Hyundai Sonata Complaints (2019)

172 consumer complaints on file.

#11768871October 4, 2026
ENGINE
My car's engine is burning oil. I have maintained service of oil changes and fluids, etc. since I purchased my car. It is not that old in my opinion.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11766963September 25, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
am writing regarding 43099808 Number with Hyundai My 2019 Sonata hybird se in limp mode with an active flashing P1326 knock sensor code. The dealership is using an automated system denial to try and charge me $2,110 for an EGR valve and air filter.I am officially challenging this diagnostic path. Mathematically and mechanically, an EGR valve or MAF sensor cannot generate the structural rod-bearing acoustic frequency required to trip a manufacturer-specific P1326 engine protection code.Furthermore, the tracy Hyundai certified my vehicle's warranty compliance and replaced my knock sensors under the KSDS campaign only two weeks ago. The fact that the P1326 code flashed again 14 days later proves the new sensor is successfully detecting an internal structural engine failure. I am requesting an immediate manual override and a field review by the District Parts and Service Manager (DPSM) for a full engine replacement under the terms of the lifetime class-action warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11763290September 10, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate above 58 MPH. The contact retrieved DTC: P1326 (Knock Sensor Detection System) at O'Reilly Auto Parts and stated that the knock sensor had previously been replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762354September 5, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The low-pressure fuel pump module assembly, located directly beneath the rear passenger seat cushion, experienced a plastic housing failure. A stress fracture on the upper plastic fuel outlet nipple caused raw liquid gasoline to actively weep and pool on top of the module inside the passenger cabin. This component is retained and available for inspection upon request. RISK TO SAFETY: Raw liquid gasoline pooling inside the interior passenger compartment creates an severe, immediate fire and explosion hazard. Additionally, vehicle occupants were exposed to toxic fuel vapors while driving. INSPECTION & DEALER CONFIRMATION: An authorized Hyundai dealership inspected the vehicle and confirmed raw fuel leaking at the top of the fuel pump module assembly. This exact module had previously been removed and disassembled during a 2024 manufacturer recall service to replace the internal fuel filter and tank seal. Stress applied to the plastic fittings during that recall service appears to have caused the plastic top-hat to fracture over time under line pressure. Hyundai Corporate was notified of the safety hazard and prior recall history, but refused assistance. WARNING SYMPTOMS: The failure began with a strong, persistent fuel odor inside the vehicle cabin. No dashboard warning lights, check engine lights, or diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) triggered prior to or during the failure. SUMMARY: A stress-fractured plastic fuel pump housing allowed raw fuel to pool in the passenger cabin following a prior manufacturer recall repair involving the disassembly of the same component.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757665August 18, 2026
ENGINE
The oil is low, went to get looked at by another mechanic besides Dealer cause they want to hit you over the head with prices. Was told car burning oil. Took to dealer for Oil Consumption Test. Had to pay for oil change. Came back a little before 1,000 miles and car failed. They charging me 900.00 for next step because I can’t find ALL the oil changes. I just don’t get it, if this is a known issue with this model engine why do I have to pay.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757693August 18, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced severe overheating and excessive oil consumption. The contact also stated that there was a misfire in the engine even though the spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced. Due to the failure, the vehicle could not be driven with the air conditioning activated. Additionally, the engine was knocking and shaking abnormally, causing an oil leak and a smoke odor due to the oil burning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where an engine replacement was recommended. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756831August 13, 2026
ENGINE
