2018 Hyundai Santa FE: problems, recalls and reliability

“The oil pressure switch has a faulty seal causing oil to leak out onto the engine block. This causes oil on the underbody and ground, smoke amd smell from oil on got surfaces, knocking noises from the engine, reduced power or hesitation, illumination or the check engine light and oil pressure light, high speed stall, and will also cause fire in the engine compartment resulting in death or sever injury. I have taken my car to the Red McCombs Hyundai dealership in San Antonio TX for repair and they have confirmed that it is the oil pressure switch seal that failed. The oil leak has also damaged electrical components causing a malfunction in the dash cluster and steering wheel control.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Jun 2025

“All of the bolts that hold the CVVT assembly backed out and one came completely out. It punctured a hole in my valve cover. Oil sprayed all underneath my hood and leaked out on the road. The car went into limp mode while I was driving, and had I not already pulled off the street, this would have caused a multiple vehicle accident. I had the vehicle towed to the manufacturer dealer and they confirmed the issue. The only warning lamp that came on was the check engine, and that didn't happen until i had already pulled over. Thus all happened within a matter of 10 minutes of driving.”Owner report · Power Train · May 2025

“Rear reverse camera stopped working. Image became grainy, then flickered, then went to a blue screen. Can't see anything behind the vehicle when backing up is a big safety hazard.”Owner report · Visibility/Wiper · Feb 2025

“My engine failed on 11/21/24. I brought it to dealership to confirm the failure on 11/22/2024. I was driving on the highway when the car started to violently shake and then shut off. The dealership sent pictures of the engine and other components to Hyundai to confirm the engine failure. No lights came on prior to the failure.”Owner report · Engine · Nov 2024

“The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that upon checking the engine oil dipstick, the dipstick was abnormally dry. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who performed an oil consumption test over 1,000 miles, and found that the engine was consuming 2 quarts of oil. The contact was informed that the excessive oil consumption could cause damage to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.”Owner report · Engine · Nov 2024

“The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that there were holes underneath the front driver's and passenger's side seats. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the seats were removed; however, the seats were not replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.”Owner report · Seats · Sep 2024

“The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while conducting a routine inspection on the vehicle, the contact noticed that the coolant was low in the coolant reservoir. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer where the vehicle was inspected. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer suggested that the vehicle remain at the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Aug 2024