10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
54,510 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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problem #91

Jul 082024

Sonata

  • miles
On July 8th 2024 I was driving my already troubled 2012 Hyundai Sonata when I started to smell strong odor of unburnt gasoline which immediately had my red flags go up, I safely pulled off the roadway and opened the hood and the fumes got stronger and stronger, I removed the plastic top engine cover to discover the foam on the underside of the plastic cover was sopping wet with gasoline, and witnessed what appears to be some sort of line or horse carrying fuel to the high pressure fuel pump squirting out gasoline right on to the hot manifold which immediately panicked me and i put tue plastic engine cover back over the top of the squirting fuel line. It comes directly off of the front of the fuel pump with a quick connect plastic hose that seems to have become brittle from the constant heat cool cycles of the engine compartment. I immediately unplugged the car battery negative and was able to gather some disposable towels I had handy in the trunk and was able to place them atop the squirting fuel line and below it as well. But the entire area that houses the spark plugs was full of gasoline and far too much fuel for me to mop up with the towels I had on hand. This is very concerning to me that a plastic hose and connector would be used in such a scenario seeing as how common sense would tell you that over time plastic will become brittle especially with a heating cooling cycle, and I find it even more disturbing that upon contacting the dealership that I was informed that my vehicle was not included in the said faulty fuel line which has led to dangerous thermal events ending in complete loss of vehicle and potential for life loss. So in addition to the now faulty replacement engine that is in my vehicle, along with the non functioning turbo system, and the melted tail light housings, I now have to pay out of pocket to correct a mistake of Hyundai, I have lost total faith in the brand and in my particular vehicle. I do not feel safe driving it and it will sit

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #90

Jul 022024

Sonata

  • miles
The hybrid warning system came on. The ready light is blinking and beeping. The car is jerking

- Terrell, TX, USA

problem #89

Apr 152024

Sonata

  • miles
On the morning of April 15, 2024, at around 6 a.m., our 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid unexpectedly caught fire and exploded in front of our house. This incident occurred shortly after I started the car and left it to warm up. Smoke and flames emerged from under the hood, quickly escalating until the front of the vehicle exploded, shattering the windows and extensively damaging the driver and passenger sides. Previously, we had noticed a fuel odor emanating from the hood, which we suspected was related to a known fuel recall issue. We brought the vehicle to the manufacturer's attention, hoping for a resolution under the recall. Unfortunately, the manufacturer did not address the fuel smell as part of the recall services and instead billed us for unrelated repairs. This oversight on their part raises serious concerns about the safety and reliability of the recall process and the manufacturer's accountability in ensuring the safety of their vehicles.

- Ocala, FL, USA

problem #88

Jan 032024

Sonata

  • miles
Approx one year post engine replacement, and 2 weeks prior turbo system replacement, I am having major issues with my sonatait struggles to stay started, it always hesitates and doesn't want to move when I press accelerator, shakes jolts and shudders, the smell of burning oil comes thru the vents and even smoke comes out from under the vehicle. The engine is leaking masses amounts of oil that seem to be leaking from all over the under carriage and half way to the back underneath the car, oil is in the wheel wells, and even splashed on the rims, the spark plugs are covered in oil, huge plums of white and dark smoke come out of the tailpipes, literally blinding anyone behind me, press the accelerator to the floor and it just shudders and smokes even more, check engine light is on and states malfunctioning turbo system, boost pressure sensor malfunction, sluggish will not gain speed, oil within the turbo blow by hose and in intake hose area, now I have coolant pouring out and the reservoir the coolant will be literally boiling. This is not good at all especially after a year post engine replacement and turbo replacement. When the car is started I push start and car struggles to start the starter keeps screeching and car shudders for a good 45 seconds before it either dies out or finally starts. This vehicle should be a lemon and bought back regardless of age condition etc. A vehicle after engine replacement of only one year should not be pouring oil out of the engine, failed head gaskets, misfiring and leaking coolant. I keep receiving recall notice after recall notice in the mail stating I have recalls that need to be addressed but when checking using my vin it says there are no recalls needing fixing, that makes me uneasy and I don't feel safe driving the vehicle I lost faith in it all together

