2013 Hyundai Santa Fe UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
The driver door doesn't latch correctly and vehicle says door is open.
Hyundai announced recall over 6 months ago and there is still no remedy. Manufacturer Recall Number 251 NHTSA Recall Number 23V651000 They advise to park outside. I've been parking outside for these 6 months, while I have a perfectly good garage available. Since I've been parking outside, I've been concerned over a number of issues: safety walking outside at night, possible theft, slipping on ice/snow (which I've done a couple of times). My windshield also got cracked. While I can't prove that happened while parked outside, I think that it was. This vehicle has had many recalls before, but nothing that ever took this long. Is there any way to push this along?
The Key Fob and Door Touch Sensors will not operate when outside temperatures are cold. I have to use the Manual Key to unlock & lock my doors.
Hyundai is taking an extensive period of time to repair a current recall. Owners were notified to park vehicles away from other structures and other vehicles. Since I've had to park my vehicle outside of my garage, my vehicle has been broken into. I installed remote start because I physically was unable to scrape the ice off my windshield. The delays in this "fix' have cost me frustration and money. I've called Hyundai each month to check in and nobody has an answer. As of this moment, we have no notification of how soon a repair can be made. I'd like to sell or trade my vehicle in, but with an open recall without a current repair, the value is not the same.
My husband was driving home and noticed the rpms showed 0 when he was idling. Then a little bit of smoke come out of the hood so he pulled over. When he stopped, there was thick black smoke coming out of the hood. Seconds after he got out of the vehicle the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. The check engine light was on and we were going back and forth with dealers since I baught the car 2 months prior about getting it fixed. Before the fire, the vehicle was inspected by a huyndia representative and was scheduled to be worked on the next day. The insurance company did an investigation as well.
2013 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT. THE DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM IS NOT FUNCTIONING. EVEN WHILE I AM DRIVING IT WILL SAY MY DOOR IS AJAR. WHEN I LOCK THE DOORS THEY AUTOMATICALLY UNLOCK THEMSELVES. THE ALARM GOES OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON WHILE I AM AT WORK. I AM CONSTANTLY HAVING TO GO OUT TO THE PARKING LOT TO TURN IT OFF. I HAVE YET TO TAKE IT IN TO BE LOOKED AT BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY FOR REPAIRS. 3 MONTHS AFTER BUYING THIS CAR THE MOTOR BLEW UP AND LUCKILY THERE WAS A RECALL SO IT WAS FIXED AT NO CHARGE TO ME. I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL DOOR NOT WANTING TO OPEN. I USUALLY HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE PULL THE LEVER WHILE I AM TRYING TO OPEN THE DOOR AT THE SAME TIME FOR IT TO OPEN.
I turned on my car and we able to drive approximately 2-3 miles down the road when all of a sudden my ABS light, traction control light, and my hill start assist light lit up on my dashboard. Approximately a week later I was notified of the safety recall on my vehicles ABS module. The lights have remained illuminated since they initially came on.
05/22/23 engine shut off as I was exiting freeway. Dashboard fully illuminated with all check engine lights on. Put the car in park, turned car off, and turned it back on and the engine turned over and allowed me to get home. 5/23/23 inspected at AAMCO. Issue was not able to be replicated and tech stated that the computer did not record any issues from previous day. 6/6/23 engine spontaneously shut off on freeway. Pulled to shoulder and heard knocking sound, saw plume of smoke, then car erupted into flames. No injuries. Los Angeles FD report 0591 Car determined total loss.
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.
RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LATCH BROKE. PIN HOLDING TWO COMPONENTS OF LATCH FAILED RESULTING IN INABILITY TO CLOSE DOOR COMPLETELY. BLACK PLASTIC OR OTHER PROTECTIVE MATERIAL COVERING LATCH ASSEMBLY DISINTEGRATED WITH APPARENT WEAR, EXPOSING PIN WHICH HOLDS TWO COMPONENTS OF LATCHING/LOCKING MECHANISM AS SHOWN IN ATTACHED PHOTOS. REPLACED PART WHICH REQUIRED REMOVAL OF INNER DOOR PANEL. NOW DRIVER'S DOOR BEGINNING TO MAKE SAME ABNORMAL SOUND AT CLOSING AS WELL AS RIGHT REAR PASSENGER DOOR.
After I get into my vehicle I push the Lock Button to secure all my doors but it will Click back OPEN for an Unknown reason. This prevents me from protecting myself from someone entering my vehicle immediately after I do.
The alarm keeps going off randomly and it shows that the door is opened when it’s actually closed.
Exploding Sunroof On 02/22/22 I was driving home from an appt, going approx. 40 mph when all of a sudden i heard a loud sound like a shotgun and then glass from my sunroof was falling down on me. I have a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. Nothing hit me, I didn't hit any pot hole or anything, the weather was around 70 and overcast, it was terrifying. My first thought was a stray bullet shot in the air came down and hit the sunroof. Thank goodness there wasn't a car near me on the 4 lane road. I was able to pull off on a side street; i was shaking, bawling, and so confused. There was no warning whatsoever, just BAM, explosion. I called 911, who came out within about 20 minutes. Upon further investigation, we determined the glass was protruding upwards and out of the car indicating the explosion came from inside the vehicle. We examined the large pieces of glass to see if there were any scratches or dings and found nothing. I filed the police report, closed the sunshade to drive home without glass falling on me. Things could have been much worse. I just found out since my car only has 77K miles, the sunroof is still under warranty and will be fixed by Hyundai. Still, something should be done about this as I've been researching, it seems more common than it should!
