2013 Hyundai Sonata
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 1,910 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 26 Sonata model years with reports.
Of the 2013 reports, 93 involved a crash and 97 involved a fire. 77 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsMay 6, 2022
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Sonata vehicles. The low pressure fuel hose that connects the low pressure fuel pump to the direct injection fuel pump may crack over time, due to heat generated within the engine compartment.
A cracked fuel hose may leak fuel, which can increase the risk of a fire.
Dealers will replace the low pressure fuel hose, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 10, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 227. This recall replaces NHTSA recall number 20V-121. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 20V-121 that did not receive a replacement fuel hose will need to have this new recall remedy performed.
Campaign 22V312000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsFeb 28, 2020
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Sonata vehicles. The low pressure fuel hose that connects the low pressure fuel pump to the direct injection fuel pump may crack over time due to heat generated within the engine compartment.
If the fuel line cracks, a fuel leak can occur, increasing the risk of a fire.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the low-pressure fuel hose for damage or leaking, replacing it as necessary. If no damage or leaking is found, heat-protective tape will be installed. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 10, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 189. This recall has been replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-314.
Campaign 20V121000 on NHTSA.gov
EngineDec 28, 2018
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2013-2014 Santa Fe Sport vehicles previously repaired under recall numbers 15V-568 and 17V-226. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned, or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, allowing fuel to leak from the pipe.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 1, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's recall number for this recall is 180.
Campaign 18V934000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, pretensionerFeb 27, 2018
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. On February 27, 2018, Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) notified NHTSA that they were recalling 154,753 model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. On April 18, 2018, Hyundai expanded the recall to include an additional 425,305 model year 2012-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying.
If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install an external wire filter kit, free of charge. The recall began October 15, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 174.
Campaign 18V137000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, pretensionerOct 4, 2017
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles previously repaired under recall campaign 17V-152. The seat belt linkages for both front seat belts may detach from the seat belt anchor pretensioners.
If the seat belt linkage detaches from the seat belt anchorage, it can not properly restrain the occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will again verify the connection between the seat belt linkage and the pretensioner and additionally install a warning label to prevent future seat belt linkage detachment, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 169.
Campaign 17V617000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineMar 31, 2017
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine, replacing the engine short block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 162.
Campaign 17V226000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, front, anchorageMar 8, 2017
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the seat belt linkages for both front seat belts may detach from the seat belt anchor pretensioners.
In the event of a crash, if the seat belts detach from the anchor pretensioners, it can increase the risk of injury.
Hyundai will notify owners and dealers will inspect the connection between the seat belt linkages and the seat belt anchor pretensioners, repairing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 7, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for the recall is 160.
Campaign 17V152000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmissionJul 18, 2014
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, through May 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable may detach from from the shift lever pin.
If the transmission shift cable detaches, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver parks the vehicle, despite selecting the 'PARK' position, the transmission may not be in 'PARK.' If the vehicle is not in the 'PARK' position and the parking brake is not applied, there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, repair the connection between the shift cable and shift lever, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 123.
Campaign 14V434000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/windowJul 24, 2012
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Hyundai Sonata passenger cars, manufactured from January 24, 2012, through June 21, 2012. The curtain side airbags on these vehicles may inflate without deployment command due to an error during manufacturing.
The curtain airbag may inflate without deployment command and increase the risk of injury to occupants of the vehicle. Additionally, an unexpected deployment would be a significant driver distraction and would limit the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai dealers will notify owners, and dealers will replace the curtain side airbags free of charge. This recall began on August 31, 2012. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Campaign 12V352000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
773 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Sep 20, 2022
Problem: Engine malfunctioned and lost power on freeway. Car didn't respond to accelerator. Yes the car is available for inspection upon request. Safety issue: Was forced to change lanes unsafely with decelerating car to access shoulder. At some point, engine started responding back. No the problem has not been reproduced yet. Scheduled dealer appointment. No - the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No - Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?
Engine, Sep 16, 2022
Engine stalled on the highway. On inspection at a mechanic shop, it was discovered that the engine oil had dried out even though there were no leakages.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 13, 2022
The engine is burning oil again this is the second engine my car was part of the first recall after noticing how low n black my oil was I noticed it also smells like gasoline. Now I tried to get it in for the recall 227 part of recall 189, it hesitates to start will just stahl whenever n wherever it feels necessary I contacted Hyundai they said drop it off at dealership until it is repaired if no loaner was available then I would have to rent a car now that’s not even feasible considering I might not even get it back rent a car indefinitely that’s ridiculous and expensive. So it’s burning oil again, stahling out, has no power sometimes when u hit gas, oil smells of gas as well as my dipstick smells of gas as well.
