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.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The air bag light is on. None of the functions/buttons on the right side of my steering wheel are working. It has not been inspected by anyone.
I was driving on the freeway when suddenly my car turned off and no warning lights came on. I towed to my mechanic where he tested the starter and battery. He tested the crank to find out the engine is frozen.
Received recall NHTSA Recall Number:22V-312, Fuel Hose Replacement. Contacted Hyundai of Bowie , Service 301-850.-6802. The scheduler explained that the company does not have a plan to correct the problem. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. I received several recall notices and the response never changes "No remedy available.
The car caught on fire while my family was driving it. Nearly killing them in the fire. Witnesses say the fire started underneath the car then went to the engine. There is a TSB recall 227 on those types of cars indicating the fuel tube needed replacement. This car was serviced last in September with an engine replacement at Hyundai dealership. That day the check engine light came on. Police was called, insurance is investigating. Have not contacted manufacturer.
We were travelling from Minnesota to Arkansas to see our family for thanks giving on 11/24/2022. Car engine starts blinking and engine started to make rattling noise. Took exit and pull over our car in one of the gas station. It was closed, this was our first road trip and first time in Iowa. Called insurance and towed our car to O'reaily auto part. They found out the error code p1326 which is related to engine issue. Looked for nearby Hyundai dealership and booked hotel near them. We went to Hyundai dealer at 7:00am on Friday 11/25/2022. We told them what happened. They told us they will check in our car. We waited from 7am to 1:30pm our car was still outside. At 2pm service manager came and said they cant check our car. We booked rental car ourselves and decided to come back home. We forgot our apartment key went back to get it and they had already started to diagnose our car thinking we are gone. Service guy told me that's engine failure every Hyundai is facing now. My car have 61k miles on it and I bought it in 2020 from Hyundai dealership. I still have 9k loan to pay this car and i cannot afford new car or new engine. I do not have car now and they are saying it can take months to repair my car if it gets approved for engine replacement. Hyundai is playing with my life and put me in depression. I have no option other than to cry. I am feeling so helpless now. Nothing and nobody seems helpful. I try my best to do anything i can and i am just waiting for coming Monday for Hyundai to make excuse to not fix my car. Hyundai is playing with lots of people life. This might be small for them but not for a working people like us. My life is messed up because of them. I cannot sleep at night and I have been calling everywhere if I can get help.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle made ticking sounds, and then the engine seized with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to her sister's residence and then to the dealer. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the dealer was awaiting the manufacturer's approval for the engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle previously had the engine replaced in 2019. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine and battery warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who indicated that the engine had failed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously serviced under the NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was 162,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle crashed into a deer. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged but the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained a head contusion, headache, and torso discomfort. The vehicle was later towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 240,000.
I CALLED CIRCLE HYUNDAI OVER A MONTH AGO TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR RECALL #22V-312 AND WAS TOLD I'D BE CALLED WHEN THE PART ARRIVED. I CALLED BACK 2 WEEKS AGO AND WAS TOLD IT WASN'T IN YET. I CALLED TODAY, 11/18/22 AND WAS TOLD THE WAREHOUSE WASN'T RELEASING PARTS FOR THIS RECALL. MY NOTICE STATES TO CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT FOR THIS TO BE CHANGED OUT. AS A SAFETY MANAGER MYSELF I'M NOW BEING PUT IN HARMS WAY IF THIS PART FAILS AND CATCHES ON FIRE. NOT A HAPPY HYUNDAI CUSTOMER!
Recently when I’m driving on either the freeway or the streets, I’ll get a delayed response in the throttle when I hit the gas. This is very concerning because it has happened once already on the freeway with cars behind me. Prior to this I noticed traction control light randomly turned on at the dash.
Low beam headlight bulbs and brake bulbs burn out way before they should.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle decorated instead of accelerating as intended. The vehicle was restarted, and an abnormal amount of black smoke was coming from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 217,198.
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.
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
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and declined the engine replacement due to the vehicle not having the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign performed. The contact had not yet received notification of the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The failure mileage was 120,970.
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.
The trunk will not open with fob, key, release button, or even from inside the trunk glow in the dark emergency release. Nothing will open the trunk. I now can't access spare tire. If someone were to be kidnapped and stuffed in trunk through back seat, they couldn't escape. There are no warning lights or other indicators that something is wrong. There are numerous complaints online about this.
I was driving my daughter’s 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid to the gym early one Sunday morning. I pulled into the parking lot to park the car. When I stopped to put the car in park the car suddenly accelerated and I drove through the glass wall of the gym. The car accelerated through the gym, hit a metal pole , and crashed into a wall on the far side of the gym. The front end of the driver’s side corner was smashed in and my airbags did not go off.
Was driving down the highway doing about 70 miles per hour engine just flats out stalls on me. Was trying to merge over to get out traffic had no power and almost got hit by semi.Wait 5 minutes and restart car. Car started Making clicking noise and gave it gas went a little bit and stalled out and would not restart. Contact a manufacturer said there is an issue With the engines but does not know if it qualifies for their extend warranty.