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #87

Feb 022024

Sonata

  • miles
my sonata 2012 the engine was replaced it seized up on the highway. since then ive had multiple issues; 1. my brake pedal seems to get pulled to the floor all the way at random times i have to pump the brake for it to release itself. 2. ive replaced the purge valve 3 going on 4 times as well as the cadilac converter due to it being clogged. 3. my car is so loud it makes a hissing noise and a winding sound people say its my transmission going out but no one can pinpoint the problem. 4. my brake lights and head lights go out all the time been replaced bout 100 times. lights on the dash r on; airbag, check engine tire pressure. please i need my vehicle looked over by a professional and or help replacing these issues ASAP

- Garland , TX, USA

problem #86

Nov 222022

Sonata

  • miles
Illumination of the malfunction indicator lamp and/or ABS (Anti-lock brake system) light. My 2012 Sonata Hybrid has been towed twice to Key Hyundai dealer in Jacksonville, FL. They charged me several thousand dollars and the vehicle ABS lamp remains illuminated. The dealership did not offer me alternative transportation and I feel unsafe driving the vehicle. On Friday November 12th they blamed the brake lamp illumination on the Hybrid main battery and gave me an estimate of $12,900 to replace the battery. The first time I took the vehicle in for this problem my vehicle was still under 10 year/100,000 mile warranty. My car has approximately only 35,000 miles driven. They did not honor the warranty. This is a brake issue not a battery issue.

- Ponte Vedra, FL, USA

problem #85

Jan 072019

Sonata

  • miles
Steering has a clunking/clicking sound when turning left or right. It has gotten worse from when I noticed it. At first I could hear a faint rattling sound when going over bumps in the road (more noticeable in colder time of the year). Now for the past 2-3 years it-??s very noticeable and makes clunking like noise every time turning even when parked. When I first heard the faint noise my mechanic couldn-??t hear it. He said I have to hear it to know for sure but said it-??s possibly the steering column And at that time he priced it at $500 I-??m sure it-??s more now with this economy. I didn-??t get it fixed bc he wasn-??t sure and I didn-??t want to pay to get it fixed if that wasn-??t the problem. I had no idea I could file this complaint otherwise I would have done it sooner! This problem started January 2019. Also the gas gage will blink and say I have no gas even tho I filled up. The sensor to gaging the gas I believe is faulty. Hard to show a mechanic because it does it randomly starting the car, while driving, after filling up to name a few. Then the lines will fill in while driving, stopped at a traffic light/stop sign, starting the car. It will stay good for a while and act up again. This has been doing it so long I-??d say it started a few years after owning so around 2015 about 45,000 miles. I-??m lucky that I have jobs 5-10mins from my home I haven-??t put on miles that most do. Again I would have put in a complaint if I knew of this site. Anyone driving this car could cause an accident if it runs out of gas in the middle of driving.

- Racine , WI, USA

problem #84

Apr 032023

Sonata

  • miles
When decelerating, the vehicle will have a hard down shift or it feels like it accelerates with your foot on the brake after a hard downshift. Once you have come to a complete stop and you accelerate into traffic, it bogs down and does not move forward. It is dangerous to merge into traffic on a city street or in the highway. Our mechanic and the dealer cannot find anything. It is not predictable but it is dangerous to drive.

