2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Problems

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 sudden engine seizure, catastrophic mechanical failure, and sudden stalling at highway speeds. The manufacturer and dealership have physically documented this rapid depletion of oil over a 17-month period but are refusing to replace the defective components, instead attempting to force this unsafe vehicle back onto public roads for repetitive driving tests.

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 as a owner. Recently, my family member had a hesitation that causes the car to run rough and display a check engine light. She was in traffic and the vehicle was stopping. Had this been on the interstate it could have been deadly. This IS NOT UNCOMMON for these vehicles. A quick Google search is nationwide proof of an issue with these vehicles and engines that the government needs to hold Hyundai accountable. This particular vehicle has been assessed by a Hyundai and confirmed it is consuming oil at a higher rate than normal, as many other owners have documented. With this most recent issue of stalling out, the mechanic indicated that excessive oil consumption entering the spark plug port has fouled the spark plugs as the design of the engine is flawed. The oil consumption was discovered at approximately 99,000 miles and several steps were completed to "fix" and confirm the issue. There is no "real fix" to the issue due to the inherent design of the motor. Again, this is not a new issue with these cars and there should be recourse that holds Hyundai accountable for bad and dangerous engines. The check engine light did come on as the vehicle began to stall and run rough in traffic.

I was told by a mechanic that something electrical is wrong with the vehicle it causes the engine to misfire. Different issue than before.

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.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. Purchased January 2026 took to Oxmoor Hyundai Service Center March 2026. February 2026 began using oil at a measured rate of 700 miles per tank of oil. Used 3 full tanks of oil within the month of February. Oil lights and engine lights on and off and flashing during this time. March 8, 2026, engine light flashed and then stayed on continuously. Engine shook and stuttered and made a loud noise. Engine stalled while I was driving at 35-40 miles per hour. I was able to continue driving to my home with the stuttering and stalling. The next morning I drove it to the Oxmoor Hyundai Service Center. I told relayed the timeline of all symptoms I had experienced over the 2 month lifetime of my ownership. They did not attempt to reproduce the issue. They only entered "shakes in reverse" as the customer provided issue on the intake information. Service Center performed diagnostic, found cylinder misfires on cylinder 2 and cylinder 4. Replaced spark plugs to resolve Cylinder 2. Cylinder 4 continued to misfire. Used Borescope and found broken valve. They did not address the scoring on the cylinder of the valve. Recommended engine replacement. Advised it would not be covered under a warranty because the rod did not break. The oil consumption was proven with documentation from multiple Valvoline visits and the vertical scoring was present on the cylinder with the broken valve in the borescope photo. The Service Center refused to do a Boring Clearance Test or any other test that would prove the engine should be covered under an extended warranty or class action settlement. It wasn't until I reviewed HMA documents uploaded to the BBB Arbitration, that I realized that the information I initially gave to the Service Center of all the symptoms with timelines had not been entered into the system for diagnostic review by Techline. Arbitrator denied my claim under the theta settlement because the rod had not broken yet, BUT she said my engine was defective.

TOOK CAR TO DEALER TO HAVE OIL CHANGED ON APRIL 29, 2026 AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD ALSO PREFORMED A SOFTWARE UPDATE, SERVICE CAMPAIGN 9C2. EVERYTIME SINCE THAT DAY AFTER THE CAR HAS SET FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THE CAR IS RESTARTED DRIVEN IT STALLS AND SURGES REALLY BAD SEVERAL TIMES LASTING FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. IT ALSO CAN DO THIS AT RANDOM AT ANYTIME BUT NOT CONSTANT LIKE IT DOES WHEN FIRST STARTED. THIS IS VERY DANGEREST FOR OBVIOUS RASONS AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED. ALTHOUGH THERE IS OTHERS REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEMS ON LINE AND A PERSON MAKING THE SAME COMPLAINT WHILE I WAS WATING AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAY "THEY ARE UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND I WILL HAVE TO LEAVE MY CAR FOR UP TO THREE DAYS OR MORE TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND THEN THEY WILL LET ME KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE” AND WHAT THE COST WILL BE. I ONLY HAVE THE ONE VEHICLE AND THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE A LOANER VEHICLE SO NEEDING MY CAR EVERY DAY I CAN NOT DO WITHOUT IT. DUE TO THE FACT THAT HYUNDAI REFUSES TO ACKNOWLAGE THE PROBLEM. THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE A RECALL TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED.

