2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: common problems

Owners of the 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid filed 108 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 108
involving a crash: 8

What fails most often

1 Engine 37% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 24% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 22% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
5 Fuel/propulsion system 11% of all complaints
6 Steering 10% of all complaints
7 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
8 Air bags 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine: 40 complaints (37% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 26 complaints (24% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 24 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 14 complaints (13% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Fuel/propulsion system: 12 complaints (11% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 108 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

warning lights, check engine28 · 26%
knocking, grinding or other noise17 · 16%
stalls while driving14 · 13%
jerking, harsh shifts9 · 8%
won't start8 · 7%
smoke, burning smell, fire8 · 7%
loss of power / limp mode6 · 6%
engine failure or replacement5 · 5%
headlights and tail lights4 · 4%
vibration4 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine	40	3
Service brakes	26	4
Electrical system	24	1
Powertrain	14	3
Fuel/propulsion system	12	0
Steering	11	0
Vehicle speed control	7	2
Air bags	4	2
Structure	4	1
Electronic stability control	3	0
Equipment	3	0
Exterior lighting	2	1
Hybrid propulsion system	2	0
Visibility	2	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The only one I knew about was the seatbelt and I took it to the dealship for that and it still didn't fix the problem. I need to know since these recalls play a part in my accident how I can be compensated. It clearly was not my fault that the car had manufacture issues I knew nothing about.
Engine · crash · 2018-08-30 · NHTSA complaint #11123576
The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for determination of the brake failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed back to the dealer, but a failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired.
Service brakes · crash · 2018-02-08 · NHTSA complaint #11071848
The contact stated that the vehicle was driven into the garage and stopped for approximately 10 seconds before experiencing an unintended acceleration and crashing into the garage wall causing significant damage to the home.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2017-01-03 · NHTSA complaint #10939151
The right fender, right headlight, hood and bumper were damaged. She called me & I told her if it was safe to drive, to continue driving. She kept driving and then the overheating light came on. She pulled the car over in less than a minute. She called me again & I told her to call hyundai roadside assistance.
Engine · crash · 2015-08-21 · NHTSA complaint #10758485
I'm drove on hwy101s in sf follow the hwy speed. When the car ahead slowdown and stopped and I did too but the car behind won't stop and hit me from the hwy speed then push me hit the front car ahead and another car hit the car behind me push her hit me again and another car all 5 involved this incident.
Air bags · crash · 2015-02-13 · NHTSA complaint #10683131
The car moved forward at a slow speed and went up the curb, toppled a small tree and knocked a parking kiosk over on the sidewalk. Fortunately it was 8:10 am so nobody was walking on the sidewalk. Airbags did not deploy. Some damage from the metal kiosk and tie rod broken from curb.
Service brakes · crash · 2013-12-31 · NHTSA complaint #10558015
When turning the steering wheel, left or right, there was a distinct âclunkingâ noise, and you could feel it in the steering wheel. When the car was inspected by the Hyundai service department, I was informed that the problem was a part in the steering coupler.
Steering · 2026-09-23 · NHTSA complaint #11766367
The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the malfunction indicator and coolant temperature warning lights illuminated, and the engine overheated and shuddered abnormally. There was smoke and an abnormal ticking sound coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle.
Service brakes · 2026-08-11 · NHTSA complaint #11756244

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20134
20149
201513
20169
201717
201821
20197
20201
20218
20226
20235
20244
20264

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 3,392 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Sonata Hybrid has 50 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 108, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 108. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (26%), knocking, grinding or other noise (16%), stalls while driving (13%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2013 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.