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2018 Hyundai Santa Fe

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
10 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
46 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls2 critical5
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA427
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA24 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 10 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Santa Fe Sport FWD, is EPA-rated at 24 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 427 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Santa Fe Sport FWDGasFWD2.4L 4-cyl212724$2,600
Santa Fe Sport FWDGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo202823$2,700
Santa Fe Sport Ultimate FWDGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo202723$2,700
Santa Fe Sport AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo192622$2,850
Santa Fe Sport AWDGasAWD2.4L 4-cyl202622$2,850
Santa Fe FWDGasFWD3.3L 6-cyl182521$2,950
Santa Fe Sport Ultimate AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo192421$2,950
Santa Fe AWDGasAWD3.3L 6-cyl182420$3,100
Santa Fe Ultimate FWDGasFWD3.3L 6-cyl172320$3,100
Santa Fe Ultimate AWDGasAWD3.3L 6-cyl172219$3,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38687, 38665, 38688, 38666, 38692, 38744, 38708, 38748, 38745, 38749.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (5)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

237
Park outside44,396 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskAn engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.FixOwners 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.
NHTSA campaign 22V810000reported Oct 27, 2022Hyundai Motor America
!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

218
Park outside357,348 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskAn engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.FixOwners 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.
NHTSA campaign 22V056000reported Feb 3, 2022Hyundai Motor America
▲high

Steering

173
41,070 vehicles
ProblemHyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The steering wheel assembly may break, possibly resulting in the steering wheel separating from the steering column while driving.RiskA steering wheel separation while driving can cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.FixHyundai will notify owners, and dealers will check the production lot number of the steering wheel assembly, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 26, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 173.
NHTSA campaign 18V118000reported Feb 17, 2018Hyundai Motor America
▲high

Air Bags

171
1,209 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskIf 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.FixHyundai 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.
NHTSA campaign 17V801000reported Dec 13, 2017Hyundai Motor America
▲high

Suspension

167
197 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskIf the coil spring fractures, it can puncture the tire, causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.FixAll 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.
NHTSA campaign 17V577000reported Sep 20, 2017Hyundai Motor America

NHTSA defect investigations

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module — Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires open

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, 21V-161, 21V-160, 21V-303, 22V-056, 22V-810, and 23V-651. Kia recalls 16V-815, 20V-518, 20V-519, 21V

Opened Nov 17, 2023 · action AQ23002

Engine — Loss of Motive Power closed

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are

Opened Sep 12, 2022 · closed Dec 12, 2023 · action DP22003

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
427complaints filed

13 involved a crash · 12 a fire · 13 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2017: 2 · 2018: 25 · 2019: 29 · 2020: 14 · 2021: 15 · 2022: 87 · 2023: 70 · 2024: 70 · 2025: 72 · 2026: 43

Most-cited components

Engine248
Unspecified50
Service Brakes, Hydraulic48
Fuel/Propulsion System33
Electrical System29
Power Train28

What owners describe

“The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V056000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer…”Oct 26, 2022 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V056000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufact…”Aug 19, 2022 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 22v056000(SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufactur…”Aug 19, 2022 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆14%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆15%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆15%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other Santa Fe model years

A

2027 Hyundai Santa Fe

0 recalls · 0 complaints

D

2026 Hyundai Santa Fe

4 recalls · 46 complaints

F

2025 Hyundai Santa Fe

5 recalls · 215 complaints

F

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

7 recalls · 176 complaints

C

2023 Hyundai Santa Fe

2 recalls · 284 complaints

F

2022 Hyundai Santa Fe

8 recalls · 262 complaints

F

2021 Hyundai Santa Fe

8 recalls · 185 complaints

C

2020 Hyundai Santa Fe

2 recalls · 207 complaints

D

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe

3 recalls · 221 complaints

F

2017 Hyundai Santa Fe

7 recalls · 1,307 complaints

D

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe

3 recalls · 303 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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