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 This recall has been replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-314.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
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 20, 2022
The engine will just cut off occasionally when im driving and I have no control of the steering wheel or anything else
Engine, Jul 15, 2022
As i am sure you all are already aware of Hyundai sonatas and other models are having a major issue with oil consumption i know me personally i am having to add oil to my engine every 200 miles or so which out of all the vehicles i have owned i have never had to do this and when i say add oil i mean after just two or three days of driving i will check my dip stick and there will be no oil on the stick there are thousands of us out here with this same problem. It can cause an very unsafe situation if we are driving on the highway or road and the engine seizes up from no oil causing a crash and Hyundai ignores the problem their needs to be an investigation. Its just like their GDI theta engines that fail prematurely Hyundai was allowed to sell this vehicles to us the consumers even with them being aware of the huge safety issues that the engines had and continue to have. We as tax paying citizens are pleading with you to look into this matter and hold Hyundai accountable for their lies and actions of selling cars that they knew was unsafe and had issues.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Engine, Jul 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine was blown. The dealer advised the contact to file a claim for the repair to be covered; however, the claim was denied. The dealer informed the contact that she had to pay out of pocket for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V312000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) which she associated to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
Steering, Engine, Jul 6, 2022
Hyundai is at it again for not repairing safety defects! I filed the following claim with Hyundai but was first the claim was accepted and allowed then denied when Hyundai objected! The attached documents show my efforts on both the steering issue and fire issue!
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 6, 2022, fire
On May 7th 2022 my 2013 Hyundai Sonata engine caught fire just driving down the road. I had only bought it 2 months prior. Smoke started coming pouring out of the vents and I had to pull over and have the fire department put it out. Hyundai has looked at it and offered to pay off my loan but I gave $4000.00 cash down and now that is lost. They won't cover that. Will there be another class action lawsuit ?
Engine, Jul 2, 2022
Engine siezed at barely over 100000 miles not due to neglect to car. Engine should not sieze for no reason with this many miles on it.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 1, 2022
I was driving on the way home doing 55 mph with my kids and the car started to slow down and light began to pop up on the dashboard. The car shut off. I tried to restart it it wouldn’t restart. I called a tow truck as I was waiting in 100 degree weather with two kids someone tried to give me a jumpstart how ever when they tried to jump start it we noticed smoke coming from the hood. I went to a part store and brought another battery. Thinking it’s the battery I put the new battery in. Car still would not start. And smoke arised again as I’m Still waiting for tow truck for 7 hours @10pm tow truck finally comes. Tow truck takes car to my residence. The next day I call Carvana and silverrock they tow the car to a dealer then call me and tell me the repairs would not be covered. Even though I haven’t had the car for a two full months. I spent my entire pay check. The Mechanic from Firestone tells me it’s a starter. I get the starter fixed 804$ and The next day the same thing happens again only this time my car began to smoke much more. I’ve never experienced anything like this. I’m also paying a car note on this car and I put down more than 4000$. Can somebody please get me out of this lemon. This should not be legal.
Engine, Jul 1, 2022
Hello- On 6/29/2022 I was driving to work when engine power was cut off, like half power. The cars traction control light came on and the AC stopped cooling. I drove to a safe place where is turned the car off for a few minutes, I had only been driving for 20 or so minutes at that time. When I started the car back up everything was fine until yesterday. At two separate times on 6/30/2022 the engine would just cut off/ stall. The control panel would light up like a Christmas tree. I would have to pull over and put the car in park and turn the car back on. Not really sure what is happening here but has me worried as these two stall incidents happen at pretty low speeds but I do have to drive highway speeds for work. I do not hear any knocking of the engine or smell gasoline and all warranty recall, except the July recall, is up to date. I use 93 octane gas because of the age and turbo. I also have a push start which makes this fun to restart.
