general problems of the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe - part 1

I bought a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe from a dealership in may of 2023. Ever since then I have paid around $8,000 in repairs for this car. These repairs have been so expensive and time consuming that last year I wasn’t able to drive it for 6 months because it was in the shop for most of the year. I had to fix the fuel pump, the battery, timing chain valve twice, O2 sensor , catalytic converter, engine valve, cylinder 1 & 3 and now I have to fix cylinder 2 & 4 & that cost again around $2,000 to fix. I am constantly stressed out, crying and becoming broke because I have to keep on repairing this car. I use up all of my tows every year because my car always shuts off on me while I am driving. I am at the point where I want a refund on the car and I want to get rid of this vehicle. I do not feel safe driving on the highway or driving with my two kids and I am currently pregnant again and this car isn’t safe for a family. I am constantly feeling broken down and worthless because I can’t even keep this car a float.

Enterprise car sales sold me this vehicle when it had 3 open recalls on it. The vehicle itself was a problem from the beginning. When I took it in for it's first oil change the mechanic told me it had no oil in it. He said they sold me a car that is notorious for consuming oil and or seizing or blowing up. I had the engine replaced on this car already and I just took it in for it's first oil change and it was already consuming oil. I want a new car but enterprise is telling me this is my problem.

I drove 2. 5 hours north to a marine brother's father's funeral, who unexpectedly passed. I started my drive home and made it to yorktown in about 15 minutes, and the engine light came on, started flashing, and went into limp mode. I pulled over on I-69 to shut it off, pulled the dipstick, and the oil level was full. I pushed the bluelink button on my rearview mirror, and hma sent a tow truck to tow the vehicle to a local dealership about 10-12 minutes away. The dealership did not inspect the vehicle until the following Monday, since it was Friday, three weeks ago. The dealership found dtc codes for misfires in cylinders 1 and 2, multiple-cylinder misfire, and too-high pressure in all four cylinders. The vehicle has had the knock sensor replaced, a ksds ecm update, and a series of gaskets replaced. It has been burning oil since 69,362 miles and is now not operational, 2. 5 hours from home. Hma has declined to replace the engine on a vehicle involved in a class action settlement due to problems with several completed replacements. The dealership has followed the manufacturer's process, and, due to the engine not producing a code it had at 87,986, but now not capable due to piston damage, cylinder scouring, and spark plug damage, the manufacturer has declined a goodwill replacement. The engine failure did put others in harm's way, as it did me when having to pull off the busy interstate to inspect the obvious failure. I have been driving a rental since this situation occurred, have a vehicle that is not operational, and a manufacturer that is not assuming responsibility for the catastrophic failure. I have read numerous forums across several platforms about the theta 2 engines. The vehicle has been serviced as needed, including multiple requests to fix or repair the engine noises it produced, when the oil level became low, and oil had to be added.

2/27/26 kept regularly scheduled oil changes with dealer. Car began to knock and lose power, oil light is periodically flashing on and check engine light came on. Took car to valvoline oil change-they state no fluid on the oil dipstck. Scheduled oil change was not for another month. No oil leaks at all. Vehicle is bucking and knocking and loses acceleration. I have an appt at the dealer tomorrow3/2/26 and am hoping Hyundai will cover any necessary repairs as they have multiple technical service bulletins about this.

I am reporting a serious safety concern involving a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe sport with approximately 132k miles. While driving at highway speed, the vehicle suddenly lost power/velocity and the engine light flashed. This created an immediate safety hazard, as maintaining speed is critical in highway traffic. Within seconds, the vehicle regained power and the warning light turned off, giving the impression that the issue had resolved. Shortly afterward, while exiting the highway, the vehicle began shaking and felt as though it would stall but was able to drive home less than one mile. A mechanic retrieved misfire codes for cylinders 2 and 4. Further inspection revealed internal engine damage in cylinder 4 requiring major rebuild. A full deconstruction revealed that one of the valves in cylinder 4 had partially broken. This failure occurred with little to no warning and involved a sudden loss of power at highway speed, which could have resulted in a serious accident. The vehicle’s warning systems did not provide adequate or persistent alerts prior to significant engine failure. Over the last 6 months it began consuming oil frequently requiring weekly checks, however no warning systems or errors to indicate an underlining concern. Based on research, similar Hyundai vehicles have documented issues involving excessive oil consumption and internal engine damage without sufficient warning. This raises concerns about a potential safety defect affecting engine performance and failure detection.

