2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (85) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic (32) · Power Train (10)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Santa Fe Sport model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
122 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (6)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2023-09-22 · campaign 23V651000 · 1,649,478 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: 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. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024 through October 11, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 251.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2021-04-28 · campaign 21V303000 · 151,205 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: 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.
Risk: An electrical short in the ABS module can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Fix: 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 charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 25, 2021. Note: This recall includes all vehicles previously recalled under NHTSA recall number 20V-520. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 205.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2020-08-27 · campaign 20V520000 · 151,205 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the ABS module short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
Fix: 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. The recall began December 22, 2020. Note: This recall has been superseded by NHTSA Recall 21V-303 and all affected vehicles will now be repaired under 21V-303. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 194.
Engine 2018-12-28 · campaign 18V934000 · 150,730 vehicles
Defect: 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 procedure, allowing fuel to leak from the pipe.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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. Hyundai's recall number for this recall is 180.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:hood:latch 2017-06-05 · campaign 17V358000 · 437,400 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the hood is not securely closed or the primary latch is inadvertently released and the secondary latch is not engaged, the hood could unexpectedly open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: 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. Hyundai's number for the recall is 163.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine 2017-03-31 · campaign 17V226000 · 572,000 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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. Hyundai's number for this recall is 162.
Service bulletins (133)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2026-10-15 · 26-GI-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (pdw) sensor(s) that may trigger various dtcs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the pdw sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple false alarms. this condition may be a res
Engine 2026-10-08 · 26-EM-016H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. all internal combustion engines consume some engine oil during normal operatio
Engine 2026-10-07 · 26-EM-015H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. all internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operatio
Electrical System 2026-05-23 · Z01 Letter · Warranty Program/Extension
certain 2012 – 2017 model year accent, 2012 – 2017 model year azera, 2013 – 2018 model year santa fe sport, 2013 – 2019 model year santa fe, and 2012 – 2017 model year veloster vehicles may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) may be set. at hyundai, we ar
Electrical System 2026-04-25 · 26-BE-011H DN · Warranty Program/Extension
some vehicles listed below may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and dtc(s) b1763 (ocs ecu defect), and/or b1764 (ocs mat defect) may be stored. hyundai is extending the warranty coverage of the sensor for the occupant classification system (ocs) / occupant detection system (ods) to 18 ye
Electrical System 2026-04-25 · 26-BE-011H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension
some vehicles listed below may exhibit an intermittent airbag warning light and dtc(s) b1763 (ocs ecu defect), and/or b1764 (ocs mat defect) may be stored. hyundai is extending the warranty coverage of the sensor for the occupant classification system (ocs) / occupant detection system (ods) to 18 ye
Showing the 6 most recent of 133 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-26 · Service Brakes“vehicle: 2013 hyundai santa fe sport 2.0t limited, vin [xxx]. registered and titled in georgia, usa since july 2022. built in the usa (vin begins with 5); originally retailed in canada. the vehicle has an unremedied abs module defect that can cause an engine-compartment fire even when parked and turned off. hyundai canada lists it as open safety r…”
2026-10-15 · Unknown Or Other“formal vehicle safety and warranty complaint date: [xxx] from: [xxx] vehicle: 2013 hyundai santa fe sport, 2.4l theta ii engine mileage: approximately 150,000 miles (exact current reading to be confirmed) subject: recurrent check-engine warning following repeated repairs; request for theta ii engine investigation i am submitting this complaint to f…”
2026-09-28 · Unknown Or Other · 🔥 fire“the vehicle suddenly stopped and suddenly smoke appear in the front part of vehicle. firemen appeared and when the front of the car was opened the flames of the fire were all over the engine of the car. the front glass broke and the hood has visible signs of the fire. police were everywhere while firemen worked to stop the fire in the car. the car …”
2026-09-14 · Latches/Locks/Linkages · 142,622 mi“the contact owns a 2013 hyundai santa fe sport. the contact stated that the front driver’s side door failed to unlatch as intended using either the interior or exterior door handles or the locking mechanism. in addition, the contact exited the vehicle using the front passenger’s side door to exit the vehicle. an appointment was scheduled with the l…”
2026-08-17 · Unknown Or Other“in october/november of 2023, while hyundai was actively initiating safety recall 251 (nhtsa campaign 23v-651), my vehicle's abs control unit suffered an internal fluid leak that resulted in an electrical short-circuit. the failure caused major electronic communication errors, illuminated dashboard warning lights, and placed the vehicle into limp mo…”
2026-08-14 · Engine“i was driving down a highway and was slowing down as motorcycle in front of me was turning. i than proceeded to drive, i heard a loud noise which everyone in the vehicle thought it was the motorcycle (it wasn't) we pulled over into the nearest gas station and saw that my oil light was barely blinking (it was barely noticeable) was fading in and out…”
2026-08-10 · Engine · 136,434 mi“the contact owns a 2013 hyundai santa fe sport. the contact stated that after a routine oil change, while driving back to the residence, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that there were metal shavings inside the engine. the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. the vehicle was n…”
2026-07-30 · Unknown Or Other · 🔥 fire“while driving a 2013 hyundai santa fe sport on a city street, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled and shut off while idling at a red light. the vehicle completely failed to restart. no dashboard warning lights, check engine lights, or fault messages illuminated prior to or during the stalling event. immediately following the engine shutdown, a fire er…”
2026-07-30 · Engine“my 2013 hyundai santa fe sport is subject to hyundai recall 162 / nhtsa recall 17v-226, concerning premature connecting-rod-bearing wear that can cause engine knocking, engine failure, and loss of motive power. my vehicle developed engine knocking and a flashing check-engine light while i was driving. the vehicle is now at an authorized hyundai de…”
2026-07-21 · Unknown Or Other“sunroof exploded while driving …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.