Engine, Jun 28, 2022, fire
On 4/14/22 while I was pulling up to a stop light my car shut down and the engine caught fire. All dashboard lights illuminated when car shut down. I tried restarting my car to no avail. After a min or two I pushed the car to the side of the road and was just about to call AAA for tow. I then noticed a small amount of smoke from the front end of my car. I decided to open my hood and that's where I noticed a small fire on the engine block. With nothing to put it out I called 911. The fire dept arrived within 5 min from my call. By that time the engine was completely engulfed in flames. The car was a total loss. There were no warnings, or car issues prior. I was driving normally and as I said just pulling up to a stop light while coming to a stop. This is ridiculous and Hyundai should be held accountable as financially this has cost me thousands. And doing very little research online this shows to be a huge issue with many people.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 24, 2022
The car cut off while I was driving. Had it towed to a repair shop, and they said the engine had seized up. Found out that the vehicle was affected by a recall involving the engine having debris left inside at the factory which causes restricted oil flow. I had the car towed to the dealer, and they claimed the engine failed due to "neglect." They didn't inspect for any recalls, and I was charged.
Engine, Jun 23, 2022
Engine rod problems, car has less then 90,000 miles
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 17, 2022
FUEL IN ENGINE. ENGINE FAILURE. had car towed to hyundai of louisvile dealership due to recall on may 20,2022.as of today the dealer has not even began to do anything toward my car. i was told it may take up to 8 weeks before they could even look at my car. I was given a clain number from hyundai #19842116 and a case worker who has not helped at all. I was also denied a loaner from the dearlership
Engine, Jun 8, 2022
Complaint # 11459299 was filed with nhtsa needing follow up as stil denied due to salvage title.?? It was just a door and the body shop over inflated the bill so insurance paid out as a total loss.. there was no frame damage.. As you can see in the pictures I included it’s just a simple door the car is fixed from the door damage and was in pristine condition with the motor locked up Hyundai denied our claim because of the salvage title and the only reason it has a salvage title it’s because the body shop way overinflated the bill before we bought it so the insurance paid out a total loss
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 7, 2022
For about a month, while driving lights go off during the night, MOST recently the lights and car shut off DURING the ride home!! No flashers working! When we attempted to move the steering wheel locked and would not go into drive! Feels like something was stuck, further inspection NOTHING WAS STUCK! when I fuel up the car seizes in the middle of my drives!
Engine, Jun 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle started to decrease in speed and all the lights on the Instrument panel were illuminated. The contact was able to pull over and turn off and on the vehicle. The contact stated that she noticed that oil had leaked. The dealer was not made aware. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 282,261.
Engine, May 26, 2022
Car cut off on expressway started back up cut off again made it home my son in law drove to see if it would cut off on him and it did after 20 minutes car was towed to mechanic where they stated at shop car needed an engine call dealership where car was purchased and they blamed it on me
Engine, May 26, 2022
In 2017, Hyundai performed a complimentary engine inspection on my vehicle as part of NHTSA Campaign 17V226000 (Hyundai Recall 162). Now, nearly four years later, my vehicle is experiencing several of the symptoms of engine/bearing failure as indicated in the recall documentation. The engine is making a knocking/pinging noise, which a Hyundai dealership service department confirmed on 4/12/22. The vehicle sometimes hesitates during acceleration. The engine oil consumption has dramatically increased, but there are no leaks. On three occasions, the engine has burned through an entire tank (nearly 5 quarts) of oil in less than 3,000 miles and the "check engine" and "oil pressure" lights have never illuminated.
Electrical system, Engine, May 23, 2022, crash
The engine component on my car is failing; it is available for inspection upon request. I was put at risk because the vehicle continued to stall during operation due to the car's continuous operation with a worn connecting rod. An independent service center has confirmed the problem. The dealer has not inspected the vehicle component, as they said they have. A warning came up that read, "Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and DO NOT DRIVE!
Other or unspecified, Engine, May 12, 2022
Sometimes car won’t start right away, won’t even try to turn over. Burns lots off oil smokes , acts like it’s going to cut off, has no power. It started when I purchased it November 2020 been getting worse tried to take it back, dealership wouldn’t take it back it started getting a lot worse about February 2022
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, May 12, 2022
My safety was put at risk and the life of others as a chime sound began to sound and the "check brake/Hybrid System Warning" was displayed on the dashboard. This caused the car to press the emergency breaks on its own slowing the vehicle to a complete halt on freeway. This malfunction could have caused a multi vehicle collision. This was taken for inspection and Scanned with GDS and C1235 Pressure sensor, is internal in HECU and cannot be repaired, HECU must be replaced. The vehicle is unsafe to drive and pedal sinks which feels like car does not stop. The output signal voltage of the pressure sensor is out of the specified range, the monitoring starts 1 sec after power up. The cause of this could be that there is a faulty pressured sensor and/or open or short of pressure sensor circuit. The pressure sensor installed in the HECU, converts the brake pressure to judge the drivers brake intention when the ESC program is operated. When pressure is applied to the sensor, the resistance of the sensor's strain gauge changes. The change in resistance changes the voltage output from the sensor. A fail safe inhibits the ESC/DBC control and allow the ABS/EDB control. The ESC/DBC warning lamp is activated. A safety recall should be established by this establishment as other Hyundai Sonata Hybrids are having the same malfunctions and are having to repair costs out of their own pockets, $4,300 given quote.
