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 6 of 12)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #128

Nov 222019

Sonata

  • 86,000 miles

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

2013 Hyundai Sonata hybrid I have been back and forth to the dealer several times in regards to my car shutting down on me. In the middle of me driving it will start beeping loud and while losing power the panel reeds pull over safely and shut engine off. The second time I take it to the dealer he said don't allow the gas to get two 1/4 of a tank. So I had kept it at half a tank and yet again it lost all power and shut down on me in the middle of driving. Totally not safe! take it back to the Hyundai dealer and was told the battery and everything looks okay. I was sent home again! then one morning my car would not start. I read a forum that said jiggle the shift around or put it in drive and then back up to park and then press the button for it to start. It literally worked and I took a video of me doing those steps. I took the car back to Hyundai dealer show them the video. I also told them that the forum said to replace the inhibitor switch. The mechanic agreed but yet puzzled about the car shutting down on me. This happened again yesterday Friday Feb 28, 2020 and I called today they said may be looked at on Monday. So my car is yet at the dealer until the engineers are able to look at it. I'm tired of getting my car back and having the same issues over and over again. My car has around 87,000 miles and yet under warranty until 100,000 miles. I should not have to pay for these dangerous issues. I called a few times to see if there was a recall on my car but no recall. I just bought this car in November of 2019 and the issue started a week later the day after thanksgiving. It is now February 2020 and I'm yet dealing with these issues. I'm totally at wit's end. It won't let me upload the video but here are a few pictures!

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #127

Jan 012018

Sonata

  • 116,000 miles
I have a 2013 Hyundai Sonata and for the past year and a half every month I'm having to replace the driver side brake light it keeps burning up and melting I have contacted Hyundai numerous times about this with no resolution to the problem from them.. for the past two years my steering column has been making a weird clicking noise in the steering is extremely loose I have contacted Hyundai about this situation as well and have taken the car to a mechanic for both reasons the brakes and the steering and they say that they are constantly having people with high on days come in with these exact same problems

- Nacogdoches, TX, USA

problem #126

Feb 192018

Sonata

  • miles
The brake lights are burning out quickly. One socket in the tail light assembly has completely melted to the point the light had to be cut out.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #125

Feb 212020

Sonata

  • miles

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

My front and passenger driver's side doors have had the locking mechanism/actuator cables detach and break. Requiring me to have a mechanic forcefully open the doors and then replace the internal locking assembly and cables at a cost of over $800 per door. One door cable broke in the summer of 2019 and the second door, the drivers door, just broke this Friday 2/21/2020. This is a huge safety hazard and is known to happen in this vehicle after warranty is out. If this happened without someone knowing they wouldn't be able to open their door. I work with uber and lyft as a second job as well and cannot have this type of mechanical issue.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #124

Feb 052020

Sonata

  • 89,659 miles
I was changing to the left lane I used the turn indicator and it would not release it stayed blinking as I continued driving and to discontinue the blinking. This has happened several turns (left or right) I have to sometimes use the indicator of high beam to discontinue the blinking. I have also noticed that when I used the inside dash board lamp the left headlight blew out only the right headlight has lit up using the remote unlock.

- Smyrna, DE, USA

problem #123

Feb 062020

Sonata

  • 70,000 miles
Ok I'm am seriously going to start looking into filing a class action against Hyundai. For the 6-7th time my brake lights are melting and burning out. At this point it's become a safety issue driving around at night or early morning with no brake lights. How has this not been resolved by now? the cost of repairs is too much for the issue to not even being resolved. Almost every Hyundai I see has brake lights out and people are constantly telling me my lights are out. Even police note Hyundai drivers have a constant issue with this. There needs to be a recall now!

- Manassas Park, VA, USA

problem #122

Jan 012020

Sonata

  • 151,894 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds without warning the vehicle loss motive power. The vehicle was towed to (nissani bros. Nissan 5750 mesmer ave a, culver city, ca 90230 (310) 313-3400) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the power relay assembly sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. While performing a search for recalls the contact became aware of NHTSA campaign number: 17V226000 (engine and engine cooling) which was a possible solution to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered to pay a portion of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 151,894.

- Inglewood, CA, USA

problem #121

May 302019

Sonata

  • 80,000 miles
Both headlights and break lights continue going out. First time I replaced the break lights, they had melted to the unit. I have had both headlights go out at the same time on two separate occasions. I have replaced the alternator twice now and it is looking like I will have to replace it again soon, headlights are getting dull (it's hard to see, and my brights won't click on (it is not the blinker column)), the battery has been replaced when the alternator was replaced as well. This is getting expensive. The dealership told me it was the blinker column when it was actually the alternator. Replacing the lights have been happening for years, the alternator problem started last year, so within 2 months of replacing it the first time, it went out again, and now 5 months later, it is needing to the be replaced again. It appears that it is perhaps an electrically issue since lights, battery, and alternator are going out.

