Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Complaints (2018)

324 consumer complaints on file.

#11710668January 13, 2026
ENGINE
Engine is burning oil as a default in manufacturing of engine, leaving little to know oil in the engine and causing other malfunctions that use the oil
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710589January 13, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710285January 12, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH and approaching a stop, the vehicle stalled. The battery, check engine, and oil warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The warranty claim was denied. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707578December 29, 2025
ENGINE
The vehicle developed loud engine knocking and abnormal noise consistent with known Hyundai engine defects. The vehicle is unsafe to operate and has been retained at an authorized Hyundai dealership since October 25, 2025. Hyundai vehicles with similar engine failures have been documented to catch fire, including while parked. Despite the known defect pattern, the manufacturer is refusing warranty coverage, alleging lack of complete oil change records, without providing proof that maintenance caused the failure. This represents a serious safety risk to occupants and the public. My family includes a child with a motor disability, which significantly increases the danger in the event of fire or engine failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704416December 11, 2025
ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have been experiencing issues with oil consumption, having to get oil changes every 2 months and sometimes monthly with no reported leaks from 2 different mechanics. I have been very high maintenance over my oil. While I was driving on the highway, my vehicle began to shake and a knocking sound was heard. I felt the vehicle begin to jerk but no warning lights were on. I was no longer able to drive and had to pull over and wait for a tow to my mechanic's garage. The mechanic let me know there was an issue with the engine, specifically the 3rd cylinder and the piston. It does not put out as much pressure as it is supposed to. I brought the vehicle to the dealership after and they confirmed this was an issue and quoted me $8700 in repairs. There were no warning lights and no engine lights prior to this happening. I was informed by my mechanic that this is a known issue with Hyundai in their 2018 models having failing engines. I purchased the vehicle certified pre-owned with a guarantee from the dealership that I was purchasing a reliable vehicle that should have no issues of this degree.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697992November 6, 2025
ENGINE
Engine burns prodigious amounts of oil. Uses one quart in about 400 miles. Hyundai verified this with their 1000 mile oil consumption test. The only reason that this engine did not spin the crankshaft bearings from running dry on oil is because I was so diligent in filling the crankcase. A service writer at Happy Hyundai said that I needed a new long block, but the dealership refused because I had 103,000 miles on the engine. They knew about the problems with oil burning on Theta engines, but were happy to send me on my way knowing that I would be putting oil in my car often. This is not acceptable. Can you help me?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697278November 3, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
This engine is burning oil. Its mixing oil with gasoline in the cylinders. Its fouling spark plugs and consuming large amounts of oil with absolutely no visible oil leaks. The exhaust is black. PCV valve is clean. Engine is misfiring due to spark plug fouling. New spark plugs and coils. Multiple dealers have stated this is a KNOWN defect with this particular GDI engine but Hyundai refuses to issue a recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697001November 2, 2025
ENGINE
I recently purchased this used vehicle in June(2025) and after a couple of months of owning the vehicle, I started noticing the car oil level when I checked, started being lower than normal pretty frequently. And it has gotten to the point where I would have to top the oil off every week only after driving a few 100 miles. When I went for my oil change this October, I did informed Hyundai about the issue and they told me to drive the vehicle for 900 miles, do not top it off. And I am following what they're saying, and right now, I just checked my oil, and I have only driven it for 468 miles since I had gotten it changed on October 22nd of this year, and it's showing about a 1/2 quart low at the dipstick already. But if it gets too low before the 900 miles, I would take it to Hyundai so as not to cause any damage to the engine driving it with the oil too low if it gets to that point. The service tech did state that the first step in correcting the issue was to do a combustion flush. And I hope that Hyundai is taking care of the issue for us consumers. I appreciate your prompt response regarding this matter. Thank you. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11695175October 23, 2025
ENGINE
I'm the second owner of this vehicle, I purchased it when it was one year old. I've provided careful maintenance, as this is my only vehicle. In the last year+ it started burning more and more oil. I was told by a mechanic that there were no signs of leakage and that these engines tend to burn a lot of oil so I was very careful to monitor levels and up the oil changes. 6 months ago, it was in the shop for new brakes and had a complete diagnostic exam and there were no issues with the engine. Two weeks ago, before a road trip, I again had full diagnostics done on the vehicle and there were no codes that popped up. The vehicle died on my trip. Reading the codes, I received my first code regarding problems with my cylinders after the vehicle died. Now I need a completely new engine because cylinders 1 and 3 failed. The car only has 80,000 miles on it. In all my years of my family owning different vehicles, I've always owned vehicles until they were well over 100,000 miles. The only two vehicles owned by my family that ever needed engine replacement early in their lives were both Hyundai vehicles. After I was told that I needed a new engine at 80,000 miles, I was told that this was not due to the one specific problem Hyundai would cover so I have to pay to replace it myself. There are a plethora of forums, mechanic experiences, etc, that show these 2.4L engines have this exact problem, but Hyundai washes their hands of us. As a second owner, I don't qualify for the engine warranty, which was extended to 120,000 because Hyundai knows these engines are horrible. My warranty ended when the car was 5 years old, and had 60,000 miles. And up until last week, I've never had an engine code pop up in diagnosis so I have no idea how I was supposed to predict premature engine failure and remedy it within that time frame. It's just another hit against anyone who can't afford to buy a brand new vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11695227October 23, 2025
ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving to the residence at a moderate speed, the oil warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The following day, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that there was no oil in the engine even though an oil change had been performed a month earlier. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where an oil change was performed. After the oil change, the contact stated there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine while driving at various speeds. The contact then stated that while at a stop light, the engine seized while depressing the accelerator pedal, with several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the crankshaft rod was defective. The dealer linked the failure to Hyundai recall 953; however, the contact was later informed that since the vehicle was not serviced for a prior knock sensor recall, the vehicle no longer qualified for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The contact was later informed by the manufacturer that the vehicle would not be serviced under warranty. The contact stated that the recall was placed on the vehicle prior to owning the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694693October 21, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that shortly after an oil change was performed, the "Low Oil" icon was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption, and the oil dipstick indicated that the engine oil level was low. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693160October 13, 2025
ENGINE
In 2023, I purchased this car in December. I didn' t know this car would have such known problems. In over a year and a half, the spark plugs have been changed 5 times. After each oul change within 2 weeks, not a month, I constantly have to add oil to the car. In the colder months, I have to wait at leasr 15min. before the car would even start. Would someone help me with these problems? I am [XXX]. I know recalls were placed on cars with similar problems. Plus smoke, I can't remember black or white comes out the tailpipe. The date you see, was the lasted date listed to add more oil. PLEASE HELP ME... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692877October 12, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My husband was driving our vehicle on the highway when the engine began to smoke and the caught fire. Unfortunately it was not able to be saved. We filed a claim with our carrier and are pending an inspection. We looked up our vin and confirmed a fire recall from 2022.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692296October 9, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, there was a ticking sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who discovered metal shavings inside the engine oil. The contact was informed that the metal shavings might indicate engine failure. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 52,162.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692049October 8, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle off the highway into a local gas station. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where a diagnostic test determined that the vehicle had experienced engine failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who confirmed the engine failure diagnosis. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 97,052.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691858October 7, 2025
ENGINE
I own a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. I leased it new, then purchased outright in May 2022. I had no issues with my vehicle. I maintained it regularly. Had appropriate interval oil changes. At no time from 4/2018 to 6/2025 did I have any knowledge of any issues with the engine in my vehicle & neither Hyundai nor the dealership contacted me in any manner to notify me of an issue with my engine. On or about October 2024, my check oil light came on for the first time in 6 years. I do not drive much because I work, & have worked, from home since July 2020. I took my car to my mechanic. He added almost 4 quarts of oil. I returned two weeks later & he changed oil. He saw nothing that caused him suspicion. He suggested I check my oil levels. Extreme oil consumption continued. My check oil light NEVER came back on. No other lights came on until 10/6/2025. I drove minimally. In July, 2025, I discovered my vehicle has a known defective engine. I uncovered multiple lawsuits against Hyundai regarding the defective engines. On 9/12/2025, I sent a Massachusetts General Law 93A Demand Letter mailed Certified Mail to Hyundai & dealership. On Oct. 6, 2025 at approx. 11:30 am, I turned on my car & without warning, my car immediately began shaking violently & vibrating & stalling - IN PARK. The check engine light began to flash intermittently in PARK. I drove my vehicle 7 miles to my mechanic (praying the whole time my car would not blow up with me in it); the car violently shook & vibrated the entire 7 miles. The check engine light changed to solid & acceleration was almost non existent. I am waiting for my mechanic to most likely give me bad news. Neither Hyundai nor the dealership have yet responded to my MGL 93A Demand Letter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691565October 6, 2025
ENGINE
Over 3 years ago I went in for a normal oil change at Brookshire Hyindai Dealership where I was told my engine was consuming an alarming amount of oil. In order for Hyundai to do anything I was told o need to complete an engine oil consumption test which requires me to go back to the dealership every 1000 miles for 3k miles for them to check the oil. After completing this it was proven that there was a engine oil Consumption issue. They submitted it to Hyundai and I was denied. They said I needed to pay for an engine combustion cleaning which cost me about 400$, then I would have to repeat the test to see if the issue was resolved. After doing all of that, I still had an engine oil consumption problem according to the second test. Hyundai denied me again and told me I had to wait until my Engine light came on. So when it came on I brought it back, they said it wasn’t my engine according to the computer. I have spent thousands of dollars on oil over the past several years and Hyundai has done nothing. I do not feel safe in my vehicle. Hyundai has failed me. I then called Hyundai consumer care to open up a case and still nothing. All of that for them to tell me my extended warranty for my engine will not cover the issue. They have done nothing to resolve my issue only cost me time and money with no resolution. This is a known issue for my cars make and model and they are just turning their head the other way. Hyundai consumer care in fact does not care about consumers at all.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691571October 6, 2025
ENGINE, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691367October 4, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I pulled into my driveway, put car in park, left the car running to leave the ac for a minute, my granddaughter was in the backseat. I got out of the car , let my granddaughter out , i then was standing outside of the drivers side, reached in , turned off the car, removed the keys and it started rolling. I couldn't get out of the way and fell , car ran over right leg. Was taken to hospital for evaluation and treatment. I haven't taken the car in for evaluation by dealer , insurance or other auto specialist
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11690467September 30, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Excessive oil burning even after replacing the motor once before.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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