Hyundai Sonata Complaints

17,026 consumer complaints on file.

#11766104September 22, 2026
ENGINE
I am reporting an unaddressed, critical safety defect involving the Theta II engine in my 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The engine has developed a severe internal metallic knocking noise consistent with connecting rod bearing failure—the exact manufacturing defect associated with Hyundai's major engine recall campaigns (such as Recall 198 / Campaign 966)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766112September 22, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:BULBS
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, a bystander notified the contact that the brake lights were inoperable. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and determined that the brake light housing needed to be replaced. The brake light housing was replaced; however, the failure persisted.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765767September 21, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. Later, while attempting to accelerate from a yield sign, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine bearings had failed and the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765780September 21, 2026
ENGINE
Hyundai dealership confirms I am in need of a new engine due to large oil consumption which is a known issue on 2018 Hyundai Sonata engines. Hyundai will not approve repairs because I am the second owner and vehicle is out of the 5 year warranty period. I only have 52K miles on my vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765593September 20, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Fuse for A/C was blown, caught on fire, and melted components.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765198September 18, 2026
POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My Lincoln Nautilus (~9,180 miles) logged 6 "Powertrain Malfunction / Reduced Power" alerts in the [XXX] telematics system between XXX (XXX at 7:59 PM and 8:16 PM; XXX at 1:07 PM and 1:39 PM; XXX at 11:16 PM; and XXX at 10:56 AM). Out of the 6 logged events, I experienced severe loss of motive power during two of them. On XXX, while driving 70 mph on I-95, the vehicle completely lost all propulsion. Coasting without power, I was unable to pull fully onto the shoulder, leaving the car partially stuck in active traffic and narrowly escaping a high-speed collision. Once stopped, the vehicle failed to recognize that it was in Park, causing the electronic parking brake to lock without releasing, which severely delayed towing recovery. The vehicle was towed to a Lincoln dealership in [XXX], whose service department was closed. Upon arrival, the vehicle suffered a complete electrical blackout; the key fob would not unlock the doors, requiring physical key entry. A sales representative provided a jump box, allowing me to start the car, drive back to [XXX], and deliver it to Cavalier Lincoln Ford in [XXX] between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM on XXX. Cavalier Lincoln Ford stated they could not reproduce the malfunction. The vehicle and its electronic records remain available for inspection upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765311September 18, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The vehicle was brought to an authorized Hyundai dealer to have Service Campaign TBH and 94B completed. These campaigns were explicitly designed to prevent known mechanical defects (cracked EHRS assemblies and high-voltage battery errors). The software patches failed to protect the vehicle. The physical hardware has now catastrophically failed exactly as predicted by the campaign, resulting in extreme engine overheating and a physically swollen high-voltage battery pack. Hyundai is refusing to cover the cascading physical damage caused by their own failed campaign remedy, leaving me with an active safety and fire hazard. FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM" and explicitly state that the vehicle experienced an unchecked thermal event due to an ineffective corporate software update (Campaign TBH / 94B). All documents I have supporting this will not fit in this upload limit.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765371September 18, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
In 2023, my Hyundai Sonota 2013 hybrid stopped on the freeway putting myself and others at risk. It told me to stop and pull over to a safe spot but everything locked up and I couldn't move it. I had to get a fuse replaced and it cost over $2k. 3 years later, my cars EBrake light has remained on for a few weeks, it will show a battery discharge warning upon starting up sometimes but now I can't even drive it as it displays "check brake and hybrid warning system" alerts appear on the dash display. I've already been terrified for years that this would happen again. This car is absolutely unsafe. It's still under 100k miles and has given me so many problems even though I have taken great care of it. I am taking it to the Hyundai dealership for another diagnostic. The fact that I see so many others online with similar issues leads me to believe that there should be more recalls on this car; moreover, I believe Hyundai purposely designs this models to break down regularly so we can take it to their dealership to be exonerated by their high prices for parts and labor. Hyundai is a con artist company. They do not design their automobiles with the safety of drivers in mind.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764913September 17, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Backup vision system failed. Couldn't see vision because screen was blank. Radio didn't work either. Went to dealership with the problem they said it was not covered by the warranty. Paid to have it fixed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765035September 17, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My sunroof exploded within 100 miles of ownership. My first drive home to be exact. Was determined to be defective by Hyundai.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765048September 17, 2026
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign: 25V796000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, parts were on back order. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked with an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. An unknown warning light was temporarily illuminated. Upon further inspection, the contact became aware that the fuel level had dropped. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with an expanded fuel tank. The contact stated that the O2 sensor, spark plugs, and ignition coils were replaced by a local independent mechanic; however, the failures persisted. The contact had headaches while driving the vehicle. Medical attention was not needed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11764613September 16, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving down the road when my sunroof glass completely ripped away from the top and flew off. The glass is gone but the frame is still there but bent. I took it to a auto glass repair shop that stated "sunroof glass separated from urethane, came off and bent frame." I am dropping off at Hyundai dealership 9.17.26 to have them inspect. My insurance will not cover repairs. So I am hoping maybe this has happened to other people. There was a recall on sunroofs for the 2014-2016 Hyundai Sonata's NHTSA campaign 16V726000 A bonding issue with the front sunroof wind deflector anchor plate can cause the deflector to come loose and jam the glass panel when closing, or detach entirely while the car is moving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764277September 15, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission replaced twice and all of them continue to fail. Several Hyundai service centers are unable to determine the cause and are only able to update/relearn and replace whenever they are able to replicate the issue. The issue is that at a cold start, the car makes a popping sound, jerks and shakes. The car hesitates to accelerate. You can hear the noise of acceleration but RPM does not go past 3 and MPH doesn't go past 30mph. I'm unable to upload docs because of the upload limit. If there's another way to send docs, please let me know
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764359September 15, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact's sister-in-law owned a 2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact stated that while the vehicle owner was driving 55 MPH, the owner noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The owner parked and exited the vehicle, and while attempting to inspect the vehicle, the owner noticed flames coming from underneath the hood, and the fire extended to the cabin of the vehicle. The Fire Department extinguished the fire and informed the owner that the fire had gone through the firewall and entered the interior of the vehicle. The front seats of the vehicle were completely burned. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard and was deemed a total loss. The vehicle was under liability insurance. A Police report was filed. The contact sustained back pain from riding in the police officers vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the dealer had repaired the vehicle for ABS failure two weeks prior to the incident. The dealer was notified of the fire incident but informed the contact that an inspection could not reveal the cause of the fire. The manufacturer was contacted by phone, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11764424September 15, 2026
ENGINE
The vehicle experienced a Theta II engine failure at under 57,830 miles while driving on northbound [XXX] near the [XXX] Parkway U-turn in [XXX]. The engine made a loud noise and lost power. I was able to coast to the far right side of the U-turn under the bridge. I called HERO (Austin's emergency roadside assistance). They responded, determined it was not a battery issue, and pushed the vehicle to the Southern Leisure Spa parking lot on the southbound side of the road. The vehicle was then towed. The vehicle is equipped with the KSDS (Knock Sensor Detection System) software update, installed as part of Hyundai's remedy for this known defect. Despite KSDS being installed, the engine failed due to connecting rod bearing wear, consistent with the documented Theta II defect. A Hyundai dealership confirmed KSDS was installed but denied the warranty claim, citing maintenance records. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The Theta II engine defect has been the subject of prior NHTSA investigations and Hyundai recalls. This complaint is filed to document another failure of the same defect in a vehicle with the manufacturer's remedy installed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764526September 15, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V796000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, while driving 70 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal, the brakes failed to respond as intended. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the contact would receive a callback. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764561September 15, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
When left turn signal is selected blinker nor camera comes on and at times it does work. Constantly in and out never steady. This never happened with the right turn signal only the left
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764572September 15, 2026
ENGINE
I am concerned that the engine may seize or stall without warning while driving, creating a risk of crash, injury, or death. The Theta II engine defect is known to cause engine seizure, stalling, and fire. Hyundai has denied warranty coverage based on mileage and second-owner status — both of which are explicitly prohibited as denial grounds under the Settlement — leaving me driving an unsafe vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11763930September 13, 2026
TIRES
Factory OEM Michelin Primacy All Season Tires (tire size 215/55R17) on a front-wheel drive 2024 Hyundai Sonata SEL with the 2.5L gasoline engine. At around 4,000 it had issues momentary issues with keeping traction in the rain when starting to accelerate after being stopped before regaining traction. Sometimes the traction control light would on the dash during the momentary loss of traction. Problem worsened over time and the tires are now very worn at 34,000 miles. At one point, I almost lost control of the car and almost crashed when slowing down after the steering wheel started moving to the left itself because of one of the front tires. Tires were properly maintained and rotated at scheduled maintenance intervals.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11763562September 11, 2026
ENGINE
One engine valve has lost pressure and is not repairable
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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