Hyundai Sonata Complaints

17,026 consumer complaints on file.

#11668087June 20, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
The car has had an electrical issue ever since taking to to get a recall around may of 2023. It will randomly brake and shift the transmission badly while downshifting. I feel as if my make and model falls under the theta II campaign they had to replace certain engines for having a knocking rod be fault and release shaving into the engine causing it to misfire. Not only that but the electrical issue is completely random it happens atleast once or twice a week. It had began ever since I took it for a recall, and when I took it back they found no issue and left food in the back of my car and the chairs leaned back. This was the Fontana Hyundai dealership
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668088June 20, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2011 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated after the vehicle was serviced, while driving 50 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost power. The contact pulled over to the side of the road while awaiting towing assistance. The contact stated that while waiting on the tow assistance, the contact became aware there was smoke coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that several warning lights were illuminated. Neither a dealer nor an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668109June 20, 2025
ENGINE
The engine stopped as I was driving on the road.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667606June 18, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Engine light is blinking and put safety of my family in danger. I called the close Huyndai dealer also I have a case number. However, it takes forever for them to answer. I only have this car. I am driver and this how I make living. I have no choice in driving this recall vehicle and kill my self and my family. No body care!
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667810June 18, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Vehicle's engine seized completely at 75 MPH on the interstate. No warning lights or abnormal noises were present before catastrophic failure, and the car has been serviced recently. CEL came on at time of failure, throws code P1326. Car rapidly/dangerously decelerated, would have crashed if not driving in the Leftmost lane of travel.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667835June 18, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Rearview camera fails to display an image. It does work sometimes but then most of the times the rearview camera does not display any image as seen in the images attached. This issue started occurring recently, that is when I reverse the car, the rearview camera image is not displayed at all. Earlier the rearview camera was working with out any issue when I reverse the car. Issue seems to be same as campaign number: 24V879000
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667463June 17, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have a 2013 Hyundai Sonata 4 door sedan. I am unable to open the driver's left hand door to exit the car after turning off my vehicle. Only way I can open door to exit is to lower the window while motor still running, reach outside and grasp door handle from outside to open and Push/pull handle which doesn't allow me control over the door. Then I have to raise window with door standing open before I am able to turn off the ignition and exit my car. In Case of an emergency this is unsafe for driver and passengers. In this instance, I was trapped inside a hot car in Texas summer heat. In another instance, I could have had an accident and would have been unable to exit to safety. I searched for recall to this model which is covered for Hyundai Sonata manufactured in other years but my vehicle 2013 make is not included in same recall for exact same issue. There was no warning lamp, messages prior to failure. I have googled this "condition" and learned that this is a common problem for Hyundai Sonatas.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667442June 17, 2025
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
Vehicle: 2024 Hyundai Sonata. Current Mileage: 17,804 Primary Safety Defect: Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Steering Malfunction The vehicle's ESC system has a severe, intermittent malfunction causing unpredictable loss of steering control. This defect creates an extreme safety hazard. Occurrences include the vehicle veering unexpectedly towards highway medians and losing steering precision during turns and roundabouts, leading to multiple near-collision incidents. The vehicle is currently considered unsafe to operate. Relevant History: This ESC concern was subject to a manufacturer recall. An authorized Hyundai dealership performed the "ESC SOFTWARE LOGIC UPDATE (24-01-065H-1)" on June 6, 2025. Despite this specific recall repair, the severe ESC steering issue has persisted and recurred multiple times since that date, indicating a failure of the repair to permanently resolve the safety defect. Secondary Safety Defect: Inaudible Parking Collision Assistance The vehicle's parking collision assistance system is non-functional. Its audible warnings are inaudible and have never worked as designed since vehicle acquisition. This eliminates a critical safety feature intended to prevent low-speed parking collisions. Finally, The combination of a critical, recurring ESC steering defect, unaddressed by a recall repair, and a continuously inaudible parking collision assistance system, renders this vehicle highly unsafe to drive. Immediate investigation and permanent resolution are required.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667237June 16, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
