2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (145) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic (35) · Fuel/Propulsion System (20)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Santa Fe Sport model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
95 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2022-10-27 · campaign 22V810000 · 44,396 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: 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.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2022-02-03 · campaign 22V056000 · 357,348 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: 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.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags:side/Window 2017-12-13 · campaign 17V801000 · 1,209 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Suspension:front:springs:coil Springs 2017-09-20 · campaign 17V577000 · 197 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the coil spring fractures, it can puncture the tire, causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (176)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2026-10-15 · 26-GI-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (pdw) sensor(s) that may trigger various dtcs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the pdw sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple false alarms. this condition may be a res
Engine 2026-10-08 · 26-EM-016H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. all internal combustion engines consume some engine oil during normal operatio
Engine 2026-10-07 · 26-EM-015H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. all internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operatio
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-26 · Z05 OL · Warranty Program/Extension
certain vehicles may exhibit excessive paint peeling or bubbling of the primer/paint film on the exterior metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. this warranty extension only applies to factory-applied paint and does not cover collision-related paint
Electrical System 2026-05-23 · Z01 Letter · Warranty Program/Extension
certain 2012 – 2017 model year accent, 2012 – 2017 model year azera, 2013 – 2018 model year santa fe sport, 2013 – 2019 model year santa fe, and 2012 – 2017 model year veloster vehicles may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) may be set. at hyundai, we ar
Engine 2026-05-21 · 26-01-013H-2 DN · Service Campaign
certain santa fe (tma), santa fe sport (an), sonata (lfa), and tucson (tl) vehicles equipped with theta ii engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. the california air resources board has determined that these vehicles may be releasing air pollutants which exceed federal and california stan
Showing the 6 most recent of 176 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-27 · Engine“this vehicle has been suffering from substantial engine oil consumption, burning oil at an alarming and unsafe rate. i have repeatedly brought the vehicle to washington hyundai to address this under the engine class-action lawsuit terms, but the dealership continues to run repetitive tests without a resolution. this is a critical safety issue. exce…”
2026-10-09 · Engine“my 2018 hyundai santa fe is burning oil and i run the risk of engine failure. i have to check my oil level daily. the mechanic who performed my last oil change said he is seeing this frequently with this age hyundai santa fe. he said hyundai should be willing to replace my engine but of course they won't. i fear that i am going to be on the fre…”
2026-10-05 · Engine“while driving over the pass the car suddenly lost power and was running very rough. luckily there was an exit close by that we took and the engine died on the exit. we were able to get it started and get to a parking lot where it died and would not start again. while trying to start it in the parking lot the check engine light came on. so, after a …”
2026-09-29 · Electrical System“the driver window as well as the driver rear window fuse blows out. it poses a threat when you need to get the windows down in an event of emergency. …”
2026-09-15 · Engine“my 2018 hyundai santa fe sport (2.4l theta ii gdi, vin [xxx], approx. 110,000 miles) has suffered a chain of engine and emissions-system failures that create a loss-of-power safety hazard. at about 80,000 miles, hyundai replaced the original engine under warranty for excessive oil consumption, a defect hyundai has acknowledged across the theta ii e…”
2026-08-26 · Power Train“bought this as a used vehicle with around 77k miles. the suv was running fine for a little while until i drove onto the highway. it eventually began to bog down and there was hesitation and jumping instead of acceleration. this continued my entire trip home with the check engine light on. the car was only driven for about 300-400 miles in the tim…”
2026-07-17 · Engine“the engine on this vehicle suffers from a severe oil consumption defect that was first officially reported to the authorized dealership on february 3, 2025 at approximately 90,000 miles while under the factory powertrain warranty. the vehicle completely empties its engine oil supply in under 1,000 miles of normal driving. running entirely out of oi…”
2026-07-17 · Engine“the hyundai theta engine is a bad design that has many recalls, a history of oil consumptions, and breakdowns that leave consumers in danger, on the roadside, and out of money. this engine has a design that causes worn engine components and high oil consumption causing reduced engine power, ruined spark plugs, and engine damage with no recourse a…”
2026-07-05 · Engine“the car has 90,000 miles on it and uses excessive oil, not leaking. it uses at least one quart per 1000 miles. …”
2026-07-02 · Engine“drive train, head gasket, burned valve, leaking…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.