general problems of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe - part 1

I was driving on March 20, 2026 at about 12:00 pm when I suddenly noticed smoke, a strong gasoline smell, an oil smell, and a burning odor coming from the vehicle. I pulled over immediately because I believed the vehicle was unsafe and at risk of fire. The vehicle had to be towed. An independent repair shop later found a fuel leak at the high-pressure fuel line / fuel pump area, a loose ground wire on the right-hand side of the engine, a valve cover gasket leak, and engine timing chain noise. I was informed that gasoline had sprayed throughout the engine bay. This created an immediate fire hazard even though no actual fire occurred. This problem was especially concerning because the vehicle had been inspected and serviced by an authorized Hyundai dealer in December 2025, less than about 3,000 miles earlier. The loose engine ground wire and fuel leak raise serious concerns about vehicle safety and the adequacy of the prior inspection. I contacted Hyundai the same day and reported this as a fire-risk safety issue, but I did not receive timely assistance. Because immediate dealer service was not available, I had to authorize emergency repairs at a local shop for safety reasons. No warning lights were noted before the incident. The failure was confirmed by the repair shop.

Official dealer refusal to perform critical safety recall (VIN: [xxx] ) description: I am reporting a formal refusal by the official Hyundai distributor in the dominican republic (magna motors) to perform critical safety recalls on my us-spec vehicle. Pending recalls: recall #251 (NHTSA 23v651000): abs module fire risk. Campaign #953: ksds software update. The dealer (magna motors) refuses to perform the service, claiming a "lack of tools," and has declined to provide a written explanation for this denial. This is a severe violation of safety regulations regarding life-threatening defects (fire risk). As the vehicle is a us-spec unit, I request NHTSA’s intervention to ensure the manufacturer (Hyundai) compels its local representative to complete these repairs immediately at no cost. Please note: I am using a us mailing address only to complete this form. The vehicle and I are physically located in the dominican republic. The local official distributor, magna motors, is failing to honor these NHTSA safety recalls. " information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Engine has always burned oil and vehicle only has 72,000 miles on it. Leaking black liquid/oil out exhaust pipe, blowing out black clouds of smoke and have to keep adding oil. Whole rear end had to be replaced, timing chain and cover replaced, ac unit replaced, rear camera replaced, climate controls change settings by them selves, leaking gaskets, all this and more has been going on with this vehicle when it only had 35,000 miles on it. Front suspension creaks for years. No way a vehicle should have all these issues with low mileage and has been very well cared for!.

This complaint relates to recall campaign 251 from Hyundai, specifically the abs control module. I own an affected 2013 Hyundai sante fe sport. I bought it used in October 2023, and it driven by my minor child. While the affected components have yet to cause a problem, the mere fact that this vehicle could start on fire concerns me. Moreover, Hyundai has the wherewithal to fix the problem, rather than simply replacing a fuse and hoping for the best. As a father, it is my privilege and responsibility to protect and provide for my family. In order for me to do this, I would like NHTSA to throw the full weight of their influence on Hyundai and insist that they fix this problem. The very least they could do is provide a suitable vehicle as a loaner until my vehicle is fixed. Better yet, they can buy this vehicle and I will use that money to buy the same, or nearly same, type of vehicle from them. That is a win-win situation in my opinion. I am a retired state trooper and for over half of my career I conducted numerous traffic homicide investigations and accident reconstructions. I lost count of how many civil trials I testified in. I was considered a subject matter expert in several areas, including vehicle equipment failure. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen. More importantly, if this issue is not fixed, people are going to die because of Hyundai's malfeasance. Thank you for your time. I am committed to following through on this and will be watching very closely how both Hyundai and nhsta respond to this campaign.

Doors unlock without warning while driving.

The door latch assembly. It continues to show warning lights that my doors are still open when they are not. As well as my key fob when pressed twice, my car will not make any audible sounds. It continues to drain my power and kill my batteries. Have had my engine replaced due to engine recall. I have also had my hood latch replaced from a recall. My car sound be eligible for the door lock assembly recall. I have two children under 6 years old and safety of the door being shut properly is of the utmost importance to me. I have already taken the vehicle to the dealership and they have quoted me the problem as stated above. I can provide the quote! there is also a TSB 14-01-004-1. Which my car should be able to qualify for. Thank you.

Burning smell and smoke. No oil leak. Car will not start. I do not have another vehicle to use. I have 2 young children.

