NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Hyundai Sonata. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Rod bearing almost completely out making the vehicle unsafe to drive car only has148000 miles
I was driving on the freeway 65 mph and my car just shut off and locked up and I couldn't break
Around mid-April of 2023, I was driving and i attempted to LIGHTLY apply my brakes and an alarm starts going off. Then the brakes VIOLENTLY start grinding. I went from 50mph to an immediate 10mph. The dealership said they replaced the fuse that SHOULD solve the problem. It did not. My car has been sitting at the dealership for a whole year now. They have not been able to update me on when it will be fixed. They have made ZERO attempts to provide me with a reasonable accommodation for my ONLY form of transportation being their lawn ornament for a year. I lost my job. I lost my place to live. And they are doing nothing. Now they say they're going to be replacing fuses to fix the issue but they already tried that and it did nothing. Every time I call to ask about an update, they put me on hold for over 10 minutes and then say there's nothing they can do at this time. The only thing they have tried to do is attempt to get me to buy a whole new car, which is out of the question because mine is completely paid off. This has seriously affected mine and my child's life. I don't even have a vehicle to go grocery shopping or make it to dr appointments or shoot functions because I have no way to get there.
2 weeks ago, I was on the freeway and my car started sputtering while accelerating and engine light was flashing. I got it towed to a nearby mechanic. Got a diagnostic test, they found metal in my oil, my engine makes noise, etc. then I started looking into things while my car was in the shop, turns out there is a recall on the engine for that exact reason (code p1326). But by the time I called the mechanic about it he already cleared the codes. THE NEXT DAY I took it to a Hyundai dealership for the recall. Today I picked it up, they said they can’t do anything because the code was cleared even though I had the paperwork from the last place with all the codes that were shown. They refused service and charged me $175 for the test. And said they heard no knocking noise from the engine. The minute I pulled out of the dealership, the knocking continued the whole way home. Hyundai said there was no noise when clearly there is. Now at this point they said they won’t do anything unless my engine blows or the light flashes again. This is a HUGE safety concern that they should be taking care of.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled, and the brakes seized. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at various speed, the vehicle sputtered and then became inoperable. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The diagnostic test was still pending. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the mechanic drove the vehicle to the bay and the engine seized. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to bring the vehicle to the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
We were driving down the road when the engine just seized without warning. When we got out of the car we noticed that there was a line of oil running down the road. The car was towed to a repair facility where it was noted that the oil plug was missing. At that time we were told that there are multiple reports of this happening with this vehicle and that it is being investigated by the NHTSA.
My 2013 Hyundai sonata caught fire yesterday after the car stalled at a red light - car is totalled - i am just hearing about this now that numerous car like mine have gone up in flames. I am devastated
Car stalled while driving with no warning at all. No indication of a problem, no lights on, no noises from car. We coasted to the shoulder and the car would turn over and die as the rpm decreased. Had car towed to repair shop. Was informed many codes had shown and they were in reference to the engine so I needed to get it towed to a dealer. Dealer called indicated codes p0014 and p0017 came up and that I needed to have my engine replaced. Hyundai was contacted and refused to help with cost based on age of car and out of warranty. My car is it 111,000 miles. The recall was refused because the bearings were not the engine issue.
Car just stopped running while driving in the morning. After lunch it wouldn't start up, nor turn over. Shop says engine is Seized. which sounds just like the other Sonata's issues, but my car says it doesn't have a engine recall on it
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
My nephew purchase a 2013 Hyundai Sonata in November 2022. Drove lease than 4 months and motor locked-up. My wife nephew purchase a 2016 Hyundai and his motor locked-up as well. Both took their vehicles to CMA Colonial Hyundai in Chester Virginia. However, the nephew with the 2016 got a new engine from Hyundai free of charge. The nephew with the 2013 Hyundai Sonata was informed that the Hyundai will not replace his engine due to like of maintenance by previous owner. Subject vehicle has been at Colonial Hyundai about three months now. During my research from other mechanics Hyundai have had many problems with engine locking up. My nephew reported the car lost power and would not start. (?) what's when driving on major highway and loses power. Not sure if reported as a major problem across the United States.
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.
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 running is problem
The engine sounds like piston slapping. The engine still running but can not drive.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that she had initially received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V137000 (Seat Belts, Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that one year after the recall repair was performed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact linked the failure to the recall. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was not related to recall and that the at vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 92,714.
My car would not exhilarate properly. When came to a stop it would spit and sputter to even move. Could not get up to 60 mph and no less than 20 without it wanting to sound like it was going to die. Took it into a dealership to have it looked at and was told their's several recalls on my make and model and the year of my car that I need to see if there's any on mine, then I drove it home. Now my engine won't even start after it made a loud noise. I use my car for work cause it's my only transportation.
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.
Rod bearing
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.
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.
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
Something with the motor
Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do not Drive message appears on dash display. Not sure what is causing message. Code reader does not register a code to reference issue. A yellow triangle with an exclamation mark is present. Car decelerates and is in operable. Check engine light remains on display. This is the 3rd time in the last 6 months this has occurred.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V312000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Brake lights work inconsistently, burn hot, melt sockers, fall out of sockets and melt carpeted covers. Safety and fire concerns. Much info on this problem from other owners on various sites. PLEASE force Hyundai to fix these issues.
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.
