Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe has 432 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, most for the engine (252). It gets 19 to 24 mpg combined, with a 5-year fuel cost of $13,530 to $17,100 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 5 overall stars. The car has 5 recall campaigns that may apply, covering brakes, steering, air bags, and others.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
19–24 mpgcombined; city 17–21, highway 22–28; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$13,530–$17,100U.S. average; Ohio $12,090–$15,280 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2018 Santa Fe. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 432 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Santa Fe. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
252
1
6
3
Unknown or other
50
1
3
2
Service brakes, hydraulic
48
0
1
0
Fuel/propulsion system
38
0
1
3
Electrical system
30
0
5
0
Power train
28
2
0
3
Service brakes
20
6
0
2
Engine and engine cooling
16
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
15
1
0
1
Air bags
13
5
0
4
Steering
10
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
9
1
1
2
12 more parts
Structure
6
1
0
2
Forward collision avoidance
4
0
0
0
Seats
4
0
0
0
Back over prevention
3
0
0
0
Seat belts
3
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
3
0
0
0
Suspension
2
0
0
0
Tires
2
0
0
0
Firerelated
1
0
1
0
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, air
1
0
0
0
Wheels
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2018 Santa Fe over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Hyundai 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.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners 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.
Hyundai 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.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners 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.
Hyundai 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.
Risk: A steering wheel separation while driving can cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai 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.
Hyundai 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.
Risk: If 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.
Remedy: Hyundai 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.
Hyundai 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.
Risk: If the coil spring fractures, it can puncture the tire, causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: All 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 209 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2018 Santa Fe, the latest on Oct 8, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (67), equipment (48), engine (42), engine and engine cooling (35), power train (22).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Audit query AQ23002 Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires · covers 3 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2018 Santa Fe.
See used 2018 Hyundai Santa Fes for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax
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Specs
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 3–5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Santa Fe Front-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 25 / 21
Santa Fe All-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Santa Fe Sport Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 27 / 24
Santa Fe Sport Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 28 / 23
Santa Fe Sport All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 26 / 22
Santa Fe Sport All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 26 / 22
Santa Fe Sport Ultimate Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 27 / 23
Santa Fe Sport Ultimate All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 24 / 21
Santa Fe Ultimate Front-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
17 / 23 / 20
Santa Fe Ultimate All-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
17 / 22 / 19
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data