Hyundai Sonata Reliability Problems

Sonata owners have made 2,100 complaints over 31 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it dead last in overall reliability, with significant engine and steering concerns.

8 Common Hyundai Sonata Problems

A list of some of the most common issues Sonata owners have to deal with.

  1. ZF-TRW Crash Sensor Defect

    Millions of vehicles built after 2009 have defective airbag control units manufactured by the company ZF-TRW. An ACU takes information from crash sensors and decides when to deploy the airbags and seat belt pretensioners. But the crash sens…

    Continue reading article "ZF-TRW Crash Sensor Defect"

  2. ABS Fire

    There are a disturbing number of fires starting in the antilock braking system (ABS) of Hyundai vehicles. The fires start from short-circuits within the ABS due to liquid contamination and corrosion. At first the problem was li…

    Continue reading article "ABS Fire" An isolated dual-clutch transmission on display.

  3. Rodents Chew Hyundai's Soy Wiring

    The wiring in cars used to be coated in a petroleum-based plastic, but recently automakers, including Hyundai, have switched to a soy-based material. The soy is biodegradable and helps keep plastic out of the landfill (yay!). Unfortunately …

    Continue reading article "Rodents Chew Hyundai's Soy Wiring" A hamster holding a record in front of a green Kia Soul, from an advertising campaign.

  4. Seat Belts Detatch During Crash

    Cars these days have airbags, sensors, crumple zones, tempered glass, and other safety features. But the OG, and arguably the most important, safety feature is the seat belt. Only trouble is, Hyundai's seem to be detatching from the body of…

    Continue reading article "Seat Belts Detatch During Crash" An illustrated and oversized seat belt over a red Hyundai.

  5. Blue Link Standard Feature?

    Messages that self-destruct and dastardly extortion – it all sounds like the plot to Mission Impossible, right? But it’s actually the story of Hyundai’s Blue Link systems. Pay up, or it’ll blow up ... or at least shut off.

    Continue reading article "Blue Link Standard Feature?" Superimposed red radiation sign over a Blue Link infotainment screen.

  7. Panoramic Sunroof Explodes

    Hyundai refuses to acknowledge that their sunroofs have been exploding under normal driving conditions, but they’re offering plenty of coverage to owners if (or when) it happens thanks to a 2019 lawsuit settlement.

    Continue reading article "Panoramic Sunroof Explodes" An illustrated interior view of the panoramic sunroof.

  8. Hyundai's Self-Peeling Paint

    Hyundai’s self-healing paint is advertised to heal minor scratches using a chemical compound called scratch recovery clear. However, owners content over time that same compound allows the paint to come off in large sheets.

    Continue reading article "Hyundai's Self-Peeling Paint" White paint is peeling to reveal the gray underbody just above the windshield.

What Sonata Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

Full Lists on CarComplaints.com

Sonata Generations

The Sonata has 7 generations, each with their own issues. Using the same PainRank™ system we've determined that you're better off avoiding the 6th generation (2011–2014).

Sonata Key Numbers

  1. 2,100 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  2. 606 service bulletins

    Documenting the process of troubleshooting common problems.

  3. 56 recall campaigns

    Time-sensitive, free repairs for widespread safety problems.

Sonata Class-Action Lawsuits

The Sonata has been named as a class vehicle in the following lawsuits.

  • Zakikhani, et al., v. Hyundai Motor Company, et al.

    1. Case Filed

      A Hyundai ABS module recall announced earlier this year allegedly wasn't good enough to protect Hyundai vehicles from fires. And according to a class action lawsuit, previous Hyundai ABS module recalls haven't provided protection from fires that can occur when water corrodes the modules.

    Problem
    ABS Fire
    Class Vehicles
    • 2007-2010 Elantra
    • 2009-2011 Elantra Touring
    • 2007-2008 Entourage
    • 2007 Santa Fe
    • 2006-2011 Azera
    • 2006 Sonata
    Class Members
    TBD
    Location
    California
  • Settlement

    Nicholas Wylie et al, v. Hyundai Motor America

    1. Settlement

      A proposed class of roughly 135,000 Hyundai owners suing over alleged transmission defects got the green light on Monday to settle their claims with the carmaker in a deal that could be worth roughly between $11 million and $22 million.

    2. Case Filed

      A Hyundai dual-clutch transmission (DCT) lawsuit alleges the 7-speed automatic transmissions have defects in the transmission control modules that cause vehicles to stop moving.

  • Billy Glenn v. Hyundai Motor America et al

    1. Case Filed

      Plaintiff Billy Glenn filed the exploding sunroof lawsuit after the glass in his 2014 Santa Fe Sport exploded just months after purchasing the Hyundai. The sunroof was replaced, but Glenn claims the replacement sunroof also shattered and sent glass into the vehicle.

    Class Vehicles
    • Elantra GT
    • Santa Fe Sport
    • Sonata
    • Tucson
    • Veloster
    Location
    California

  • Elizabeth Mendoza vs. Hyundai Motor Company, LTD, Hyundai Motor America, Inc

    1. Case Filed

      A Hyundai Sonata engine failure lawsuit accuses Hyundai of manufacturing defective engines in model year 2011-2012 Sonatas. The plaintiff alleges Hyundai knew when the connecting rod bearings start to fail, metal debris from the bearings is sent throughout the engine through contaminated engine oil.

