10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 24
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
47,015 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Owner Comments (Page 2 of 13)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #228

Jun 242023

Santa Fe

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

loss of compression - cylinder 2

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #227

Mar 292023

Santa Fe

  • miles
I was driving down the highway on my way out of town with my son was going 60 miles down the highway in my engine field in the middle of the highway. My car just shut off and I had to cut through traffic to get on the side of the road. Praying that me and my son were safe. Then my car started smoking.

- Winston Salem, NC, USA

problem #226

May 062023

Santa Fe

  • 95,000 miles
The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that her husband was driving at 55 mph while depressing the accelerator pedal but the vehicle failed to accelerate and began to decelerate its speed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to park on the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The driver was unable to restart the vehicle, and he saw smoke exiting the hood. The contact and her husband exit the vehicle safely before the vehicle was engulfed in fire. The fire depart extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. The contact called the police department and also filed a police report and deemed the vehicle was a total loss The contact stated no one sustained any injuries nor sought medical attention. The contact called the insurance company and had the vehicle towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

- La Grange Park, IL, USA

problem #225

Apr 192023

Santa Fe

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving down the highway when the car suddenly just jolted stalled and misfired. I put on my hazards and jerked to get a read since the engine light came on. After 4 diagnostic tests and 3 different mechanics the codes read misfire in cylinder 2. Spark plugs were installed new, but after further inspection and 3 pressure tests the problem was scoring to the cylinder wall, not the cylinder coil itself. The final test was by a Hyundai dealer, but he did not tear down the engine further to find exact cause. He initially suggested an oil change, but I have been getting oil changes every month before service is due as oil is burning off and not lubricating essential mechanical parts. I have records of monthly changes. I also had several issues with brake fluid leaks regardless of tube installation per another recall for ABS system. I visited dealer under the advise of Hyundai customer service telling me I was under an extended warranty up to 150,000. After visiting dealer I was told the warranty does not cover my power train issue but only pertaining to rods and bearings. However, according to best practice guide 162 and class action I am still eligible for free inspection as a returning customer which was denied. I had no notice or knowledge of a bad engine when purchasing vehicle. I was told of ABS system recall and a no cost inspection. The previous owner serviced the recall 162 so it-??s showing as closed, but as a returning customer I believe it to still be active and deserves further review. A tow would be required to inspect the vehicle at any dealership or repair shop.

- Gahanna, OH, USA

problem #224

Jan 152023

Santa Fe

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #223

Jun 042023

Santa Fe

  • miles
My engine randomly misfired out of nowhere one day and a rod threw through my engine. I have a perfect history of proper engine maintenance with scheduled oil changes included. There is a safety recall on my year, make and model or vehicle for premature wear of bearings that cause the motor to seize but my VIN number says I-??m not affected. I believe I have been.

- Arlington, WA, USA

problem #222

May 252023

Santa Fe

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have had my Hyundai for 3yrs and religiously get my oil changed from my mechanic. My car is consuming oil. I got an oil change a month ago and went to check my oil on my dipstick and it was VERY low. There is no oil leaks. My car vibrates when I sit at a light or am parked it also has bad acceleration.

- Pinellas Park , FL, USA

problem #221

May 212023

Santa Fe

  • miles
As I drove off the highway and stopped at the light, all of my warning lights came on and fire started coming out of the hood in front of me. I bailed out of the vehicle and the entire front half of the car burned/melted completely.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #220

Sep 142022

Santa Fe

  • miles
Engine consumes oil significantly. After 3 month of oil change, most no oil is shown on the dip stick. I noticed that there is a recall for 4 cylinder engines but no recall for V6 engines. However, same issue is happening to my V6 engine. I am refilling oils every month.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #219

May 132023

Santa Fe

  • miles
I was driving down the interstate coming up to a bridge with barely any emergency shoulder in the pouring rain with my 7 year old son in the back seat when all of a sudden my car lost power and would no longer accelerate over 60mph. I pulled to the side of the road and had to have my vehicle towed. After I finally made it back home, I researched the issue and found that this has already been recall on my vehicle back in 2017 prior to me purchasing the car and it supposedly fixed but either it wasn't fixed or the repair has failed again. I see many other owners of other Hyundai models and Kia are having this issue even after these so-called repairs have been made.

- Saint Petersburg, FL, USA

problem #218

Apr 132023

Santa Fe

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The engine is burning oil without any warning lights come on engine almost seized up. No no oil low light came on. Do you like that came out was check engine so we bought it to the dealership for service and then the ones they told us with the problem with the engine and looks like the same problem that a Hyundai is having with the four cylinders which they are replacing unfortunately is only up to 150,000 miles a Hyundai will not do nothing for us on this engine because it-??s not part of the recall, oh this is the same problem. The four-cylinder-??s are having I was told by the mechanics in the service tech from a Hyundai. This is the second time this happened the first time they said we need a new toilet. We need a pressure switch We needed some other stuff in the car which almost came out to $4000 to get fix that at Hyundai add Voz, Ed Voyles and Hyundai in all Semira Georgia. I was just hoping you could help us with the situation to see if there-??s anybody else out there with that problem.

- Dallas, GA, USA

problem #217

Oct 012022

Santa Fe

  • miles
While driving the vehicle, power was lost several times, the engine redlined because it could not switch gears. All of the oil was used by engine 40 days after oil change. Hyundai has repeatedly ignored our request for a new engine.

- Pensacola, FL, USA

problem #216

Mar 312023

Santa Fe

  • miles
The engine is failing due to a broken bearing inside the engine. This caused oil to leak inside the engine and burn out through the exhaust. There were no warning lights such as a check engine or low oil. The reason we took it to the shop is because the car started making raddling and knocking noise when pressing the gas pedal. The mechanic shop informed us there was no oil in the vehicle when we just got a synthetic oil change in December. They diagnosed that significant engine damage was done and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle is almost 10 years old and has 108,000 miles. There were no warning signs of this happening it just happened. There were no major issues with this vehicle. We consistently maintained the vehicle maintenance and oil changes and kept all records.