- Morgan Hill, CA, USA

problem #83

Apr 052023

Sonata

  • miles
There was a complaint on your site that is exactly what happened to my car. While driving with foot on accelerator, acceleration/ current speed will randomly just stop. 1-1- Once i fully release the accelerator and then reengage the accelerator problem goes away. This is very random as to when it happens, and will happen multiple times in a row some times... and other times happens once and doesn't the rest of the trip. Safety is put at risk. There's only 38,000 miles on this vehicle. My mechanic can't find it because it's not doing it. The engine light doesn't come on and neither does a code. It does this on a freeway and the streets. This is extremely scary and dangerous.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #82

Oct 152021

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
The VIN number for this car is [XXX]. "Check engine" light was on and the car could not pass the inspection. We took the car to the mechanics and they found out " leak from fuel pump module" (please refer to the mechanics report for details). Due to the safety concern, we have to fix it right away out of our own pocket. This particular VIN number is not included in the MHTSA ID: 18V934000. We are requesting this VIN number to be added in the recall ID 18V934000. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). UPDATE-06/01/2023- Consumer is checking status of VOQ.

- Katy, TX, USA

problem #81

Jan 302023

Sonata

  • miles
Daughter was driving her car on interstate, doing 75, in the middle of traffic when the car would jerk and then loose power. The gas petal stopped working and the check engine light would come on. She had to make her way over to the shoulder, without causing an accident. Once car gets shut off and you wait a few minutes, you can start it and drive it home. This has happened about 4 times now. We are lucky that this hasn't caused an accident! This last time (yesterday), the check engine light stayed on and we were able to hook up the dianostic reader and it read the code for the crankshaft positioning sensor A circut. It says online that this is a common problem with that car and is very dangerous. How is this not up for a recall? My daughter is scared to drive her car.

- Perdido, AL, USA

problem #80

Jan 062023

Sonata

  • miles
I recently purchased a Hyundai Sonata hybrid with 132K miles on it and it has been driving fine for at least two weeks until a few days back the car has been displaying a recurring alarm on the dashboard telling " hybrid system warming! Safely Stop and Do Not Drive " now as soon as I turn on the vehicle the alarm comes on immediately. It's been a week since the car is technically inoperable because if I attempt to drive the car it makes this horrible grinding sound which is terrifying considering if I drive like this it would probably cause more damage to the car, and I have look for information on this issue and have found many of these cases over the years that I can relate to but unfortunately there's no a recall of this problem. I'm taking the car to the dealership soon but I don't have any hopes that they will find a permanent fix for this since nobody has apparently. I'm just trying find some help with this issue. So far I just have lots of regrets about this purchase and just hoping I can find some help with this matter.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #79

Jan 262023

Sonata

  • miles
While driving with foot on accelerator, acceleration/ current speed will randomly just stop. 1-1- Once i fully release the accelerator and then reengage the accelerator problem goes away. This is very random as to when it happens, and will happen multiple times in a row some times... and other times happens once and doesn't the rest of the trip. This seems to be more amplified occurrences when it is cold. 2- Safety is put at risk. 3- Not gone to dealer yet. 4- No inspection yet. 5- No warning messages.

- Southern View, IL, USA

problem #78

Dec 152022

Sonata

  • miles
When I start the vehicle in the morning I leave the neighborhood going around 15mph and the car loses power. I have to let off the gas completely then reapply but it still continues to studder. I applied the slapstick sift mode and noticed it does this in first and fourth gear. In automatic you can-??t see

- Adelanto, CA, USA

problem #77

Sep 212022

Sonata

  • miles
I purchased the car 9/1/21. 4 months ago I repaired an issue with the fuel pump and fuel rail. Now it's doing the same thing. Code P0087. I looked up to see if there were any recalls and there aren't any OPEN recalls; however the recall #180 is the issue I am having with my car. Would this be covered under the #180 recall?

- Ashland, AL, USA

problem #76

Sep 132022

Sonata

  • miles
Vehicle caught on Fire.