On January 26, 2026, my 2019 Hyundai Sonata SEL suddenly became inoperable overnight. The vehicle had been operating normally with no warning signs—no check-engine or oil-pressure light, abnormal engine noise, overheating, loss of power, or other indication of an impending failure. The following morning, the engine would not start. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic on January 28, 2026, who determined that the engine was locked/seized. On February 11, 2026, it was towed to Wayne Hyundai for further diagnosis. The vehicle had only 51,533 miles and had received Hyundai’s Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) update. Hyundai denied warranty coverage, citing engine sludge, despite my providing a complete service history after resubmiting the missing receipts I had previously misplaced. My primary concern is safety, not the warranty dispute. A sudden engine seizure without warning could cause an unexpected loss of propulsion or create a dangerous situation if the engine fails while the vehicle is being driven. This concerns me because Hyundai Theta II engines have previously been associated with engine seizure and stalling, including issues addressed through The Hyundai Theta II Engine Settlement: and subsequent litigation involving certain 2019 Sonata vehicles. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether a continuing or insufficiently addressed engine defect exists in affected 2019 Hyundai Sonata vehicles, particularly sudden engine seizure/no-start failures occurring without warning. I also ask NHTSA to examine whether existing recalls, campaigns, software updates, warranty extensions, and other remedies adequately protect owners when an engine fails suddenly before the KSDS system provides a warning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755086August 5, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle stalled in traffic due to recall defect. Manufacturer recall remedy is delayed beyond reasonable timeframe, creating ongoing safety exposure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11752871July 26, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The high voltage battery will no longer charge neither from being plugged in to the charger on the wall nor from the buikt in system onboard the car. There are warning lights saying the inverter coolant is low but the reservoir is at the proper level. I suspect the coolant for the Hybrid charging inverter is bad and crystalizes causing blockages in the inverter coolant system. My car refuses to charge for the last 2 years. After a few seconds (about 7-10) the car shuts off the charging system when plugged in. And now that summer heat us here in the South West, it will not even charge from the regenerative braking. The high voltage battery previously would maintain 10-15% charge from the gas engine and regenerative braking. Now it's sitting at 1%. Because the battery is so low the electric motor does not produce power, and the gas engine is under powered on its own. This makes acceleration from a stop light/sign sluggish, slow and dangerous. Other Hyundai EV (IONIC and Kona) and PHEV (Santa Fe and Tucson) models have had their inverter coolant flushed and replace, some with a different spec coolant. This Sonata 2019 PHEV probably suffers from the same poor coolant and needs to be flushed and replaced by the better spec coolant fluid too. This has been getting worse and worse the last 2 or 3 years. The dealer refuses to acknowledge the problem and wants to diagnose the whole system before replacing what is obviously wrong first. The inverter coolant low level alert comes on some times, but it is not low. I haven't had time to let the dealer keep my car for days while they pretend to not know the problem and refuse to accept responsibility. Hyundai Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) exist for IONIC, Kona, Santa Fe, and Tucson models. For example the Hybrid Santa Fe and Tucson TSB is Hyundai TSB 23-01-052H-1.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11752343July 23, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, smoke started coming from the hood and the vehicle was pulled over into a parking space. While opening the hood, the contact saw that fire was coming from the top of the engine. The contact stated that the fire consumed the front of the vehicle, including the windshield and the dashboard. The smoke coming from the vehicle was dark gray and turned black afterwards. The contact called 911, and the Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries reported. A vehicle parked next to the vehicle was damaged by the flames. The contact's vehicle was not inspected or officially deemed a total loss. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where an oil change had been performed prior to the failure. The mechanic stated that there might have been a high-pressure fuel valve on top of the engine that possibly caused a gas leak, which started the fire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 172,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750832July 16, 2026
SEAT BELTS