Plastic Steering coupler wore out. Causing metal on metal rubbing. The mechanic I use for car maintenance/repair told me the part cost $10. The part is small but the labor is more intensive. I was charged $454 to replace a $10 part.
2013 HYUNDAI SONATA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO LEAKING FUEL HOSE.
I was driving down the street and the all the dashboard lights came on and suddenly the car died. My safety was put at risk because it was near the entrance of the highway on ramp. The car was towed to a local shop where they performed diagnostic testing. Upon further inspection, the shop replaced the starter. However, car will not turn on. Shop stated engine had had failed. The shop stated the car needs to be towed to a Hyundai dealership due to recalls of other Hyundai vehicles. My car is not included in the recall campaign. Prior to the car stopping, there were no warning lights or engine problems prior.
While driving my 2013 Hyundai Sonata, I smelled fuel fumes coming through my a/c vents for several minutes. I shut the a/c off and rolled the windows down. White smoke began billowing out of my exhaust tail pipe then from under the hood. Being in the far left lane of a five lane freeway, other motorists and I were placed in danger as I had to travel across all lanes of traffic as my vehicle billowed thick white smoke into the air limiting the clear view of other motorists and increasing the chance of causing collisions. I pulled over to the shoulder of the freeway and then lost all power steering and brakes on my vehicle. I applied the emergency brake and brought my vehicle to a stop then turned it off. I looked at the temperature gauge and it read normal range but the check engine light came on along with several other dash lights. Once I turned the vehicle off, flames and billowing smoke began coming from under my hood. Four to five minutes later the fire extended to the cabin then the vehicle was fully engulfed. The fire department arrived and extinguished the vehicle fire. Prior to this drive, I have not smelled any fuel leaks or fuel odor inside or outside of the vehicle. It appears a fuel delivery component was the cause of the issue.
The contact's customer owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while his customer was driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon inspecting the hood of the vehicle, his customer noticed that the oil reservoir was empty and he dispensed up to 4 quarts of oil. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where an oil consumption test was initiated and a combustion cleaning was performed. The dealer advised the contact’s customer to drive the vehicle up to 5,000 miles. The vehicle was then taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced that the customer had received recall notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), however, the dealer declined to perform the recall repair due to a salvaged title. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
My back passenger tail light has failed twice. When the bulb gets hot, it melts the plastic housing and falls out. Since the bulb can’t be replaced, the whole tail light assembly has to be replaced. This is a fire safety hazard, as well as a costly repair to replace the the whole tail light assembly. Consumers should be able to replace a tail light bulb without having to replace the whole tail light assembly at a cost of over $400 (parts & labor)
Rubberized steering coupler worn prematurely. Hyundai extended warranty "to 10 years from the date of original delivery or the date of first use, or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first," but this remains a safety issue.
My car will not come on. I purchased a new starter, thinking that was the problem. My car has push button to turn the car on. The car will not start. I thought it maybe a recall item, when the reason why the car will not start.
The engine is burning oil again this is the second engine my car was part of the first recall after noticing how low n black my oil was I noticed it also smells like gasoline. Now I tried to get it in for the recall 227 part of recall 189, it hesitates to start will just stahl whenever n wherever it feels necessary I contacted Hyundai they said drop it off at dealership until it is repaired if no loaner was available then I would have to rent a car now that’s not even feasible considering I might not even get it back rent a car indefinitely that’s ridiculous and expensive. So it’s burning oil again, stahling out, has no power sometimes when u hit gas, oil smells of gas as well as my dipstick smells of gas as well.
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 unavailable. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was contacted and stated that earliest appointment for the repair was in the 1st Quarter of 2023. 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 failure mileage was 152,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
While driving the vehicle at approx 10 mph the coil spring on the front driver side strut broke causing the spring to slide down over the strut and immediately hit the tire causing noise and vibration. Unable to drive and had to be towed. Hyundai dealer diagnosed problem, admitted it's a common problem with sonatas and cost to repair $1,300.
While driving car started beeping and making noises - check engine light, brake light, lcd displayed brake warning and flashed "hybrid system warning! safely stop and do not drive". Brake pedal then went to floor, and engine power reduced. Re-starting the car only cleared the problem for a minute before the warning message re-occurs. Others have encountered this issue resulting in crashes. https://www.carproblemzoo.com/hyundai/sonata/2013/service-brakes-problems.php also reported here: https://www.carcomplaints.com/Hyundai/Sonata/2013/brakes/service_brakes.shtml
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that he noticed a strong odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was a leak in the fuel feedline at the direct injection fuel pump that needed to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V312000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that an appointment could not be scheduled until October 2022. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.