I pulled in my garage and my husband walked in front of my vehicle and said that he could smell something burning but there was no oil leaking and we didn't know where the burning smell was coming from except for it was under the front of my car under the hood somewhere. That was very scary after I heard about this recall for the Hyundai's catching on fire but no mention of my 2013 vehicle
While driving the sunroof glass exploded/shattered on its own. This was confirmed by Denbigh Body and Painting. Luckily, I had the headliner closed so only a few pieces of glass got through, but no injury occurred.
Liftgate mechanism failed. When opening lift gate manually to load groceries, lift gate suddenly dropped and closed with full force instead of waiting to be pushed down to close.
The dealer has failed to remedy the defect in a reasonable time. Appointment for recall is not available for months with no accommodation. Engine light recently illuminated and not sure if unrelated.
my husband was driving and the engine lights came on and it made a weird noise. He pulled into a gas station and the vehicle shut off. We didn’t dare drive it again. He notice oil leaking onto the ground under the engine. I looked up if there was issues with his vehicle on nhtsa, and saw there was a recall on the engine and hood latch. We did not receive any recall notice at all!! We would have especially brought it in for a engine recall!!! That’s scary with three little ones and a special needs son we take to Memphis StJudes each year. I signed and set an appointment with Hyundai, but it would be till the 17th of November, this month. We were just going to have it towed to them. So instead we towed it back to the house to wait for appointment. My husband contacted Hyundai to confirm appointment and see about loaner car, we have to work. The lady was nice and said she would have the warranty department in charge of recalls call us back. The lady was rude and said there was nothing they could do for us because we didn’t replace the knock sensor upgrade recall!!!!! There is no recall listed on here or on there site! I’m am so frustrated and upset!! This is not our fault. We maintain and keep records on everything and nothing about this has come around or we would of brought it in. Something needs to be done or said. Can you please point us in the right direction?? Please.
The paint by the power heating seat buttom, is craking, peeling with the sun.
I got gas in my vehicle and was going home and it started to make a noise when you push to accelerated. Came home got back in it to go to work and it shut down. And the oil light came on. And I started my vehicle again and when I push on the gas pedal it started to make a loud rattling noise and shut down again And it no longer started. I checked the oil and it was fine. I got it to start again and now the loud noise is there with out pushing on the gas. So many problems with this car it's unbelievable. And the money we had put in this car . Check the recalls there nothing
2013 HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT (FWD). HAVING TROUBLE ACCELERATING INTERMITTENTLY 3 TIMES, HAPPENED ON 10-15-2020 (ON HIGH WAY), 12-28-2020 (ON HIGH WAY) AND 12-31-2020 (ON LOCAL), CAR CAN NOT BE ACCELERATED WHEN GAS PEDAL STEPPED, TACHOMETER SHOWS ZERO, SPEEDOMETER LESS THAN 40 MPH. CAR WAS BACK TO NORMAL AFTER RESTART.
MY HYUNDAI SANTA FE SPORT 2013 MODEL SUDDENLY CAUGHT FIRE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT INVOLVED. INCIDENT HAPPENED ON DEC 5, 2019. I AM ATTACHING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON CITY ROAD AT A SPEED OF 45 MPH AND SUDDENLY SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF HOOD. SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE, GOT OUT OF IT AND A NEARBY DRIVER CALLED 911. FIRE DEPARTMENT FOLKS REACHED THE LOCATION IN 5 TO 10 MINS AND CONTROLLED THE FIRE.
THE VECHILE ONLY HAS 78000 MILES ON IT, AND THIS WAS FOUND IN THE PARKING LOT OF A GROCERY STORE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. APPEARS THAT INSULATION IN THE MUFFLER SYSTEM STARTS TO COME OUT. IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A HAIR LIKE SUBSTANCE THAT COMES OUT OF THE MUFFLER, BUT IS IS FOUND TO BE THE INSULATION THAT LINES THE MUFFLER WHEN IT IS FAULTY/OR BAD.
WE HAD AN ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN RUNNY ROUGH. DEALERSHIP SAID CAR WAS LOW ON OIL. THEY WANT TO PERFORM A OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. INTERNET SEARCH SAYS THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE. HOW DO WE GET THIS RESOLVED. CAR CURRENTLY HAS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES.
THE REAR SECTION OF THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON A SUNNY DAY, TEMPS IN UPPER 50S. THERE WAS A VERY LOUD NOISE FOLLOWED BY CRACKING SOUNDS, INDICATING THAT THE GLASS WAS CRACKING AND SPREADING ACROSS THE PANE. THE GLASS DID NOT FALL THROUGH BUT IS CRACKED ACROSS THE ENTIRE PANE. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY IMPACT FROM ROAD DEBRIS.
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Quick Summary
The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe has 34 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.