- Kuna, ID, USA

problem #75

Jul 252022

Sonata

  • miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact stated that once car has warmed up, while driving at low speed or starting to move after a stop, she vehicle hesitated and stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. This is a serious risk hazard as the car barely moves at intersections where it is a risk of getting hit by incoming cars. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to multiple independent mechanics as well as hyundai dealerships who were all unable to diagnose the failure due to no warning lights illuminating on the instrument panel and no codes getting registered in the ECU. The contact then got the car evaluated by another Hyundai dealership in order to exchange it for a new vehicle and mentioned this problem. This time the dealership mechanics claimed to have seen this same problem at several occasion and that the cause was failing electric motor (when warming up) which needs to be replaced along with transmission. They also said this failure would eventually lead to the car no longer being usable at all (catastrophic failure of drivetrain) The car was no longer under warranty and total repair cost around $11 000 CAN. This far exceeded the value of the car so the car could not be repaired nor re-sold. The failure pattern started to happen when mileage was approximately 110,000 miles

- Saint-Lazare, VT, USA

problem #74

Jan 112022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
About 1 month after I bought this vehicle, late December 2021, a warning light came on the hybrid screen, it read "Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop And Do Not Drive!" The accelerator was not working I pulled over and turned the vehicle off. I waited a couple minutes and restarted it up again and went on my merry way. About a month later it happened again!! It's happened about every 5 weeks until June 16th at about 5pm, it now permanently chimes and beeps with the Hybrid screen warning me of the same, my foot brake goes to the bottom and makes a grinding noise. I am not able to drive it more than 100 yards or so then the accelerator fails again. I owned a mechanic shop and I know my brakes are fine, there has to be something wrong with the brake pumps/master cylinder, the brake fluid reservoir is full and the brakes electrical components make a horrible noise when I depress the foot pedal, I've read on Hyundai Forum on-line, that this has happened to various others, its happened on the freeway while I was going about 70mph!! It's happened on busy city streets with 45mph speed limits. Hyundai doesn't want to take any responsibility for it! What can I do? The dealer wants $200 to have it checked with no guarantee that they'll find the problem. Thank you [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Tracy, CA, USA

problem #73

Jan 272022

Sonata

  • miles
Original Report: 1/28/22 to HyundaiUSA Problem with car started day after alignment. First noticed (while going up driveway) pressing accelerator did nothing - press again then OK. Got out to open gate, noticed brake lights on. Later (after dark), came out and brake lights on. Driving home noticed ESC light on - ESC off button had no effect. I found this exact description on "CarComplaints.com" from 2019 and it references recall #136. Next day I cranked the car, and the "ESC off" indicator came on. I was then able to turn off with the ESC off button. Update: 1/29/22 Next day same issue with brake light. Able to reset ESC light but it came back on after driving about 15 miles. I noticed that the issue with the sudden deceleration occurred while going 55 mph. It happened about 3 times in the 5 mile return trip. Releasing the accelerator pedal then pressing again provided acceleration. When I got out of the car, the brake light remained on. Update 1/30/22 The ESC light reset itself automatically when I cranked the car. While warming up the car in the garage, the brake light came on and I tapped the brake to turn off. This happened 4 times. I was pulling out of a side road onto a busy road with limited sight of oncoming traffic. As I started out, the acceleration died, and a car came around the curve/hill. I managed to release the accelerator and re-apply and got out of the driver-??s way -?" he was able to slow down enough to avoid an accident. Issue happened several times while driving to my destination. A few minutes after going inside, the car security horn started sounding. I used the remote to turn off. I went back in, and it started blowing again. I pulled the fuse for the horn from under the hood. The ESC light did not come back on during this trip but the brake light did numerous times. My research found that the brake light switch has been blamed for some of these issues. But a faulty brake light switch would prevent engaging gear shift.

- Stockbridge, GA, USA

problem #72

Aug 072021

Sonata

  • miles
The car hesitates when excelerating. The car has had this problem since I purchased the vehicle. I have reported to the Hyuandai dealership within in a few days of purchasing it. They told me it was normal. It has been in and out of the dealership many times and they finally told me ithey installed the knock sensor device which helped for a short time but it-??s gotten worse. It hesitates so bad at times I almost got struck from the side because my car got stuck in the middle of the road because it wouldn-??t go.

- Somerset , WI, USA

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