10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 9
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 1
Average Mileage:
40,922 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #88

Mar 162022

Sonata

  • miles
Limp mode on the 16th of march, no symptoms prior to entering limp mode. Check engine light was illuminated and blinking & a knocking sound came from under the hood, along with not being able to get over 1800 rpms before having to shift. Drove back home until the next day on march 17th went to try to take it to a manufacturing company and did not make it. While in the middle of driving it had a loud bang under hood and left me on side the road. Could not crank it again.

- Kinston, AL, USA

problem #87

Jan 182021

Sonata

  • miles
I keep getting this error message Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do not Drive with the caution symbol. I have take it to the dealership 5 times and they do not see anything wrong. Usually the message flash for a few seconds and then go away. Today it did something different. The display keep alternating with Check charging system and Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do not Drive along with a beeping sound. I had to pull over and restart the car. I travel in rural areas for work, and I am so afraid my car is going to stop in the middle on nowhere. When I googled the error message it appears so many other Sonata owners from 2011-2014 are experiencing the same problem. I have reported this to Hyundai warranty, but when they contact the dealership, they tell them nothing is wrong with my car. Please advise of what to do.

- Fort Mitchell, AL, USA

problem #86

Jan 192022

Sonata

  • miles
About a year ago, my 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid had an error with an alarm that would pop up on the screen but was too fast to catch what it said. It would happen a couple of times a month. One day, I was driving about 60 mph and the alarm came on, the car stalled and it said to not drive the car. I was able to roll to a stop on the side of the road. I turned off the car and had it towed to my house. In looking at it, I turned it on and everything seemed fine. This happened another time about a month later. The second time, I just turned off the car, let it sit for a minute and turned it back on. I took it into a dealer and they said they couldn't figure it out and to bring it back if it kept happening. It hasn't had a problem since then until this morning. Here, nearly a year later, I was in the middle of a busy intersection and it gave the error and alarm and the car stalled. I turned it off, let it sit for a few seconds and then turned it back on and backed up. Fortunately, the cars coming at me noticed I couldn't move and stopped! I would pay to have this fixed if they knew what was going on! Everything I see online about this issue, no one knows what is causing it. I wouldn't feel comfortable selling it to someone else knowing this is such a safety issue. It's just a pile of metal at this point.

- Heber City, UT, USA

problem #85

Dec 162021

Sonata

  • miles
Loss of power, while trying to accelerate, troubleshot and it was caused by a worn brake stopper after replacing the brake stopper vehicle retained the loss of power and unable to drive past 37 mph. Possible ECM problem as vehicle is not throwing any DTC.

- National City , CA, USA

problem #84

Dec 162021

Sonata

  • miles
It began in 2020; the 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid I've been driving started having issues with the hybrid system. At the time, the car was still under warranty. I took it in multiple times to AutoNation Hyundai in North Richland Hills, TX, because I kept getting the error message "Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do Not Drive", the car battery would become depleted, and the car would stop. My husband and I would take the vehicle multiple times to the service center at AutoNation Hyundai in North Richland Hills, TX, and nothing was done because, according to their staff, the error could not be duplicated. At one point, they kept it for almost a month, barely driven (we looked at the mileage on the car) before it was returned with no work done on the vehicle. Last June 2021, on a drive to Dallas to take my daughter to her volunteer program at the Dallas Zoo, the car stopped in the middle of the highway for the same problem. I called AutoNation Hyundai in North Richland Hills, and they could not see the vehicle in a timely manner and would not give me a loaner while they had the car in the shop. At that time, I wanted them to check the vehicle's issue and the recall issue that seemed like we were experiencing with the car; it was the only car I had to use to get to and from work and drive my daughter to her obligations, and they could not see it promptly and would not issue me a loaner vehicle. I ended up taking the car to Hiley Hyundai of Fort Worth; they supposedly found a faulty sensor and repaired it, checked it for a recall, and couldn't find the issue at that time. Last night, my car flashed the same error and lost all power. I was on I-35W North with my daughter at the time. I had the vehicle towed after hours to AutoNation Hyundai and called this morning to follow up. I spoke with someone at service, and they told me they could not look at the car until about mid-January and would not be able to give me a loaner in the interim. I tried to explain to the

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #83

Oct 282021

Sonata

  • miles
This morning when i drove the car to Bart station, just before i parked in the parking lot. the showboard showed "Hybrid System Warning, Safely Stop and Do Not Drive". So i stopped and parked the car in the parking space. i'm not sure what the issue is and if i still can drive it after i came back from my work. After i checked the website and found there're a lot of people have this same issue as this case. I did not see any of them have solution for it. So I believed that this is a big issue since it will cuase death if it happens in the high speed high way. please do the investigation and recall for it to save lives! appreciated in advance.

