →
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled with the oil warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who replaced the gasket, engine plug, and replenished the oil. After return of the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. Additionally, there was an abnormal odor of burning engine oil. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where metal shavings were discovered in the oil pan. Due to the failure, the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
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. …
Brakes all 49 →
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 contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH and making a right turn, the brakes malfunctioned causing the vehicle to slide off the road hitting a mailbox and stopping in the neighbor's yard. The contact indicated that when depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle began to slide and the pedal became hard when pressed a second time. During the incident, no injuries occurred. The vehicle was pulled from the yard by a tow truck but was still drivable. A police report was filed at the scene. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle was included in the NHTSA Campaign Number 22V810000(Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The failure mileage was 35,000.
Fuel & propulsion system all 33 →
2018 Santa Fe Sport had been leaking a few little oil spots in my garage . First noticed the problem at about 80k miles. Took it for an oil change and the technician told us he had a lot of complaints on this model vehicle. Fast forward a few months at our next oill change (3 thousand miles later) and the technician told us we were almost completely out of oil. We took the vehicle to the Hyundai dealership and we were told there was nothing wrong, no oil leaks detected. We were then having to bring the vehicle in to the oil change place in between regularly scheduled oil changes and top off the oil (sometimes taking 3-4 quarts in between oil changes). Coming home from the ballpark a few weeks ago we exited the freeway and the vehicle started shaking and losing power and the check engine light came on. …
Vehicle has an excessive oil intake and it is constantly blowing out the spark plugs and coil packs causing poor performance on the vehicle overall. My vehicle's VIN number was listed as a qualifier in a class action lawsuit, but the manufacturer says it is not making the noise it needs to make in order to have it checked. Was also informed I need to pull out my spark plugs and clean them regularly because of the oil buildup. This problem has caused other problems with the performance of the car the excessive oil intake has caused countless problems terrible performance of the vehicle and is attributing to other poor performance issues. This has been an ongoing problem and have only recently been told by the dealership of this instance. Even though my vehicle is one of the ones in the extended recall because it's not making the noise they like they won't do anything about it. …
2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 27 / 24 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 28 / 23 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 19 / 26 / 22 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport a good car?
Based on 323 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 Santa Fe Sport rates avoid: 3.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Santa Fe Sport at the same age. It is one of the Santa Fe Sport years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
The engine & cooling — 207 complaints, 64% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › oil/lubrication. Next are the brakes (49) and fuel & propulsion system (33).
How many recalls does the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, the most recent from October 27, 2022 (control unit/module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2016 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017 and 2018. See the full Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years comparison.
At what mileage do 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 60,000 miles; 44% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.