2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport · symptom sheet
Engine stalls or loses power while driving
- 54owner reports
- 41,000median miles
- $800median quote
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Sep 15, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
229 of the 321 complaints on this car are about the engine. 54 of those describe stalling.
Tick what matches of 54 reports
Stalling on other Santa Fe Sport years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them.
What this problem usually is
Stalling reports are some of the most alarming on the site. The engine quits while the car is moving, sometimes on a highway and sometimes at a stop. Many owners say it restarted right away and the dealer found no stored code, which is part of why these complaints pile up before anything gets fixed.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (6 reports), the ignition coil or plugs (6 reports) and the engine (6 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the engine covers the 2018 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Santa Fe Sport
Loss of motive power. Closed dec 12, 2023.
Engine fires. Closed feb 5, 2024, led to recall 23V-877.
Non-crash vehicle fires. Closed dec 22, 2021, led to recall 20V-061.
Non-crash vehicle fires. Closed may 10, 2019, led to recall 18V-907.
What owners paid
11 of the 54 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $330 to $2,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 7,600 and 100,000 miles, from the 31 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 1 service bulletin or notice for the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
If you are servicing a vehicle with a transmission slipping concern, follow the Service Procedure shown below and perform a stall test. This TSB provides a procedure to test each clutch in the transmission.
What owners wrote
“Followed all the steps for the theta II engine issue included replacing the knock sensor and spark plugs. The engine lost power when driving to Chicago and had to get the vehicle towed and now the dealer is saying that I have to pay for the engine replacement at my own expense in Hyundai is not covering.”
Filed May 23, 2025
“The check engine light came on. The vehicle attempts to stall when changing gears after a stop or deceleration and the engine shutters at speeds 65mph or greater. I am afraid the vehicle will stall if a fast acceleration is required such as moving onto a highway. A diagnostic was performed to confirm the engine is causing the "Check Engine Light or Service Engine Soon Light."”
Filed Jan 18, 2024
“I was driving 55 miles an hour down a major highway all of the sudden my vehicle jumps and lost all power. I did managed to make it onto the side of the road. I turned off the vehicle and turned it back on it was making a crazy noise. It is now not drivable due to the engine failure.”
Filed Jul 26, 2023
“My truck started making very funny noises out of the engine area, two nights ago, and the next day, the noise persisted, and the car stalled. When we checked the oil, it was bone dry. There was no oil light warning. This car is very well-maintained.”
Filed Jun 15, 2023
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 54 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 84 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 84 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 63 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 49 reports