Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
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 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. …
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving to the residence at a moderate speed, the oil warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The following day, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine even though an oil change had been performed a month earlier. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where an oil change was performed. After the oil change, the contact stated there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine while driving at various speeds. The contact then stated that while at a stop light, the engine seized while depressing the accelerator pedal, with several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. …
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. While the contact's daughter was driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle started bucking and shaking abnormally. The warning light indicating that the oil level was low had flashed on the screen. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and waited for the contact to arrive on scene. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that the oil level was extremely low. The contact added oil to the engine, and the dipstick failed to indicate the oil level until there was a quart full. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure and referred the contact to the dealer. While attempting to drive the vehicle at approximately 20 MPH with the hazard light flashing on the highway, the vehicle lost drive power. …
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle jerked and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's husband was able to pull over to the side of the road and ended up inside a ditch before the vehicle came to a stop. The contact stated that there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, who confirmed that the engine had failed; and there was gasoline intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. …
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at speeds above 30 MPH, the vehicle shook and vibrated abnormally. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the intended destination. The contact stated that when the failure occurred, there were three small children inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an oil leak and that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact was informed that several unknown repairs were needed to prior to requesting an engine replacement by the manufacturer. The contact was informed that the unknown repairs were at the vehicle owner's expense. …
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 owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal knocking noise would emit from the vehicle as the check engine light had illuminated on the instrument panel. One day as the contact was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle began shaking as the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who discovered that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The contact's friend attempted to replace the spark plugs; however, he discovered oil on the spark plugs and informed the contact it was a major concern. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a claim number and referred to a dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it remained in their possession for a month. …
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received an undisclosed recall notification, and the local dealer was contacted; however, there were no appointments available. On a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an O'Reilly's Auto Parts to be diagnosed, and DTC: P1326 was retrieved. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that there were damages to the engine caused by engine misfire. The dealer was in the process of determining if the engine needed to be replaced. The contact waited and then called the dealer and was informed that DTC: P1326 was not the correct code and that there was another fault code related to the recall. The contact was informed that the repair would be an out-of-pocket expense. …
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving at 50 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 50 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an Advance Auto Parts Store, and it was determined that there was no oil in the engine. The contact added oil to the engine to be able to drive to the residence. The dealer was contacted the next business day. The contact stated that the dealer diagnosed the vehicle with a crack in the oil pan. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that a week after the repair, the contact noticed that the oil level was low. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and an oil change was performed; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 50 MPH. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. …
NHTSA investigations
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.
Engine complaints in other Santa Fe Sport years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
NHTSA has 207 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 64% of the model year's 323 complaints. The component named most often is engine › oil/lubrication (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 3 fires and 3 injuries to engine & cooling 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.