2018 Hyundai Santa Fe engine problems
266 of the 430 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 79 manufacturer bulletins, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 266 reports a crash · 6 a fire · 3 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2017: 1 · 2018: 6 · 2019: 15 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 29 · 2023: 49 · 2024: 54 · 2025: 63 · 2026: 37
Half of the 76 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 22,000 and 111,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
430 complaints in all about the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe, 37 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Hyundai Santa Fe engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The contact’s daughter owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.
The car began shuttering while driving down a main street (45-50mph). When we pulled over we smelled gasoline and burning. The car was towed to Hyundai service department. The service department informed my the fuel injectors were leaking causing a fire.
A recall letter from Hyundai on my 2018 Santa Fe on a knock sensor took it to my dealership they did what ever the recall was 3 miles down the road my car went intp limp mode took me from 70mph to 30 call the dealer had to limp it back they hah it for 3 weeks had the wire harness replaced asked they had any trouble with this as we were…
While driving my practically new 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe sport with 11,653 miles, it suddenly jerked out of cruise at 65 MPH and the dashboard lit up along with the touch screen that said to call customer care immediately.
I was driving on the interstate at 70 MPH and the engine suddenly shut off, it has been at the Hyundai garage in dubois, pa for 3 weeks waiting for a new engine and it is a new vehicle with only 12.600 miles?
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsNHTSA investigation
- DP22003 Loss of Motive Poweropened Sep 12, 2022 · closed Dec 12, 2023
- 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 i…
79 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- 26-01-013H-2 DN Service campaignMay 21, 2026
- Certain Santa Fe (TMA), Santa Fe Sport (AN), Sonata (LFA), and Tucson (TL) vehicles equipped with Theta II engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. The California Air Resources Board has determined that these vehicles may be releasing air pollutants which exceed Federal and California standards.
- 26-EM-002H TSB Warranty extensionFeb 11, 2026
- Certain Santa Fe / Santa Fe XL (NC) vehicles equipped with 3.3L Lambda II GDI engines may exhibit abnormal engine noise or damage. This bulletin describes the procedure to inspect the engine and perform the proper repair based on the results of the inspection. Utilize the flowcharts as a guide to ensure the proper procedure and repair is performed. The warranty coverage for engine repair or replac
The 2 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P1326 P0018 P0300 P0304 P0420 P0014 P0302 P0306
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe
Source: the same files- brake problems 69 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 266 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (62% of everything owners filed about it), and 79 manufacturer bulletins, 1 NHTSA investigation are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 5 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 74,500 miles; half of them between 22,000 and 111,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.