I was told by a mechanic that something electrical is wrong with the vehicle it causes the engine to misfire. Different issue than before.

My starter failed while out shopping. No issues starting the car departing from my home, but would not start in the store parking lot. My mechanic did not provide the broken part for inspection however everyone commented that is was very unusual for it to fail as I only have roughly 25,000 miles on it. My mechanic also mentioned that this was 2nd 2018 hyundai sante fe in the past week he had to replace the starter on that vehicle had 60,000 miles. There were no warning lights prior to the event, I suspected it was the starter after having a new battery installed and no success starting because of the lights that remained on on the instrument panel.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. Purchased January 2026 took to Oxmoor Hyundai Service Center March 2026. February 2026 began using oil at a measured rate of 700 miles per tank of oil. Used 3 full tanks of oil within the month of February. Oil lights and engine lights on and off and flashing during this time. March 8, 2026, engine light flashed and then stayed on continuously. Engine shook and stuttered and made a loud noise. Engine stalled while I was driving at 35-40 miles per hour. I was able to continue driving to my home with the stuttering and stalling. The next morning I drove it to the Oxmoor Hyundai Service Center. I told relayed the timeline of all symptoms I had experienced over the 2 month lifetime of my ownership. They did not attempt to reproduce the issue. They only entered "shakes in reverse" as the customer provided issue on the intake information. Service Center performed diagnostic, found cylinder misfires on cylinder 2 and cylinder 4. Replaced spark plugs to resolve Cylinder 2. Cylinder 4 continued to misfire. Used Borescope and found broken valve. They did not address the scoring on the cylinder of the valve. Recommended engine replacement. Advised it would not be covered under a warranty because the rod did not break. The oil consumption was proven with documentation from multiple Valvoline visits and the vertical scoring was present on the cylinder with the broken valve in the borescope photo. The Service Center refused to do a Boring Clearance Test or any other test that would prove the engine should be covered under an extended warranty or class action settlement. It wasn't until I reviewed HMA documents uploaded to the BBB Arbitration, that I realized that the information I initially gave to the Service Center of all the symptoms with timelines had not been entered into the system for diagnostic review by Techline. Arbitrator denied my claim under the theta settlement because the rod had not broken yet, BUT she said my engine was defective.

Enterprise car sales sold me this vehicle when it had 3 open recalls on it. The vehicle itself was a problem from the beginning. When I took it in for it's first oil change the mechanic told me it had no oil in it. He said they sold me a car that is notorious for consuming oil and or seizing or blowing up. I had the engine replaced on this car already and I just took it in for it's first oil change and it was already consuming oil. I want a new car but enterprise is telling me this is my problem

I have taken my car to the dealership now 3 times for the same recall issue. This time, they are telling me Hyundai will not repair my car on their end because of "sludge buildup" to which i was not aware. I submitted all records of maintenance and they are refusing to fix my vehicle. I now have an inoperable, because not safe, vehicle that is legally required to be fixed by Hyundai for it's recall, but is not being fixed. Recall 237 If I were to try to drive the vehicle, it could put lives at risk. It will not accelerate quickly, could go up in flames, and does not go the speed limit on highways which are required for me to get home and to work. The recall was confirmed by the dealer as the check engine light flashed and caused a certain code to pop up for maintenance. The solution would be for Hyundai to fix the car, but they are refusing and saying the whole engine needs to be replaced now even though there's nothing wrong with the engine.

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a blue screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The warning system failed to operate as intended. The contact stated that the GPS showed the wrong directions. Due to the failure, the vehicle went into the wrong lane. In addition, several unknown warning lights illuminated while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle was too old for the update. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

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.

My air bar light was flashing so I took it into the dealer as it is still under warranty. They said it is a sensor in the seat that deploys the air bag. It has been since November with no ETA on the part. When I asked about getting my car back after several times they tried to get me to sign a wavier saying if I was in an accident they wouldn't be liable. I refused and my car is still at this dealership.

