Model year 2018 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe at 19–24 mpg combined across 10 versions. NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 432 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

19–24

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

NHTSA lists this vehicle as SANTA FE SPORT.

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Hyundai dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 5 safety recalls for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe, newest first.

Service brakes, hydraulic: Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: Control unit/module

NHTSA 22V810000 Reported Oct 27, 2022 Park outside

Filed by: Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 237)
Units affected: 44,396 (estimate)
Problem: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Service brakes, hydraulic: Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: Control unit/module

NHTSA 22V056000 Reported Feb 3, 2022 Park outside

Filed by: Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 218)
Units affected: 357,348 (estimate)
Problem: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Steering: Steering wheel/handle bar

NHTSA 18V118000 Reported Feb 17, 2018

Filed by: Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 173)
Units affected: 41,070 (estimate)
Problem: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Side/window

NHTSA 17V801000 Reported Dec 13, 2017

Filed by: Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 171)
Units affected: 1,209 (estimate)
Problem: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Suspension: Front: Springs: Coil springs

NHTSA 17V577000 Reported Sep 20, 2017

Filed by: Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 167)
Units affected: 197 (estimate)
Problem: 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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Santa Fe AWD	3.3L 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	18/24/20 mpg	$3,350	433
Santa Fe FWD	3.3L 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	18/25/21 mpg	$3,200	427
Santa Fe Sport AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 6-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	19/26/22 mpg	$3,050	410
Santa Fe Sport AWD	2.4L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	20/26/22 mpg	$3,050	406
Santa Fe Sport FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	20/28/23 mpg	$2,900	388
Santa Fe Sport FWD	2.4L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	21/27/24 mpg	$2,800	379
Santa Fe Sport Ultimate AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 6-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	19/24/21 mpg	$3,200	425
Santa Fe Sport Ultimate FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	20/27/23 mpg	$2,900	396
Santa Fe Ultimate AWD	3.3L 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	17/22/19 mpg	$3,550	475
Santa Fe Ultimate FWD	3.3L 6-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	17/23/20 mpg	$3,350	457

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	14.3%	Optional
2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport SUV FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	15.1%	Optional
2018 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV AWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	15.7%	Optional
2018 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars	15%	Optional

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe owner complaints

Owners have filed 432 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe, most recently on Oct 9, 2026. 13 mention a crash, 12 a fire, 13 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Engine	252
Unknown or other	50
Service brakes, hydraulic	47
Fuel/propulsion system	38
Electrical system	30
Power train	28
Service brakes	20
Vehicle speed control	15
Air bags	12
Engine and engine cooling	12

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Hyundai Santa Fe model years

Hyundai Santa Fe by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2027 Santa Fe	21–36 mpg	—	—	5/5
2026 Santa Fe	21–36 mpg	4	58	5/5
2025 Santa Fe	22–36 mpg	5	240	4/5
2024 Santa Fe	22–36 mpg	7	191	4/5
2023 Santa Fe	24–34 mpg	2	290	5/5
2022 Santa Fe	24–34 mpg	8	265	5/5
2021 Santa Fe	24–34 mpg	8	187	5/5
2020 Santa Fe	22–25 mpg	2	218	5/5
2019 Santa Fe	19–25 mpg	3	229	5/5
2017 Santa Fe	19–24 mpg	7	1,327	5/5
2016 Santa Fe	19–23 mpg	3	306	5/5
2015 Santa Fe	19–23 mpg	4	339	5/5

All Hyundai Santa Fe years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2018 Hyundai models

2018 Hyundai Accent 2018 Hyundai Elantra 2018 Hyundai Ioniq 2018 Hyundai Kona 2018 Hyundai Sonata 2018 Hyundai Tucson

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Hyundai.