Hyundai
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2017 and 2018. Best years: 2016.
The 2017 and 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 351 complaints (35 for each year on the road) and 2018 has 321 complaints (36 for each year on the road), against a median of 13 a year across the 5 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is engine failure (84 reports).
- 835complaints
- 10recall campaigns
- 3model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2017
Most reported: oil consumption (79 reports, median 76,840 miles) and engine failure (74 reports, median 76,840 miles).
2018
Most reported: engine failure (84 reports, median 80,000 miles) and oil consumption (84 reports, median 69,362 miles).
Best years
2016
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2017 has the most complaints of any Hyundai Santa Fe Sport year here: 351 of 835 (42%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Engine failure leads in 2 of the 3 model years and has the most reports overall, 210. Pooled across the years, half of the 126 owners who gave a mileage for engine failure were under about 78,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 6% of Hyundai Santa Fe Sport complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2014, 15 of its 163 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 1 of the 3 model years where owners report engine failure have a recall on the same system: 2014. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2022 at 162 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 134. So far in 2026, 99 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2015 (82), 2016 (69).
Year by year
2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport avoid
321 owner complaints, 36 for each year on the road (2.8 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (84 reports, median 80,000 miles), oil consumption (84 reports, median 69,362 miles) and misfire (63 reports, median 94,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 22V-810 on the brakes and 22V-056 on the brakes.
2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport avoid
351 owner complaints, 35 for each year on the road (2.8 times the model median). Most reported: oil consumption (79 reports, median 76,840 miles), engine failure (74 reports, median 76,840 miles) and misfire (67 reports, median 88,013 miles). 5 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 22V-056 on the brakes and 17V-358 on the latches and locks.
2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
163 owner complaints, 13 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (52 reports, median 78,000 miles), stalling (42 reports, median 69,000 miles) and brake wear (29 reports, median 50,000 miles). 5 recalls, including 18V-934 on the engine and 17V-226 on the engine.
Recalls that cover several model years
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Questions
What Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years should you avoid?
The 2017 and 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 351 complaints (35 for each year on the road) and 2018 has 321 complaints (36 for each year on the road), against a median of 13 a year across the 5 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is engine failure (84 reports).
What are the best years for the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
The 2016 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 69, or 6 for each year on the road. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
Engine failure, with 210 reports across the 3 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014 and 2018.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport have?
10 recall campaigns cover the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport model years 2014 to 2018 on this site. The widest, 17V-358 on the latches and locks, covers 2 model years.
How many Hyundai Santa Fe Sport complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
6% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2014 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for engine failure on the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
On 1 of the 3 model years where owners report it: 2014.