"How reliable is the 2013 Hyundai Sonata?"

"Based on 2602 NHTSA complaints, the 2013 Hyundai Sonata has a median complaint mileage of 79000 miles. The most common issue is Engine."

"What are common problems with the 2013 Hyundai Sonata?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2013 Hyundai Sonata is Engine, accounting for a significant portion of the 2602 total complaints filed."

2013 Hyundai Sonata: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 2602 complaints

2602

Total Complaints

79,000mi

Median Mileage

Engine

Top Issue

138

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

39,592 25th Percentile

79,000 Median Mileage

109,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine

706

Steering

338

Electrical System

249

Exterior Lighting

177

Unknown Or Other

173

Service Brakes

140

Fuel/Propulsion System

126

Air Bags

Power Train

Vehicle Speed Control

Severity Assessment

138

Crashes

154

Fires

117

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"STEERING FEEL IS EXTREMELY LIGHT/LOOSE, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VEHICLE WANDERS ENOUGH FROM LEFT TO RIGHT TO REQUIRE CONSTANT CORRECTION TO KEEP IT FROM GOING OVER CENTER LINE OR OFF SIDE OF ROAD. IF I ADJUST STEERING TO LEFT VEHICLE CONTINUES TO LEFT REQUIRING AN IMMEDIATE ADJUSTMENT TO RIGHT..."

"A LADY WITH A BRAND NEW 2013 SONATA TURNED OFF HER CAR IN A PARKING LOT WITHOUT PUTTING THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK. WHILE SHE WAS NOT LOOKING AND DOING SOMETHING ELSE, THE CAR BEGAN TO ROLL FORWARD AND EVENTUALLY CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF MY BRAND NEW CAR. THERE WAS NO ELECTRONIC WARNING THAT SHE NE..."

"TPMS LIGHT HAS CAME ON NUMEROUS TIMES AND HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM 7 TIMES.THE TIRE SENSOR WAS REPLACED TWICE AND THE MODULE WAS REPLACED ON THE NEXT TO LAST TIME AT THE DEALER. AFTER THE MODULE WAS REPLACED THE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON FOR 1400 MILES. THE DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 706 complaints

25th: 65,000 mi Median: 97,000 mi 75th: 125,000 mi

Steering 338 complaints

25th: 7,506 mi Median: 55,000 mi 75th: 89,500 mi

Electrical System 249 complaints

25th: 51,448 mi Median: 80,000 mi 75th: 109,500 mi

Exterior Lighting 177 complaints

25th: 62,000 mi Median: 80,000 mi 75th: 100,225 mi

Unknown Or Other 173 complaints

25th: 42,200 mi Median: 78,000 mi 75th: 102,365 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

FL: 330 CA: 278 TX: 207 GA: 165 NC: 129 PA: 125 MD: 119 OH: 90 IL: 88 NY: 86

Who Files Complaints?

1.4%

Original Owners

98.6%

Second+ Owners

Hyundai Sonata — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	25	-	Automatic Transmission	0
1991	41	-	Seat Belts	3
1992	43	-	Automatic Transmission	1
1993	46	-	Automatic Transmission	1
1995	93	107,263	Frontal	17
1996	37	-	Gasoline	0
1997	74	86,000	Tank Assembly	6
1998	68	80,000	Automatic Transmission	3
1999	187	95,000	Frame And Members	25
2000	378	108,000	Frame And Members	22
2001	293	89,863	Frame And Members	34
2002	407	94,724	Frame And Members	50
2003	247	70,178	Air Bags	28
2004	285	91,138	Suspension	36
2005	217	80,000	Air Bags	44
2006	1422	73,838	Air Bags	55
2007	905	67,000	Air Bags	45
2008	554	65,000	Air Bags	24
2009	610	68,783	Service Brakes	29
2010	415	65,000	Body	23
2011	4582	75,702	Steering	194
2012	2254	80,000	Engine	86
2014	1061	70,000	Engine	48
2015	1611	53,758	Engine	60
2016	960	62,100	Engine	37
2017	964	53,900	Engine	46
2018	519	19,862	Engine	26
2019	182	23,000	Engine	11
2020	236	2,700	Fuel/Propulsion System	8
2021	156	24,725	Engine	11
2022	123	13,500	Power Train	14
2023	130	11,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	12
2024	61	2,000	Electrical System	3

Active Recalls (9)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Engine

Campaign 18V934000 | 28/12/2018

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

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.

Pretensioner

Campaign 17V617000 | 04/10/2017

If the seat belt linkage detaches from the seat belt anchorage, it can not properly restrain the occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will again verify the connection between the seat belt linkage and the pretensioner and additionally install a warning label to prevent future seat belt linkage detachment, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai custome

Engine

Campaign 17V226000 | 31/03/2017

Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

Pretensioner

Campaign 18V137000 | 27/02/2018

If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.

Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install an external wire filter kit, free of charge. The recall began October 15, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 174.

Anchorage

Campaign 17V152000 | 08/03/2017

In the event of a crash, if the seat belts detach from the anchor pretensioners, it can increase the risk of injury.

Hyundai will notify owners and dealers will inspect the connection between the seat belt linkages and the seat belt anchor pretensioners, repairing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 7, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyu

Automatic Transmission

Campaign 14V434000 | 18/07/2014

If the transmission shift cable detaches, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver parks the vehicle, despite selecting the 'PARK' position, the tr

Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, repair the connection between the shift cable and shift lever, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 123.

Side/Window

Campaign 12V352000 | 24/07/2012

The curtain airbag may inflate without deployment command and increase the risk of injury to occupants of the vehicle. Additionally, an unexpected deployment would be a significant driver distraction and would limit the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Hyundai dealers will notify owners, and dealers will replace the curtain side airbags free of charge. This recall began on August 31, 2012. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.

Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings

Campaign 20V121000 | 28/02/2020

If the fuel line cracks, a fuel leak can occur, increasing the risk of a fire.

Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the low-pressure fuel hose for damage or leaking, replacing it as necessary. If no damage or leaking is found, heat-protective tape will be installed. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 10, 2020. Owners may conta

Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings

Campaign 22V312000 | 06/05/2022

A cracked fuel hose may leak fuel, which can increase the risk of a fire.

Dealers will replace the low pressure fuel hose, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 10, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 227. This recall replaces NHTSA recall number 20V-121. Vehicles previously

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28