My car engine compartment fire while parked in front of my condo.

Hyundai has not yet come up with a remedy. There is conflicting information about whether car is drivable considering fire can occur while in operation. I have read some information to suggest it can be driven until abs warning light comes on however that information is not included in recall notice. Would NHTSA be able to confirm we can drive the vehicle if abs light is not on? have contacted Hyundai and there is still no remedy. No offer of compensation, buy back or loaner. Note while we can park our vehicle outside, it is not at all reasonable to suggest it be parked away from buildings. That suggests we could be held liable if the car catches fire and nearby structures catch fire. Cars would have to be parked in a field or vacant lot somewhere far and away from any home or business, rendering the vehicle not usable. I noticed there was a recall issued in 2022 for the same defect but affecting a smaller number of vehicles. So this abs electrical issue has been in effect in actuality, since 2022. How long does a manufacturer have to find the remedy and repair a vehicle once a recall is issued? I do not feel safe driving my vehicle nor having parked in front of my home and in my neighborhood. The local dealership and Hyundai customer service has told me it’s ok to drive the car but again, I don’t find that information anywhere in the notice. If that were the case, wouldn’t the notice say so? OH - I was going to sell my car to replace it and no one wants to buy it in light of this recall. Help? thank you!.

Please reference NHTSA recall number 23v651000. I am registering a complaint because the manufacturer has failed to remedy this safety issue in a timely manner. It is a fire hazard. Our vehicle is among the affected. This needs to be rectified immediately.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, several warning lights illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle several times, the warning lights turned off. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 172,000.

The abs sensor failed on my vehicle, causing it to no longer accelerate past 20 mph on the highway. This put my safety at risk, as well as my passengers and others on the road because it happened suddenly while I was on the highway. My car could no longer accelerate suddenly while all cars around me were traveling at high speeds. The abs light came on my dash, as well as the traction control and incline warning. I can no longer drive my vehicle so it has not been inspected yet.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle intermittently lost automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, and the starter was replaced. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unknown NHTSA campaign. The local dealer was contacted; however, it was unclear if the vehicle had been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. Prior to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the same local independent mechanic, where the alternator was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 192,000.

Issue # 1 - door open light flashing on instrumental panel. I checked out the door and it was closed tightly. It continues to flash today (09/13/2023). During the end of April 2023, I could not lock my doors and the interior dome light stayed on. I was not aware of this and it drained my battery a couple of times in which my vehicle would not start. I now keep my interior dome light in the "off' position. Now, when I drive at night, it get in and out of a dark vehicle. This is a safety concern since I am a female and I care for my disabled mother. I also cannot keep my doors locked when I am driving due to this issue. For safety reasons, I prefer to drive with my doors locked and I am unable to due this. I took it to the dealer and they believe the door actuator is the root cause. They gave me an estimate of $850 for parts and labor. I declined the repair, I thought it is too costly. Issue # 2 - air conditioner stops blowing cold and starts blowing nothing but hot air. This started in July of 2022. The ac works intermittently. I believe the blower needs to be replaced.

While driving vehicle on freeway car stalled and would not accelerate. Car was then pulled over to side of road . Turned vehicle off now it will not turn back on . This almost cause accident on freeway .

The light will indicate that the driver door is opened when it is closed. Which is causing the alarm to go off randomly and it’s draining my battery completely. I just bought a new battery in June 2022 and when I went to start my car today it wouldn’t start. Something is not connected properly but I don’t know what it is.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe sport. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side door failed to register as closed when locked. The back over prevention camera failed to display the rear-view image while in the vehicle was in reverse. The contact stated that during the failure with the back over prevention camera the radio also became inoperable. The contact stated that the tpms warning light erroneously illuminated with the tires properly inflated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed. The contact became aware of NHTSA campaign number: 23v651000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed for the other failures. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,000.

Have had a recurring issue with the airbag light illuminating. This has been ongoing since 2 years post purchase. Have had airbag replaced, multiple fuses, wiring harness replacement. All repairs end with the light returning. Am unsure of the reliability of the airbag in the event of a crash.

When the cruise control shuts down, the tachometer cuts out and the vehicle seems to go into limp mode. Brightening or dimming the headlights causes an intermittent bright flash to the interior lights. This could be potentially dangerous seeing as you have no acceleration, which could cause very extensive damage to person and property. The intermittent bright flash could be a result of an unregulated power surge, which could cause damage to person and property.

