general problems of the 2013 Hyundai Sonata - part 1

Our 2012 Hyundai Sonata (VIN [xxx] ) has experienced several cracks in the dashboard area of the vehicle. We know this is a reported common problem with this vehicle and some information says its related to both heat and sun exposure. However, my wife has always used sunshades everywhere she travels and the car has been parked in the garage when its not in operation. We are also concerned that this could be a safety issue if the air bag ever deployed in an accident. The dealership where we purchased and Hyundai corporate have denied our claims. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My car has a severely cracked dashboard which could cause reduced structural integrity and an increased risk of debris and shrapnel being deployed in the event of an accident. The dashboard is a structural component designed to help absorb and distribute some of the forces in a collision. Cracks can compromise this ability to perform this function potentially increasing the force experienced by the occupants and the other parts of the vehicle. It can also cause increased risk of debris and shrapnel. During a collision the cracked dashboard may break apart more easily causing sharp or jagged pieces to become projectiles inside of the cabin these fragments can pose a serious injury risk to occupants. It can also result in impaired airbag deployment. Many vehicles have airbags in the dashboard a severely cracked dashboard could obstruct or improperly deploy airbags for example the airbag may not fully deploy reducing its effectiveness and the dashboard may puncture or otherwise interfere with the airbag as it inflates creating additional safety hazards. Cracks may expose sharp edges or materials under the dashboard which could harm occupants during a collision, especially in areas where passengers may come into contact with the dashboard. A cracked dashboard could also cause a compromised electrical system dashboards house numerous electrical systems, sensors, and controls cracks could indicate underlying damage to these components. In a collision, these systems may fail or behave unpredictably which could further reduce safety features. Cracked dashboards present a significant risk during a collision and should be addressed by the manufacturer promptly to ensure its customer safety.

The air bag light came on on the dashboard of my 2013 Hyundai and wouldn’t go off. When I took it to the local Hyundai dealership, they diagnosed the problem as the airbag clock spring. I asked if there was a recall for the clock spring, and was told no. They install a new om clock to fix the problem, and it cost me $805. 77. When I returned home, I did my own research and found there was a recall for the clock spring in 2011 - 2013 Hyundai Sonatas, but only for certain VIN numbers. I then contacted the service manager who confirmed that the recall is only for certain VIN numbers. Since Hyundai know this is a problem, why not cover the repairs for all Sonatas with the problem. It’s unfair for they to cherry pick certain VIN numbers for repair and deny others with the same problem.

The airbag indicator light for the driver came on after I got into the car. The light being on means the airbag protection system for the driver is off. This occurred at about 137,000 miles. I called my closest Hyundai dealership, eckert Hyundai, within a month to report the problem and I was told by the dealership that there was no recall on the vehicle regarding the issue I was reporting. I have been driving a vehicle that will not protect me in any type of collision.

The airbag warning light on the dash is illuminated. Diagnostic code b1481 driver airbag resistance too high.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the front driver's side air bag unexpectedly deployed without an impact to the vehicle. The air bag warning light illuminated prior to the incident. The contact then crashed into the rear of a utility trailer where it came to a stop. The contact broke a tooth. The paramedics were called and performed a check; however, the contact did not go to the hospital or urgent car. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The insurance company was contacted and declared the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

