2013 Hyundai Santa FE Sport problems & reliability

Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.

Most reported problems

Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

Common symptoms owners describe

Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.

Mileage when problems occurred

Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 83,060 miles (middle 50% between 60,750 and 112,741 miles), based on 120 complaints that included mileage.

Complaints by incident year

What owners report

• “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…”

  Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 30, 2026

• “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…”

  Engine · filed Jul 30, 2026

• “The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that the subframe was rusted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the rear control arms and subframe were rusted and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the vehicle had previously been repaired under Service…”

  Structure · filed Jul 16, 2026

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Federal defect investigations

• Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires

  Audit Query AQ23002 · opened Nov 17, 2023 · open

• Loss of Motive Power

  Defect Petition DP22003 · opened Sep 12, 2022 · closed Dec 12, 2023

• Engine Fires

  Engineering Analysis EA21003 · opened Dec 22, 2021 · closed Feb 5, 2024 · led to recall 23V877

• Non-crash Vehicle Fires

  Preliminary Evaluation PE19003 · opened Mar 29, 2019 · closed Dec 22, 2021 · led to recall 21V727000

• Non-crash Vehicle Fires

  Defect Petition DP18003 · opened Aug 21, 2018 · closed May 10, 2019 · led to recall 19V204000

Technical service bulletins

130 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Hyundai Santa FE Sport. The 10 most recent:

• 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…

  Z01 Letter · Warranty Program/Extension · issued May 23, 2026

• 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…

  26-BE-011H DN · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Apr 25, 2026

• 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…

  26-BE-011H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Apr 25, 2026

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co.…

  DTN DL · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety…

  DTN DCS · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026

• In response to this trend, we engineered a software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method and made it available to owners of eligible models free of charge at authorized Hyundai dealers since early 2023…

  P33 OL · Other · issued Dec 19, 2025

• Upon customer's request ONLY, the Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 25-01-089H provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder reinforcement protector assembly and two anti-theft decals on the front…

  25-01-089H DCS · Other · issued Dec 15, 2025

• In addition to the Anti-Theft software provided under Service Campaign 993 (TSB 24-01-009H-1), a zinc reinforced ignition cylinder protector hardware upgrade is being made available to customers upon request. This…

  25-01-089H DN · Other · issued Dec 15, 2025

• This bulletin provides the service procedure for installation of a key cylinder reinforcement protector assembly and two anti-theft decals on the front windows.

  25-01-089H TSB · Other · issued Dec 15, 2025

• This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of…

  25-BD-012H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 6, 2025

TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.

Safety recalls

The 2013 Hyundai Santa FE Sport has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.