Problem: Engine malfunctioned and lost power on freeway. Car didn't respond to accelerator. Yes the car is available for inspection upon request. Safety issue: Was forced to change lanes unsafely with decelerating car to access shoulder. At some point, engine started responding back. No the problem has not been reproduced yet. Scheduled dealer appointment. No - the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No - Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the braking system malfunctioned and the vehicle would not immediately stop while depressing the brake pedal, causing the braking distance to be extended. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the front headlights would flicker off and on. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 126,000.
ABS speed Sensor failure - my speedometer to cease registering in rare situations. If the ABS isn't working correctly, the brakes still work but the wheels may lock up and you'll slide in a straight line. The delarship was not able to reproduce cuz you have to speed up to 45 miles to be able to reproduce the issue. (brought it in couple times) Not inspected by manufacture cuz it would cause me $600 to diagnose the issue at dealer ship. I would get a beeping noise and a light would come up. Once I let go the gas pedal the car go back to normal.
My fuel line is actively leaking. The dealerships told me that the car is under recall but there is no remedy at this time. At this point, I was told I am unable to drive my car and I just have to wait.
Engine stalled on the highway. On inspection at a mechanic shop, it was discovered that the engine oil had dried out even though there were no leakages.
My electrical system is giving me constant issues and I have to change light bulbs frequently. Also the recall is for the fuel line system which the dealers are not contacting me back about getting repaired which is why I am submitting this report.
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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was a fuel hose leak. The dealer and Steele South Loop Hyundai (8811 Lakes at 610 Dr, Houston, TX 77054) were made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE WHEN PRESSING THE GAS THE TRACTION LIGHT IS ON AND THE TAILIGHTS STAY ON EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS OFF FOUND BRAKE LIGHTS STAYING ON DUE TO FAILED BRAKE PEDAL STOPPER. REPLACED BRAKE PEDAL STOPPER PER TSB 18-BE-010
Engine stalled on highway. All lights on dash lit up. Was able to have it towed to dealership. Dealership agreed to replace engine at no cost.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 10 MPH, the engine seized. The driver was unaware if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was unable to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with engine bearing wear failure. The battery and starter were also burned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
My 2013 hyundai sonata was apart of the original fuel leak recall about a year ago. I went to my local hyundai dealership and to my knowledge they "fixed" the issue. Now there is another recall with "no remedy" as of yet. My car definitely has a leak as my entire cabin smells of gas, really bad to the point of headaches and getting nauseous. If you're sitting next to my vehicle you can also smell the gas leaking. This is so dangerous for my child & I and everyone my car is near as this could catch on fire! I took my vehicle to a local repair place to fix the issue and inspect my car and thats when I was made aware that this is infact a leaking hose & is apart of the new recall. The repair place would not fix it and told me to take it to hyundai, they also failed my inspection. I contacted hyundai in limerick pa and they said there is no solution or fix for it but then they said they would repair it but not under warranty and I would need to pay a couple hundred dollars to repair it which I cannot and should not have to do. Meanwhile my car is still not inspected due to this and is not legal for the road. The gas smell has been going on for 9 days, I have many witnesses including the repair shop. They kept all of it on file should I need to pursue legal help.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at 57 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact saw white smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed a strong rubber-burning odor. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had locked up. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V312000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while accelerating at various speeds, she heard a loud knocking noise at the front of the vehicle. The oil warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the oil was changed but the oil warning light remained illuminated. The contact then stated that five to six hours later while driving, the engine failed. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was made aware of the vehicle recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
ON AUGUST THE 15TH MY CAR WAS GOING DOWN SHARPE RD IN BURLINGTON NC AT ABOUT 25-30 MPH GOING TOWARDS ROSS ST. I TRIED TO STOP ON MY BRAKES AND MY CAR WOULD NOT STOP.. AS I TRIED STOP IT I FELT MY BRAKE PEDDLE GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABLE TO PULL MY CAR OFF THE ROAD AND SIT UNTIL I HAD A TOW TRUCK COME TOW IT HOME. I HAVE MY CAR AT CHRENSHAW HYUNDIA. I HAVE ALSO BEEN TRYING TO GET MY CAR SERVISED THROUGH THEM AND THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BOOKED U. THAT CAUSES A LOT OF CAR issues when you have to wait on an appointment. I really need my car fixed and I do not have the kind if funds that they are asking.
I was traveling north on interstate 295 in New Jersey at 65 mph in the left lane . Without warning my car stated to go into shut down mode loosing speed and forced me to exit onto rt70 in cherry hill when all the dash warning lights came on and the engine shut off. I pulled over to a safe haven. I checked the oil dipstick which was full. I tried to restart the engine and starting hearing a loud metal tapping sound from the engine with multiple dash board warning lights flashing. I immediately shut the car off and called for a 70 mile tow home. I had to Uber other family members home do to no safe seats for 4 people in the tow truck. I started a case number 20174138 with Hyundai corporate customer service.
The check brakes hybrid system warning stop and do not drive light is coming on and not allowing me to drive the parking break light is also on
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received a recall 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I unlocked my trunk with no issues now it won’t close, so I’m unable to drive because of the trunk being open and not closing