10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
81,641 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 Sonata Hybrid engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #38

Mar 012021

Sonata Hybrid

  • 170,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact stated she had to add one quart of oil for every 200 miles driven. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated to 30 MPH. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she was able to coast into the local dealer before the vehicle stalled. The dealer stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact took the vehicle to another local dealer: Folsom Lake Hyundai (12530 Auto Mall Cir, Folsom, CA 95630: (916) 293-4760) where it was diagnosed with needing the engine replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V746000 (Engine) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

- Wilton, CA, USA

problem #37

Aug 212020

Sonata Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 140,000 miles
The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled inadvertently in the middle of the road. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine and the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V746000 (Engine). The manufacturer was notified that the vehicle had been repaired prior to the safety recall. The manufacturer advised the contact to file a claim for reimbursement. The contact filed a claim; however, the manufacturer declined the claim and informed the contact that they could not assist as the failure was caused by the head gasket failure instead of the engine. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

- Maricopa, AZ, USA

problem #36

Mar 052022

Sonata Hybrid

  • 87,000 miles
The contact owned a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact heard an audible beeping sound continuously and saw a "W" in yellow on the driver-€™s side instrument panel. Additionally, on the passenger-€™s side the "Do Not Drive" warning was illuminated, and both warning lights were blinking. The contact pulled off the roadway safely into a parking lot. The contact turned off the vehicle and exited and observed that gray smoke was coming from under the engine compartment of the vehicle before the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department was called out and extinguished the fire. The contact stated that a FIRE report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and later declared a total loss by the insurance provider. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact recently received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V746000 (Engine). The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

- Winston-Salem, NC, USA

problem #35

Dec 142021

Sonata Hybrid

  • 130,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the warning message "Pull Over and Stop" illuminated and the vehicle began to stall. The contact veered to the side of the road in the intersection and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle was shuddering increasingly, and white smoke was coming out of the exhaust while driving. The contact was able to drive to his residence. The contact received a recall notification of an unknown recall and the vehicle was taken to the dealer who updated the electronic control module to improve the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) logic. The contact stated that after the recall repair was completed, the failure increased significantly. The dealer was notified of the failure and the vehicle was taken to the dealer who completed an oil change but had not diagnosed the vehicle. The dealer stated that the failure was related to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

- Sioux City, IA, USA

problem #34

Jul 182018

Sonata Hybrid

  • 134,198 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, she noticed the temperature gauge rising rapidly and started to smell antifreeze. The contact also stated that the vehicle began to stall. The contact stated that the -€œDO NOT DRIVE-€ warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to park on the side of the road. The contact had the vehicle towed to a family member-€™s residence. The contact then towed the vehicle to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be rebuilt. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated she continued to experience the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V746000 (Engine). The contact stated she continued to experience the failure. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer for the fourth time where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replace. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was unable to reach a representative from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 134,198.

- Zachary, LA, USA

problem #33

Jan 012020

Sonata Hybrid

  • 200,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V746000 (Engine) however, the part to the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while her son was driving 30 mph, smoke entered the cabin of the vehicle from the floorboard. The contact stated the "Do not drive vehicle" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact parked on the side of the road for 30 minutes before continuing the drive to his residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Merrillville, IN, USA

problem #32

Apr 022021

Sonata Hybrid

  • 0 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to crain Hyundai of fayetteville (1919 foxglove dr, fayetteville, ar 72704, (479) 439-9878) where it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Springdale, AR, USA

problem #31

Apr 072021

Sonata Hybrid

  • 77,946 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. While driving 20 mph, the contact stated that the vehicle started sputtering with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to napleton oaks Hyundai (1985 river oaks drive, calumet city, il 60409) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the battery was faulty and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 20V7460000 (engine). The failure mileage was 77,946.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #30

Mar 222021

Sonata Hybrid

  • miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that modern Hyundai of concord located at 965 concord pkwy S, concord, nc 28027, (704)262-4408 exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The part was not available for the repair. The contact stated that there was a grinding sound coming from engine. VIN tool confirm parts not available. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Huntersville, NC, USA

problem #29

Dec 012020

Sonata Hybrid

  • miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Lafontaine Hyundai (1847 S telegraph rd, dearborn, mi 48124, (313) 486-2801) was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Lovonia, MI, USA

problem #28

Feb 072021

Sonata Hybrid

  • 100,700 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V746000 (engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the hybrid system warning illuminated. The vehicle was towed to lakeland Hyundai (1500 w memorial blvd, lakeland, fl 33815) and was diagnosed as a blown head gasket failure. The contact informed the dealer that the failure was related to the recall. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer for several weeks. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The contact was informed by the manufacturer that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The contact was informed that if the failure was not related to the recall it would be an out of pocket expense. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was 100,700. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #27

Jun 292020

Sonata Hybrid

  • 138,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle loss motive power and the speed was reduced. After stopping on the side of the roadway, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the from the engine. The vehicle was towed to dealer southern state Hyundai of raleigh located at 2511 wake forest rd, raleigh, nc 27609, who diagnosed that the engine was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was informed by the dealer that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA campaign number: 17V226000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 138,000.

