2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
415 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2017 and 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which have 345 and 415 complaints and scores of 41 and 37. Buy a 2015 or 2016 car, which have 82 and 66 complaints and score 87 and 93; the 2013 and 2014 cars score 72 and 78 once their campaigns are closed. Read the full note on the model page. 2018 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 415 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used Hyundai Kona, Genesis and Santa Fe Sport: what the record says, including 2018 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 415 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 51.88
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
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 oil within such a short interval poses an imminent, extreme risk of sudd…
I had my engine replaced in Nov 2024 due to excessive oil consumption. I was required to do an emissions update due to a recall on my car. Once the dealer did the update, it caused my check engine light to come on and now I need a new catalytic converter, which was all due to the excessive oil consumption. Hyundai dealer knows this but they are telling me I’m responsible for replacing it. It should be replaced by Hyu…
The engine valves and cylinders keep failing every 6 months. I have to spend another $1,800 to get it fixed. I doe this TWO TIMES last year. My car has the Theta 2 engine
Recalls: 4 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 22V056000 | 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. |
| 17V801000 | 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. |
| 17V577000 | 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. |
| 22V810000 | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 22 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,800
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine240 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes68 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Unknown Or Other49 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Hydraulic48 complaints · typical job: Brake master cylinder or ABS module replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,520
- Fuel/Propulsion System38 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Electrical System26 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
Other Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (240 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 37/100, computed from 415 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's most common problem?
240 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport cost to run per year?
About $5,575 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,875 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/02/2022. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 415 complaints, 4 recalls on record
- 415 NHTSA complaints on record (51.9/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (14.3/yr)
- 4 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems