2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Brake Problems

49 owners have reported brakes problems with the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport to NHTSA — 15% of all 323 complaints for this model year. The typical failure happened around 77,000 miles. That ranks #2 of 6 Santa Fe Sport model years for brake complaints (a typical year has 30). 2 related recalls have been issued.

49complaints
77ktypical miles
2related recalls
4crashes
1fires
0injuries

Which parts fail

  • Antilock › ABS warning light
    1
  • Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
    1

Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    325%
  • 25k–50k
    18%
  • 50k–75k
    217%
  • 75k–100k
    18%
  • 100k–150k
    217%
  • 150k+
    325%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

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). …

170,000 miles · Mar 2026 · fire

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.

35,000 miles · Nov 2022 · crash

The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact's son stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the brake pedal depressed with no warning light illuminated. The contact's son stated that the ABS braking system failed, and the brake pedal did not function when attempting to stop the vehicle. As a result of the failure, the contact's son collided with the highway pavement. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was required. The contact's son also stated that the air bags did not deploy during the crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and was deemed a total loss by AAA due to severe front-end damage. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

130,000 miles · Mar 2026 · crash

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V056000(Service Brakes, Hydraulics); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the ABS warning light intermittently flashed on the instrument panel. Additionally, the blind spot feature on the driver's and passenger's side mirrors failed to operate as needed. The contact then called the manufacturer and was informed that parts for the recall repair was available. The contact was given an appointment at the dealer and was informed that there were no defects with the ABS module; however, the voltage that controls the module was low. The contact then stated that the ABS warning light returned several days after the repair. …

61,000 miles · Jul 2022

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a routine oil change and the accelerator failure was not diagnosed. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil however, no leaks were found by the independent mechanic. The contact then stated that while driving 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle started to shake with a loud noise. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where engine failure was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be repaired or replaced. The contact related the failure to Manufacturer Service Campaign Number: 953. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. …

68,000 miles · Feb 2022

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 contact stated that the dome light had failed and the air bag warning light would illuminate while there was a passenger seated in the front passenger's seat. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that they could not assist as the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. 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 failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

152,000 miles · Jul 2022

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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud sound coming from the vehicle while braking. The vehicle failed to stop immediately while the brake pedal was depressed. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with ABS module failure. The mechanic informed the contact that the ABS module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

20,000 miles · Feb 2022

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.

160,000 miles · Dec 2025

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.

125,000 miles · Jan 2024

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. …

Antilock › ABS warning light · 77,000 miles · Dec 2022

Related recalls

Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module

NHTSA recall 22V-810 · Oct 27, 2022 · 44,396 vehiclesPark outside

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

NHTSA recall 22V-056 · Feb 3, 2022 · 357,348 vehiclesPark outside

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.

NHTSA investigations

Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires

NHTSA investigation AQ23002 · opened Nov 17, 2023 · open

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.

Brake complaints in other Santa Fe Sport years

20132014201520162017201841302365549
Brake complaints per model year, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport.

Frequently asked questions

How common are brake problems on the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?

NHTSA has 49 complaints about the brakes of the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 15% of the model year's 323 complaints. The component named most often is antilock › abs warning light (1 mentions).

Is there a recall for 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport brake problems?

Yes — NHTSA recall 22V-810 (control unit/module, Oct 27, 2022); NHTSA recall 22V-056 (control unit/module, Feb 3, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

At what mileage do 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport brake problems start?

Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.

Is it dangerous?

Owners linked 4 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.

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.