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that the headlights suddenly illuminated without the vehicle being turned on, causing the battery to be drained. The contact recharged the battery to start the vehicle. The contact stated that the light switch failed to turn off the high beam headlights; however, the headlights and the indicators were no longer illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who stated that the junction block had failed and needed to be replaced; however, the contact was not sure of the cause of the failure and needed to repair the vehicle. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle that an interlock casing, fuse, and relay that had melted, and that the switches were not responding, but could not confirm what caused the failure. The contact learned that the vehicle was previously included in a recall for another junction box that had been repaired. The contact was unable to provide the recall campaign. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while making a left turn, the headlights became inoperable. The contact manually switched the headlights on and off several times until the headlights returned to normal operation. The contact stated that the headlights were also turned off while the turn signals were activated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the multifaction switch in the steering column needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 58,000. The VIN was not available.

On November 2nd of 2023, I was driving approximately 5 miles away from home when all of a sudden the sunroof glass shattered. It sounded like an explosion of glass. I was driving at 45 miles per hour which is the speed limit in the area. It was very alarming when the sunroof glass shattered, I was nervous and thought that someone threw a rock at the car. I wasn't sure whether to stop the car or keep on driving. Thank GOD there was no traffic, otherwise it would have been a very dangerous situation. I safely pulled over into a gas station to check what had happened. There was nothing other than broken glass on top of the car. The sunroof looks like it had pressure from the bottom up.

In may july of 2023 a bubble in the paint came up about size of a large egg. It has since gotten larger every week and broke open leaving exposed metal and paint falls off while driving hitting windshield I reported to Hyundai motor company but as soon as they could get me in at a dealer mid October. I have pictures from the beginning of the bubble until now showing how it looked when it started and how much worse it’s been getting every week

THIS PAST SATURDAY I HAD TAKEN MY CAR INTO RICK CASE HYUNDAI IN PLANTATION FL TO HAVE THE DEALERSHIP INSPECT MY CAR FOR THE STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY RECALL. THEY GAVE ME THE CAR BACK AND SAID THAT THE LOT NUMBER OF MY ASSEMBLY WAS NOT ON HYUNDAI'S RECALL. TWO DAYS LATER WHILE DRIVING, I STARTED TO NOTICE THE WHEEL BECAME VERY LOOSE. ALMOST TO THE POINT WHERE I WAS CONCERNED IT WOULD FALL OFF. I HAD MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR ALONG WITH MY WIFE FOR A WEEK TRIP DOWN TO THE FL ALETA. I DECIDED THE CAR FOR UNSAFE AND BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE SAME DEALER. UPON INSPECTION AFTER THEY PULLED THE AIRBAG OFF, THE WHOLE STEERING ASSEMBLED WAS CRACKED OFF. I HAVE DOCUMENTED WITH PICTURES. I BELIEVE HYUNDAI USA MUST EXPAND THEIR RECALL PART TO INCLUDE MORE LOT NUMBER ASSEMBLIES AS MY DEALER CLAIMS THEY DID NOT DISASSEMBLE THIS PIECE IN ORDER TO INSPECT. THEY CLAIM ALL LOT NUMBERS ENDING IN 9 ARE DEFECTIVE WHILE MINE WAS AN 8. MY FAMILY AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR BADLY INJURED IF THE WHEEL HAD FULLY DETACHED WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ARE THE DEALER CONFIRMED MY STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS FINE.

VERY LOSE STEERING AND THERE IS A MANUFACTURE RECALL ON THOUSANDS OF THESE VEHICLES FROM THE STEERING WHEEL ACTUALLY SEPARATING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN ITSELF. VERY HARD TO DRIVE WITHOUT SWERVING.

There has been an ongoing issue with oil consumption and engine failure with my car. The engine didnt give any indication of running hot on the dashboard. It just shut off while driving. I've been to the dealer a few times with no help. On 8/4/2024 my car cut off in the middle of traffic with my daughter in the car twice. It took 3 hours to cool off in 90 + degrees heat. Oil wasn't in the spark plugs but they keep getting shorted out. Oil burns and the engine stalls. I have to replace it which I did but my car shut down. We could've been in a bad accident because it wouldn't drive off immediately. We were stranded on a 2 way country road. This is all horrible because again, we could've been involved in a bad accident on the road we were on. After 5 1/2 hours it finally started and 2 people had to trail me home.

