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 This recall has been replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-314.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
1,910 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Mar 27, 2023
I have been contacting Hyundai since before November 2022 on an issue with the engine. At this point, the engine was spuddering, hard to acclerate, lags, shuts off yet no warning lights were on. I was told about the engine recall which is why I went there. Set an appt and when I got in, he said it does not SOUND like a rod knock and sent me home even though there is an active recall on the car that is IMPORTANT to fix, the fuel line. He did not care to fix that. I wrote Hyundai and they sent me another dealer and that was that. No cares in the world at how we were treated. Its been now 3 months and the car has been sitting because Hyundai refuses to help. The car only has 105,000 miles on a 2013. I have a case manager assigned that is avoiding my calls and finance company yelling at me for maintenance receipts of the car. Maintenance receipts are not listed anywhere. I have barely had the car a year! The fact that they sent my family home in an unsafe car is not cool! Then on my travels, the car starts knocking loudly and the check engine AND oil light both come on but the check engine light was flashing. NOONE IS HELPING US. My fiance lost his job because we had to rely on uber or lyft for him to get to work and he was late a few times due to those services not being reliable. There is a recall on the engine with the same specifications that I am having AND an OPEN recall for the very very hazardous fuel line on the car to be replaced. I am tired of the run around. I need help! I have seen the numerous complaints on this car so why is it so hard to get help? When I start my car it sounds like a helicopter but with metal, not air so LOUD and is a rod knock. Another call to the case manager made today and again ignored. I cannot post a video
Steering, Engine, Mar 21, 2023
Steering in my vehicle has been very sloppy and hard to keep in a straight line. The engine just went out on me a few days ago and almost caused a wreck due to the car almost dying on the freeway.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Mar 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was mushy while depressed and went to the floorboard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the brakes and power steering were still operable. The contact was able to coast off the highway. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The contact had been advised by the mechanic that the engine failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V617000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
Engine, Mar 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. Additionally, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V312000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,817.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 20, 2023
First off there was no lights on other than the low tire pressure symbol that shows up, so I decided to go have my tire replaced, got it done, I drove off after having a tire replaced and within a minute or 2 of being back on the road my car just shuts off. I pulls over to see or access the car, don’t know what happened. I ended up having to have the car towed home.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Mar 19, 2023
The electrical system of the vehicle malfunctions regularly. When the headlights are on, the brake lights are stuck on and do not turn off, nor do they properly "activate" when braking. If the headlights are off, they work just fine. If the headlights are on, the entire dashboard lighting is prone to going haywire. On several occasions with the headlights on, the electrical system has malfunctioned and turned off all lights, inside and outside. They will not turn back on unless I turn the headlights off and back on. Turning on the high beams has made the lighting malfunction and the entire vehicle will decelerate, even when pressing on the gas. I will gladly allow my vehicle for inspection upon request. This is clearly a hazard to both myself and other vehicles on the road, especially at night. Not only is the lack of functional brake lights a hazard, but so is having rapidly flashing lights on the dashboard to myself as a driver. Moreover, the headlights randomly turning off at night is extremely dangerous, as is the random deceleration. Upon looking into it to see if I could find an answer, I learned it's a common problem with 2011-2014 Hyundai Sonatas and to see that so many have this issue but nothing has been done to correct it is shocking. My local dealership did inspect my car upon an engine seizure a few years ago, but all they reported was an issue with the passenger side brake light bracket and bulb (another common issue it seems). I have never received any sort of warning lamp or message, aside from the traction light randomly coming on from time to time for no reason.
Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 17, 2023
Everytime I put fuel in my car I get a strong gas smell outside and inside my car. I’ve looked to see if there is a leak and do not see anything. Looked to see if there are recalls and shows there are 8 but when I put vin in. There is no recalls. Don’t know if the have been taken care of alright or I never had them on my car.