- Mountain House, CA, USA

problem #82

Sep 282021

Sonata

  • miles
I am a 74-year-old widowed, retired Federal Government worker. I purchased a 2012 Hyundai Sonata in October 2011. This was supposed to be my retirement car. I bought it new from Torrance Hyundai. This car has been a problem from day one. I have a lengthy list of problems. It has only 54,000 miles and will be 10 years old next year. Some of the problems are the gas meter does not work (I don't how much gas I have in my car. For a senior citizen that is not good. My windows button does not work, and my voice control and Bluetooth does not work (it was replaced once) I have a ticking when I turn my car. (Dealer said it would cost $2000. to fix. (it was fixed once) I have an oil leak that a Mechanic told me to take it back to the dealer, it should be covered. (It is not) My dashboard is cracked. (not cover). I have had two Hyundais. The hatchback (one of the first in the USA) and worked fine, and another Sonata in the '90s. I loved them both. Before my favorite was the Toyota, now since this car has all these problems and is paid off. I will never buy a Hyundai again. I looking to buy a small SUV and it will not be a Hyundai. I am ready to tell the media and everyone that would listen about this car and the problems I have had from day one. I have a list of service orders on some of these problems. I was once a loyal Hyundai owner, but now I cannot give my praise to this car or this company. I have a limited income and now I must go back into debt because of your piece of junk. Thank you for making my senior years enjoyable. I like to put this out to the media for all to know of how you treat your customers that have been loyal. I complained about this with Hyundai customer service and received a case number and told to make appointment for them to check the car. But, they didn't tell me it would cost $169. It is unsafe to drive cracks in your dashboard where the airbags are located and for a senior to worry about the amount of gas she has.

- Inglewood, CA, USA

problem #81

Aug 022021

Sonata

  • miles
Bluetooth cuts out on vehicle and volume shuts off completely on stereo. Without the bluetooth and volume functioning on the vehicle, I no longer have handsfree capability. It endangers my safety (and others) and then becomes a legal violation for me to answer my phone while driving. I have taken it to a dealership and they have been able to reproduce the problem. The only solution they provided me was to replace the whole head unit for the exact same system that has this known bluetooth/volume issue. On forums that I've read it's stated that this is a software/firmware update that resolves this issue, but the dealership says they know nothing about it nor does Hyundai national. Other dealerships in the country have installed the software update to fix the issue.

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #80

Jul 112021

Sonata

  • miles
While I was driving, an error stating "Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do not Drive" popped up on my dash.

- Tustin, CA, USA

problem #79

Jul 142021

Sonata

  • miles
UNKNOWN: On July 14th, 2021, I was driving approx. 45mph on the Expressway when I felt the car losing a little power, I looked at the speedometer and noticed (no warning lights where on) the speed was going down slowly as I was attempting to accelerate, the car would not go past 20mph. Then all the sudden I lost all controls of the car (the car stalled) I was not able to steer or brake, the car had stalled in the middle of the parkway, it was a very dangerous situation, so many cars came within inches of hitting me. I was able to finally restart the car and get it to the side of the road and then it stalled again. This time when I attempted to restart the car I noticed there was smoke coming from under the hood and the would not start, at that point I called for help. The car was towed to my mechanic and he determined the engine was seized. (see attached pdf) Car is available for inspection.

- Bellmore, NY, USA

problem #78

Jul 282021

Sonata

  • miles
Brake and tail light continues to burn out. I have replaced bulbs and entire assembly every couple weeks and t melts thei units as well as my engine stalls out and will not accelerate and does this intermittently. This puts me at risk of one of my lights catching fire or a crash due to my engine losing power on the freeway when I turn my lights

- Redding, CA, USA

problem #77

Jul 212021

Sonata

  • miles
Rear brake lights stay on even when the engine has been turned off

- Cordova, TN, USA

problem #76

Jul 062021

Sonata

  • miles
UNKNOWN. I purchased this vehicle and found it had an open recall and would like it checked out.

- Cornwall, NY, USA

problem #75

Jul 022021

Sonata

  • miles
Brake lights stay illuminated when car is off. Loses speed while in motion. ESC lights come on.

