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 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.
Motor suddenly stalled without warning. The car turned off and would not restart. I had to roll to a stop on an on ramp. I had to have the car towed home until I could afford to have it looked at. Lights turned on, but the motor would not turn over.
The dashboard is cracking I have been online and I've seen other Hyundai owners experiencing the same thing. Multiple concerns 1. cracks in the dashboard effecting defroster for windshield and not being to see already having issues 2. airbags no deploying correctly for driver or passenger in the front seats. 3. I've owned several cars, including two (2) KIA's and NEVER had this happen (1989 Ford, Festiva aka KIA in other parts of the world, and a 2000 Kia Sephia, both vehicles had over 200k in mileage and dashboard NEVER cracked the split like this.
The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 45 MPH, she saw flames coming from under the instrument panel on the passenger’s side. The contact stated that his daughter pulled over immediately and exited the vehicle. The contact stated that soon after his daughter went away from the vehicle, the vehicle caught on fire. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The fire department was able to extinguish the flames. The contact stated that a police report was filed. There was no injury. The contact stated that the insurance company deemed the vehicle totaled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 155,000.
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.
We were notified that due to a recall Hyundai has they have increased the original engine warranty from the standard 100,000 mile to a 150,000 miles then we were later notified they had increased it to an unlimited mile engine warranty for the original owner. I ask because the engine in my wife's car started "knocking" while we were on the freeway in Medford, Oregon forcing us to stop, we had it towed to the Hyundai dealership in Medford on June 1st . We have made MANY calls and gone by to try and find out the status on our car and have not been told what the problem is, matter of fact we have not received a call back on any of our calls to the dealer. I filed a complaint with Hyundai USA. They talked to me, got the facts and advised they would call me in "3 days". They also missed the return call to us. I responded to Hyundai USA again yesterday and they just called me, when I asked what the status of my car was the person advised me the dealer was going to contact me (this will be the 5th time but it hasn't happened yet) they are waiting for a specialist to come out and identify/evaluate the problem and its cause. I told them "no one" has contacted me with any information on my car since June 1st. The factory warranty is 100,000 on the engine (per the recall extended to lifetime), my car has 87,000 miles on it. The cause should have little to nothing to do with it getting repaired. Its been serviced by Hyundai dealers since we purchased it. The day the engine began knocking the very first thing I did while waiting for the tow truck was pop the hood and check the oil and other fluid levels, i have never had oil consumption issues. All were in the full/normal range. It has been over 2 months without any information on our car. We live in Northern California and the nearest dealer is in Medford Oregon 1 hour away. I have an open claim with HyundaiUSA 20032955, also not responding to my emails.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated the vehicle would lose oil at an excessive rate as the oil warning light would appear on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that once he replenished the oil, a large cloud of greyish smoke would emit from the tailpipe upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified about the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
I have been having this problem with the car since May 2022. I was driving normally and the car gave the warning: Hybrid System stop and do not drive - check brakes, well I took the car to the mechanic near where I live zip code 90017 (Pep Boys) I have the note of the service that was done the first was on 11 June/22 and the brakes were changed since I thought this would be the problem and more fluid. The problem continued even with new brakes. I went there again and they check the brake system and they said everything looks fine on 20 June/22. So, I decided to scheduled an inspection at Hyundai in Van Nuys zip code 91404 (29 July/22) and I reported my problem that I was having with warnings check brake all the time while I’m driving every day, but I don't have another car and I need to go to work. Hyundai also couldn't solve the problem of warnings check brakes and I still having this problem, I get the free way every day to go to work and I'm scared because I never know when a warning will appear and the car practically stops in the middle of the free way ( it happened every day) which is making me feel very insecure with this car because it is dangerous but I’m tired of this car and this problem I can’t even go to super market without stop the car because of the warning check brakes.. I will include the photos of the recipes of the services that were made. I would really like to be able to solve this problem and feel safe to drive the car. Thank you.
2013 Hyundai Sonata has massive white pearl paint peeling. Large swaths on both read roof racks (each about 48 square inches), trunk peeling (across the entire width on the trunk top edges), front engine compartment hood (4 spots ranging from 3 - 15 square inches). Paint peels away down to undercoating level - poor bonding of the paint to the undercoat).
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 65 MPH, an unknown warning light illuminated. The driver pulled over and the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the mechanic stated that there was no oil in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 108,000. The VIN was not available.
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!
The car start over but was unable to keep power upon hitting gas pedal. The seatbelt would unlatch. The back break lights wouldn’t shut off after turning off engine causing the car battery to lose power.
Was losing power while driving, oil consumption issues (had to add oil every 1000 miles). Engine started knocking and went into limp mode, had it towed to dealership where they said they fixed it ($1100). Less then a week later while driving on the highway lost lower, went into limp mode (89 mph to 15 mph in seconds) and was almost hit by a semi truck. Car has been sitting at the dealership since May 2022, they said I need a new engine but Hyundai declined.
