2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Brake Problems

Which parts fail

• Pedals and linkages
  1
• Antilock › ABS warning light
  1
• Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
  1

Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  15%
• 25k–50k
  315%
• 50k–75k
  525%
• 75k–100k
  210%
• 100k–150k
  840%
• 150k+
  15%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Santa. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at 72 MPH, there was a strong smell coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled over but did not see anything and continued driving. No warning lights illuminated. However, the smell became stronger so the contact drove the vehicle to a soccer field where there were no other vehicles to leave and return with a mechanic. As the contact walked away, while the vehicle was parked, a passerby informed the contact the vehicle was on fire. Per the contact, smoke, and flames were coming from underneath the vehicle. No one was injured during the fire and the vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to CoPart. …

The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Santa FE. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost all motive power, but he was able to safely coast to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the engine was on fire. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers provided by bystanders. A fire report was filed, and a police report was not filed. No injuries were reported. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow and deemed a total loss. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000.

The contact owns a.2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while parked, he observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment. The contact opened the hood and observed flames coming from the center of the motor and extinguished the fire. The fire department was made. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fire started due to fuel rail malfunctioned and melting the hard plastic manifold causing the fire, and the fuel rail and intake manifold needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered with an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that several days later the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with a blown engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the contact had not yet received the recall notification. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was not related to the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 141,884.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the pedal extended to the floorboard and the stopping distance was extended. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who flushed the brake lines and replaced the brake master cylinder, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer, but no further information was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the vehicle was also experiencing excess oil consumption. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The failure mileage was 115,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V651000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Recently, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated after refueling the vehicle. The warning lights disappeared after driving for an extended period. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I was driving when it stalled out while driving and people helped me push my car out of turning lane to safety. The hood engulfed in flames. It was out the blue I had just bought the car a few months earlier. I was notified later that there was a recall on the car that caused fires but was unaware at the time

The vehicle caught fire while driving due to unknown cause. The vehicle was unable to break as smoke began coming into the vents. Car came to a stop and the flames were present underneath the vehicle before engulfing the entire hood. Vehicle has been deemed total loss by insurance.

It all started on Thursday, February 16 when I went into my garage and noticed a strange chemical smell and my car battery was dead. My husband replaced the battery that night, but we noticed the break lights stayed on. When took it to a Firestone Department on Friday, February 17, they replaced the battery terminal and ran diagnostics. We finally called and got an answer on Monday, February 20. The mechanic said it was the ABS Control Module and wiring harness. We transported the car that Monday afternoon to the local Hyundai dealership, which we really didn't want to deal with since we haven't had nice experiences with them in the past. They never called us and when we finally got ahold of the service department on Wednesday, February 22, they stated that they believe that it is the ABS Control Module, but they are unable to fix it locally. …

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. …

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Brake complaints in other Santa Fe years