On January 30th 2023 we made an appointment to take our 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport to our local dealership in Newmarket Ontario Canada due to a clunking in the front end of the vehicle. On inspection our 2018 Santa Fe Sport was identified as having a BROKEN COIL SPRING on the driver side. Along with this inspection it was also noted the passenger strut/shock had been leaking and was out of fluid. The Newmarket Hyundai Dealership considered this to be an emergency repair. This was determined because the coil and or both coils could totally break and puncture the front tires. This information I obtained from the Hyundai recall 167!!! Although according to the recall seemed to be only in America we truly believe our 2018 Santa Fe Sport in Canada falls into the same category of the Hyundai recall 167. It has cost us a considerable amount of money as I personally am on a Disability Government Pension as well as my wife is also on a fixed Income Retirement Pension. As for our last 3 Brand New Purchases have been nothing but Hyundai Vehicles for their reliability Safety and long lasting enjoyment!!!! That being said we are a little disappointed that this front end Coil Spring Shock/Strut issue has now made us scared of what Could have happened because of this defect that does not seem to apply at the moment in Canada. We were certainly hoping to purchase at least 1 more Hyundai SUV Product or a Hyundai vehicle with continued Reliability Safety and Always a Pleasure to Drive Product. Unfortunately this occurence has caused us a considerable amount of doubt now as we were truly scared for our lives after the issue was diagnosed by the Hyundai Dealership. My wife and I would truly like to continue to believe in the Hyundai Product of Vehicles but are now extremely concerned about Reliability and Safety at this point. According to the diagnosis there could have been a CATASTROPHIC INCIDENT!!!

On November 2nd of 2023, I was driving approximately 5 miles away from home when all of a sudden the sunroof glass shattered. It sounded like an explosion of glass. I was driving at 45 miles per hour which is the speed limit in the area. It was very alarming when the sunroof glass shattered, I was nervous and thought that someone threw a rock at the car. I wasn't sure whether to stop the car or keep on driving. Thank GOD there was no traffic, otherwise it would have been a very dangerous situation. I safely pulled over into a gas station to check what had happened. There was nothing other than broken glass on top of the car. The sunroof looks like it had pressure from the bottom up.

ON THE NIGHT OF 01/13/2021 I LEFT MY SUV PARKED OUTSIDE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 25 DECREE WEATHER . THE NEXT MORNING AT 5AM I STARTED MY CAR BY REMOTE START TO GET THE ICE OFF THE WINDOWS . I THEN DROVE TO WORK AND PARKED MY SUV. WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE AT 3PM THE REAR WINDOW WAS SHATTERING YOU COULD EVEN HEAR IT CRACKING ALL OVER IT IT BLEW A HOLE IN IT ! THERE WAS NOT O PIECE OF THE REAR WINDOW THAT WAS NOT SHATTERED . MY SUV WAS PARKED WITH THE REAR WINDOW FACING THE SUN. MY SUV HAS ALWAYS BEEN KEPT IN MY HEATED GARAGE AT NIGHT UNT THE NIGHT IN QUESTION ! I DO NOT KNOW IF THE HEAT FROM THE SUN CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN DO TO THE WINDOW BEING SO COLD! BUT I DO KNOW IT WAS PARKED IN A PRIVATE PARKING LOT WITH NOTHING AROUND IT ! I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INPUT ON THIS MATTER! THANKS

Driver seat belt will not latch properly. I have not spilled anything into it an have checked it for debris. If you jiggle and push slightly on the unlatch button while trying to insert the buckle it will sometimes latch

RIGHT REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELT FAILS TO ENGAGE. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. PRESSING THE RED BUTTON MAY RESET THE LATCH SO THAT MECHANISM WILL AGAIN WORK.

The dealership informed me that my tires are dry rotted

The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle felt like there was a flat tire. The vehicle then lost motive power and caught fire. The fire started from under the hood. There was no injury sustained and no medical treatment was received. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire, and a fire department report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The dealer was made aware of the failure and provided the contact with a copy of the bill of sale. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V056000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. While driving car was totaled due to an engine fire.

My air bar light was flashing so I took it into the dealer as it is still under warranty. They said it is a sensor in the seat that deploys the air bag. It has been since November with no ETA on the part. When I asked about getting my car back after several times they tried to get me to sign a wavier saying if I was in an accident they wouldn't be liable. I refused and my car is still at this dealership.

At 4 AM on March 10,2026, I received a recall for the tires (Recall ID:26T009). I took it to the Hyundai dealership to get it serviced. The Director Mr. [XXX] , informed me that the only recall they have for me is a software recall. In addition, the do not fix any tire recalls I would have to reach out to the manufacturer such as Kumho tires co. When the service tech [XXX] looked at the tires, he informed me that there is Bridgestone tires on the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)