2013 HYUNDAI SANTA FE — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 603 complaints · 3 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (228 complaints · 37.8%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 14
  • Fires 40
  • Injuries 13
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2012 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 228 of 603 owner complaints (37.8%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 228 complaints, 37.8% of reports ENGINE 228 · 37.8% · 2 crash reports 19 fire reports STEERING: 78 complaints, 12.9% of reports STEERING 78 · 12.9% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 42 complaints, 7.0% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 42 · 7.0% · 3 crash reports 5 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 33 complaints, 5.5% of reports POWER TRAIN 33 · 5.5% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports FUEL SYSTEM: 28 complaints, 4.6% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 28 · 4.6% · 4 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 22 complaints, 3.7% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 22 · 3.7% STRUCTURE: 18 complaints, 3.0% of reports STRUCTURE 18 · 3.0% · 2 crash reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 18 complaints, 3.0% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 18 · 3.0% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports VISIBILITY: 18 complaints, 3.0% of reports VISIBILITY 18 · 3.0% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 127 complaints, 21.1% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 127 · 21.1% · 4 crash reports 11 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 228 37.8% 2 crashes · 19 fires
STEERING 78 12.9% 1 crashes · 1 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 42 7.0% 3 crashes · 5 fires
POWER TRAIN 33 5.5% 1 crashes · 1 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 28 4.6% 0 crashes · 4 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 22 3.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 18 3.0% 2 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 18 3.0% 1 crashes · 1 fires
VISIBILITY 18 3.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 127 21.1% 4 crashes · 11 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2012; the first recall shown was reported in Aug 2013. 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q1: 18 owner reports 18 2013-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2013-Q3: 25 owner reports 25 2013-Q4: 15 owner reports 15 2014-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 2014-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2014-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2014-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2015-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2015-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2016-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q2: 23 owner reports 23 2017-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2018-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2019-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2019-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2019-Q3: 17 owner reports 17 2019-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2020-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2020-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2020-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2020-Q4: 20 owner reports 20 2021-Q1: 15 owner reports 15 2021-Q2: 19 owner reports 19 2021-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2021-Q4: 19 owner reports 19 2022-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 2022-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2022-Q3: 19 owner reports 19 2022-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2023-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2023-Q2: 16 owner reports 16 2023-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2023-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2024-Q1: 28 owner reports 28 2024-Q2: 17 owner reports 17 2024-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2024-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2025-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2025-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2012 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 13V355000 ◆ Recall campaign 13V355000 Recall campaign 17V358000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V358000 Recall campaign 23V651000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V651000 Investigation PE13025 ● Investigation PE13025 Investigation RQ17004 ● Investigation RQ17004 Investigation DP18003 ● Investigation DP18003 Investigation PE19003 ● Investigation PE19003 Investigation DP21003 ● Investigation DP21003 Investigation EA21003 ● Investigation EA21003 Investigation DP22003 ● Investigation DP22003 Investigation AQ23002 ● Investigation AQ23002
  • Campaign 13V355000 was reported 223 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 17V358000 was reported 1,622 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V651000 was reported 3,327 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2012-Q4 Owner reports 3
2013-Q1 Owner reports 18
2013-Q2 Owner reports 14
2013-Q3 Owner reports 25
2013-Q4 Owner reports 15
2014-Q1 Owner reports 17
2014-Q2 Owner reports 9
2014-Q3 Owner reports 15
2014-Q4 Owner reports 5
2015-Q1 Owner reports 11
2015-Q2 Owner reports 11
2015-Q3 Owner reports 6
2015-Q4 Owner reports 3
2016-Q1 Owner reports 5
2016-Q2 Owner reports 8
2016-Q3 Owner reports 3
2016-Q4 Owner reports 6
2017-Q1 Owner reports 6
2017-Q2 Owner reports 23
2017-Q3 Owner reports 6
2017-Q4 Owner reports 5
2018-Q1 Owner reports 6
2018-Q2 Owner reports 6
2018-Q3 Owner reports 8
2018-Q4 Owner reports 9
2019-Q1 Owner reports 7
2019-Q2 Owner reports 8
2019-Q3 Owner reports 17
2019-Q4 Owner reports 18
2020-Q1 Owner reports 14
2020-Q2 Owner reports 9
2020-Q3 Owner reports 14
2020-Q4 Owner reports 20
2021-Q1 Owner reports 15
2021-Q2 Owner reports 19
2021-Q3 Owner reports 10
2021-Q4 Owner reports 19
2022-Q1 Owner reports 17
2022-Q2 Owner reports 18
2022-Q3 Owner reports 19
2022-Q4 Owner reports 5
2023-Q1 Owner reports 12
2023-Q2 Owner reports 16
2023-Q3 Owner reports 12
2023-Q4 Owner reports 18
2024-Q1 Owner reports 28
2024-Q2 Owner reports 17
2024-Q3 Owner reports 10
2024-Q4 Owner reports 6
2025-Q1 Owner reports 6
2025-Q2 Owner reports 3
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 13V355000
Recall campaign 1 17V358000
Recall campaign 1 23V651000
Defect investigation 1 PE13025
Defect investigation 1 RQ17004
Defect investigation 1 DP18003
Defect investigation 1 PE19003
Defect investigation 1 DP21003
Defect investigation 1 EA21003
Defect investigation 1 DP22003
Defect investigation 1 AQ23002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (3)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 13V355000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    A fractured front axle may result in a loss of power to the wheels. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked without the parking brake applied, it may roll away. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai Custom Care Center at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall number is 112.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 17V358000

    Report date
    Component:
    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
    Consequence:
    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.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 23V651000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 603 complaints · page 1 of 25

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources