2013 Hyundai Santa FE problems
NHTSA has received 807 complaints about the 2013 Hyundai Santa FE, and 35% of them involve engine. Next are steering (12%) and brakes (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 807 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 35% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 25 and 66
- Injuries and deaths
- 20 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 52,000 miles 476 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 165 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 58 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 30 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 71 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 56 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 33 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 39 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 11 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 11 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 476 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 52,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 90,000 miles (148 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 25 complaints mention a crash; 66 complaints mention a fire; 20 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2013 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 26 model years of the Hyundai Santa FE with enough data (350 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, a gasoline and smoke odor was ventilating into the interior of the vehicle through the vents, after which the driver observed flames emanating from the engine compartment on the passenger side of the vehicle, prompting him to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. Upon exiting the vehicle, the vehicle became fully engulfed in flames.
The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at about 35 MPH, The steering wheel was seized on a winding road; the steering warning light had also appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle began to veer to the right direction as the contact forcefully steered the vehicle back to the left direction to avoid hitting a fence. The vehicle then spun into the opposite side of the road before hitting a curb.
Passed out while driving. Struck the rear passenger side of another car with the front drivers side of santa fe. Airbags did not deploy. Santa fe was totaled. I suffered a broken neck in two places and dislodged two cervical disc. Now having to go for surgery to repair disc damage. Hopefully I will regain use of left hand do to nerve damage.
Sitting at a red light. Light turned green and I put my foot on the gas. Car made a loud clunking noise and wouldn't move. 2 policemen pushed us out of the traffic and called aaa. We were towed to the local hyundai dealer (where car was purchased). Car was in the shop for 22 days. It was determined that there was a crack in the right front axle. Not the end of the problem........the dealer had a hard time getting the replacement part. Finally located one in so. Calif.
Car seemed to buck while driving in low gear. Took it to dealer and they replaced the differential. 4 days later the symptoms have reappeared. Concerned about recalls and bad transmission. Car purchased aug 19, 2013.