2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 414 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 4 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
414
Complaints
4
Recalls
12
Crash reports
11
Fire reports
12
Injuries
50.7
Severity index
Severity index 50.7 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 121 2018 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport ranks 61 of 121 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 50% of its model-year peers. See the full 2018 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 239 | 57.7% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 68 | 16.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 49 | 11.8% |
| HYDRAULIC | 48 | 11.6% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 37 | 8.9% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 26 | 6.3% |
| POWER TRAIN | 24 | 5.8% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 15 | 3.6% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 239 of 414 complaints (57.7%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 25 |
| 2019 | 29 |
| 2020 | 14 |
| 2021 | 15 |
| 2022 | 87 |
| 2023 | 68 |
| 2024 | 70 |
| 2025 | 67 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 37 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.8x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17V577000 | 20/09/2017 | 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. |
| 22V056000 | 03/02/2022 | 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 compartmen |
| 17V801000 | 13/12/2017 | 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. |
| 22V810000 | 27/10/2022 | 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. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.