2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,056 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 8 defect investigations. It scores 71/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 92,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2001–2002, 2006, 2019, 2021–2022.
Avoid
Where 2013 sits among all Santa Fe years
What owners report
“Upon driving the engine starting rattling there were no lights or check engine codes that came on. After that the engine locked up”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Santa Fe
“The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) 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…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Santa Fe
“Lots of lateral play (clicking sound)in steering even when not driving.while driving steering shakes violently.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Santa Fe
“Was driving vehicle when it stalled out. Engine,oil pressure, and stearing lights came on the dash. Tried to crank the car again and a loud noise from the motor happened. Like a rod in the motor.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Santa Fe
“Reset brake light assembly shorts out every year. This has been an on going issue since i have owned the car and the dealer always seems to be reluctant to repair it. This needs a recall urgentlet!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Santa Fe
“Air and defrosters quit turn engine off restart and it worked.5 times .the engine is a 2013 2.0 turbo santa fe using oil 2 quarts a week, engine is making a noise. Also, dealer said they could not do anything until it gets bad? You must check the oil all the time..”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Santa Fe
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 577 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 30,000 and 102,404 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013…
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10,…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary latch cable, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059.…
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2013 front wheel drive Santa Fe Sport vehicles manufactured July 13, 2012, through March 12, 2013; and equipped with 2.4 liter engines. Due to a manufacturing issue, the right front axle shaft may fracture.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai Custom Care Center at…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units…
Led to recall campaign 23V877.
Led to recall campaign 20V061000.
Led to recall campaign 18V907000.
Led to recall campaign 17V226000.
Led to recall campaign 13V355000.
Technical service bulletins
215 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2013 Santa Fe TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe reliable?
The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe drew 1,056 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 71/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe problems?
The top reported problems for the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe are engine (398 complaints), brakes & stability (106), and steering (100).
At what mileage do 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe problems show up?
Owners most often report 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 30,000 and 102,404 miles.
Does the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.