2018 Hyundai Santa Fe problems and complaints
Owners have filed 110 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The most-reported areas: Engine (54), Service Brakes (19), Unknown Or Other (13).
Key takeaways
- 110 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 6 involve a crash, 5 a fire, 6 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 54 | 49% |
| Service Brakes | 19 | 17% |
| Unknown Or Other | 13 | 12% |
| Hydraulic | 12 | 11% |
| Power Train | 10 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 8% |
| Steering | 8 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 6 | 5% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 5 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 5% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 3 | 3% |
| Seats | 3 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Parts for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe
GarageDex's verified specs for this car. Each Buy button searches Amazon for that exact part.
- Battery
- Engine oil
- Oil filter
- Engine air filter
- Cabin air filter
- Wiper blades
- Headlight bulb
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| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Unknown Or Other - filed 2026-10-27
My 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe XL Limited was at a Hyundai dealership for a transmission replacement. While it waited for parts, it was parked outside on the dealership’s lot. It caught fire there while no one was working on it, and the cause is not yet known.
Engine - filed 2026-09-22
While driving, the vehicle developed a strong odor of engine oil, followed within minutes by illumination of the red oil pressure warning light. Inspection determined that a bolt had exited the engine's timing assembly, broken the timing chain, and punctured the timing cover, discharging engine oil throughout the engin...
Engine,engine And Engine Cooling - filed 2026-06-16
See attached letter for complaint
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More for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.