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 This recall has been replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-314.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, 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 $4000.00 cash down and now that is lost. They won't cover that. Will there be another class action lawsuit ?
Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 3, 2022
I was notified of two recalls on my vehicle. I am the second owner of the vehicle but need to know if I am able to get these recalls fixed without paying out of pocket.
Engine, Jul 2, 2022
Engine siezed at barely over 100000 miles not due to neglect to car. Engine should not sieze for no reason with this many miles on it.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 1, 2022
I was driving on the way home doing 55 mph with my kids and the car started to slow down and light began to pop up on the dashboard. The car shut off. I tried to restart it it wouldn’t restart. I called a tow truck as I was waiting in 100 degree weather with two kids someone tried to give me a jumpstart how ever when they tried to jump start it we noticed smoke coming from the hood. I went to a part store and brought another battery. Thinking it’s the battery I put the new battery in. Car still would not start. And smoke arised again as I’m Still waiting for tow truck for 7 hours @10pm tow truck finally comes. Tow truck takes car to my residence. The next day I call Carvana and silverrock they tow the car to a dealer then call me and tell me the repairs would not be covered. Even though I haven’t had the car for a two full months. I spent my entire pay check. The Mechanic from Firestone tells me it’s a starter. I get the starter fixed 804$ 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.
Other or unspecified, Jun 29, 2022
The brake lights wont turn off when car is off
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.
Other or unspecified, Jun 25, 2022
Unknown
Structure, Jun 24, 2022
The front passenger door does not open even when it is unlocked. The power locks will make the noise as if the door is unlocked but the latch is stuck. Even if you manually unlock the door, it will not open. This is a safety issue because you can not safely exit the vehicle if you were in the passenger seat. There were no warnings before this problem presented itself.
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, Jun 23, 2022
This is the second time the car does not register that is in parking and the motor is off. The electric system does not shuts off, everything that is electric stops working, as well as the door locks, which if your are inside the car it is very dangerous because even to unlock the door manually is hard. The car won't unlock with the electric key, the radio stopped working, and the rear view camera as well. The car keeps saying to put on parking because it does not register that it is on parking and it will beep the whole time without shouting off causing the battery to die completely. I dropped of the car at the dealer on Tuesday June 21 around noon time, but I have not heard anything from them. Today is June 23rd I called them at 9:46 am, but they have not returned my phone call yet to let me know what is wrong with the car. Prior to this incident with the electric system, the car will make strange noises and immediately after the breaks vibrate. I am concerned about my safety.
Steering, Jun 21, 2022
The steering feels loose while driving at any speed. When traveling over a rough road, speed bump, or pot hole, the steering wheel rattles and makes a noise that sounds like a loose screw in a cup. A clicking noise can be heard when the car is sitting and not moving. After doing research on this serious issue, I'm quite surprised to see there has been no recall, due to the high number of complaints, especially when this could result in death if the driver is not able to control the steering causing the vehicle to travel into a different lane of travel or into a crosswalk. As a retiree, am unable to afford high repair costs.
Steering, Jun 21, 2022
Car was stolen 6/20/22 and they where able to get in it in under a minute. Don’t understand how and why?
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
Service brakes, Jun 17, 2022
The brake lights stay on even with the engine off. Happened multiple time.
Exterior lighting, Jun 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while replacing the rear driver’s side taillight bulb and pulling out the socket assembly, the plastic melted onto the socket making it difficult to remove the bulb. The contact removed the light socket and the bulb fractured. The dealer was contacted but offered no assistance. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall and that the repair would be an out-of-pocket expense. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 167,000.
Air bags, Other or unspecified, Jun 15, 2022
I have reported several times to hyundai that the dashboard has several cracks on the area of the airbag on the passenger side and driver side. I was instructed to take it to dealer which I did and I was informed that it is considered a cosmetic issue. I do not have a custom made dashboard and my concern is that those cracks will be continue to get bigger to the point it will cause the airbag to deploy at any time.
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!
Steering, Jun 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while going over a speed bump, there was a loud noise coming from the steering wheel. In addition, the contact stated that the steering wheel felt loose. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic stated the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer or the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 43,520.
Steering, Jun 4, 2022
After starting the car and putting it in the reverse or in drive, the steering wheel gives jerks as if something is loose.
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.
Exterior lighting, May 28, 2022
My back left brake light is out. It's been out for a few months now. I took it to Hyundai and they said I needed a new lamp. Recently I started taking pictures of other sonata's when I'm out and a lot of other vehicles I've seen have the same problem.
Structure, May 27, 2022
passenger rear door will not open, not from the inside or outside of the vehicle