- Midlothian, VA, USA

problem #215

Nov 152022

Santa Fe

  • miles
I purchased a Hyundai Santa Fe V6 3.3 L what's 67,000 miles on it from an owner that kept it maintained at the dealership and we have records. I kept it maintained I have records to support. The complaint is the engine started failing without notice while driving which was very dangerous because of the loss of speed while in traffic. The engine would rev up to redline which would force me to let off the gas call losing all power. My four year old daughter and I almost got plowed over from behind on the interstate by a semi truck because our engine would suddenly rev way up to redline without any notice. I contacted Hyundai about it, the engine has now died and we lost $15,000 vehicle because of it. Hyundai has ignored us regarding the dead car and the safety component. They should not be allowed to conduct a business in the United States. The amount of lawsuit stacked up against them for ripping off we Americans, is absolutely absurd. Get off your ass and do something about it. I'm a tax paying Citizen and you're allowed me to get screwed over in my own backyard with regards to a f*cking car for my family.

- Pensacola, FL, USA

problem #214

Nov 272022

Santa Fe

  • miles
I was driving my Santa Fe into my garage and there was a misfire in the engine. And then it stopped running, I have had it parked there now for 1 month because I don-??t have the money to put a engine in it,

- Winter Haven , FL, USA

problem #213

Oct 312020

Santa Fe

  • 98,005 miles
Since I bought this vehicle it has done nothing but burn oil. I do regular oil changes on a regular basis. In between these oil changes I have to add 3 to 5 quarts of oil every 2 weeks. I have only had the vehicle for 2 yrs and 6 months. I am constantly checking the oil I believe there needs to be a recall on this vehicle engine.

- New Castle , PA, USA

problem #212

Feb 132023

Santa Fe

  • miles
I bought this car brand new and have never had any problems with it until the engine seized. The car has been driven 64,691 miles. On 2/11 the car was started in a shopping center parking lot and the engine began ticking. There were no lights present. We drove it home (1 mile) and I called Piazza Hyundai. Their next diagnostic opening was for March 3rd. I made the appointment, left the car in the driveway, and called my own mechanic on Monday, hoping for a quicker repair. On 2/13 the engine still ticked and ultimately shut down on a major road a mile from my home en route to my mechanic. I had it towed to Mighty Muffler and it was declared seized on Tuesday, 2/14. I then had it towed to Piazza Hyundai where it is waiting for it's appointment. There were no lights illuminated until it shut down. After the car stopped working, the engine, oil and battery lights appeared.

- Wilmington, DE, USA

problem #211

Jan 202023

Santa Fe

  • miles
On January 20, 2023 I was on my way home from work and was stopped at a traffic light. The light turned green. As I tried to accelerate forward the engine light started blinking and the vehicle moved slow and lost a lot of power and a knocking sound began. As I tried to accelerate more the knocking sound became louder. I found an engine issue after entering my vin# on the Hyundai site. It was found that for the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport there was an engine issue. I have attached this issue pertaining to my vin#. I printed this information and took these to my nearest Hyundai dealer, who stated to me that these were not official recall papers and they can't use them. I am the 3rd owner of this vehicle so I never would have received an official recall paper. I proceeded to email consumer affairs at Hyundai and sent these same attachments showing the vehicle issue with my vin#. Hyundai has emailed me back stating and I quote "We have determined your vehicle is not currently affected by any campaigns." I do not see how they determined there isn't a campaign that affects my vehicle when I have proof on paper there is an issue with these engines. My vehicle is a 2013 and under 10 years old. I found a local independent auto garage to look at my Hyundai and they have stated I need a new engine. I am at this time stuck paying out of pocket for a new engine that has clearly an issue Hyundai has had with this particular engine. Thank you for you time. Julie Lehouillier

- Port Richey, FL, USA

problem #210

Jan 122023

Santa Fe

  • miles
I was driving to work January 12th and I turned on my left blinker and touched my breaks to slow down and make a stop at a red light in a turning lane. After touching my break my car stalled for the first time since I owned the vehicle in the middle of the road. I put it in park and tried to turn it over twice. The hood of my vehicle started smoking and my engine seized up. I dropped my vehicle off at Horne Hyundai on January 18th after Pep Boys did an engine diagnostics confirming it fell under a recall I was never notified about. There were no engine lights on previous to my car breaking down and I have not heard back from Horne Hyundai since I dropped off my vehicle. Prior to the breakdown, there were not engine malfunctions. Ever since I got the car it didn't accelerate well, but thought it was the specific model of the vehicle.

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #209

Jan 012023

Santa Fe

  • miles
Not sure if it had anything but Hyundai replaced the rod bearing due to a notice we received to bring it in. A month after this, and just after getting an oil change the check engine light turned on. Upon arriving home, my husband found the car basically on empty for oil. I took it and our mechanic confirmed this. I then took to Hyundai in Cornelius, NC and after many tests they confirmed the car was burning oil, but could not determine the reason. There were no visible leaks etc. Nothing was provided as a solution, we continued to have to due monitor the oil, add when necessary, and take it in for an oil change once a month. As of January 1st, 2023 the car lost power while my 19 yr. old son was driving it with his younger brother and the engine light started flashing. The car is now has no viable engine. I feel this is very poor handling by Hyundai and more attention should have been giving by them for their product which we paid and ended up with a bad apple. Based on what I have researched this seems to be more of a common problem.

- Maiden, NC, USA

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