2018 Hyundai Santa FE Sport engine problems
196 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2018 Hyundai Santa FE Sport — 61% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“My 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (2.4L Theta II GDI, VIN [XXX], approx. 110,000 miles) has suffered a chain of engine and emissions-system failures that create a loss-of-power safety hazard. At about 80,000 miles, Hyundai replaced the original engine under warranty for excessive oil consumption, a…”
filed Sep 15, 2026
“Bought this as a used vehicle with around 77k miles. The SUV was running fine for a little while until I drove onto the highway. It eventually began to bog down and there was hesitation and jumping instead of acceleration. This continued my entire trip home with the check engine light on. The car…”
filed Aug 26, 2026
“The engine on this vehicle suffers from a severe oil consumption defect that was first officially reported to the authorized dealership on February 3, 2025 at approximately 90,000 miles while under the factory powertrain warranty. The vehicle completely empties its engine oil supply in under 1,000 miles of normal…”
filed Jul 17, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
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…
26-01-013H-2 DN · Service Campaign · issued May 21, 2026Certain Santa Fe (TMA), Santa Fe Sport (AN), Sonata (LFA), and Tucson (TL) vehicles equipped with Theta II engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. This bulletin provides instructions for updating the Engine…
26-01-013H-2 TSB · Service Campaign · issued May 21, 2026Following completion of Service Campaign 9C2 (Theta II Emissions Improvement), certain vehicles may exhibit a brief hesitation or rough shifting condition during cold start operation. If present, this condition is…
9C2 DCS 260518 · Service Campaign · issued May 19, 2026
Engine problems in other Santa FE Sport years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Santa FE Sport | 202 | 58% |
| 2016 Santa FE Sport | 42 | 62% |
| 2015 Santa FE Sport | 41 | 50% |
| 2014 Santa FE Sport | 92 | 57% |
| 2013 Santa FE Sport | 108 | 55% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2018 Hyundai Santa FE Sport
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.