Driver's side seatbelt retraction mechanism failed without warning. Intentionally brought car to dealer ASAP since it was close to 100,000 miles pointed out. This was serious safety defect dealer refused to repair under warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750679July 15, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The primary failure is in the Engine/Powertrain system and Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS), causing 6 identical sudden engine stalls (OBD-II code P1326) from 09/2000 to 06/2026. Additionally, severe excessive oil consumption was documented during 2 of these diagnostic visits, showing deep-seated engine issues. The vehicle and all records are available for inspection at the Hyundai dealer. Safety was severely threatened on 6 occasions. The vehicle abruptly stalled at 60+ mph in active highway traffic, forcing an immediate engine shutdown. This left me with highly impaired steering and braking control in fast-moving traffic, creating an imminent risk of high-speed rear-end collisions and jeopardizing my life and others. The primary stalling defect and P1326 code were confirmed 6 separate times by the authorized Hyundai dealership. The secondary excessive oil consumption issue was also formally confirmed by the dealer during 2 of those visits. Despite multiple dealership-confirmed diagnoses, no permanent repair has been achieved. The vehicle has been inspected during all 6 visits by dealership technicians. For the current (6th) visit, the dealer could not resolve the recurring defect and formally contacted Hyundai Corporate Technical Support for expert analysis, which is currently ongoing. Except for the first visit, the pattern is identical: the car stalls, the dealer clears codes/replaces KSDS, and it stalls again within 3 weeks. Notably, during the 4th visit, they replaced the Intake Manifold. Now, on this 6th visit, they demand I pay to replace that same part again. This proves they cannot diagnose the root engine failure and are only applying useless, temporary fixes. Prior to all 6 stalls, the flashing Check Engine / Hybrid Warning light triggered on the dashboard. This critical KSDS alert was followed within seconds by a total loss of motive power. Also, a history of rapid engine oil depletion and low-oil alerts was documented in 2 of the diagnostics.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748085July 2, 2026
AIR BAGS
The air bag light suddenly illuminated when turning on my car. My car has around 60k miles. It was previously repaired a few times for a power steering faliure while driving making it hard to stear. I believe that this latest failure is due to a failure of the stearing wheel clock spring or another SRS module. failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11745802June 22, 2026
POWER TRAIN
2019 Hyundai Sonata Sport. (Original owner). Problem: Transmission. [XXX] (9,912 miles). Lack of power, vehicle did not move when trying to merge onto freeway. Very unsafe. Also, hesitation and jerking. [XXX] (10,619 miles). Lack of power, hesitation, jerking. Hyundai tech performed TSB, TCU updates, ECU update for knock sensor performance, reset engine & transmission updates. [XXX] (41,332 miles). Harsh shifts, hesitation, jerking, clunk sound, gear grabs, bursts of power, lack of power. Unsafe to drive. February 2, 2026 (41,751 miles). Hyundai tech found leak at case seal. Hyundai replaced transmission. [XXX] rough start, vibration in pedals. March 9, 2026 Hyundai tech found transmission fluid leak at case seal. Hyundai replaced transmission. March 25, 2026 Hyundai service advisor voicemail said, have to submit to Hyundai another transmission replacement because new transmission is not good. Issues shifting in reverse, hard slams, loses gears. [XXX] picked up vehicle from Hyundai service dept. Harsh shifting, hesitation, jerking, clunk sound, gear grabs, bursts of power. Clunk sound in steering wheel when turned back-and-forth. Front end vibration & wobbly. Vehicle unsafe. May 26, 2026. I notified Hyundai Motor America. Case #[XXX]. June 10, 2026 (43,000 miles). Hyundai service dept. informed me of right and left front axle replacement, universal steering joint replacement. Vehicle unsafe. [XXX] (43,000 miles). Test drove car with Hyundai tech. Verified front end vibration & shaking. Vehicle unsafe to drive. Hyundai service manager said that Hyundai should recall the transmissions. To date, my car is still at Hyundai service dept. Hyundai's service manager said that the Hyundai service dept. will have a meeting regarding my car and include Hyundai's service director, etc. 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
#11745390June 20, 2026
ENGINE
The engine is the component or system failed or malfunctioned, and it is available for inspection upon request. Sudden loss of engine power while driving, including during highway speeds or intersections, increasing the risk of a crash. Engine stalling or failure to accelerate, preventing me from safely maneuvering away from hazards. Overheating events, which resulted in complete engine seizure and an unexpected loss of vehicle control, all which can potentially causing catastrophic incident without warning. To include, the increased risk of collision, especially if the failure occurs during traffic, merging, passing, or emergency situations. It has been reported to CC Transmission Auto Repair and independent service center. It was previously inspected by Hyundai dealer. Check engine light present September 2025.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742988June 9, 2026
STEERING
after the car is driven for a while in warm weather, the steering can feel sticky after doing a slight turn doing more than 30 MPH. It takes extra force to return the steering wheel to the straight/neutral position. It acts as though the steering wheel is stuck in this slight turn position. The problem is intermittent but does create a safety hazard with the risk of the car being unable to easily remain in its correct lane position. Symptom summary: Intermittent; Worse in warm weather; happens after small steering inputs; Feels like the wheel is “hung up”.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738831May 19, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
For the past several years, this vehicle has experienced a recurring and unresolved engine malfunction that creates a safety hazard. The problem manifests as follows: Symptoms when check engine light illuminates: • Idle RPM elevation to approximately 1500 RPM (normal idle: 800 RPM) • Sudden unintended forward acceleration when foot is removed from brake pedal • Significantly reduced acceleration performance during normal driving • Vehicle becomes difficult to control safely The malfunction occurs intermittently but follows a consistent pattern. This is not an isolated incident but a recurring defect that has persisted for years. Multiple diagnostic and repair attempts have been unsuccessful: • Coconut Creek Hyundai service center - unable to diagnose [DATE(S)] • Independent mechanics - unable to resolve [DATE(S)] • Issue remains unresolved despite multiple service visits Despite multiple attempts by qualified technicians, the root cause has not been identified and the defect has not been corrected. This malfunction creates a significant safety hazard: • Unintended acceleration increases risk of collision • Reduced acceleration capability limits ability to merge or accelerate safely • Check engine light indicates undiagnosed system failure • Problem is intermittent and unpredictable, making it unsafe to drive I am concerned this may represent a defect pattern affecting multiple 2019 Sonata vehicles. NHTSA should: 1. Investigate whether this represents a defect pattern in 2019 Hyundai Sonata vehicles 2. Determine if a safety recall is warranted 3. Contact Hyundai Motor America to address this systemic issue
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735872May 5, 2026
SUSPENSION, ENGINE
Ecm, p0303, yes, not yet, no, cel light before the car was brought to the dealership, 2019 Hyundai Sonata SE, 2.4L Theta II GDI. Perryville Hyundai IL refused applicable TSB in writing 5/4/26 despite active P0303 misfire, fuel-in-oil smell, crankcase pressure. I have Photos prove falsified multi-point inspection: 1.0 inch (.0833') wheel well discrepancy, same mileage in/out. Vehicle has stall risk. Case Manager [XXX] non-responsive 2hr 45min after requesting written tow instructions on safety matter. RSPM escalated 1:00 PM CDT 5/5/26 with 3:00 PM deadline. No contact received as of 3:03 PM. Vehicle unsafe to drive. Theta II Lifetime Warranty Settlement violation. Case #XXX. Requesting federal investigation. Photo upload is not working, I'll need a email to send them in apparently 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
#11734528April 29, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, SERVICE BRAKES
Automatic Emergency Braking Blind Spot Warning/Blind Spot Detection Forward Collision Warning Antilock Brake System/ABS Lane Departure Warning Lane keeping Assistance I bought this vehicle last month from a dealer and two days later all the warning lights start popping up on the dashboard so I contacted the dealer and told them what was going on with the car they told me to bring it in so that the technician can check to see what’s wrong with it they told me that there’s nothing wrong with the vehicle so I went back home and the same day all the warning lights came back on so now I’m concerned about my daughter’s safety because she use the vehicle to drive to and from school and you never know when the brakes might fail, again I just bought this vehicle a month ago just one month not even a year and it’s having all this problem even though it’s a pre-owned vehicle I shouldn’t have to take it to the shop after one month please help… thank you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733342April 23, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I wanted to report the failure of my rear camera and/or the electrical circuit that is tied to it. It's my understanding that Hyundai has issued multiple recalls across different years/vehicles for issues in this area. My 2019 Sonata is NOT included in those current recalls. I was without my vehicle for a week and was charged over $1600 to repair. The issue was diagnosed and repaired by an independent mechanic. When they system failed numerous error lights/warning went off and continued to cycle thru (plus beeping). I wanted to report this in hopes of continued pressure on Hyundai to add this model/year to their recalls.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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