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
I purchased the car used on 12/2/2022. Drove on local roads until 12/28/2022 then took the car on the high way for the first time, whiel driving 60 mph for approximately 5 minutes and warning siren came on and flashing dashboard that said to stop driving immediately, and pull to the side of the road if possible an electrical failure or battery failure and not power to battery or elctrical system. I pulled to the side fo the road, and got towed by AAA to Key Hyundai in Milford, CT. They kept the car for over 22days, and charged me $3148. Number 3 on the repair documet is Steering concern:ABS and traction control light DTC- it said it was a steering angle sensor circuit and they put a flexible coupling and removed and replaced sterring cupler and calibrated sterring angle sensor and reflash check. The car is leaking some type of fluid and still lurching which can cause an accident.
While driving the car when slowing for a stop, or just closing down in traffic the car/engine at times will jerk and lurch while braking. If I am not a safe distance from a car in front of me I could cause and accident and hit a car, so I try to keep a good distance when in traffic and refuse to drive the car on long distances on the highway. I can't predict when it will happen and when it does the slippery when wet signal comes on even though it is not wet or slippery condiitons. I don't trust the car while driving, and have no faith in it's safety. I haven't scheduled an appointment for repair because the last time I did they kept the car for over 20 days due to what they said was a system, sensor failure and charges me $3100,when I got the car back I noticed liquid leaking from the car and then the above started happening. The car is available for inspection on request. Car has not been inspected yet, not sure if I can reproduce every time. But it happen almost every day I drive the car to work within 20 miles of my home. The dealership the last time would not give me a loaner car and I need the car to travel back and forth to work since I live in a place without access to public transportation.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while an acquaintance was driving the vehicle at an unknown speed, the vehicle made an abnormal banging sound and the engine seized. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine seizure caused by rod bearing wear. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). Additionally, the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V312000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) was performed on the vehicle. The contact stated upon checking the engine oil level more than a year later, she noticed that there was fuel intrusion into the engine oil. The contact stated that an oil change was performed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that there was significant fuel intrusion in the oil, and the dealer determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
My sonata uses oil about a quart every 1000 miles. The acceleration is weak and there's no warning lights on in the dash. The lifters will start chattering and I'll stop and put a quart to a quart and a half in it. The cruise control alot of times will not work and when it does a lot of times you have to mash the buttons hard and several times. My sonata is ready to be inspected at anytime.
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.
The low pressure side fuel line on the vehicle has cracked and has a hole in it. Just above the back of the engine. Hyundai has issue a recall on this EXACT problem mid last year. However they say there is no open recall for my vehicle. This tells me Hyundai is NOT being honest about the amount of vehicles this has affected. When trying to reach Hyundai about this issue I simply get told there is not a recall for my specific vehicle. Vehicle stalls while driving and is very hard to start up after fueling. This is an extremely unsafe vehicle do to the strong possibility of fuel leaking on to the engine or exhaust while running. I find it completely irresponsible of Hyundai to potentially put someone’s life at risk by not including ALL vehicles of the model any year in their recall related to this problem. There was no warning of this issue other than the vehicle stalling or running rough at stops and not starting correctly after refueling. I have pictures to prove the issue. Please look into this matter seriously and hold Hyundai accountable for RECALLING all vehicles with this potential problem. Hyundai appears to be excluding or not being honest about the amount of vehicles that need to be fixed in their recall. Vehicle can catch fire and people can lose their lives cause of this negligence.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai SONATA. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at an unknown speed the contact was pulled over by local police due to their vehicles tail lights no longer functioning, no warning lights were illuminated. The contact attempted to replace the bulbs however the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was inspected, however the vehicle was not diagnosed as the contact was advised that their VIN was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
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.
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.
My rear drivers side door will not open. I cannot get my grandson out of his car seat without walking to the passenger side of the car. If there was an accident, first responders would not be able to reach anyone in the backseat behind the driver's seat. This is a common problem with this make/model vehicle. I asked the dealer to try to open it for me, but wouldn't even look at it for without a $185 charge. No one else has inspected the vehicle. There were no warnings, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light then became illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the mechanic stated that the vehicle had experienced a failure like NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and case was filed; however, the mechanic declined to repair the vehicle. The failure mileage was 96,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, there was smoke coming from the vehicle, with an abnormal fuel odor. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and left the vehicle at the scene. The contact called the dealer who linked the failure to the fuel line. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
My wife was driving as normal, suddenly got an alert! Loud noise, Hybrid System Warning, Safely Stop and Do Not Drive! Stranded in the middle of nowhere with this issue! ????? Towed it to my house. Next day, car works fine. But we are completely scared to drive it now! Took to dealership and they said $3,000 for the part and labor. Are you f’ing serious!? This is not. Wear and tear issue. The hybrid system should abruptly stop and make it so I cannot drive the car! For no apparent reason!? This is completely bullshit! I’ve seen online many complaints that it’s happened after 5,000 miles. Who cares that my car is 9 years old and has 92,000 miles. ???
I was driving to working and I was going about 75 mph and then I started losing power. My speed reduced to slowly and a loud knocking was coming from my car. There was hesitation and shaking as I drove it to the side of the road. As I tried to accelerate to safely move to the side of the road the knocking continued. There is a lot of shaking. The next day the car would shaking and knock for 10-15 seconds and then shut off completely.
I had my car recall fixed on 12/10/2022 at the Burns Hyundai in Marlton NJ. It seems to have failed when I parked my car it smelled like gas and I got out and see gas all over the ground. They were supposed to fix 2 recalls on my vehicle. My gas was empty after I had just filled it. My car would not start. It cranked but didn’t start. There were no warning signs.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH the vehicle was losing forward momentum. The contact stated that a warning message illuminated "Hybrid System Fault Stop Driving" and the check engine and battery lights illuminated as well as a warning chime sounded. The contact was able to pull off of the road and turn the vehicle off and on and regain normal vehicle functionality. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the propulsion battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,803.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026