Most common 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport problems
Share of the 200 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport complaints by model year
Best Santa Fe Sport years: 2016, 2015. Years to avoid: 2017, 2018. Compare all years →
2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport recalls (6)
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, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS fuse, free of charge.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
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.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the ABS multi-fuse, and inspect and replace the ABS module, as necessary, free of…
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
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.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ABS module and replace it if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside as a precaution until the recall repair is complete.
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. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned, or improperly torqued during the engine replacement…
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 1, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
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 may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the secondary latch cable, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059.
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 premature bearing wear within the engine.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine, replacing the engine short block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 5 possible defects involving the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport:
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
During this Preliminary Evaluation (PE), the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) assessed the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of non-crash vehicle fires caused by both engine failures and failures of other vehicle systems/components in model year (MY) 2011-2014 Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles equipped with Theta II and Lambda II engines (approximately 1.3 million vehicles).
Engine Fires
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
Non-crash Vehicle Fires
In a letter dated June 11, 2018, the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a safety defect investigation into non-collision related fires on model year (MY) 2011-2014 Kia Optima and Sorento, and Hyundai Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles. In a letter dated July 24, 2018, CAS requested that MY 2010-2015 Kia Soul vehicles be added to the petition.
Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando.
What 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport owners say
Engine & cooling all 119 →
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the odor of gasoline was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. While driving approximately 25 MPH, flames were present coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was parked and quickly became engulfed in flames. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed along was personal items inside. A fire report was taken at the scene that indicated the fire had originated in the engine compartment of the vehicle. The cause of the fire was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the fire. The contact indicated that the vehicle was recently serviced at the local dealer for a manufacture's campaign P-1326. The failure mileage was 159,000.
The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, he detected fumes inside the vehicle and saw black smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated he was able to coast to the side of the roadway; however, upon exiting the vehicle, the contact saw flames coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated that the California Highway Patrol extinguished the fire. Neither a Fire nor a Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 190,000.
Brakes all 41 →
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the ABS, emergency brake, and other brake warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. Despite the illumination of the warning lights, the vehicle resumed normal operation. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that he had to pay out of pocket for the replacement of an unknown vehicle sensor, which the dealer related to the illumination of the warning lights. Recently, the contact stated that an abnormal, high pitched, motor sound would emit from the vehicle upon both turning the vehicle on and off. The contact then stated that upon turning off the vehicle, he heard an explosion as a white colored smoke began to emit from the engine. Upon opening the hood, the contact discovered the ABS pump had exploded. …
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.
Electrical system
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 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.
2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 27 / 23 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 6-speed automatic | 4WD | 19 / 24 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport a good car?
Based on 200 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Santa Fe Sport rates average: 1.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Santa Fe Sport at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
The engine & cooling — 119 complaints, 60% of all complaints for this model year, most often about cooling system. Next are the brakes (41) and electrical system (15).
How many recalls does the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, the most recent from September 22, 2023 (control unit/module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2016 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017 and 2018. See the full Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years comparison.
At what mileage do 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 87,000 miles; 16% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.