On [xxx], in washington, d. C. , my 2013 Hyundai Sonata experienced sudden engine failure, leaving the vehicle inoperable. My goodwill repair request was denied within 30 minutes, without a proper inspection of the rod bearings (a known failure point covered under the txxi extended warranty) or the fuel pipe recall—a known issue that could pose a fire hazard. Hyundai cited suspected maintenance neglect, but I have documentation of regular synthetic oil changes. Despite having over 200,000 miles, a firestone inspection from September 2024 confirmed the vehicle was in good condition prior to the failure. Additionally, Hyundai theta ii engines are widely known to suffer from excessive oil consumption, a defect that can lead to premature engine failure even in well-maintained vehicles. Hyundai has replaced engines in vehicles with similar mileage under the same extended warranty, yet in this case, no proper inspection was conducted before denial. Safety concerns: the fuel pipe recall was not inspected, raising concerns about whether unresolved recall defects are leading to engine failures or fire risks. The airbag clock spring, covered under Hyundai’s txxa extended warranty, was not inspected, despite the airbag light being illuminated, potentially affecting airbag deployment in a crash. The vehicle failed without warning lights or error messages, creating an unsafe situation. Hyundai’s failure to inspect recall-related issues before denying repairs could impact other affected vehicles on the road. I request that the NHTSA: ensure Hyundai properly inspects recall-related components before denying repairs. Investigate whether Hyundai is improperly denying warranty and recall-related repairs, even in cases where similar vehicles have received replacements. Determine if the unresolved fuel pipe recall and airbag clock spring defect pose broader safety risks. This issue has been reported to Hyundai corporate, but no proper inspection has been performed. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of informatio.

Srs light on. Problem code indicates high resistance on driver's side air bag. Dealer said it was the airbag control module, but refused to give me the actual estimate or anything in writing other than problem description. There was a recall for other 2013 Sonata airbag control modules, mine was not included apparently, but it has the same issue as the recalled ones. Dealer wants $3000 to replace the module.

Vehicle was left in care of dealership service department after critical failure of engine. Determined that recall 162 was responsible and Hyundai would afford the repair. Vehicle at dealership for 5 months until repair could be scheduled. Repair complete, dealership advised us that the airbag light was illuminated. Technician performed "courtesy" diagnostic to read codes. Codes b1329 and b1331; front impact sensor and passenger communication error. Neither code is historic for the vehicle and only displayed after service from dealership.

My airbag light came on mechanic said it's rc174 and TSB 13-b6008 is the # want to know if it's covered or if there's a recall on it would love a respond ASAP taking it to dealer in honolulu on the 12 Dec. Appt.

Seatbelt retention sensor not working. Not covered for seatbelt repair.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and passing through an intersection, another vehicle involved in a high-speed chase failed to stop at a stop sign. As a result, the contact's vehicle was stuck on the front passenger side door, sending the vehicle careening to the shoulder of the roadway and coming to a complete stop after colliding with a parked vehicle. All air bags were deployed, excluding the driver's and passenger's side curtain air bags, which could have possibly prevented and/or lessened the severity of the injuries the contact sustained. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it remained until the contact regained possession. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact was transported to an area hospital, where he received emergency surgery to repair three fractured vertebrates in his neck as well as contusions to his face, which required an extensive hospital stay. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the vehicle was inspected; however, it was determined that no malfunction had occurred. The failure mileage was 100,000.

The engine knocking plus seat belt doesn’t work.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated, and then flashed off and on. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the next available appointment was February 2024. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that she had to adjust the seat to remove the steering wheel lock, which might have caused the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that she had initially received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 18v137000 (seat belts, air bags). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that one year after the recall repair was performed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact linked the failure to the recall. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was not related to recall and that the at vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 92,714.

Something with the motor.

The air bag light is on. None of the functions/buttons on the right side of my steering wheel are working. It has not been inspected by anyone.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle crashed into a deer. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged but the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained a head contusion, headache, and torso discomfort. The vehicle was later towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 240,000.

I was driving my daughter’s 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid to the gym early one Sunday morning. I pulled into the parking lot to park the car. When I stopped to put the car in park the car suddenly accelerated and I drove through the glass wall of the gym. The car accelerated through the gym, hit a metal pole , and crashed into a wall on the far side of the gym. The front end of the driver’s side corner was smashed in and my airbags did not go off.