- Thomaston, CT, USA

problem #26

May 022019

Sonata Hybrid

  • 61,000 miles
While driving and using the accelerator, the RPM would rev up but the car would not move. The car would then jerk back and forth. Only able to go approximately 10 miles per hour, but the RPM would go as high as 6K or 7K RPM. Dangerous to drive. When idle, also felt RPM go up and jerking motion.

- Playa Vista, CA, USA

problem #25

Apr 262019

Sonata Hybrid

  • 117,650 miles
Engine recall I was driving home from work and suddenly loud ticking sounds starting coming from the engine. Then the power almost went to nothing and the car started slowly down (as if the car had been turned off (it was still on). The check engine light came on and the ticking sound got louder. I was able to safely drive off without any accidents. I got home and called several machanics to see if anyone could come by and see what's going on as I didn't feel safe to drive the car. Today a mechanic came and said the following: Check engine light on. Loud valve train noises and faint knocking can be heard at idle. Dead misfire on one cylinder. Noise is mechanical. One dtc returned (PO365 - can sensor B ckt malfunction). Per mechanic - strongly suspect engine is in early stages of common failure. Inquire w/mfg engine recall. It is showing same symptoms as previous year recall for Sonata hybrids and engine failures. There is low of power and loud ticking noises from the engine.

- Elk Grove, CA, USA

problem #24

Apr 022019

Sonata Hybrid

  • miles
Around a year ago (Feb 14, 2018), I received a message "hybrid system warning, please stop now". my car shut down and thank god, I was pulling into my apartment complex. My car was inspected and was told it was the tps system. That was replaced and I was on my way. Over 7 months ago (July 2018), I received the same message; "hybrid system warning, please stop vehicle now". after the warning, my car stopped immediately and this time the road was clear and I was able to coast to the side of the road. After thornton road Hyundai inspected my care again, this time they stated it was the motor. After over $5000 worth of work here it is April 2019 and the same warning. This time I was stranded on a busy highway. Once the tow truck guy got there, he escorted me to his truck to be safe. I have looked into this warning over a year and no one seems to know the problem. This should be a recall and all Hyundai dealers should be made aware of what this warning is. We as Hyundai owners need answers and help. I cannot afford to put money into a car when the problem is only being patched up.

- Dallas, GA, USA

problem #23

Mar 202019

Sonata Hybrid

  • 122,400 miles
While driving home, I heard a muffled knocking noise coming from engine when accelerating. At the next traffic light, I waited for the light to change, and when I started moving I realized the engine did not start from the hybrid. As I dangerously maneuvered the car across the right lane, I was able to pull over to a safe spot and the warning chime came on saying I had low voltage in hybrid battery. Had car towed home and then to hyudai dealer. They notified me that the engine was seized due to poor maintenance, which was ridiculous. Oil has always been changed by me or a regular garage. After viewing other comments by people who had the same exact problem I realized that this was apparently an ongoing problem with the Sonata hybrid engine. Still trying to get dealer to replace engine.

- Palm Coast, FL, USA

problem #22

Mar 202019

Sonata Hybrid

  • 106,125 miles
Right after I started my vehicle the engine starting making an unusual sound the other day. The noise gets worse when driving. I was told by a mechanic that the engine has knocking noise coming from it. I was told it probably needs and engine. I took it to the dealer and was advised that because it was a hybrid gas/electric engine it was not covered by the recall. I have seen several hundred people making this same complaint about their hybrids not just the regular 2.0 and 2.4 gas engines.

- Panama City Beach, FL, USA

problem #21

Feb 052019

Sonata Hybrid

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. While driving 55 mph, the vehicle seized without warning. The vehicle was towed to all star Hyundai (3950 century ct, pittsburg, ca 94565, (925) 778-7878) by aaa where it was diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was 90,000.

- Brentwood, CA, USA

problem #20

Nov 052018

Sonata Hybrid

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. While driving various speeds, the vehicle went into idle mode. The contact stated that the engine made a knocking sound, the check engine warning indicator illuminated, and the vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. The vehicle was towed to danbury Hyundai (102 federal rd, danbury, ct 06810, (203) 730-4700) where the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

- Sherman, CT, USA

problem #19

Jul 012017

Sonata Hybrid

  • 118,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. While driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle decelerated, stalled, and shut off. In addition, the check engine indicator illuminated and "charging system is not charging" was displayed. The contact called the local dealer (burns Hyundai, 550 w route 70, marlton, NJ 08053, (856) 983-3700) where a service appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe and the failure could lead to a crash or fatality. The failure mileage was 118,000.

- Evesham Township, NJ, USA

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