Odometer Fraud. The contact stated that while attempting to purchase a 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, it was later discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was not yet purchased. The vehicle mileage was 87,000, but the contact later discovered that the mileage was 105,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667169June 16, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument cluster failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the instrument cluster displayed a black screen. In addition, the contact stated several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated that an unknown recall repair for the ECM software update was performed; however, the software update failed to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle remained at the dealer for four months without being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666942June 14, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Formal Complaint – Hybrid System Failure, Safety Risk (VIN: [XXX] | Hyundai Case #[XXX]) Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to file a formal safety complaint regarding a dangerous incident involving my Hyundai hybrid vehicle (VIN: [XXX] ) and Hyundai Motor America's failure to respond meaningfully to repeated requests for assistance. Incident Summary: On [XXX], while driving with my two young children (ages [XXX] and [XXX] ), my vehicle suddenly displayed the following critical warnings: “Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do Not Drive” “Check Charging System” Immediately after these messages appeared, the car lost all power and came to a complete stop in the middle of the road. This created an extremely hazardous and distressing situation for me and my family. Although the vehicle is a few years old, it has very low mileage (38,345 miles), and I did not expect such a catastrophic failure. I submitted a report to Hyundai Customer Support on May 30, 2025 (Case #[XXX]) and followed up on June 9, 2025, but have only received an automated acknowledgment—no response, investigation, or support to date. Attachments: A video clip showing the warning messages at the time of the incident (I cannot upload the video clip since the option is not there, but I do have it if required) Requested Actions: A formal investigation into the safety and reliability of Hyundai's hybrid systems. A determination as to whether this incident qualifies under Hyundai’s warranty or federal safety defect regulations. Immediate contact from Hyundai with the next steps regarding inspection, resolution, or compensation. I am cc’ing Hyundai Motor America to ensure this matter is escalated appropriately and receives the attention it warrants. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your timely response. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] 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
#11666576June 12, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
The dash warning "Consider Taking A Break" fires off randomly. This is a distraction as when I'm in traffic, driving well within my lane, no sudden changes, it will alert and I look down as I assume there may be a more serious problem. It takes my attention from the road often. This feature cannot be disabled. I've contacted the manufacturer and the local dealership. The local dealership suggested that there is a way to do it but they cannot tell me as it could be a liability. I don't see how it would be a liability as it is me doing the disabling. If anything that could be corrected with a statement I'd need to click stating I know the added risk of disabling this or something. It's annoying and at worst, may cause an accident as it pulls the driver's attention from the road. I'm hesitant to let anyone else drive the vehicle as they may be less prepared for the warning and may cause confusion as they try to determine what it is.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666593June 12, 2025
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while her son was driving the vehicle at approximately 65 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to steer. The contact stated that the driver pulled to the side of the road. The contact stated after the driver turned off and restarted the vehicle several times, the steering wheel responded as needed. The contact stated that the message "Power Steering Fault" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the loss of power steering assist was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V325000(Steering, Electrical System). The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electric power steering assist motor and unknown related parts needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V325000(Steering, Electrical System); however, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666360June 11, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Butts County Fire and Emergency Services made a report about the car catching on fire. There was an electrical problem and/or the engine caught on fire. My son’s fingers got burned and he was taking to the emergency room. Further neurological damage done to all of his finger tips. No warning car just blew up in fire. My son’s fingers could have died during the car fire.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11666433June 11, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The car in recent months has twice lost power and been rendered in operable on the side of the road until it could be limped home. I had the car serviced last year for a recall of a fuel filter gasket and at that time I was informed that I also had an update done for a (k knock?) sensor prior done on the car before purchase. I inquired about what that was, and they told me at the time it was for an engine recall because that particular engine I have is known to have rod bearing failure and consume oil without any trace of where it goes and piston rattle. I told the gentleman after my fuel gasket was taken care of that I would like to look into that because I have the symptoms and would like to know. At that point in time, I was told that I may have to do an oil test to see if the car loses oil. I said well can we do that and he told me it's $300 out of pocket. I asked on average before anything ever done by Hyundai, how many times do people have to do this? He said 4 to 6 in his experience. I told him I did not have the money, but I will keep an eye on the car. Everything's been fine for six months a few months ago Randomly driving to work the car shut down on me. We got the car home and my fiancé did an oil change and new spark plugs and the car worked fine. June 9th 2025 on my way to work the issue happened again in the middle of traffic. I called my fiancé and we got the car home. He performed another oil change and spark plug replacement and took pictures this time because the spark plugs are gunked up. The car now runs again. He called Hyundai of America on my behalf to just ask them if they could set up the test to see if the car was failing and they told him that they were all independent Hyundai and he would have to pay the test fees. He told them in a formal email that he doesn't believe under the federal recall He is responsible for that and they answered back that he may be reimbursed. We are contacting you because we were advised to on the issue