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #120

Dec 182019

Sonata

  • 111,500 miles
My vehicle has just gotten to the point where some days it'll start right up and then the next day it won't do anything upon hitting the the push to start, other than giving off a click from the engine compartment, but I was told it could be a wiring problem because my first guess was the problem but I had all that tested and it wasn't the battery. I can drive it to work that morning but once I get ready to clock out the evening it won't start.

- Brundidge, AL, USA

problem #119

Aug 272018

Sonata

  • 80,000 miles
I feel like I'm investing more money into this vehicle than I should. You guys know that these Hyundai Sonata 2013+ has electrical issue and should have a recall to be fixed. My horn doesn't work and my tail lights are melting after I just payed to get them fixed. This is a safety hazard !!!!!!! you guys need to get this right, it doesn't take more than 24hrs to do a investigation and approve the recalls for people to get their cars fixed, I will never buy a Hyundai again.

- Oakland, CA, USA

problem #118

Nov 292019

Sonata

  • 84,000 miles

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

Tail lights and head lights melted. Replaced the bulbs multiple times and burnt out/melted. The most recent time I took my 2013 Hyundai Sonata in to get serviced I was told I need to replace all of the light assemblies since they all melted and that was the only fix. They told me nothing was wrong with the wiring/electric but it seems odd for all of the lights to melt even after being replaced from after melting in the past. They told me at the dealership that this was a very common problem with the Sonata but there was no recalls out for it so the only thing they could do is replace the light assemblies again.

- Saint Petersburg, FL, USA

problem #117

Nov 032019

Sonata

  • 120,000 miles
Driving car it just died no dash lights came on tried to charge start it did not work replaced battery soon as car tried to start smoke everywhere smell of burning wires

- Lebanon, CT, USA

problem #116

Oct 282019

Sonata

  • miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. While driving on an exit ramp, the vehicle lost power and the check engine indicator flashed. The contact was able to steer the vehicle and coast to the side of the road. After waiting for ten minutes, the contact restarted the vehicle, but it shut off four times before he reached his destination. The vehicle was taken to sheehy Hyundai of waldorf (2910 crain highway, waldorf, md 20601, (301) 812-3318) where it was kept for a month and the battery was replaced. The contact was able to get a loaner vehicle after much hassling. The failure recurred four weeks later and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The manufacturer had not been contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Clinton, MD, USA

problem #115

Oct 132019

Sonata

  • 1,288,000 miles
My lights have been continually blowing for well over a year almost 2.every 2 or so months I ve had to replace them.dealer said they couldnt do anything im still replacing bulbs.tje control arm on the passenger side gabe me problems.was tlod warranty was out jad to pay for repairs.was drivi.G the car it just qyot on me and started smoking.would not crank.took to auto shop said it was hje motor

- Mesquite, TX, USA

problem #114

Sep 012019

Sonata

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. While operating the vehicle, the driver's side tail light was inoperable. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the rear driver's side tail light wiring harness was faulty, melted, and deformed due to overheating. The vehicle was taken to terry lee Hyundai and the wiring harness was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 16214958. The failure mileage was 80,000.

- Westfield, IN, USA

problem #113

Sep 302019

Sonata

  • 85,000 miles
Steering began rattling inside while turning - we repaired - 2 days later drove to tn visiting relatives, while coming back to ga car began making a warning sound and all the lights came on the dashboard steering started locking up powered down and stopped. Hasn't ran since

- Dallas, GA, USA

problem #112

May 182019

Sonata

  • 97,000 miles
Drive side brake light continues to go out no matter how many times the bulb is replaced. I've been stopped by other motorists and police officers advising that my light is out. This has been an on going issue apparently since I've gotten the vehicle and Hyundai needs to correct it. There should be no reason why I should have to fear for my safety

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #111

Sep 012019

Sonata

  • miles
I have had to repeatedly replace the headlights and tail lights in the car. I've had to work in an extra $28-$52 for lights and always keep a spare. I notice many other similar Sonata's with blown lights.

- Mechanicsville, MD, USA

problem #110

Sep 122019

Sonata

  • 90,122 miles
My rear passenger tail light keeps shorting out. Ive replaced the bulb half a dozen times now. Ive even replaced the tail lamp housing and it keeps blowing the light. This is a very common issue with these cars and the manufacturer needs to take responsibility for it and replace it under a recall. Why should I be responsible for it? theyre the ones selling defective junk to the public. Ive had numerous problems with this car. The absolute worst car ive ever owned. Ive even had the engine replaced under recall. Totally unacceptable.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #109

Sep 052019

Sonata

  • 148,000 miles
I have been replacing break/tail light bulbs for 3 years, my bulbs melt into the harness causing me to have to dig the bulb out. Right now I have glass everywhere in the tail light due to my bulb exploding. This morning I started my car and had no back running lights and no break lights, that's very inconvenient when I go to work before an auto store is open. A recall needs to happen because there's so many people dealing with this same problem. I am not sure if it's faulty wiring but the bulbs burn way to hot. This happens no matter if you barely use the lights or not, even if you are parked and lights are on and even if you are just driving. Today my light sparked, the bulb exploded and I had to cut the lights off in order to stop the sparks from causing a fire.

- Spartanburg, SC, USA

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