Hyundai Engine Problems

Engine issues make up roughly 28% of all Hyundai owner complaints. The majority of the issues have been reported by Sonata owners.

The complaint we hear about most often is engine seized in the 2011 Sonata.

Common Hyundai Engine Problems

  1. Elantra Nu Engine Tick

    The 1.8L Nu engine has been ticking owners off with its constant ticks, connecting rod knocks, predispostion to engine bearing failure and problems with oil sludge. These problems all happen within Hyundai's 10-year / 100,000 mile warranty,…

    Continue reading article "Elantra Nu Engine Tick" A Nu engine with the pistons, cam shaft, and timing chain covered in oil.

  3. Santa Fe Engine Stalls

    The Santa Fe has an engine with a nasty reputation of stalling at any speed, any time, without any warning. That means no acceleration. No power steering. No power brakes. And one change of pants.

    Continue reading article "Santa Fe Engine Stalls" The front 3/4 view of a gray Santa Fe.

Where Engine Complaints Happen

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

Worst Models

What Hyundai Owners Say About Their Engine

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

Hyundai Should Get Out With the Nu, Their Ticking Time-Bomb of an Engine

Brought [car] to dealer after noted ticking noise from engine. Had already looked up ticking noise and is related to piston slap. Hyundai agreed to pay half of price of short block, my price was $4000 out of pocket. Since new short block placed has had nothing but other issues with rough idling when stopped or in park.

2013 Elantra Owner in MN

Recent Engine 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.

  2. Another owner has sued Hyundai and Kia for knowingly equipping vehicles with defective Theta II engines.

    Proving once again that when it comes to engines that catch on fire, people generally aren't fans. The automakers have settled similar lawsuits and issued recalls for these clunkers, but the plaintiff suggests not all affected vehicles were included.

    About the lawsuit ∞

    • These gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines are plagued with problems. From bearing failure, to connecting rod knocks, to oil consumption, and yes – engine infernos.
    • The plaintiff bought their car used and shortly after learned that the car needed a new short block to the tune of $7,000. The work also took 6 months because there're a backorder on parts.
    • In December Hyundai recalled 128,000 vehicles over concerns they could catch on fire. But the lawsuit wants more coverage for the 2012 Santa Fe
      2011-2013, 2016 Sonata Hybrid, and 2015-2016 Veloster.
    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Not Enough Vehicles Were Covered in the Theta II Recalls"

  3. The 1st generation Veracruz (2007-2012) has been recalled a second time to fix oil sneaking past defects in a valve cover gasket and damaging the alternator.

    The oil-soaked alternator will lose voltage, leading to problems such as the battery system not properly charging or the vehicle entering "limp home" mode while driving.

    Only 83% of the vehicles originally recalled were ever repaired and of those roughly 1% of the vehicles suffered from gasket leaks about two years later. Hyundai extended the warranty for the 60,000 affected vehicles hoping that would be enough, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ordered them to recall the problem ... again.

    The recall (#197) is expected to begin on January 8th, 2021.

    keep reading article "Veracruz Recalled a Second Time to Fix Oil-Soaked Alternators"

  5. 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"

  6. Knock, knock – there’s a major defect in the 2013 Velostar’s engine management software.

    A defect that manages to find a way to prematurely ignite the air/fuel mixture in 1.6-liter turbo engines. This puts way too much pressure on the cylinders resulting in knocking noises, stalling incidents, and engine fires. The 16,500 recalled vehicles will get the same software update given to 2014 owners, which Hyundai says improved these conditions.

    keep reading article "2013 Veloster Recalled for Engine Management Defect That Can Cause Fires"

  7. 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"

  8. Hyundai is recalling 120,000 Tucson SUVs because their oil pans can leak, damaging the engine or starting fires.

    The automaker says there’s a problem with the sealant they used for the 2011-2013 model years. Common warning signs include oil pools on the ground, knocking engine noises, the smell of oil burning on hot engine parts, a smoldering wall of flames coming out of your engine. You know, subtle stuff like that.

    Hyundai plans on sending out recall notices by the end of March 2019.

    keep reading article "2nd Generation Tucson Recalled for Oil Leaks and Engine Fires"

  9. Hyundai is questioning the merits of a class-action lawsuit that says the 1.8L Nu engine is a ticking time bomb.

    The troublesome engine can be found in the 2011-2016 Elantra and is known for ticking noises, oil sludge, and premature failure. The automaker has a history of blaming these problems on poor maintenance and often denies warranty claims. So what else is Nu?

    keep reading article "Hyundai Questions Merits of Nu Piston Slap Lawsuit"

  10. 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"

  11. 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?"

  13. **Hy

    ndai has announced a recall of certain 2017 Santa Fe SUVs with 3.3-liter engines. The automaker says the crankshaft assemblies may have been manufactured with irregularities in the crankshaft pins, something that can cause the engine bearings to wear down. If the SUV continues to be driven with a worn engine bearing, the engine could become damaged to the point of stalling.

    Hyundai is blaming the problem on a heat treatment coil that wasn’t in the right place during manufacturing from January 26, 2017 to February 13, 2017. This led to insufficient heat treatment on the pins.

    keep reading article "A Few Hundred Santa Fe SUVs Need New 3.3-liter Engines"

  15. Federal investigators are taking a look at Hyundai’s handling of Theta II engine recalls to make sure there’s no funny business going on.

    NHTSA says it took action to "investigate both the timeliness and scope of Hyundai's Theta II engine recalls, and Hyundai's compliance with reporting requirements.

    Timely and compliant? Not if you ask this lawsuit. Or this former Hyundai engineer. To date, nearly 1.7 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles have been recalled.

    keep reading article "Safety Regulators Are Investigating Hyundai’s Handling of Theta II Recalls"

  16. 572,000 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles are being recalled because the Theta II engines can seize at any moment.

    Hyundai says machining errors occurred when the engines were built and those errors can cause the engine bearings to wear out early. Those prematurely worn bearings will cause the engine to lock up, something a dealer will need to fix by replacing the engine short block.

    Hyundai admits that two errors made during manufacturing are responsible for this problem.…

    keep reading article "More Stalling Theta II Engines Will be Replaced in the 2013-2014 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport"

  17. A Santa Fe engine settlement for a lawsuit filed way back in 2014 has finally been approved by a judge.

    The class-action lawsuit was filed by lead plaintiffs Julia Reniger and Greg Battaglia who claim their SUVs kept stalling without warning, causing problems with trying to steer and stop the SUVs.

    For years, owners have been complaining that their engines can stall at any speed.

    With the 2010-2012 Hyundai Santa Fe engine stall class-action lawsuit finalized by the court, the automaker agrees to reimburse customers on a claims-made basis for out-of-pocket costs if the customer's SUV experienced a documented stall. In addition, a software update will be available for free for 10 years after the date the SUVs were sold as new.…

    keep reading article "Judge Finalizes Settlement for 2010-2012 Santa Fe Engine Stall Lawsuit"

  18. A Theta II engine settlement for Mendoza v. Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd., et al. has been approved by the court.

    A Hyundai Sonata class-action lawsuit will receive final approval after U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman said she sees no problem with the settlement terms and believes the agreement is excellent for Sonata owners.

    Hyundai was accused of concealing defects with their Theta II GDI engines, and the settlement helps owners of the 2011-2014 Sonata with either the 2L or 2.4L variant.…

    keep reading article "Sonata Theta-II Lawsuit Settlement Gets the Green Light"

  19. This 2015 lawsuit accusation that Hyundai concealed defects about their Theta II engine has some teeth

    , according to a former Hyundai engineer. South Korean engineer, Kim Kwang-ho, says Hyundai knew the Theta II engines have problems that cause knocking, noise and a loss of power. Kwang-ho blew the whistle by contacting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an act that caused Hyundai to petition a court to close the mouth of the engineer.

    My Kwang-ho worked for the automaker for 25 years and now faces accusations of leaking company secrets by Hyundai’s disciplinary committee.

    keep reading article "Former Hyundai Engineer Spills the Theta II Beans"

  20. Hyundai is recalling 470k 2011-2012 Sonatas with 2.0L or 2.4L Theta II engines for knocking, stalling, and potential engine fires.

    The “gasoline direct” engines are the first batch to come from Hyundai’s new engine factory in Alabama. If they keep this up, it might be their last too.

    “Hyundai says manufacturing problems could have left metallic debris around the engine crankshaft and cause problems with oil flow. The pieces of metal could interfere with the oil flow through the connecting rod bearings and damage the connecting rod.”…

    keep reading article "Left Over Metal Shavings Force Recall of 470,000 Theta II Engines"

  21. Contaminated oil is carrying metal shavings on a not-so-joyful ride through the Theta II engine leading to knocks, stalls, and eventual failures according to a recent class-action filed by a Sonata owner in California.

    [The plaintiff]_ brought [her] Sonata to a dealership and was told a piston had blown out. Mendoza asked for her car to be repaired under warranty, but the dealership refused to make the repairs. However, the dealer said the engine could be replaced for $4,500. Mendoza said no and took the Sonata to a mechanic and had the engine replaced at a cost of $3,000.

    The plaintiff says she followed Hyundai’s recommended maintenance intervals and there was no reason her engine should have seized, you know other than the whole “doomed from the start” theory.…

    keep reading article "California Class-Action Says The Sonata’a Theta II Engine Knocks Before Failing"