The dashboard is cracking I have been online and I've seen other Hyundai owners experiencing the same thing. Multiple concerns 1. Cracks in the dashboard effecting defroster for windshield and not being to see already having issues 2. Airbags no deploying correctly for driver or passenger in the front seats. 3. I've owned several cars, including two (2) kia's and never had this happen (1989 Ford, festiva aka kia in other parts of the world, and a 2000 kia sephia, both vehicles had over 200k in mileage and dashboard never cracked the split like this.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that upon placing the vehicle into the (r) reverse position; the vehicle independently accelerated backward into her neighbor's driveway and hit two parked vehicles. The vehicle came to a stop when it crashed into the second vehicle and that second parked vehicle was deemed destroyed. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. No injuries were reported and a police report was filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle back across the street and parked the vehicle on the road. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed her that since her vehicle was involved in an assurance claim, they could not render any assistance. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and informed her that an investigation could not be performed unless she signed a waiver. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the contact. The failure mileage was 76,876.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop at the traffic light with a passenger sitting in the front passenger seat, another vehicle crashed into the driver's side front end of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained whiplash and soreness on the neck, shoulder and back. The other passenger sustained soreness all over the body. The contact and the other passenger later sought medical assistance. A police report was filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to her residence though the bumper had detached and the vehicle was shuddering while driving. The vehicle was towed to an autobody shop for repair. The vehicle was then towed to an unknown local Hyundai dealer where the tires and frame were inspected. The dealer was notified of the air bags failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 18v137000 (seat belts, air bags), which she associated with the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. The contact stated while driving at 30 mph, he heard an abnormal beeping sound. The brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond and remained on the floorboard. The contact also stated the steering wheel locked causing him to crash into a fire hydrant. The airbags did not deploy. There were no warning lights illuminated. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The contact sustained injuries in the head and sought medical attention. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

Dashboard experiencing vertical cracks in five areas and around airbag area. Cruise control would not turn off when break was depressed had to pull over applying brakes and pound on the steering wheel come to a stop. Checked out by manufacture claims it was no problem I have not used control since then.

My boyfriend was driving on highway and airbags deployed with no accident, worried about his safety he had to drive home with the airbags deployed on seats and driver side over the window air bag busted all the way into back seat over window. He is hurt. Called Hyundai 6/8 still no one assigned to my case. Police was called report#21199526. They changed my engine maybe 6 months ago; my engine blew smelling smoke while driving and car just cut off, they replaced engine free of charge and my car has been falling apart since and yes my airbag light been on since they change motor and told me it will go away but it never went off. Per my research there was a recall for airbags back in 2012. I bought the car used from a dealership in 2015.

I have reported several times to Hyundai that the dashboard has several cracks on the area of the airbag on the passenger side and driver side. I was instructed to take it to dealer which I did and I was informed that it is considered a cosmetic issue. I do not have a custom made dashboard and my concern is that those cracks will be continue to get bigger to the point it will cause the airbag to deploy at any time.

Very concerned about extensive "cracking" on dashboard on and around passenger side airbag designation. Could this affect deployment of the airbag?.

The dashboard is showing major cracking and I am concerned that the air bags may self deploy. I have seen other drivers online with the same issue.

I was involved in a accident last week , this other vehicle hit me from behind at a speed of 40 mph approximately. Now the strange thing was that at the impact the other vehicle's air bags deployed mine did not but I did see in my dashboard the light of the air bag as if it was deployed in my car. . . So I'm thinking that it's defective.

Two cracks (6 inches or longer) have appeared on the passenger side dashboard (around the "air bag" indication on the dash). I am very concerned this will compromise the deployment of the air bag if necessary. A formal complaint (case#17284937) was logged in by Hyundai, but no remedy was given.

Air bag explode by itself effect the the seat belts.

The passenger airbag come out by itself , and all the front and back struts are bad need to be changed.

Airbag didn't deploy and the seatbelt released me I bump my head on the side of the door blank out and was awaken when my head hit the dash . Car is total.

I have reported issues to local Hyundai and they refuse to look and correct recalls do to mileage. I need recalls repaired immediately.

The top of the dashboard cracked about 18 inches. Our Hyundai service rep said it was caused by the airbags under the dashboard expanding from the heat. Hyundai should replace the dashboard, obviously made of faulty material. Our rep said it would cost us $1,000. 00. I'm afraid that airbags will crack it completely in half and then the car would not be drivable.