Engine, Mar 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under TSB: 21-01-022H-1; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Mar 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that there was a strong gasoline odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V312000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to the recall. The low-pressure fuel hose was replaced under the recall; however, the failure reoccurred two months later. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that fuel was leaking from the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) and the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Engine, Mar 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated the vehicle was experiencing an oil consumption failure. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, but the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,836.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Service brakes, Mar 12, 2023, fire
I bought my car used from a private party in March of 2022 with around 132,000miles. In a year's time I have replaced the rear passenger side tail light bulbs 3 to 4 times, the whole light assembly, and the wiring harness twice due to the bulb getting to hot and the plastic caught on fire the first time and melting the second. Noticed the smoke when I pulled into a gas station that day and opened the trunk quickly and beat the small flame with a small blanket I had in the trunk. My kids sit in the back seat. So I'm constantly worrying while driving when they are in the back. The headlight bulbs go out quicker in this vehicle as well. I've had to replace the headlight bulbs 3 times already. This is also too close to the fuel pump for this sort of thing to happen in my opinion. This needs to be resolved A. S. A. P.
Engine, Mar 9, 2023
My engine in my 2013 Sonata GLS has been consuming outrageous amounts between my oil changes no oil change lights has ever come on NOT ONCE. I’m just driving with no oil the only reason I checked because I heard rattling sound. This occurred 5000 miles before the next oil change was due. The past 3 oil changes this has happened and I’m thinking the dealership not adding oil and they say they are and I say why am I always out of oil. I purchase the car in 2014 NEW although it’s a 2013 I’m the only owner it had 16 miles on it then CURRENTLY has just under 120k so I don’t drive it much.
Other or unspecified, Mar 9, 2023
hyundai sonata 2013 acceleration stopped working while on freeway. Lagging Noise when pressing on gas to accelerate. Noticed engine light flashing. Red oil light was on as well as EPS light on . Got off freeway to off ramp in turn lane. Luckily stopped by itself. brakes stopped working couldn't press down and not able to use gas. Car was still on only thing I could do was turn steering wheel. After 10 min was able to turn off car and turn back on with only engine light on and could move off the off ramp to chevron gas station. Later I was able to follow my husband to our home with car. Engine was still on and flashing .
Engine, Mar 8, 2023
The engine sounds like piston slapping. The engine still running but can not drive.
Electrical system, Engine, Mar 4, 2023
ENGINE running is problem
Engine, Feb 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking. The contact stated that the engine was previously replaced in 2019. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Engine, Feb 26, 2023
My Sonata has been burning through oil. I have to add a quart about every 1000 miles or less. I am getting my oil changed frequently due to this problem. I was told at my mechanic's that this is a common issue with 2013 Sonata's. I don't know if there is anything else wrong but my engines lights come on and the car is having issues getting to speed limits on highways as it is very sluggish.
Service brakes, Back over prevention, Feb 19, 2023
Hi last week I start my hybrid sonata 2013 when the engine get hot I start running car withing 5 minutes I was driving 35mph and suddenly my break fail and car start flush warning check brake this is the 4time is very unsafe car sonata hybrid
Engine, Feb 19, 2023
Rod bearing
Engine, Feb 16, 2023
While driving for approximately 10 minutes, all service lights in the dash came on and the engine cut off completely. The car was able to start and was taken to a mechanic where the PO1326 code was recorded. The car was taken to Hyundai and they couldn’t replicate it. Approximately 5 hours after picking my car up the services lights came on and the car stopped working. Now it is locked up and will not turn over.
Visibility, Feb 16, 2023
The glass on the top of the car (sunroof) spontaneously exploded on the interstate at a speed of 70 mph. The hole on top of the car was about 16-20 inches in diameter and the entire sheet of glass on the sunroof was cracked. As the driver, the spontaneous shattering of the roof could have caused serious bodily harm because the glass would have quickly flown into the vehicle due to high speeds and the high volume of glass. I did not open the sunroof to inspect it; thankfully, the sunroof was closed at the time of the spontaneous shattering. I did exit the vehicle after pulling over to inspect and get photo evidence of the damage to the vehicle. The exterior temperature was 74 degrees with minimal airflow inside the vehicle (the interior temperature was 70-73 degrees). There was no rain, hail, or other weather incidents. Few vehicles were around and none had debris coming out. No bridge, streetlight, or other objects were above. The vehicle is currently in this state with a hole in the roof. The problem has been reported to the manufacturer and photo proof is available. It is also available for inspection upon request and will be inspected by the dealership. There were no warnings, messages, or other notifications.
Exterior lighting, Feb 16, 2023
The brake lights and headlights keep going out within a few month of changing the bulbs
Seat belts, Feb 16, 2023
The seatbelt retractor won’t click for my seatbelt to stay in.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Feb 13, 2023
The Engine Light is on and when you first take off ,you can’t press the gas pedal as much as the engine start shaking