What's Wrong with the 1st Generation (2013–2019) Santa Fe Sport?

Santa Fe Sport owners have made 63 complaints about the 2013–2019 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 23rd out of 50 Hyundai generations in overall reliability, with some engine and transmission concerns.

Common 2013-2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Problems

Some of the worst issues 1st generation Santa Fe Sport owners have to deal with.

  1. ABS Fire

    There are a disturbing number of fires starting in the antilock braking system (ABS) of Hyundai vehicles. The fires start from short-circuits within the ABS due to liquid contamination and corrosion. At first the problem was li…

    Continue reading article "ABS Fire" An isolated dual-clutch transmission on display.

  2. Panoramic Sunroof Explodes

    Hyundai refuses to acknowledge that their sunroofs have been exploding under normal driving conditions, but they’re offering plenty of coverage to owners if (or when) it happens thanks to a 2019 lawsuit settlement.

    Continue reading article "Panoramic Sunroof Explodes" An illustrated interior view of the panoramic sunroof.

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

1st Generation (2013–2019) Santa Fe Sport Key Numbers

  1. 7 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 63 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 23rd in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 50 eligible generations.

Recent Lawsuits for 1st Generation Santa Fe Sport Owners

  • Dismissed

    Schechter, et. al., v. Hyundai Motor America, et al.

    3:18-cv-13634

    1. Dismissed

      Hyundai has again defeated consumer fraud class claims over an allegedly defective powertrain component in certain Santa Fe SUVs that cause the vehicles to lose power on the road after a New Jersey federal judge said a customer didn't show the automaker knew about the purported defect before he leased his vehicle.

    2. Partially dismissed

      A NJ federal judge dismissed all the claims in the class-action bid except breach of express and implied warranties, and tossed all claims relating to Santa Fe Sport 2.0T and Santa Fe Sport 3.3-liter vehicles.

    3. Case Filed

      The lawsuit alleges Hyundai concealed powertrain defects that cause a loss of power, rough shifting and delayed acceleration when turning or merging onto highways.

    Class Vehicles
    • 2017-2018 Santa Fe
    • 2017-2018 Santa Fe Sport
    Class Members
    TBD
    Location
    New Jersey

Recent 1st Generation (2013–2019) Santa Fe Sport News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  2. Hyundai has proposed a settlement that would offer owners extended coverage in case their sunroofs explode.

    If approved, the settlement would double the existing sunroof warranty, reimburse certain previously-paid expenses, and even offer cash to those that decide to sell their car within the next 90 days.

    Hyundai still won’t admit the sunroof is defective, but they’re sure acting like it is.

    keep reading article "Hyundai Has Offered to Settle an Expoding Sunroof Lawsuit Settlement And It’s Good News for Owners"

  3. Hyundai is recalling nearly 100,000 engines with fuel tubes that were misaligned, improperly tightened, or otherwise damaged during installation.

    This lets gas can spray out onto hot surfaces and is the **perfect recipe for engine fires. It gets worse.

    This was supposed to be Hyundai’s opportunity to right the wrongs of their gasoline direct injection engines with massive oil flow problems. Those engines were notorious for knocking, seizing, and were eventually recalled in multiple campaigns. These were the replacements and now because of an installation snafu they’re catching on fire.…

    keep reading article "Hyundai Can't Even Stop Their Replacement Engines From Catching on Fire"

  5. The 2018 Santa Fe Sport has been recalled for suspension issues

    , although most of the affected vehicles haven’t been sold yet. Hyundai is recalling about 200 model year 2018 Santa Fe Sport SUVs at risk of losing control while on the roads.

    The automaker says the front coil springs may not have been manufactured correctly and can break under certain loads. This is another in a long-line of manufacturing issues for Hyundai. The automaker is still dealing with manufacturing issues in the Theta II engine that have forced multiple recalls.

    keep reading article "Front Coil Spring Recall for the 2018 Santa Fe Sport"

  6. Hyundai is recalling the 2017 Santa Fe Sport because the seat belts can detach in a crash. Talk about defeating the purpose.

    The latest recall includes 2017 Santa Fe Sport SUVs to fix issues with the driver's side seat belt anchors that may not have been tightened properly during assembly. Bolts that aren't tight enough may cause the seat belts to detach from the anchors during a crash.

    In case you missed it, the same vehicles were recently recalled for hoods flying open while driving. The 2017 Santa Fe sounds like a real hoot to drive.

    keep reading article "The 2017 Santa Fe Sport Has Seat Belts That Detach in a Crash"

  7. The bad news: the Santa Fe (and Sport) have hoods that can fly open and need to be recalled.

    The good news: this is an issue with the secondary latch, which is basically your safety net in case the primary latch fails.

    Hyundai says the 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport SUVs have secondary hood latch actuating cables that can corrode and bind, causing the secondary latch to stay unlatched when the hood is closed.

    keep reading article "Some Hyundai SUVs Recalled Because Their Hoods Fly Open While Driving"

  8. 572,000 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles are being recalled because the Theta II engines can seize at any moment.

    Hyundai says machining errors occurred when the engines were built and those errors can cause the engine bearings to wear out early. Those prematurely worn bearings will cause the engine to lock up, something a dealer will need to fix by replacing the engine short block.

    Hyundai admits that two errors made during manufacturing are responsible for this problem.…

    keep reading article "More Stalling Theta II Engines Will be Replaced in the 2013-2014 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport"