2013 Hyundai Santa FE
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 605 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 25 Santa FE model years with reports.
Of the 2013 reports, 14 involved a crash and 41 involved a fire. 13 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideSep 22, 2023
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.
Campaign 23V651000 on NHTSA.gov
Latches/locks/linkages, hood, latchJun 5, 2017
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. 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.
If the hood is not securely closed or the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary latch cable, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for the recall is 163.
Campaign 17V358000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, axle assembly, axle shaftAug 12, 2013
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2013 front wheel drive Santa Fe Sport vehicles manufactured July 13, 2012, through March 12, 2013; and equipped with 2.4 liter engines. Due to a manufacturing issue, the right front axle shaft may fracture.
A fractured front axle may result in a loss of power to the wheels. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked without the parking brake applied, it may roll away. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai Custom Care Center at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall number is 112.
Campaign 13V355000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
279 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Mar 3, 2022
Car has 122000 and lost power. Hyundai said it needs a new engine and refuse to pay
Engine, Mar 1, 2022
VERY WELL MAINTAINED LOW MILES WITH A P1326, P0014, C1611 CODES WHICH I HAD CLEARED AND LOOKED AT BY MY SHOP ONLY TO BE STANDARD HALF-MILE LATER ON A VERY BUSY ROAD, HAD A TOW COME AND GET ME WHICH WAS EXPENSIVE ALONG WITH THE BILL I HAD JUST PAID FOR. I THOUGHT IT HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE B/C THE SMELL WAS SO TERRIBLE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. THIS SUCKS AND THEY PROBABLY WON'T DO A [XXX] THING ABOUT IT. AS I LIVE ALREADY LIKE I'M IN POVERTY THIS ISN'T ENOUGH. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine, Feb 8, 2022
My wife was driving down the highway on her way home from work. It was dark and at the evening rush hour,when the highway is already dangerous to be traveling on at that time. All of the sudden while traveling in the second lane her engine lost power and dropped in speed to 20 mph from 65 mph. There were no warning lights, or prior sounds ,vibrations or other symptoms to indicate an issue. She immediately became worried about trying to get the car off the highway and to a safe place, with out causing or being involve in an accident. She called me scared and didn’t want to drive it any further. After we got the car home, I checked for fouled plugs, bad coil pack, maybe bad fuel in the tank or possibly a bad or stuck injector. None of these had any issues. Our son who works at Somersworth Hyundai here in New Hampshire,as a salesman, talked to the technician there and he told us to bring the car there and he’d take a look at it. When we heard back from him the technician said that there was no compression in cylinder number 2. My safety concern is that when this the case the injectors continue to dump fuel into the cylinder. Causing excess fuel that doesn’t get combusted in the cylinder to be dumped into the exhaust manifold and out the tail pipe as a heated vapor. The concern is the fumes, the possibility of a fire igniting in the hot exhaust manifold and causing an uncontrollable situation. The technician also said if you take a bore scope you will see that a valve in the head has broken off for cylinder 2 and has caused this issue. The car has been sitting in my garage now for 4-5 months. We still owe on this car and it can’t be safely moved anywhere with out being towed.
Engine, Feb 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle started vibrating and making a knocking sound. The contact stated that he then took his vehicle to an independent mechanic who advised him that he needed to take his vehicle to the dealer. The contact stated that once he arrived at the dealer he was advised that he would need a new engine and it may be covered under the warranty. The contact stated that he was denied the warranty coverage from the manufacturer, as he did not follow up with a recall to update the engine software to prevent the engine from knocking. The contact stated that he never received a recall notice regarding the recall. The contact also stated that he was informed that even if he had the software updated the engine failure would have still occurred. The contact stated that he spoke to the manufacturer who explained the denial and a case was opened. The approximate mileage failure was 99,023.
Engine, Feb 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where an oil consumption test was performed. The contact was informed that the engine was blown and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Engine, Jan 27, 2022
The engine(3.3L) on my vehicle went out. It has well under 100,000 miles on it. I was driving down the highway and the engine just started making a noise and instantly shut down. There were no check engine lights on or any warning at all. The vehicle wasn't making any noises at all until the moment it shut down without warning. There wasn't any oil pressure lights on or low oil lights or nothing. The oil was always regularly changed. My family and I are just lucky that we were on a cold, dark, empty highway that night instead of on a busy interstate. If we had been in busy traffic, it would have been a very dangerous situation. I have called the Hyundai dealership(Crain Hyundai, North Little Rock,AR)where I bought the vehicle from. I explained to them what was going on. They said there is nothing they can do about it because I'm the second owner of the vehicle. I called the Hyundai Cooperation and explained the situation to them as well. They gave me a case number and also said there is nothing they can do about it. I went on the internet and found that several people have had the same problem with their vehicle engine (3.3L)as me. I also found that Hyundai had done a recall on that same vehicle year, make and model for the exact same problem. But their recall was only for the 4 cylinder engine and not for the 6 cylinder engine. I called Hyundai Cooperation back and told them that they needed to add the 6 cylinder engine to their recall as well. They still insisted that there was nothing they could do. I think the Hyundai Cooperation needs to fix this problem. It's very expensive to us consumers of theirs. Someone could also get hurt if their vehicle shut down on them in heavy traffic or in the wrong place.
Engine, Dec 30, 2021
The back of the engine is smoking and has a burning smell
Engine, Dec 27, 2021
This is my daughter car and she is getting no where with Hyundai. The middle of November I was driving her car from Raleigh nc , we stopped to get gas , then I got to my house and then she drive to her house. After 20 minutes later she called and her car had stopped on the side of the road. She waited for triple a but no luck so she had to leave on the side of the road. The next day car was towed to garage. They said motor was gone. No warning no nothing. He told us about a recall 953?? Or something so we towed to Hyundai. They said she didn’t have a recall so they will not pay for her car to be fixed. We feel like Hyundai should stay behide this engine. My daughter is a hard working nurse and purchases this car used snd still owes 5,000 and they said they would give her 500.00 for the car. The car was driving great and no lights ever came on the dash. Please help me to get in touch with the right people bc I know this all has to do with all the engine problems all Hyundai’s are having. She did say right before it stopped running some lights came on the dash then it just died. She thought it was just a battery so she tried to get triple about with a battery but they were behide that night and never showed. The oil had been changed about 3,000 miles when this happened. Please help us get her car fixed. Thank you
Engine, Dec 16, 2021
hyundia and darcy hyundia dealership (815) 725-5200 know of this excessive oil consumption problem with the engine and now this vehicles oil consumption has ruined the catalytic converters . vehicle is using 1 qt. a week driving about 150 miles estimated. My Daughter was driving home from work during rush hour and car lost power and went into limp mode . car was towed to dealership .12/3/2021 and had vehicle 7-10 days and said problem is plugged catalytic converters. root cause to much oil consumption.this problem started years ago with oil consumption . we took it to the dealership and they kept saying it was normal .I said that it was excessive .which it was .I could not get them to repair the motor and they new it was excessive oil consumption.My Daughters safety was put at risk.It was night time and rush hour .Now were getting nowhere with hyundia and Darcy hyundia of joliet IL.60436
Engine, Dec 1, 2021
My wife’s 2013 Santa Fe 2.0 Sport AWD started consuming 1-2 quarts of oil a week a few months prior to the problem that inevitably ended in a very stressful and unsafe situation for her on her drive home. The engine with out warning on the dash or any other signs lost the number two cylinder compression and caused the car to have major acceleration issues. As well as raw fuel being dumped into the cylinder and entering into the exhaust manifold. As you can barely breath when standing behind the car or even driving behind it. Her car was taken to a Hyundai dealership after I had seen there was a recall on her motor for a failure of a Nok Sensor. The dealership technician diagnosed the issue and said that there was no compression in the second cylinder due to a valve in the head breaking off. We were told that the repairs would not be covered by a recall and that the cars engine would need to be replaced as the fact that the raw fuel being dumped into the engine destroyed that cylinder. Again no warnings or warning lights, car acceleration was extremely slow and the car shook while trying to get it home safely. I am concerned that in an area where the temperature outside is significantly higher than where we live, that raw fuel could ignite in the exhaust system, as well as cause a vehicle low on fuel to combust due to the vapor of the tank possibly igniting due to to the possible fire in the engine compartment and exhaust system.
Engine, Nov 15, 2021, fire
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that as he pulled into his workplace, he saw smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he parked the vehicle and left. The contact also stated that the vehicle was burning a significant amount of oil. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact became aware of the recall for NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer informed the contact that no issues were found upon inspecting the engine. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was still awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
Engine, Nov 13, 2021
The engine has a Knock. As if the rod or bearing are lose. The connecting Rod bearings sound loose. It started in my way to Dance class for my daughter.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 5, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently started to stall. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that she was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to tow the vehicle to the dealer for the recall repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V586000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine had failed. The dealer notified that the manufacturer of the diagnostic test result and the manufacturer informed the dealer that they would not cover the repair of the vehicle because the ECM and cluster update had not been completed. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 187,000.
Engine, Oct 21, 2021
October 15, 2021. Driving South on Hwy 99 near Pixley when all of a sudden the engine died and the car started coasting. I was in the fast lane doing approximately 65mph. Put the blinker on and when a semi truck on the other lane finally passed me I was able to coast off the 99 onto a off ramp where I pulled over shaking because the engine stopping could have caused a very tragic accident. Tried to restart the engine and it did but could hear it rattling so I shut it off and called Auto Club for a tow. Had it towed back to Fresno to Auto Works where they confirmed the lower end had failed. Left it there and picked up my Jeep and continued my trip to So Cal. While there I was told by a friend there were numerous 4 cyl engine failures. I then found out thru Hyundai that there was a recall on my vehicle.
Engine, Oct 21, 2021
Engine seized up while driving. How many complaints before NHTSA investigates?
Engine, Oct 16, 2021
Engine oil level is low even though the car had just an oil change. Car was brought to Subaru dealership where we bought the car. They said the engine is burning oil and the oil was very dark. They recommended to bring it to a nearby Hyundai dealership for engine recall or warranty. We contacted Hyundai dealership but they told us there was no recall nor warranty nor are they going to conduct a diagnosis. We brought the car to a trusted auto repair shop and they said the same thing the Subaru dealership told us. We contacted Hyundai dealership but told us again that there is no recall or warranty.
Engine, Sep 24, 2021
My vehicle engine has an oil consumption problem that was diagnosed in July of 2021. The car was making a bad vibrating rattling noise, and the red oil light came on which prompted immediate diagnostics July 6th, 2021. When they assessed they stated to drive it and check the oil level and on August 2nd I brought the vehicle back and they recommended starting the Hyundai protocol for diagnosing burn of oil due to smoke The Hyundai dealership I have had my car serviced at went through the 1000 mile burn test to diagnose the problem and this was confirmed to be the issued September 10th, 2021. Hyundai states that engine is under warranty but will only repair (or replace) the engine if the engine undergoes a catastrophic failure involving the bearings. This seems highly dangerous and illegal. If the engine burns too much oil the engine will seize. When the engine seizes, this could cause the operator to lose control of the vehicle causing harm to the driver, passengers, or others on the public roadway. I have contacted Hyundai corporate headquarters about this, though links provided on their website are broken and make it difficult to get clear answers. I have done the required maintenance and have records to prove this. However I am VERY FRUSTRATED AND SCARED. My engine has not seized or failed yet, but if this issue is not resolved, it WILL fail. When the manufacturer knows this issue exists, and when the consumer proactively maintains their vehicle, brings it into the dealership to be told “to drive it and let it catastrophically fail” for Hyundai to acknowledge their warranty is unethical and if not illegal, it should be. Reading online, there are many others who are having similar problems. These are the cases related to this issue: Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation, No. 8:17-cv-00838-JLS-JDE (C.D. Cal.) Flaherty v. Hyundai Motor Company, et al., No. 18-cv-02223 (C.D. Cal.) PLEASE look into this. Thank you, Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine, Sep 15, 2021
On Saturday, September 11, 2021 while driving, the engine light came on and the car started to to hesitate a little. We were able to make it home and to a mechanic. The mechanic said the engine seized up and now needs to be replaced. There was a recall on this model due to this very thing but my car was not part of the recall. Hyundai is now saying the 10year/100,000 mile power train warranty only applies to the original owner. I have never missed an oil change, I'm up do date on all the manufacturers recommendation for service for the mileage, which is just under 94,000. I feel they should be responsible. Thank you.
Engine, Aug 25, 2021
There has been a recall on vehicles like this one with the smaller engines. But, not for the 3.3 engines like I have. Everything the small engines were recalled for, this one is doing too. When you get up to high speeds on the highway the engine starts to knock/stall. I almost was in a car accident with my children because of this. Hyundai is refusing to help pay because they are saying the 3.3 engines weren't affected. But, clearly they were. I took it to a mechanic and he confirmed it was the engine and he has seen dozens just like mine going through the same issues. The check engine light came on last September. It only blinks when at high speeds on the interstate. We had tried fixing other things on it, not thinking it was the engine itself. Until when we took it in yesterday and they ran a test and said that this has been reported multiple times on the tsb mechanic website of these 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe vehicles, the engines going out. My car only has 94k miles and they are still refusing to help us. I am floored with how we are being treated. This is a known problem and I have four children who need a vehicle to get around for school, doctors appointments, activities. This has been some the worst stress of my life dealing with this SUV. I have kept up so well on my vehicle, only for something that is not my fault to go wrong and now my kids/family is having to suffer because of it.
Engine, Aug 2, 2021, fire
A hole developed in the bottom of the engine while driving, after a popping noise. Smoke started, and fluid leaked. Why was this VIN not part of the engine recall for Sante Fe Sport SUVs that was announced in May 2021? I just bought this car from a dealer in July, and they said there were no open recalls. Now the car is useless, and not sure if it is still covered by the limited used car warranty.
Engine, Jul 26, 2021
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated the vehicle would not immediately start-up and required several attempts before the vehicle would start-up. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, but the dealer informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, she heard abnormal knocking sounds coming from the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the vehicle was out of warranty. A case was opened. The failure mileage was 95,934.
Engine, Jul 10, 2021
The waste guage on the turbo stalled and would not work while I was driving. Next the call stopped and the engine stopped working with no warning while I was driving. This could have been very serious if I was in traffic on the highway or in front of a truck at a high rate of speed.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Jul 8, 2021
My vehicle had been stalling on I assign for a couple of months until one day in June 2021 it wouldn’t start at all. I got a new battery installed and assumed that all was well. Weeks later, I was in route to visit family when my ABS, traction, and down hill break lights all came on. I pulled over and tried cutting my car off and on a few times to see if that would resolve the issue and it did not. My car also seemed to slow down a bit and struggled slightly accelerating up hills. In 2019 my turbo engine was replaced after my vehicle stopped accelerating while I was on the interstate. There is currently a recall on 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe’s that reads: “ Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) module, possibly resulting in an electrical short… If the ABS module short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.“ unfortunately my VIN is not included in the recall and I fear my car may catch fire any day now as a result of this failure.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 30, 2021
In May 2020 the vehicle started experiencing an issue that would constantly put it in limp mode. Took it in at an automotive place and they replaced it with a brand new computer. A few days later, the issue happened again. Took it back. They could not determine the problem and said we should bring it to the local Hyundai dealership in Naples, FL. Hyundai dealership in Naples, FL swore up and down it was the brake pedal assembly. Trusted their judgment and replaced it. Not even a few days later, car goes back into limp mode. Take it back to the local Hyundai dealership. They swear up and down it is now the tracking device on the vehicle. So between the warranty company, the dealership we bought the car from and the local Hyundai dealership we get the tracking device reinstalled. We take the car not even a few days later car goes back into limp mode. We dealt with this issue since May 2020-September 2020 at the local Hyundai dealership. They finally disconnected the tracking device. Now mind you the limp mode issues with the vehicle only happen when it is raining. In our dry season we experience no issues. Fast forward to June 2021 limp mode issues have returned since we are now in our rainy season. Local Hyundai dealership swore up and down again it is the tracking device. I had advised them it is impossible since they unplugged it and this issue only happens in the rain. They still swore it was the tracking device. They finally got the vehicle really wet and they finally were able to see what we were talking about. So now they changed their professional opinion that it is the wiring harness. Apparently this vehicle has two different wiring harnesses. So they are suggesting we replace both, but they can't guarantee that will work. So it appears they really do not know what is wrong with the car. If it was truly wiring then why would it only malfunction in the rain and not when it is dry? How is rain getting getting under the hood and through the protective component
Engine, Jun 25, 2021
engine failed driving down the road. was told by hyundai mechanic said to report matter possibly was missed by manufacturer metal debris that caused lock up no recall for my vin as of yet