Engine cut out on highway, check engine light flashing. Car would not exceed 50 mph on highway and would hesitate/jump trying to go up any hill/incline. Took to mechanic and vehicle had p1326 knock sensor code. There appears to be a service campaign (campaign 966/t3g) for 2013-2018 sanat fe sport vehicles, but when I enter my VIN campaign does not appear. This is a safety risk/hazard and should be covered by the campaign/addressed by dealer. Car has always been well maintained and adhere to service schedule.

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact received an undisclosed recall notification, and the local dealer was contacted; however, there were no appointments available. On a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an o'reilly's auto parts to be diagnosed, and dtc: p1326 was retrieved. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that there were damages to the engine caused by engine misfire. The dealer was in the process of determining if the engine needed to be replaced. The contact waited and then called the dealer and was informed that dtc: p1326 was not the correct code and that there was another fault code related to the recall. The contact was informed that the repair would be an out-of-pocket expense. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Car stuttered and would not rev past 2k rpm. Blinking check engine light appeared code was for known connecting rod failure for all theta engines for our 2018 sante fe. Hyundai is trying to get out of covering the cost of repair or replacement even though this is a very well known issue and is covered under warranty.

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the engine made a knocking sound, and the vehicle started shaking before starting to smoke. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that there was a hole in the engine block and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that since service campaign: 953 (ecm & cluster update) was not completed in a timely manner, the engine replacement was not covered. The contact had not received the notification for service campaign: 953 (ecm & cluster update) or owned the vehicle when the service campaign had started. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

Engine issues: a week ago, on two separate occasions, my Santa Fe cutoff while driving suddenly. A day later, I noticed a rhythmic knocking upon starting my vehicle. The knocking would increase during acceleration and decrease when I let off. I am only at 83,000 miles on this 2018 vehicle. I took the vehicle in for an oil change and they didn't notice anything off about the oil. Afterwards it slightly improved; however, once I was able to get it to the shop they said there were metal shavings in the engine/oil and it was a complete engine failure costing $12,000 to replace. There were no indicators that there was an issue on the dash.

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.

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.

Catastrophic engine failure - cam phasers blew apart and severely cracked the valve covers. This occurred with no prior warning lights. Minutes before failure, there was engine hesitation and noise and then severely reduced power, causing a safety issue while driving. Vehicle was towed to local Hyundai dealer who identified the cam phaser failure ausing external engine damage of the valve covers and complete loss of oil. This occurred only 3,000 miles after an oil change.

My vehicle has approximately 152,000 miles, and I am currently experiencing a major engine failure. Oil consumption and knocking on engine Hyundai has had lawsuits in the past with unsafe unreliable engines.

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.

My vehicle is using excessive oil. I first noticed this around 80 000 miles. Initially it started off with not being able to get the 5000 miles before next oil change and dropped to around 4000 miles. It then dropped to 3000 and now less than a 1000 miles before I am needing at least 2 quarts of oil. I have had the vehicle examined by midas and they confirmed there are no leaks, cracks or reason for the excessive oil consumption. They suggested that I contact the dealer as this is a known issue and to get help with replacing the engine. I contacted the dealership and was told I would get a call back and never did. I also contacted Hyundai on their website and put in a complaint and requested the engine be replaced, with no response from that as well.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Excessive oil burning even after replacing the motor once before.

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. No warning light was illuminated. Upon inspection, the contact noticed suds on the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, who discovered a low engine oil level and performed an oil change. The contact stated that the failure recurred with black smoke coming from the exhaust pipes after starting the vehicle. The dealer and two other dealers, cooper Hyundai (110 s quintard Ave, anniston, al 36201) and serra Hyundai (1503 gadsden hwy, trussville, al 35235) were made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,700.

This vehicle is burning oil. It burned out a spark plugs and almost caused a crash. Purchased from dealership 6/26/2025.

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the engine seized. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was coasted to the shoulder of the roadway; however, the vehicle was in an unsafe location. The contact and his wife exited the vehicle and stood further back off the roadway for their safety. The contact stated that because of the unsafe location of the vehicle, the contact and his wife were fearful of remaining in the vehicle. Additionally, other vehicles were driving by fast. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while on a trip. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall or special programs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,316.

Engine stopped abruptly without warning while driving vehicle.

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).

Our vehicle was towed to a Hyundai dealership on July 26, 2025 (VIN [xxx] ) 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe to see if the engine falls under Hyundai's TSB #22-em-001h-1engine failure campaign. This vehicle has now been at chapman Hyundai in scottsdale az for over 5 weeks. We have yet to receive confirmation from Hyundai that any testing was done to see if the rods failed, thus having the engine fall under the recall. What we have received was a statement that “the engineering department did some tests and said that they didn’t think it was a rod issue, that it was due to lubrication not getting to the engine. When I asked for that data to be sent to me so I could review it with our long-time mechanic and my mechanical engineers that I work with, I was told that would not be possible, I just had to “trust” what I was being told. However, as a show of “good faith” in their unwillingness to provide us data, Hyundai was willing to pay for half of an engine replacement, leaving us on the hook for over $3,000 to the dealership. While I told the executive correspondence department that that offer was not satisfactory, I did tell him we would be willing to pay $1,000 towards the replacement if Hyundai absorbed the remainder since on the above offer, I was paying retail while Hyundai is absorbing costs at wholesale prices. Five weeks on, we still have not received any confirmation as to the real issue of the engine failure, and frankly I have a hard time believing that any manufacturer would be willing to come up with the offer proposed if they didn’t believe the issue was substantially theirs. The company’s lack of willingness to provide data for us to review is very concerning and makes me think that the issue would indeed fall under the recall. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Burning oil, going through 1 quart every 250 miles. Paid over $1000 for last service. Replaced valves, gasket, fuel pump gasket, spark plugs, etc… had us drive 1000 miles and bring back at which they said they would further help. Brought it back 950 miles later. It burned 3. 5 qts of oil and now saying we need to pay $7000 for an engine. It only has 104k miles.

While I was dropping on the highway my vehicle suddenly slowed down when and the engine started shaking when I approached around 40mph and the check engine light started flashing. After checking I’m getting the error codes p1326 and p0014. I’m not unable to go past 40mph and the vehicle starts stalling when I approach that speed which is incredibly dangerous depending on what road I’m on. I’ve had zero issues with this vehicle previously and have always had regular maintenance. After researching other Santa Fe sport have had identical issues and there are recalls for other years but my year 2018 was skipped for some reason even though it’s clearly affected.

I am writing to formally request your review and potential intervention regarding a serious and potentially widespread mechanical issue involving Hyundai vehicles, along with the manufacturer’s refusal to honor their well-advertised 100,000-mile powertrain warranty for subsequent (non-original) owners. I am the current owner of a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe (VIN: [xxx] ) that is experiencing a continuous variable valve timing (cvvt) system failure, which has led to a critical engine malfunction. The estimated cost of repairs exceeds $7,000, an unexpected and significant financial burden. Despite the vehicle being well within the 100,000-mile threshold, Hyundai has denied warranty coverage solely on the grounds that I am not the original owner. This policy effectively strips coverage from second-hand buyers and, in my view, is misleading given Hyundai’s extensive advertising of the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. It creates a false sense of long-term reliability and warranty protection. This is not an isolated case. Numerous complaints have surfaced from Hyundai owners experiencing similar catastrophic engine and powertrain failures—including cvvt malfunctions, rod bearing issues, and engine seizure—raising serious questions about: the safety and reliability of Hyundai's engine systems; the fairness and transparency of Hyundai’s warranty terms and advertising; potentially systemic manufacturing or design flaws impacting thousands of vehicles on u. S. Roads. I respectfully urge the ntsb to review whether such defects present broader safety implications and to assess whether Hyundai’s current warranty practices reflect responsible corporate and consumer protection standards. Please let me know if additional information is required, including repair estimates, maintenance records, or correspondence with Hyundai representatives. I appreciate your time and attention to this matter that is affecting many vehicle owners beyond my individual case. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (fo.