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666438June 11, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
First owner, sporadic acceleration problems reported from approx 6k miles. Documented with dealership.. “couldn’t reproduce” issue every time I brought it in after an occurrence. Dangerous when entering highway, as I never knew when it would fail/stall. Eventually broke down on busy interstate highway, replaced 1 fuel injector, and guilt tripped me into “needing” to have fuel injector cleaning because the others might fail as well. 27k miles was the first breakdown. 38k was the second breakdown and almost caused a serious accident when I was unable to accelerate. Replacing all 4 fuel injectors but not covering the oil change due to their faulty fuel injectors.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666194June 10, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I experienced an issue where the gas tank in my 2020 Sonata began to swell and emit loud popping noises while the vehicle was parked. I took it to the dealership, and Hyundai corporate eventually acknowledged the issue and agreed to buy out my loan. However, no official recall has been issued for this model year. This problem has had a major impact on my life. I lost my job due to not having transportation for over two months, and the stress of not knowing whether my vehicle was safe made it even worse. I had to upgrade my insurance for a loaner I never received, take financial hits, and go into deeper credit trouble—all while also recovering from a serious injury from a previous car accident. I now have to start over with a new loan while my credit is already damaged. I’m submitting this report not just for myself, but to ensure that other 2020 Sonata owners are protected and made aware of this issue. I believe this is a serious defect that warrants official investigation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665977June 10, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My steering rack had to be replaced at less than 55,000 miles. I asked the dealer if this was covered under warranty and they said no. I was charged $4,800 for this repair. I contacted Hyundai USA and they refused to cover the repair. I then realized that I had received a letter from Hyundai stating my car had the extended warranty of 15 years/150m miles for this exact repair. I am on the phone with Hyundai now and they are still refusing to cover this repair, even though they sent me the letter stating my car has this extended warranty. My car is available for inspection upon request. Yes, my safety and the safety of others was put at risk, my power steering would intermittently go out while turning. Yes, my car was inspected twice, once in 2023 and again in May of 2025. Repairs were done in May. I was told this was not covered under warranty but I have an extended warranty from Hyundai for this exact problem. That extended warranty is for 15 years/150m miles. Yes, the occurrence in 2025 threw a code of C168708 - CAN time out VSM (MDPS) and C1814 - CAN message failure SAS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666015June 10, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
On 05/27/2025, my rear back-up camera started to malfunction. Last week my dash started to malfunction electronically. When I would start my vehicle, all of the lights would start to turn on and stay on on my dash. My speedometer would not move while I was driving, so I could not see how fast I was going. I believe this is a severe safety issue for myself as well as others. The tachometer would jump up and down and would not function correctly. My dash stated that I had low tire pressure, that I was having problems with my traction control, that my BSD system was not working, that my ABS was not working, that my emergency brake was on even though it was not. It also stated that I did have functioning air bags, which is a severe safety hazard in the chance that I could've gotten into a wreck and they might not have worked. It also stated that I was not in Drive even though I clearly was. It also stated that I had no power steering while I was driving, before the light would turn off and I could properly steer again. This is a severe safety issue that could put me at risk. Finally, my check engine light turned on and stayed on. Yesterday on 06/09/2025 I was able to take it a vehicle maintenance shop so they could run a full diagnostic test. They discovered that I did not have power steering even though there was fluid due to the electrical problems with my dash. They also discovered the C-CAN buss was off and that my vehicle was losing communications with the TCM and HVAC. It was discovered that this was due to my rear view back-up camera malfunctioning, causing the C-CAN network to short out. They had to unplug my rear back-up camera to return everything to normal. I have found on hyundai recall forms that other years of hyundai models had similar problems and I believe that 2018 hyundai sonatas are also having the same problem. I wanted it to be made aware because online, people have stated they are having the same issues. Attached gif that shows part of problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666036June 10, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
my car caught fire. The area where the stereo, heater, all melted even the windshield cracked and the gear shifter melted.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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