Engine and engine cooling, May 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. Upon veering to the side of the road, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic however, the independent mechanic was unable to replicate the failure. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the diagnostic test would be performed at his expense as they would have to take the engine apart and would then reassemble it. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer also informed the contact they would follow up with the dealer and they would get back to him. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Engine, May 9, 2022
My 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid starting experiencing issues with the engine. After I took it to a mechanic he informed me that the issues were from a this safety defect relating to an engine rod. He informed me of the recall. I never received any information about this recall from Hyundai or the dealership. It also took over a month to schedule an appointment and they estimate about 8 weeks to fix the problem. So I have been without a vehicle for over a month now and if they do admit the problem came from this recall it will be another 2 months before it will be done. I do not feel this problem was handled in a timely matter especially considering the original recall was issued in December of 2020.
Engine, May 4, 2022
Bearing wear within the engine, when you start the car the engine is making some noises, and there is a check engine flashing on the dashboard. this happened on March 15th, 2022, I took it to the dealer, they confirmed to me that the vehicle has been recalled for this engine failure, and did contact the manufacturer, and the manufacturer told them that: the owner of the vehicle must contact them, which I did, but they say that the car have a branded title, so they can't respond to my recall. And asked me to check with my DMV to see if they can clear the title, but the DMV told me that the car has a rebuilt title already, which is a part of the car's history, and the car manufacturer can't denied to fix this recall because I have a rebuilt title, as long as I have my state vehicle inspection, Hyundai have to fix the safety recall that I have with my car. I did forward this details to the manufacturer, and still no one replied to my email yet. I have a case number with them. And I am still waiting... My car is to the dealer until now, and I don't have any updates
Engine, Apr 30, 2022
Was driving down the road and the car started smoking so pulled over into a parking lot of a business and the engine locked up and could not start vehicle again. No indicator lights or warning lamps went off. Upon opening the hood, discovered it was completely dry with no oil in it at all even though I regularly have the oil changed and there was no warning light or oil pressure light that came on. Towed vehicle to dealership and am awaiting their diagnosis. Safety concern is that the vehicle could have caught on fire and the sudden cessation of the engine could have caused a crash. I have researched and discovered that recall 62 is in place for this year make and model of my vehicle and that there have been many other reports of similar instances with this model vehicle. I did a search on the NHTSA website inputting my VIN # and it says there are no recalls related to my vehicle. However, I don't think it is a coincidence that my vehicle had the same symptoms that others described in their complaints, ie., no warning lights, no prior mechanical issues, smoke coming out of the engine, engine seizing up, etc. I've had no prior mechanical issues or any incidents that led me to believe there was a problem. This occurred suddenly and unexpectedly. I hope that the manufacturer will do the right thing and repair it since I never got notification of the recall and clearly is the same issues that are the subject of the recall.
Engine, Apr 19, 2022
Our car has 70,000 miles on it and has driven just fine. We recently had the battery replaced after it died and had no problems afterward. Then, a month later, the car started to lurch whenever we accelerated on the highway. The very next time we drove, we received an error message that read "Hybrid System Malfunction, Safely Pull Over and Do Not Drive." We did this, turned the car off, restarted it and safely drove to the dealership. The dealer then said they could not replicate the issue and they reset the hybrid system. We picked up the car and immediately started having the lurching issue again, and then the light came on that said Hybrid System Malfunction. The car then was having trouble accelerating and kept flashing at us until we got back to the dealership. The dealer said there was no signal to let them know what is wrong with the vehicle, but it is not un-driveable and put us in a very dangerous situation not being able to accelerate safely on the highway. The dealer had to call an engineer and they have determined it to be a problem with the transmission, but they are not able to guarantee that this will fix the problem.