2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 19,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

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 engine compartment while…Owner complaint, filed 2026

My wife was driving the vehicle by the left lane on route 9A northbound on elmsford at a speed around 35 mph. The vehicle suddenly came to stop completely while driving. My wife tried to start it but it didn't start. We called the police to come help us due to the ongoing traffic while the towing was on its way. Our mechanic told us the…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

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 was not made aware…Owner complaint, filed 2022

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 manufacturer had exceeded a…Owner complaint, filed 2022

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

All of the bolts that hold the CVVT assembly backed out and one came completely out. It punctured a hole in my valve cover. Oil sprayed all underneath my hood and leaked out on the road. The car went into limp mode while I was driving, and had I not already pulled off the street, this would have caused a multiple vehicle accident. I had…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2018 hyundai santa fe. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and would not accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The [VIN] was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 6,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. In addition, when the vehicle was restarted, the taillights were inoperable. The contact stated that only the front lights were operable. The contact stated that when the failure occurred, it was nighttime and on a…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 57,720 miles

Reverse Camera malfunctioning most days. A few days a year it works, but usually it's just a blue screen. Other 3 cameras work fine all the time.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 8,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

I have noticed for the past year that my steering column feels loose. It makes a popping noise and really makes noise on rough pavement. I feel like the steering wheel is just gonna come off into my hands. It's very loose to turn and you can feel the pops within the steering wheel. I took my car to local repair shop and they told me…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Steering exhibits "stiction" after driving for 20-30 minutes. This becomes worse as speed is increased. Small movements of the wheel produce no steering effect but resistance is felt. When the resistance is overcome, the result is slight over steer. Under these conditions it is difficult to drive in strait line as constant corrections…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 10,200 miles

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

My airbag light came on 1000 miles over the warranty mileage while on vacation. Had the issue checked and it was a 'pre tensioner', driver side, that shorted out and in turn shorted out the airbag module. This is a huge safety problem and should not happen. It should also be covered, due to no fault of my own. I have tried to resolve the…Owner complaint, filed 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at 30-35 MPH, the contact was rear-ended by another vehicle, hit on the driver's side by a truck, and rear-ended again; however, the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries and received medical attention. A police report was filed. The…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 42,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The oil pressure switch has a faulty seal causing oil to leak out onto the engine block. This causes oil on the underbody and ground, smoke amd smell from oil on got surfaces, knocking noises from the engine, reduced power or hesitation, illumination or the check engine light and oil pressure light, high speed stall, and will also cause…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Q: What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A: Two fuel injectors on bank 2 are failing intermittently causing the engine light to flash and stay on (P0300 errors) and the car loses power. Q: How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A: Driving to Newark airport on…Owner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was at the Tim Hortons drive-thru stopped behind a car in front of me the car in front of me started to go to the order window , as I let off the brake to start to go my suv took off full speed! I hit the brakes as hard as I could and the car kept moving forward like the throttle was stuck at full acceleration. I wasn't even hitting…Owner complaint, filed 2022

This will be the fourth time our vehicle has to go to the dealer. We purchased this car in April of this year and the car has lived more at the dealer service department than with us. The first time, the car started smoking and left us stranded. The dealer changed out the fuel injectors. When it randomly started smoking it smelled…Owner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that there were holes underneath the front driver’s and passenger’s side seats. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the seats were removed; however, the seats were not replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 140,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 hyundai santa fe. While the contact's father was driving various speeds, he noticed an abnormal odor coming from the vehicle. Once the vehicle was home, the contact opened the front passenger door and noticed that the passenger seat had burned without warning. There was no indication of any flames. The vehicle was…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 23,845 miles

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

Rear reverse camera stopped working. Image became grainy, then flickered, then went to a blue screen. Can't see anything behind the vehicle when backing up is a big safety hazard.Owner complaint, filed 2025

Led headlights particularly on unlighted roads present a darken shadow on the top half of the windshield while car is in motion. Narrowing view is a safety hazard as one is unable to see approaching traffic or pedestrians. Dealership and hyundai customer support stated that headlights meet specs. Service manager drove car at night and…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 2,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving going around 50 and put on my brakes after that the abs light Epb light and cruise control lights all came on and my car wouldnt stop unless I preessed very hard on brakes. and other lights on my dashboard came on then the next day I was driving to work and almost wrecked and my car wouldn't stop I had it towed in to cooks…Owner complaint, filed 2024

I stepped on the brakes and all the aeb warning collision warning went on and I turn my car off and it still sounds like something is runningOwner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

Driving a rental car at 4:30 a.m. On country road attempting to catch our flight back home. After driving approx. 20 minutes, headlights went out and dashboard lights. We had no visibility, attempted to stop vehicle, left pavement and struck a tree. During our week rental of this vehicle we did have issues with suv losing power when…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 60,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2018 hyundai santa fe equipped with kumho tires, tire line: crugen premium kl33 n/a, tire size: 235/55/r19 n/a, the dot number: [VIN]. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the front passenger's side tire was shaking abnormally. The contact drove to a tire shop and notice that the tread belt was separating from the…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 23,758 miles