2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
197 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2017 and 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which have 345 and 415 complaints and scores of 41 and 37. Buy a 2015 or 2016 car, which have 82 and 66 complaints and score 87 and 93; the 2013 and 2014 cars score 72 and 78 once their campaigns are closed. Read the full note on the model page. 2013 specifically: a year the record favours — 197 complaints, score 72/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Hyundai Kona, Genesis and Santa Fe Sport: what the record says, including 2013 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 197 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 15.15
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I was driving down a highway and was slowing down as motorcycle in front of me was turning. I than proceeded to drive, I heard a loud noise which everyone in the vehicle thought it was the motorcycle (it wasn't) we pulled over into the nearest gas station and saw that my oil light was barely blinking (it was barely noticeable) was fading in and out) we got out checked the dipstick and it was low. Was not due for an o…
The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. The contact stated that after a routine oil change, while driving back to the residence, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there were metal shavings inside the engine. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated…
While driving a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport on a city street, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled and shut off while idling at a red light. The vehicle completely failed to restart. No dashboard warning lights, check engine lights, or fault messages illuminated prior to or during the stalling event. Immediately following the engine shutdown, a fire erupted under the engine hood. The fire rapidly escalated and completely…
Recalls: 6 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V358000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch actuating cable may corrode and bind, causing the secondary hood latch to remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed. |
| 23V651000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, and 2013 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) module may leak brake fluid internally and… |
| 20V520000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) module, possibly resulting in an electrical short. |
| 21V303000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) module, possibly resulting in an electrical short. |
| 18V934000 | Engine | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2013-2014 Santa Fe Sport vehicles previously repaired under recall numbers 15V-568 and 17V-226. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned, or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, allowing fuel to leak… |
| 17V226000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 24 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,550
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine108 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes42 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Hydraulic32 complaints · typical job: Brake master cylinder or ABS module replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,520
- Unknown Or Other21 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System15 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine And Engine Cooling11 complaints · typical job: Water pump, thermostat and coolant service (3.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,040
Other Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (108 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 72/100, computed from 197 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport's most common problem?
108 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport cost to run per year?
About $5,187 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $25,938 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 05/06/2017. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 197 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 197 NHTSA complaints on record (15.2/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (14.3/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems