2013 Hyundai Santa Fe: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
57%
443 of 802 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
57% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 75% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING03/29/2024FIRE2 INJURED
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 th…
ENGINE03/04/20181 INJURED
I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO WORK AND THE ENGINE STOPS AND ALL THE DASH LIGHTS ARE ON. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT EVEN TURN OVER LET ALONE START. I HAD AAA TOW THE VEHICLE TO MY HOUSE AND AFTER PUTTING A WRENCH ON THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT AND PHYSICALLY TRYING TO TURN THE MOTOR OVER I REALIZED THE MOTOR IS SEIZED. I HAD NO…
POWER TRAIN02/03/20161 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI SANTA FE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY WITHOUT BEING PROMPTED. THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER THE CONTACT'S ARM AND CAUSED SECOND DEGREE BURNS. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE ISSUE RECURRED, BUT THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND STOP TH…
Three of 443 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (7)
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
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 m…
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
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 eng…
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
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…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
7 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.