The car was being driven on the freeway with a stop and go traffic. Then the engine started making strange noises, suddenly unknown warning lights appeared on dashboard, and the engine stopped working. The car was restarted again, then smoke started coming out from the vents. The car was pulled over to the side of the freeway, smoke started coming out from the side of the hood. When the hood was opened there was fire that eventually died down without using fire extinguisher or water. The car was then brought to trusted mechanic and the insurance totaled it due to fire.
Car cut off on expressway started back up cut off again made it home my son in law drove to see if it would cut off on him and it did after 20 minutes car was towed to mechanic where they stated at shop car needed an engine call dealership where car was purchased and they blamed it on me
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
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.
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.
brake/tail lights keep burning out. when attempting to replace them, they are melted into the wiring harness. dealership replaced wiring harness. issue still happens.
My rear tail lights on both sides keep burning holes through the plastic then burning out this takes place all with in a week I’ve had to replace the light harness 3 times on both sides already and I’ve wen down on the voltage on the lights. Neither worked. This is a safety concern as I e read on multiple post that there trunks have caught fire because of this. In which I’ve smelled smoke on multiple occasions and then noticed the harness to be burnet out and the light to be blown. I have children that ride in the back seat that require help. This problem needs to be fixed before someone’s life is taken.
Car needs to rewired because my break lights keep blowing out & will no longer work. They are burned from the inside. Also when turning on lights to my car the car stalls.
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.
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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated during acceleration. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
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 that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and the contact was provided a case number. Parts distribution disconnect.
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 that the manufacturer 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.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received 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 not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time to complete the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
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 repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
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 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
Door latch driver side not locking
Vehicle stopped braking and beeping noise and brake light on dash.
passenger rear door will not open, not from the inside or outside of the vehicle
Was driving down the road and the car started smoking so pulled over into a parking lot of a business and the engine locked up and could not start vehicle again. No indicator lights or warning lamps went off. Upon opening the hood, discovered it was completely dry with no oil in it at all even though I regularly have the oil changed and there was no warning light or oil pressure light that came on. Towed vehicle to dealership and am awaiting their diagnosis. Safety concern is that the vehicle could have caught on fire and the sudden cessation of the engine could have caused a crash. I have researched and discovered that recall 62 is in place for this year make and model of my vehicle and that there have been many other reports of similar instances with this model vehicle. I did a search on the NHTSA website inputting my VIN # and it says there are no recalls related to my vehicle. However, I don't think it is a coincidence that my vehicle had the same symptoms that others described in their complaints, ie., no warning lights, no prior mechanical issues, smoke coming out of the engine, engine seizing up, etc. I've had no prior mechanical issues or any incidents that led me to believe there was a problem. This occurred suddenly and unexpectedly. I hope that the manufacturer will do the right thing and repair it since I never got notification of the recall and clearly is the same issues that are the subject of the recall.
I am writing to report a safety concern and recall issue with Hyundai Motors . October 2021 - I took my car into Braman Hyundai 2060 NE 2nd Avenue Miami FL 33137 305-571-1225 for a few issues including the following recall : 189 HYUNDAI SONATA 2013: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS. April 26th 2022- I notice a strong smell of gasoline inside my car. April 27th 2022 - I bring my car into Braman Hyundai 2060 NE 2nd Avenue Miami FL 33137 305-571-1225. I am notified by the dealership there if a fuel leak and it will cost me $700 out of pocket . I clarify with the customer care representative : “The issue that is present now in regards to a gas fuel leak , is the SAME issue as the recall?” The representative confirms this is correct , and advises me to contact corporate directly as they cannot perform a recall twice . There is a chance the recall can be covered if corporate overrides this with her manager . I proceed to call and report my issue to corporate . Corporate and the dealership refused to assume responsibility for the repairs and failed to provide paperwork for initial recall . I am deeply disappointed and do not feel safe or comfortable driving my car anymore after a gas leak was present that was failed to be addressed back in October 2021 under the existing recall . I hate to imagine my life being put at risk in accident or death because of a serious fire risk . My occupation requires me to drive for a living , and I take my safety and the safety of others on the road very seriously . This is a Hyundai Motors manufacturer issue , but because of some strange recall technicality and the initial work not being done properly , I am being held responsible for the repairs in addition to my life being put as risk . Due to this experience , I will not be returning to this dealership and refuse to make any further business or recommendation for Hyundai Motors as a trusted vehicle source.
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. Upon veering to the side of the road, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic however, the independent mechanic was unable to replicate the failure. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the diagnostic test would be performed at his expense as they would have to take the engine apart and would then reassemble it. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer also informed the contact they would follow up with the dealer and they would get back to him. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
UNKNOWN but my engine caught on fire while driving on the highway..
