2018 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT Complaints

My 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport equipped with a Theta II GDI engine began exhibiting excessive oil consumption, engine knocking, and cylinder misfires consistent with the known Theta II engine defect covered under the Hyundai class action settlement. Prior to the failure, the check engine light illuminated and I experienced repeated misfires and audible engine knocking. The vehicle required frequent oil additions between oil changes due to excessive consumption. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Hyundai dealership where a diagnosis confirmed a burnt valve inside the cylinder head. The dealership recommends replacement of the cylinder head or complete engine replacement to correct the issue. The dealership performed a bearing failure test and attributed the burnt valve to carbon buildup. However, excessive oil consumption in a GDI engine directly accelerates carbon buildup on intake valves, as burning oil deposits carbon on valve surfaces preventing proper seating and causing overheating and valve failure. The carbon buildup is therefore a consequential result of the Theta II oil consumption defect, not an independent cause. The safety risk is significant as engine misfires and knocking while driving create unpredictable loss of power and potential for stalling in traffic. The vehicle is currently not reliably operable. The manufacturer has been contacted regarding coverage under the Theta II settlement. The component is available for inspection upon request at the servicing dealership

I own a 2018 Honda Santa Fe it is using oil so fast. I know that there is other people complaining about the oil consumption so my engine just blew up because I had it changed on March 13 brand new oil change and on Monday night the engine blew up.. The people who changed my oil said that there have been a complaint that they have been using so much oil and I have talked to Hyundai about this and they refuse to do anything Now I have a Hyundai Santa Fe that is no good to me because I personally can’t afford a new engine/motor

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven back to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 141,654.

I was told by a mechanic that something electrical is wrong with the vehicle it causes the engine to misfire. Different issue than before.

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.

The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact’s son stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the brake pedal depressed with no warning light illuminated. The contact’s son stated that the ABS braking system failed, and the brake pedal did not function when attempting to stop the vehicle. As a result of the failure, the contact’s son collided with the highway pavement. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was required. The contact’s son also stated that the air bags did not deploy during the crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and was deemed a total loss by AAA due to severe front-end damage. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

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.

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.

The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights illuminated. The contact pulls over to the right side of the road, exits the vehicle, and notices flames coming from the engine, and smoke starts coming inside the vehicle. The contact mentioned that a bystander gave him a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire, the flames stopped, then a couple of seconds later, the failure persisted. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to J&J Towing. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was relating to the failure of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V810000(SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.