Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
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).
The panoramic sunroof on my 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe exploded, sending glass shards everywhere. It sounded like a shotgun went off inside the vehicle. Fortunately, the inside roof cover was closed, so most of the shattered glass was sent onto the roadway, instead of inside the vehicle. Internet investigation revealed that this is not an isolated incident. Exploding sunroofs on Hyundai vehicles, including the Santa Fe and veloster, have occurred in the past. To me, this is a serious safety issue. Not only because glass could be blown with significant force throughout the vehicle, but because if it happened at highway speed, it might make it impossible to control the vehicle due to shock of the explosion and glass being shot everywhere. …
My wife was driving down the interstate at about 70mph on Wednesday 2/24/16 in charlotte, nc when all of the sudden the sunroof exploded with our 3 year old and 2 month old in the back seat. The shade was back and glass dropped down on all of them. My 3 year old had some very small cuts on her face. There were no vehicles or bridges near the vehicle when this happened. The vehicle was towed to the dealership and they advised that they were going to put it in as a warranty claim with Hyundai because they had another one, same year make and model, come in the week before with the same thing. After googling it, I have read several incidents where this has taken place. I would like to see a recall on this due to the safety concerns that it poses. She could have been startled and lost control of the vehicle. If you look closely you can see that the glass goes up out of the vehicle, not down. …
I have a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe limited. We were driving on highway 85 in north dakota when the forward section of the panorama roof suddenly and without warning exploded and shattered into thousands of fragments. It sounded like a shotgun blast inside the car. Fortunately, the sunshade was closed at the time so most of the glass fragments were contained. When we stopped and examined the roof, we saw a hole about 15-18 inches in diameter. We were traveling at 65mph and the temperature was 65-70 degrees f. The car had 61,000 miles on it at the time. It is currently at the Hyundai dealer for repairs. The service rep left me with little confidence that Hyundai would cover the cost of the repair.
While traveling at 70 MPH a loud explosion was heard and the panoramic sunroof exploded covering me and my passenger in shattered glass causing minor cuts to one of us. No object appeared to hit the car. Glass covered the occupants as well as any following vehicles potentially causing damage. No object was found to indicate that the vehicle was struck. The glass was pushed outwards as though it was pushed from inside the cabin.
1. Speed sensor- replaced by recall and continue to fail. 2. Rear glass in hatchback, just broke origination from wiper hole in glass while the car was occupied sitting not moving a a parking lot. 3. Steering rattles because a shock damper wears out prematurely. 4. Seats- electric control button contacts tarnish with use and quit working.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving at approximately 70 MPH, the sun roof shattered. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 4,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. While driving at 60 MPH, a loud abnormal sound emitted before the sun roof exploded without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,590.
Air and defrosters quit turn engine off restart and it worked.5 times .the engine is a 2013 2.0 turbo Santa Fe using oil 2 quarts a week, engine is making a noise. Also, dealer said they could not do anything until it gets bad? You must check the oil all the time..
Just had my windshield replaced 2 weeks ago because of a crack on the base of the windshield. I remote started my car when I was leaving work on a snowy night and when I got to the car and wiped the snow of the windshield I noticed a crack coming from the base of it! No impact marks at all. So the next morning I made an insurance claim and had it replaced by safelite. Now this past week we had snow again in nyc and I was getting ready to leave for work and remote started the car.... Guess what I saw when I got to the car! A crack from the base! So I started researching it and the turbo models have a heating element on the bottom part of the windshield for the wipers to defrost them. Now it sounds like a good idea but not if there's snow on the windshield which is cold and from the other side your heating it up inconsistently only at the bottom. Your just asking for a crack. …
While driving home from vacation, 600 miles into the drive and 200 miles from home, I hear a loud bang. I look up to find that the sunroof of my car has exploded. Nothing hit the car and no debris at the instant of the explosion fell into the car. It seemed to have exploded outward but there was no evidence of what caused the explosion. Small shards of glass from around the edge of the gaping hole began to fall into the car, though the majority of the glass had flown out because I was going 65mph. I pulled over, patched the sunroof with duct tape and trash bags and continued to drive home. I will take the car to the dealership tomorrow to get it fixed. After a quick google search, I turned up that Hyundai is recalling other cars because of this problem. My car has a panoramic sunroof, just like the velosters. …
Window & Wiper complaints in other Santa Fe years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe, 3% of the model year's 605 complaints. The component named most often is sun/moon roof assembly (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof 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 window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 18,000 miles, and 58% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to windows, wipers & sunroof 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.