2013 Hyundai Sonata: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
55%
894 of 1,622 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
55% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2013 Hyundai Sonata are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 72% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 286 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 47%).
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
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSI02/22/2024FIRE3 INJURED
Wires, reverse osmosis system unauthorized and unknown
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 replacem…
I WAS DRIVING A NEW 2013 HYUNDAI SONATA IN A PARKING AREA, APPROACHING A PARKING SPACE FOR A STRAIGHT-IN PARKING FACING A BUILDING. MY SPEED WAS ABOUT 10MPH. I BRAKE CONTINUOUSLY TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR WENT THROUGH THE PARKING SPACE AND CRASHED INTO THE BRICK WALL FACADE OF THE BUILDING…
Three of 894 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 (9)
ENGINE
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2013-2014 Santa Fe Sport vehicles previously repaired under recall numbers 15V-568 and 17V-226. …
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles previously repaired under recall campaign 17V-152. The seat be…
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause pre…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2013 Hyundai Sonata
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.
9 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.