- Fayetteville, NC, USA

problem #74

Jun 012021

Sonata

  • miles
This safety issue affects Hyundai Sonatas with a turbo. The vehicle loses acceleration. The engine will rev with the tachometer functioning properly, but the vehicle speed does not increase accordingly. This is a safety issue because drivers could cause accidents when merging into traffic, changing lanes, or clearing an intersection. This issue may be related to my engine being replaced by Hyundai as part of a recall since it happened within a week of receiving the new engine. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? -- The problem is related to the wastegate actuator and/or sensor. The ECU/ECM seems to disable the turbo in the vehicle. Stopping and restarting the vehicle (rebooting) eliminates the problem until the vehicle is parked/off for at least nine (9) hours. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk" - See introduction above. When accelerating from a stop, the vehicle's acceleration stalls at about 20-23 MPH, even with the tachometer reaching 7,000 RPMs. While driving above 30 MPH, the vehicle is very slow to accelerate so merging onto any highways or changing lanes is a high-risk maneuver. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? -- Yes. They first tried to replace the turbo boost sensor but that did not eliminate the problem. Hyundai Sonata owners have reported this problem since 2012. "Wastegate actuator sensor". Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? -- Yes, the vehicle has been inspected by a manufacturer dealer service center. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" -- No. The warning lamp does not activate on a regular basis with this issue. The warning lamp does appear approximately 10% of the time but again, rebooting the vehicle removes the warning lamp.

- Romansville, PA, USA

problem #73

Jun 132021

Sonata

  • miles
While driving on 285 @ 60 mph the car begins alarming with a hazard light indicating emergency braking system failure then the car looses complete braking capabilities and power to drive, all while I am in front of an 18 wheeler. I have practically no control over the stirring wheel as the car has completely lost all power all I could do is throw on my hazard lights and pray that the truck sees me then I begin to coast off to the side of the highway. In 2019 the engine seized up and did the exact same thing lost total power on the highway, the engine was replaced in 2019. In 2020 the transmission was causing problems and was replaced as well, this vehicle is a death trap and I truly fear for mines and my child-??s life when driving it. I have never ever really feel safe in this car after my engine failure it left with in total paranoia with it loosing total power and leaving me without control to get out the way of on coming traffic thank goodness the trucker behind me noticed I was in distress and I was able to coast off to the side. I have googled and seen that there has been many others who have had this exact same problem with the braking system. Hyundai needs to recall these vehicles for this braking problems so no has to loose there lives behind it. Please please, please help me and the others that have these issues to get this matter resolved. Every since I have gotten this car it has had nothing but major issues in my eyes it should be deemed a lemon. Please advise

- Lithonia, GA, USA

problem #72

Jun 012021

Sonata

  • miles
I was driving on the freeway and I put my foot on the gas to accelerate and my car would not go. It had no power. It is intermittent. I can be driving and it is fine then all of a sudden it won-??t go more then 30 mph. My brake lights are always going out. Now my break lights won-??t turn off.

- Norwalk, CA, USA

problem #71

May 142021

Sonata

  • 60,000 miles
The parking and brake lights will not turn off when I turn off my car. This is resulting in the battery dying constantly and I am not able to lock or secure my car.

- Aledo, TX, USA

problem #70

Apr 122021

Sonata

  • 118,500 miles
I was driving home from work when I heard an extremely loud boom, it sounded like a bomb went off in my car. Then I was showered with glass from above. I immediately slammed on my breaks (fortunately I was on a country road with no one behind me). The front seat portion of my panoramic sunroof had exploded. I pulled over and got out, looking for a bullet as I thought someone had shot at me then for a rock or anything that would explain why my sunroof just exploded glass all over me. I found nothing. I drove home crying and shaking. My bf told me to google what just happened to see if this has happened to other people. Apparently it has! I am unsure why I was never notified of the class-action law suit, as I bought my car from a dealer and have had it for just over 6 years now. Fortunately it is covered upto 120,000 miles due to the law suit, I have 118,580 miles on my vehicle. I am still extremely shaken today!! I really want to sell my car but cannot afford another car payment (this month is my last payment). Very upset!

- Varysburg, NY, USA

problem #69

Mar 312019

Sonata

  • miles
About 2 years ago I notice a little scratch on the dashboard, after a while I see that it was a danger crash after this time now are 3 big scratches that interfere with the deployment airbags of both from airbags if split could cost big injuries to the occupants of the vehicle.hyunday said they are not responsable for that defective part.(plastic) but they want me to pay. Also the lights never are right to cause difficulty at night driving also dangerous, the dealer said they are ok, but they are not in right position.

- Deerfield Beach, FL, USA

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