My vehicle had been stalling on I assign for a couple of months until one day in June 2021 it wouldn’t start at all. I got a new battery installed and assumed that all was well. Weeks later, I was in route to visit family when my abs, traction, and down hill break lights all came on. I pulled over and tried cutting my car off and on a few times to see if that would resolve the issue and it did not. My car also seemed to slow down a bit and struggled slightly accelerating up hills. In 2019 my turbo engine was replaced after my vehicle stopped accelerating while I was on the interstate. There is currently a recall on 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe’s that reads: “ Hyundai motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Santa Fe sport vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the anti-lock brake system (abs) module, possibly resulting in an electrical short… if the abs module short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire. “ unfortunately my VIN is not included in the recall and I fear my car may catch fire any day now as a result of this failure.

My car is making a rapid beeping noise it stops every time I break I am extremely scared. I believe it has something to do with my engine. I’ve recorded videos however the box below doesn’t allow videos.

We pulled off the highway to get gas and noticed smoke coming from the hood. We immediately parked at the gas station and my husband, our dog and I got out of the car and within minutes the entire front of the car was in flames. Several passersby stopped and sprayed the fire with their fire extinguishers. We called 911 and the fire department quickly arrived and put out the fire, but the entire front of the car was destroyed. The front of the car melted along with the windshield from the intense heat. The police inspector came and inspected the car and took photos. The car was then towed and our insurance company took possession of the car. There were no warning lights or messages prior to the failure. The only thing we noticed was a slight hesitation in power as we climbed a hill several times in the half hour preceding the failure. My husband, my dog and I would have been in mortal danger from the fire if we had not stopped immediately and gotten out of the car. The safety of other people nearby had also been at risk if the fire department had not arrived so quickly to put out the fire as the smoke began as we were entering the gas station and parked about 50 feet from the gas pumps to escape the vehicle. We have no idea what caused the fire. The engine had been replaced by Hyundai due to a defect that had caused it to fail about 2 years prior to the current failure.

There is an issue with the passenger doors locking and unlocking. The driver door locks work without issues. This happens when using the key fob and the lock/unlock button inside the car.

1) radio stopped working about 1 year ago. 2) about 6 months ago, the door and truck open light on the dash appeared and never went off. 3) on 1/14/21, the car started making a rattling sound, and stopped accelarating; auto shop determined the engine was ruined and needs to be replaced. With the 1st 2 issues, I was still able to use the vehicle. However, now that the engine is ruined, I am no longer able to use the vehicle.

I bought my Santa Fe from a used auto dealer in September 2021 with 102,000 mi. November 2021 I had to have rear brakes done including rotors and calipers that were stuck. In January 2022 it stalled and wouldn’t start. Towed to my mechanic since closest Hyundai shop is an hour away. My mechanic replaced starter first then realized the engine had seized. Also replaced air filter. When I entered my VIN on the Hyundai site it didn’t show the engine recall. So, I read through the court case and found out my engine was supposed to be included. When I called Hyundai they agreed that it is part of the recall. Good thing I read the court case info. Next I have my 2013 Santa Fe sport awd towed to the Hyundai shop. When they were checking to make sure it was a seized engine, they burnt out the brand new starter. No loaner cars available and they said I would need to pay for a rental and get reimbursed after which I couldn’t afford. When my car was ready, I got a ride to the the one hour away Hyundai shop. Also they charged me for an air filter, saying there wasn’t one in my “bad” engine. As soon as I got on the highway in my Santa Fe there were multiple issues. It wouldn’t shift right and steering was messed up so I had to take it back to Hyundai shop and have my ride turn around to come get me. The next time I picked it up there weren’t the prior issues. However, Hyundai refused to reimburse me for the starter my mechanic replaced. I had no prior starter issues and it was obviously caused from trying to start a seized engine. After a month I finally signed off on being reimbursed for the tow charges which they called a “courtesy”. By February my sunroof was having issues closing and eventually got stuck open. After applying white lithium grease and having it tarped for 3 days I finally got it closed. However I don’t dare open it again. In the same month rear wiper stopped working and I developed an exhaust leak at the converter in front of the front muffler and burning odor.

Tl- the contacts owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving at 55mph the vehicle loss power the engine turned off, the vehicle rolled to right side of the freeway. The contact place the vehicle into parked. The failure occurred without warning. . The contact was able to restart, however it lost power again and smoke appeared coming from the hood and into the cabin of the vehicle. The contact checked under the hood of the vehicle. And smelt burn wired. The contact was able to have the vehicle. Towed to residence by independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of failure. The failure mileage was 115,000. Vw.

Tl the contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the abs and traction control warning lights would remain illuminated. Upon inspection, it was discovered that brake fluid was leaking from the brake fluid module. The cause of the failure was not determined. Hyundai of charleston located at 8485 rivers Ave, north charleston, SC 29406 was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 130,000.

While driving at varying speeds, while going over speed bumps, turning corner, more noticeable at slower speeds, is a clicking noise & almost feels like a momentary lose of control of the steering. Not sure if it has to do with adaptable steering (sport, comfort, normal) control's, or the main controls of the steering.

Driving on interstate up a incline in heavy traffic driving 70 mph vehicle lost all acceleration.

In may 2020 the vehicle started experiencing an issue that would constantly put it in limp mode. Took it in at an automotive place and they replaced it with a brand new computer. A few days later, the issue happened again. Took it back. They could not determine the problem and said we should bring it to the local Hyundai dealership in naples, FL. Hyundai dealership in naples, FL swore up and down it was the brake pedal assembly. Trusted their judgment and replaced it. Not even a few days later, car goes back into limp mode. Take it back to the local Hyundai dealership. They swear up and down it is now the tracking device on the vehicle. So between the warranty company, the dealership we bought the car from and the local Hyundai dealership we get the tracking device reinstalled. We take the car not even a few days later car goes back into limp mode. We dealt with this issue since may 2020-September 2020 at the local Hyundai dealership. They finally disconnected the tracking device. Now mind you the limp mode issues with the vehicle only happen when it is raining. In our dry season we experience no issues. Fast forward to June 2021 limp mode issues have returned since we are now in our rainy season. Local Hyundai dealership swore up and down again it is the tracking device. I had advised them it is impossible since they unplugged it and this issue only happens in the rain. They still swore it was the tracking device. They finally got the vehicle really wet and they finally were able to see what we were talking about. So now they changed their professional opinion that it is the wiring harness. Apparently this vehicle has two different wiring harnesses. So they are suggesting we replace both, but they can't guarantee that will work. So it appears they really do not know what is wrong with the car. If it was truly wiring then why would it only malfunction in the rain and not when it is dry? how is rain getting getting under the hood and through the protective component.

The car went of fire on highway.

My car keeps turning on and off. As of recently the lights came on and off inside the car( radio, lights, ) then the steering wheel locked up but the gas was still able to be used. The abs , steering wheel , and SUV indicators were red on the dashboard.

Abs & brake warning lights are on. Even after replacing brakes. This is current recall but my VIN does not show up under this recall. The radio & gps works but there is no sound coming out. I was able to reset before but not anymore.

In July purchased this used vehicle in florida. In November of 2021 while on a road trip from florida emergency lights came on and engine stopped on I-75. Was towed after 45 minutes to dealer who had vehicle for 3 weeks and said item was was repaired. In January of 2021 the same thing happened, this time on a one lane mountain road. It did not catch fire but the rpms were very bad and slowly drove the 9 miles to home. The dealership that Hyundai national told me to contact refused to tow the car even after telling him I was 76 and in a wheelchair and was scared to death to drive it the 40 miles to get there. After 2. 2 weeks he contacted me and told me it was once again repaired and to come get it. Knowing my husband had just passed away and I had no one and living in the rural mountains of georgia. Three weeks again the emergency lights have come on and sometimes will drive but rpms are very low and I am very fearful to drive it. Hyundai national told me to call the dealer who said there were no recalls as he did before.

Takata recall. We were driving on a state hwy at 55mph and starting to hear a knock from the engine. In the year and a half of owning the vehicle there were no issues. No indicator of issues or anything. We even had it serviced 2 weeks prior and there were no problems. Within a 2 mile span of the knock starting the vehicle engine seized and shut down. Fortunately, no one was behind us because there was nowhere safe to pull over to for about 1/8mile so we coasted and crept at about 5mph to a driveway where we then were towed to a safer location. No lights or indicators came on until the moment the vehicle shut down. Apparently, this is common with 2013 model Hyundai Santa Fe sport engines after discussing it with their customer service representative.