Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
The vehicle started to stall and smoke started to come from the engine compartment. People started yelling the vehicle was fire. Vehicle stopped in the road and burst into flames. Fire department and police were called to scene. Vehicle was a total loss.
I was driving the vehicle on the left lane of the freeway and the acceleration suddenly gave out. The car began to slow even when I pushed on the gas. Heat gage was fine and no lights went on. I quickly got over 4 lanes of traffic to the next exit and was able to pull over to the side of the road. White smoke began to billow out of the hood on the offramp and all the emergency light indicators came on at once. I turned the car off and the smoke turned black. I popped the hood and flames leapt out from under the hood. I jump out of the car and ran, leaving everything behind. I got safety away from the car and called 911. All of this happened within 2 minutes of losing acceleration. I typically have my two children in car seats in the car for school drop off and, [redacted] , they weren't with me. The fire overtook the front quickly and spread to the main cabin. …
The engine on our 2013 Santa Fe Limited has seized. We have maintained this vehicle with regular oil changes, breaks, tires, and anything else our trusted mechanic has recommended. While driving, the car slowed down considerably and was not accelerating. No dashboard lights appeared. This was during evening rush hour and became very dangerous. I pulled over to the shoulder and called for help. Once the tow arrived, we started the car and the check engine light came on. I checked the oil, it looked good. Tow truck driver took it to the dealership. Dealership said the car had no oil and that the engine has seized. I saw that there was oil before the driver took the car. So, that's not possible. The dealership said they added oil and that we would need a new engine. …
Our Hyundai Sante Fe Sport smells like gasoline. The odor is very loud and nauseating. We parked it outdoors and the smell is still very loud and immediately noticeable from inside the vehicle and even walking by. We looked it up and saw an article in Consumer Reports (by [redacted] on May 18th describing this same thing. The article states the cars are being recalled however, we had our vehicle towed to Thornton Road Hyundai and were told there is no recall. They have diagnosed it as a leak in the top valve of the cover gasket and are charging $365 to repair it. Additional note - on July 8th, as we drove from Atlanta to Orlando, we witnessed a silver Hyundai Sante Fe Sport on fire (completely engulfed in flames) on the highway. We are very concerned and would like for this concern to be taken seriously.
The problem related to the class action for the Theta II GSD engine happened to my engine (Rod Bearing Failure). This is causing the engine to knock. Will have to replace the entire engine with less than 100k on the vehicle. Ran the vehicle normally and then parked it. Once I got back in the vehicle, I tried to start it and it would not start. I brought it to the dealer, and they came back and said there is a Rod Bearing Failure causing the engine to knock.
I own a 2013 Santa Fe and I have had several issues with it, the engine being replaced due to failing while driving on the highway, it was serviced with a few other items dealer found to be needed for some recalls. But none I can recall for sure was regarding the engine itself, will need to check service records. Then later it was the fuel pump(injector) need to verify specifics, but gas fumes and smoke coming from the engine and this was replaced, then later again had to take in again for repair due to service error of tubing being bent ect when installed, noticed the high amount of gas fumes and smoke from the engine and into the cabin. This was a few months ago, then nov 9 2018 my car caught fire and was destroyed by flames. I had just seconds to pull the car over and put in park, grab my 6 year old son and get out before flames covered the entire engine then the entire car. …
Our family 2013 Santa Fe was leaking fuel in June 2023. Hyundai of Chantilly failed to check on Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) that were related to our 2013 Santa Fe. TSBs are circulated to "General Manager, Service Manager, Parts Manager, Warranty Manager, Service Advisors, Technicians, Body Shop Manager, Fleet Repair". Per Recall 180: Hyundai is conducting a safety recall in the United States to confirm the high pressure fuel pipe was properly connected by Hyundai dealers to the fuel pump outlet during prior engine replacement. What is the safety recall? Certain model year 2011-2018 Hyundai Sonata, model year 2013-2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, and model year 2014-2015 and 2018 Tucson vehicles had engines replaced. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated they would hear a knocking coming from the engine of the vehicle and the check 20v1442th smoke beng seen due to a fuel injector failure. The contact stated that excessive smoke would come out from the exhaust of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the alternator and fuel injector failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failures continued. The contact took the vehicle to the dealership (huntington beach Hyundai address: 16751 beach blvd, huntington beach, ca 92647 phone: [phone]) who diagnosed the vehicle with the diagnostic code failure: p0299, which, states that the vehicle's under boost turbocharger had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle had not ben repaired. …
When driving on the freeway, vehicle lost power and shut off, smelled and saw smoke coming from the vents. Pulled to side of road and opened hood to check engine and flames shot out, closed hood and truckers ran over with fire extinguishers and called fire department. Within 5 minutes vehicle was totally engulfed and fire department had arrived and could only prevent flames from spreading to surrounding environment. Vehicle was totally consumed by this catastrophic fire. Called Hyundai corporate offices in california to report it as the vehicle is under warranty and was asked 'what do you want us to do?'. Received the impression that they were not going to do anything about this.
Fuel System complaints in other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe, 7% of the model year's 605 complaints. The component named most often is fuel injection system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 32,000 miles, and 47% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 8 fires and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.