YearToAvoid

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 18 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 6% of its 320 total complaints, with a median failure mileage of 700. One crash and two injuries are linked, but no related recalls are on file for this area.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
18
6% of 320
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
2
Median mileage
700 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

  • Vehicle stalls or hesitates for a second or two when accelerating from a stop or turning into traffic, sometimes engaging with a jerk afterward.
  • Engine loses power at highway speed, decelerating and refusing to accelerate past a reduced top speed while the check engine light comes on.
  • Owners report excessive oil consumption between oil changes, with the engine running low or completely out of oil despite no warning light.
  • Some owners describe connecting rod failure tied to the Theta engine, with the car stuttering and unable to rev past a low RPM before shutting off.
  • Repeated engine shutoffs in moving traffic, including one report of the engine dying twice with a child in the car.

When 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport transmission complaints were filed

First complaint Feb 6, 2018, latest Aug 26, 2026.

2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per month2Feb 2018Oct 2020Oct 2022Mar 2024Sep 2025May 2026
18 complaints filed with NHTSA from Feb 2018 to Aug 2026; peak Aug 2024 (2).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Santa Fe Sport model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201311 (6%)
  2. 201413 (8%)
  3. 20157 (9%)
  4. 20163 (4%)
  5. 201740 (11%)
  6. 201818 (6%)

Frequently asked questions

How many transmission and powertrain complaints does the 2018 Santa Fe Sport have?
NHTSA lists 18 complaints in this area for the 2018 model year, which is 6% of its 320 total complaints.
Is there a recall for the 2018 Santa Fe Sport transmission or powertrain?
No related recalls are listed for this problem area in the NHTSA data provided.
At what mileage do these powertrain problems tend to show up?
The median mileage at failure for these complaints is 700 miles, though some cases occurred much later, including one at 135,000 miles.
Have these powertrain issues caused any crashes or injuries?
Yes, NHTSA data links one crash and two injuries to this complaint area for the 2018 Santa Fe Sport.
How does 2018 compare to other Santa Fe Sport years for this problem?
The 2018 model's 18 complaints and 6% share are lower than the 2017 model year, which had 40 complaints and an 11% share.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.