10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
7 / 20
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 0
Average Mileage:
45,969 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 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2013 Hyundai Sonata Owner Comments (Page 3 of 12)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #188

Jul 212022

Sonata

  • miles

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

While driving the car flashed "Hybrid System Warning! Safely stop and do not drive" and immediately shut off propulsion. I was able to coast just enough to get off to the side of the road. Now the warning comes up as soon as the engine kicks on to charge the hybrid system and the car will not move. If I wasn't in the right hand lane on the highway this could've caused an accident. This happened once in December 2021 with about 86000 miles and went away after letting the car sit for about 30 minutes. It happened again today July 21, 2022 and left me stranded. The car is unusable as of now.

- Woodbine, GA, USA

problem #187

Jul 152022

Sonata

  • miles
The brake/tail lights get so hot they melt the plastic taillight assembly. I would think this is a fire hazard.

- Keystone Heights, FL, USA

problem #186

May 262022

Sonata

  • miles
The car start over but was unable to keep power upon hitting gas pedal. The seatbelt would unlatch. The back break lights wouldn-??t shut off after turning off engine causing the car battery to lose power.

- Henderson, NC, USA

problem #185

Mar 072022

Sonata

  • miles

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

On May 7th 2022 my 2013 Hyundai Sonata engine caught fire just driving down the road. I had only bought it 2 months prior. Smoke started coming pouring out of the vents and I had to pull over and have the fire department put it out. Hyundai has looked at it and offered to pay off my loan but I gave $4000 cash down and now that is lost. They won't cover that. Will there be another class action lawsuit ?

- Coraopolis, PA, USA

problem #184

Jun 292022

Sonata

  • miles
I was driving on the way home doing 55 mph with my kids and the car started to slow down and light began to pop up on the dashboard. The car shut off. I tried to restart it it wouldn-??t restart. I called a tow truck as I was waiting in 100 degree weather with two kids someone tried to give me a jumpstart how ever when they tried to jump start it we noticed smoke coming from the hood. I went to a part store and brought another battery. Thinking it-??s the battery I put the new battery in. Car still would not start. And smoke arised again as I-??m Still waiting for tow truck for 7 hours @10pm tow truck finally comes. Tow truck takes car to my residence. The next day I call Carvana and silverrock they tow the car to a dealer then call me and tell me the repairs would not be covered. Even though I haven-??t had the car for a two full months. I spent my entire pay check. The Mechanic from Firestone tells me it-??s a starter. I get the starter fixed 804$ and The next day the same thing happens again only this time my car began to smoke much more. I-??ve never experienced anything like this. I-??m also paying a car note on this car and I put down more than 4000$. Can somebody please get me out of this lemon. This should not be legal.

- Austell, GA, USA

problem #183

Jun 202022

Sonata

  • miles
This is the second time the car does not register that is in parking and the motor is off. The electric system does not shuts off, everything that is electric stops working, as well as the door locks, which if your are inside the car it is very dangerous because even to unlock the door manually is hard. The car won't unlock with the electric key, the radio stopped working, and the rear view camera as well. The car keeps saying to put on parking because it does not register that it is on parking and it will beep the whole time without shouting off causing the battery to die completely. I dropped of the car at the dealer on Tuesday June 21 around noon time, but I have not heard anything from them. Today is June 23rd I called them at 9:46 am, but they have not returned my phone call yet to let me know what is wrong with the car. Prior to this incident with the electric system, the car will make strange noises and immediately after the breaks vibrate. I am concerned about my safety.

- Vestal, NY, USA

problem #182

May 182022

Sonata

  • miles

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

FUEL IN ENGINE. ENGINE FAILURE. had car towed to hyundai of louisvile dealership due to recall on may 20,2022.as of today the dealer has not even began to do anything toward my car. i was told it may take up to 8 weeks before they could even look at my car. I was given a clain number from hyundai #19842116 and a case worker who has not helped at all. I was also denied a loaner from the dearlership

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #181

May 272022

Sonata

  • miles
For about a month, while driving lights go off during the night, MOST recently the lights and car shut off DURING the ride home!! No flashers working! When we attempted to move the steering wheel locked and would not go into drive! Feels like something was stuck, further inspection NOTHING WAS STUCK! when I fuel up the car seizes in the middle of my drives!

- Biola, CA, USA

problem #180

Mar 292022

Sonata

  • miles
The engine component on my car is failing; it is available for inspection upon request. I was put at risk because the vehicle continued to stall during operation due to the car's continuous operation with a worn connecting rod. An independent service center has confirmed the problem. The dealer has not inspected the vehicle component, as they said they have. A warning came up that read, "Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and DO NOT DRIVE!

- Riverdale, IL, USA

problem #179

May 132022

Sonata

  • miles
brake/tail lights keep burning out. when attempting to replace them, they are melted into the wiring harness. dealership replaced wiring harness. issue still happens.