Engine, Sep 7, 2022
Engine failure, car seized in traffic
Engine, Sep 2, 2022
Engine stalled on highway. All lights on dash lit up. Was able to have it towed to dealership. Dealership agreed to replace engine at no cost.
Engine, Aug 31, 2022
Engine seized due to bad rod bearing
Engine, Aug 25, 2022
My car is 9 years old with less than 111,000 miles and has been reliable with no major problems. In mid July, my car was running fine until it wouldn't start. My car had started right up 2 times earlier this day with no indication there was a problem. No warning lights of any sort had been on and the car seemed to be running normal. When the car wouldn't start I tried to jump it off in case it was the battery but after that failed I had to have the car towed. I had it towed to a mechanic who said the engine was seized and there was very little oil in the car. I had the oil changed regularly about every 3000-4000 miles and did not have an oil leak which meant the engine was burning and excessive amount of oil. I had to have the car towed a 2nd time from the mechanic to the dealership who also confirmed the engine had seized and found this had been a problem with various years of this model car. This is a safety issue considering the car gave no warning that something wasn't working properly and in danger of engine failure.
Engine, Aug 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at 57 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact saw white smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed a strong rubber-burning odor. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had locked up. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V312000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact initially had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who informed him that the engine had seized. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which he linked to the failure. The contact then towed the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was under an extended warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied the extended warranty due to a lack of service and maintenance records. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 10 MPH, the engine seized. The driver was unaware if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was unable to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with engine bearing wear failure. The battery and starter were also burned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Engine, Aug 18, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine revved loudly and then the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V568000 (Engine) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was sludge in the engine oil, causing the engine to seize. The dealer informed the contact that the warranty was voided due to the previous owner's failure to maintain the oil change. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to tow the vehicle to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.
Engine, Aug 17, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while accelerating at various speeds, she heard a loud knocking noise at the front of the vehicle. The oil warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the oil was changed but the oil warning light remained illuminated. The contact then stated that five to six hours later while driving, the engine failed. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was made aware of the vehicle recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Engine, Aug 16, 2022
I was traveling north on interstate 295 in New Jersey at 65 mph in the left lane . Without warning my car stated to go into shut down mode loosing speed and forced me to exit onto rt70 in cherry hill when all the dash warning lights came on and the engine shut off. I pulled over to a safe haven. I checked the oil dipstick which was full. I tried to restart the engine and starting hearing a loud metal tapping sound from the engine with multiple dash board warning lights flashing. I immediately shut the car off and called for a 70 mile tow home. I had to Uber other family members home do to no safe seats for 4 people in the tow truck. I started a case number 20174138 with Hyundai corporate customer service.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated the vehicle would lose oil at an excessive rate as the oil warning light would appear on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that once he replenished the oil, a large cloud of greyish smoke would emit from the tailpipe upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified about the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
Power train, Engine, Aug 16, 2022
My car has been having issues for the last 3 years and dealership replaced the water pump 2 years ago. Went back to the dealership for engine issues like hesitation and stalling several times and they said they can’t find an issue, they adjust the brake light switch one time as they said they had the code for it, but the car still has the hesitation and stalling issue which they wanted to charge me again for a diagnosis. I looked up online and there are actually recalls for the engine connecting Rod and probably these recalls were cleared by the dealership from my previous visits but I can assure that the engine was not replaced nor the fuel system was not inspected at that time.
Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH and coming to a stop, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove across three lanes and veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized due to metal fragments being stuck into the engine. The dealer replaced the engine under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine And Engine Cooling). Additionally, the contact received a recall notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V312000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). However, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle remained at the dealer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to complete the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine, Aug 9, 2022
Driving at freeway speed and car shutdown. Multiple warning lights and warning alert continuously chiming just like connecting rod bearing Recall campaign 953 states. Car went into Limp Mode. I called and had a tow truck take the car to Hyundai service center. Service center contacted Hyundai and was instructed to borescope engine, take pictures, etc and send data to Hyundai. Took one week to hear back that Hyundai concluded it supposedly isn’t rod bearing failure even though the car is doing everything Campaign 953 says it would if rod bearing failure is the issue. I asked the service center if my vehicle had campaign 953 knock sensor software installed and they told me no because it didn’t affect the hybrid models, which is not true as the recall states Hyundai Sonata hybrids from 2011-2013. I believe my vehicle has been damaged by the issues prompting Hyundai to issue the recalls and do not want to pay for my vehicle. They did not get an independent center to make a determination. Of course they aren’t going to claim it as their fault if they are the only ones who get to check it. I believe Hyundai knows these vehicles pose a risk to owners lives and choose money over our lives. If you look up the other engine issues on this site you will see that the VINs are very similar and likely very close in manufacturing protocols, hence so many having these life-threatening issues. I asked the service center how much it would cost for an engine and they told me that since Hyundai has a lot of issues with parts to fix this issue that they would have to rebuild the engine at a cost of $17-18,000! An outside source should be able to check the issue and give Hyundai their findings in order to properly address this very dangerous issue.
Engine, Aug 6, 2022
We were notified that due to a recall Hyundai has they have increased the original engine warranty from the standard 100,000 mile to a 150,000 miles then we were later notified they had increased it to an unlimited mile engine warranty for the original owner. I ask because the engine in my wife's car started "knocking" while we were on the freeway in Medford, Oregon forcing us to stop, we had it towed to the Hyundai dealership in Medford on June 1st . We have made MANY calls and gone by to try and find out the status on our car and have not been told what the problem is, matter of fact we have not received a call back on any of our calls to the dealer. I filed a complaint with Hyundai USA. They talked to me, got the facts and advised they would call me in "3 days". They also missed the return call to us. I responded to Hyundai USA again yesterday and they just called me, when I asked what the status of my car was the person advised me the dealer was going to contact me (this will be the 5th time but it hasn't happened yet) they are waiting for a specialist to come out and identify/evaluate the problem and its cause. I told them "no one" has contacted me with any information on my car since June 1st. The factory warranty is 100,000 on the engine (per the recall extended to lifetime), my car has 87,000 miles on it. The cause should have little to nothing to do with it getting repaired. Its been serviced by Hyundai dealers since we purchased it. The day the engine began knocking the very first thing I did while waiting for the tow truck was pop the hood and check the oil and other fluid levels, i have never had oil consumption issues. All were in the full/normal range. It has been over 2 months without any information on our car. We live in Northern California and the nearest dealer is in Medford Oregon 1 hour away. I have an open claim with HyundaiUSA 20032955, also not responding to my emails.
Engine, Aug 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 65 MPH, an unknown warning light illuminated. The driver pulled over and the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the mechanic stated that there was no oil in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 108,000. The VIN was not available.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 3, 2022, fire
I was driving one afternoon on my way from the nail shop with my sister my boyfriend & his friend when my call stalled in the middle in the street after managing to get the car out of the street it burst into flames. Due to not having the funds to move it it was towed. It did not have any lights on the dashboard which is why this was very weird for me. After not knowing what caused this stalling or fire I received a recall for my car in the mail.
Engine, Aug 1, 2022
I have replaced the engine in the car after Hyundai “fixed” the engine issue in 2020 the engine locked shortly after! I literally took great care of the engine that I replaced it with and it locked as well. The engine was a used engine! I have put so much money in this car and now I need it repaired again.
Engine, Jul 29, 2022
Motor suddenly stalled without warning. The car turned off and would not restart. I had to roll to a stop on an on ramp. I had to have the car towed home until I could afford to have it looked at. Lights turned on, but the motor would not turn over.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made knocking noises. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the manufacturer declined the engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and declined the engine replacement due to the vehicle having a salvage title. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 21, 2022
While driving the car flashed "Hybrid System Warning! Safely stop and do not drive" and immediately shut off propulsion. I was able to coast just enough to get off to the side of the road. Now the warning comes up as soon as the engine kicks on to charge the hybrid system and the car will not move. If I wasn't in the right hand lane on the highway this could've caused an accident. This happened once in December 2021 with about 86000 miles and went away after letting the car sit for about 30 minutes. It happened again today July 21, 2022 and left me stranded. The car is unusable as of now.
Engine, Jul 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while he and his significant other was driving approximately 10 MPH, the engine was knocking. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed at a dealer or local mechanic. The contact personally diagnosed knock sensor detection system failure with a code reader. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V746000 (Engine). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,354.