My safety was put at risk and the life of others as a chime sound began to sound and the "check brake/Hybrid System Warning" was displayed on the dashboard. This caused the car to press the emergency breaks on its own slowing the vehicle to a complete halt on freeway. This malfunction could have caused a multi vehicle collision. This was taken for inspection and Scanned with GDS and C1235 Pressure sensor, is internal in HECU and cannot be repaired, HECU must be replaced. The vehicle is unsafe to drive and pedal sinks which feels like car does not stop. The output signal voltage of the pressure sensor is out of the specified range, the monitoring starts 1 sec after power up. The cause of this could be that there is a faulty pressured sensor and/or open or short of pressure sensor circuit. The pressure sensor installed in the HECU, converts the brake pressure to judge the drivers brake intention when the ESC program is operated. When pressure is applied to the sensor, the resistance of the sensor's strain gauge changes. The change in resistance changes the voltage output from the sensor. A fail safe inhibits the ESC/DBC control and allow the ABS/EDB control. The ESC/DBC warning lamp is activated. A safety recall should be established by this establishment as other Hyundai Sonata Hybrids are having the same malfunctions and are having to repair costs out of their own pockets, $4,300 given quote.
The intermediate shaft broke causing excessive noise and safety threat while driving. Dealer had to replace the shaft completely. This looks to be the common issue on this model
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine was blown. The dealer advised the contact to file a claim for the repair to be covered; however, the claim was denied. The dealer informed the contact that she had to pay out of pocket for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V312000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) which she associated to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
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.
Out of the blue, car engine made a knocking noise. When I checked the oil, there was no oil in my car. I bought 5qts of oil. I periodically check the ground under my car. No sign of leak. At oil change service, asked my guy to check for oil leak. Was told, no leak. 3 months later, this happen again but both times, the low oil indication light never came on. Now I have a check engine light and my car is not running at all
Brake/ tail light socket and metal portion of bulb could not be removed. Dealer attempted to replace socket but the tail light assembly was melted so badly that it would not hold the bulb socket. The whole tail light assembly had to be replaced.
My 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid starting experiencing issues with the engine. After I took it to a mechanic he informed me that the issues were from a this safety defect relating to an engine rod. He informed me of the recall. I never received any information about this recall from Hyundai or the dealership. It also took over a month to schedule an appointment and they estimate about 8 weeks to fix the problem. So I have been without a vehicle for over a month now and if they do admit the problem came from this recall it will be another 2 months before it will be done. I do not feel this problem was handled in a timely matter especially considering the original recall was issued in December of 2020.
Our car has 70,000 miles on it and has driven just fine. We recently had the battery replaced after it died and had no problems afterward. Then, a month later, the car started to lurch whenever we accelerated on the highway. The very next time we drove, we received an error message that read "Hybrid System Malfunction, Safely Pull Over and Do Not Drive." We did this, turned the car off, restarted it and safely drove to the dealership. The dealer then said they could not replicate the issue and they reset the hybrid system. We picked up the car and immediately started having the lurching issue again, and then the light came on that said Hybrid System Malfunction. The car then was having trouble accelerating and kept flashing at us until we got back to the dealership. The dealer said there was no signal to let them know what is wrong with the vehicle, but it is not un-driveable and put us in a very dangerous situation not being able to accelerate safely on the highway. The dealer had to call an engineer and they have determined it to be a problem with the transmission, but they are not able to guarantee that this will fix the problem.
Less than 80,000 miles on vehicle. Burning 3.5-4 quarts of oil during only half of recommended oil interval changes. Have had to two add nearly 4 additional quarts of oil during the middle of oil change intervals. Vehicle is consuming oil far greater than I have ever seen on a vehicle.
The engine component on my car is failing; it is available for inspection upon request. I was put at risk because the vehicle continued to stall during operation due to the car's continuous operation with a worn connecting rod. An independent service center has confirmed the problem. The dealer has not inspected the vehicle component, as they said they have. A warning came up that read, "Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and DO NOT DRIVE!
hybrid brake warning bells went off and lost brakes. had vehicle taken to dealership and they cant duplicate problem. very scared to drive vehicle. Don't want to be a statistic on the road.
Last year March 2022, took my car in because of the recall made an appointment for them to tell me on my appointment day they do not have the solution/part so I would get a call back when they have it and it’s been over a year. Now my car is experiencing sensor and electrical issues
my husband and i were on the way home from new york and the engine light came on something started to knock and it got louder and the car engine blew on i-83s by the 29 mile mark it was a bad area not safe we almost got struck by several 18 wheelers and . ive contacted the carmax which it was leased from a hyundai dealership as well as the credit place who finances the car no one knows a thing the car has a faulty engine and we could have died. we had to walk to the next exit which was three miles and find a ride to md. and then get the car towed to the nearest carmax .. no one still did anything and we had to find a way back to ga by train w. i am a nurse my need my car for my family
Bearing wear within the engine, when you start the car the engine is making some noises, and there is a check engine flashing on the dashboard. this happened on March 15th, 2022, I took it to the dealer, they confirmed to me that the vehicle has been recalled for this engine failure, and did contact the manufacturer, and the manufacturer told them that: the owner of the vehicle must contact them, which I did, but they say that the car have a branded title, so they can't respond to my recall. And asked me to check with my DMV to see if they can clear the title, but the DMV told me that the car has a rebuilt title already, which is a part of the car's history, and the car manufacturer can't denied to fix this recall because I have a rebuilt title, as long as I have my state vehicle inspection, Hyundai have to fix the safety recall that I have with my car. I did forward this details to the manufacturer, and still no one replied to my email yet. I have a case number with them. And I am still waiting... My car is to the dealer until now, and I don't have any updates