  • Guy Coss v. Hyundai Motor America.

    1. Case Filed

      A Hyundai Blue Link lawsuit alleges the automaker failed to inform owners the telematics system will be disabled if inactive for more than one year, and to reactivate the system an owner will allegedly be forced to change hardware at a minimum cost of $500.

Recent Sonata News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. More than 1,300 Hyundai vehicles have burst into flames, now the government wants to know why. It’s about time.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was petitioned to look into these non-collision fires last June. The fires are responsible for 26 injuries in Hyundai vehicles and over 100 if you include Kia. The investigation will focus on the Theta II engine, but the NHTSA plans on looking into tail lights and other potential combustion sources as well.

    keep reading article "Feds Open Investigation into Hyundai’s Non-Collision Fire Epidemic"

  2. Multiple State Attorneys are looking to turn up the heat on Hyundai and Kia.

    An increasing number of cars are going up in spontaneous flames and I’m glad to see somebody’s willing to step up and investigate. We’re still waiting on a decision from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The investigation will focus on the Theta II engine and the automaker’s handling of prior recalls.

    keep reading article "State Attorneys Open Investigation into Theta II Engine Fires"

  3. Hyundai has proposed a settlement that would offer owners extended coverage in case their sunroofs explode.

    If approved, the settlement would double the existing sunroof warranty, reimburse certain previously-paid expenses, and even offer cash to those that decide to sell their car within the next 90 days.

    Hyundai still won’t admit the sunroof is defective, but they’re sure acting like it is.

    keep reading article "Hyundai Has Offered to Settle an Expoding Sunroof Lawsuit Settlement And It’s Good News for Owners"

  5. Hyundai is recalling nearly 100,000 engines with fuel tubes that were misaligned, improperly tightened, or otherwise damaged during installation.

    This lets gas can spray out onto hot surfaces and is the **perfect recipe for engine fires. It gets worse.

    This was supposed to be Hyundai’s opportunity to right the wrongs of their gasoline direct injection engines with massive oil flow problems. Those engines were notorious for knocking, seizing, and were eventually recalled in multiple campaigns. These were the replacements and now because of an installation snafu they’re catching on fire.…

    keep reading article "Hyundai Can't Even Stop Their Replacement Engines From Catching on Fire"

  6. What are the odds that your car will set itself on fire without ever being involved in a collision?

    Much higher than you’d think, especially if you’re one of these 3 million Hyundai and Kia owners.

    The Center for Auto Safety (CAS) has put together a list of vehicles that they say should be taken off the road until a pending government investigation ends with a comprehensive recall.

    CAS says Kia and Hyundai have done nothing but provide empty statements about working directly with vehicle owners who report fires. In addition, both automakers seem to be waiting for NHTSA to conclude its investigation to determine if additional actions should be taken.…

    keep reading article "Are 3 Million Hyundai and Kia Cars Too Dangerous to Drive?"

  7. Apparently Hyundai’s latest seat belt recall did enough to satisfy the government, who announced they’re closing their recall.

    NHTSA continued the investigation after the first recall because safety regulators believed a better fix should be applied by dealers. Regulators were concerned about how the connectors were built to be removed from the pretensioners when working on the cars. But the connectors could release in a crash if they weren't properly reconnected during maintenance.

    The second recall added a label to the connector with graphics and instructions how to properly lock the connector if someone works on the car. No word on if that label said for the love of everything, don’t forget to put this thing back to together.

    keep reading article "Sonata Seat Belt Investigation Has Been Closed"

  8. Back in March, Hyundai recalled 978,000 cars to inspect and fix seat belt linkages and the pretensioner.

    Now those vehicles have been recalled again for the same problems.

    Although the condition of a partially latched anchor pretensioner was fixed through the recall campaign, the condition could potentially happen again if the anchor pretensioner was intentionally disconnected and then improperly reconnected by consumers or repair facilities.

    After the first recall Hyundai and their supplier talked with NHTSA about possible problems from the recall repairs.

    keep reading article "Sonata and Sonata Hybrid Owners Face a Second Recall for the Same Seat Belt Problems"

See All Sonata News

What Owners Say About Their Sonata

My driver door handle broke this time. Extremely frustrated. I was carrying several things and literally used my pinky finger to open the door, the door swung open but I heard that horrible snap. I now have three broken handles and have to either leave my window rolled down to open it from the inside or crawl in from the rear passenger side door, though there's apparently a pretty good chance that's going to break too.

2010 Sonata Owner in MN

This is something that needs to be addressed. There is no way to operate a vehicle if you can not even get inside and this has been happening too often with 2010 Hyundai Sonata. I will not purchase another one of these vehicles again.

2010 Sonata Owner in MS

Manufacturing Problems with the Theta II Engine Cause Knocking, Seizing, and Oil Sludge Buildup

This was the third engine failure for this vehicle and the last. I am not going to go through this again and will slowly drive the vehicle to an auto wrecking site and give it to them.

2011 Sonata Owner

Other Hyundai Models