- Cumberland, RI, USA

problem #178

Apr 222022

Sonata

  • miles

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

My safety was put at risk and the life of others as a chime sound began to sound and the "check brake/Hybrid System Warning" was displayed on the dashboard. This caused the car to press the emergency breaks on its own slowing the vehicle to a complete halt on freeway. This malfunction could have caused a multi vehicle collision. This was taken for inspection and Scanned with GDS and C1235 Pressure sensor, is internal in HECU and cannot be repaired, HECU must be replaced. The vehicle is unsafe to drive and pedal sinks which feels like car does not stop. The output signal voltage of the pressure sensor is out of the specified range, the monitoring starts 1 sec after power up. The cause of this could be that there is a faulty pressured sensor and/or open or short of pressure sensor circuit. The pressure sensor installed in the HECU, converts the brake pressure to judge the drivers brake intention when the ESC program is operated. When pressure is applied to the sensor, the resistance of the sensor's strain gauge changes. The change in resistance changes the voltage output from the sensor. A fail safe inhibits the ESC/DBC control and allow the ABS/EDB control. The ESC/DBC warning lamp is activated. A safety recall should be established by this establishment as other Hyundai Sonata Hybrids are having the same malfunctions and are having to repair costs out of their own pockets, $4,300 given quote.

- Lynwood, CA, USA

problem #177

May 032022

Sonata

  • miles
Door latch driver side not locking

- Irvine, CA, USA

problem #176

Apr 112022

Sonata

  • miles
Brake/ tail light socket and metal portion of bulb could not be removed. Dealer attempted to replace socket but the tail light assembly was melted so badly that it would not hold the bulb socket. The whole tail light assembly had to be replaced.

- Mandeville , LA, USA

problem #175

Feb 232022

Sonata

  • miles
iGNITION KEY DOES NOT ALWAYS RELEASE. WHEN TURNING ENGINE OFF, THE KEY STAYS LOCKED IN THE ACCESSORY POSITION WHICH CAUSES A DRAIN ON THE BATTERY. THE KEY WILL NOT COME OUT!

- Mount Airy, MD, USA

problem #174

Jan 262022

Sonata

  • miles
Without warning, all of the vehicles warning alarms and indicator were triggered and the car shut off with now power or engine running while i was in motion driving in traffic. Absolutely no prior indications before this occurred. I had to have to vehicle pushed from the middle of the road then towed home.

- Glendora, CA, USA

problem #173

Jan 152022

Sonata

  • miles
Engine light flashing oil light flashing car cut off while I was driving on the road with my daughter In the car

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #172

Nov 082021

Sonata

  • miles
Sudden "Hyundai Sonata Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do Not Drive" while driving on freeway. I had to tow my car because the engine did not start after the sign. My safety was at danger because it happened suddenly on the freeway and the car slowed down. I had no control over car speed.

- Walnut, CA, USA

problem #171

Jan 012019

Sonata

  • miles
Any time the light switch is on the "on"position several electrical issues happen. Headlights come on randomly after car turned off and drain battery.Brake light bulbs overheat, burn out and melt casing frequently. Consol lights come on that are not selected and should not be illuminated. Cruise control wont work and engine can loose power momentarily. Was taken for service in 2019 at folsom lake Hyundai dealership but was told no other reports found and they couldnt replicate issue. Nothing was done. Have issues every winter when headlights are used more frequently. Issues getting worse as time goes on.

- Rancho Cordova, CA, USA

problem #170

Oct 272021

Sonata

  • miles
*** Normal driving, brakes went out while driving. *** Car was recently repaired by dealer related to hybrid power relay system failure - fuse and precharge relay failed and forced car to pull over while at highway speeds to side of road then left driver stranded on side of road. This was repaired supposedly. Now just a couple weeks later under normal street driving condition brakes totally went out. Stop light then let off brake and car started beeping and making noises - check engine light, brake light, LCD displayed BRAKE warning and flashed "HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING! Safely Stop and Do Not Drive". The car was unresponsive to acceleration pedal and only slowly moved then puttered a little bit but I managed to get it out of the intersection and into a parking lot under its own power. Brake pedal went all the way to the floor. I used Emergency Brake to stop and park then had it towed. Could have been disaster if I was on highway - which I was at stop light to turn onto when the failure occurred. I am scared of this car now. 2 times in a month it has forced driver to pull over and then become unresponsive. No brakes is the last straw. This is a dangerous car now.

- Park City, KS, USA

problem #169

Oct 032021

Sonata

  • miles
Normal weather, normal day. Hybrid car. Starts fine and drives as usual. Yesterday at 55mph got immediate alert to pull over. Barely able to pull over safely then car turns off and will not turn back on. Clicking under hood. No indication of battery or hybrid issue. Scan codes completely different than dealership advice. No exact indication of issue. Could have caused accident at 55pmh and electrical system go out like that. Battery died while on side of road. Towed to dealership and they said its a bad 12v battery ( but it was fine ) and a fuse and a "pre-charge hybrid relay" whatever that is. Thousand dollar repair that caused car to be forced off road while driving highway speed. Bottom line, everything prior was fine, no indication of any battery issue, no hard starts nothing. While driving system failed and then unable to restart. Many similar complaints online.

- Park City, KS, USA

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