10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
30,831 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #101

Jul 242022

Sonata

  • miles
After taking my car in multiple times to be serviced for a "Hybrid System Warning" mid last year, they were unable to read any error codes or diagnose any issue. I took it to two separate dealerships with no luck fixing the issue. I then completely broke down due to the same "Hybrid System Warning" on the highway on 7/26/22 heading to Pigeon Forge, TN with two children in the car. I had to have my car towed to the closest Hyundai dealership in Knoxville. They were unable to diagnose and fix my car within the timeframe I was in town. Since Hyundai would not provide me with a loaner, I had to get a rental car to get home that I was not reimbursed for. We ended up paying out of pocket to replace the safety plug/fuse and the power relay assembly on 8/9/22. After having the car back for three months, the warning popped up again on 10/18/22 just as it did earlier that same year. I immediately called to schedule a service appointment with Hyundai and had to wait almost four months to get a service appointment here in Cincinnati. The appointment was on 1/26/23 and they have yet to "replicate the issue" so they are unable to diagnose the car. I am supposed to pick up the car this week even though it's a safety hazard. I have had two cases open with Hyundai Customer Affairs but since they cannot diagnose the car, there is nothing they can do. They have been absolutely no help at all.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #100

Dec 082021

Sonata

  • miles
When automatic headlights are on there are time that the headlamps will turn off when engaging the turn signals until turn signals are disengaged.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #99

Dec 082021

Sonata

  • miles
When automatic headlights are on there are time that the headlamps will turn off when engaging the turn signals until turn signals are disengaged.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #98

Dec 202022

Sonata

  • miles
After driving for 15 or more minutes, the power steering fails. The warning light for the power steering and stability control turn on at that moment, as well. This failure occurs while driving and the wheel jerks a bit if the car is in a turn. There was a power steering recall for other Hyundais of the same era, which is very coincidental.

- Potomac, MD, USA

problem #97

Nov 252022

Sonata

  • miles
This is the third time this has happened. The car just starts to beep and stops working wherever it is. Its died on the highway and another busy road during rush hour causing a dangerous backup in which the police needed to be called. The car just beeps and flashes on the dash "Hybrid System Warning! Safety Stop and Do not Drive". Also, "check charging system". The car just stops and basically dies on the road when this light comes. When this happens the steering wheel does not really work and the gas/breaks have limited function. This could cause a major accident on a major highway or even off of a highway. I am quite surprised that there has not been a recall for this serious safety concern.

- Midlothian, VA, USA

problem #96

Nov 242022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
Alternator tensioner bracket broke, causing the alternator to hang loosely, which caused the car to gradually lose electrical power to all accessories and safety equipment due to the serpentine belt being loose from the broken bracket. During traveling immediately before failure, the battery warning light illuminated on the dash panel, going on and off intermittently. Thereafter, I began losing control of all my electrical safety features, including power steering, blind spot detection, lane departure warning, forward collision warning system, and eventually power to my entire vehicle as the battery was drained of all charge. At the time of events, my family of 4, including a 2 year old and a 10 week old, were all occupants of the vehicle. With the power of the vehicle declining, the power steering was activating/deactivating intermittently causing the car to jerk one way or the other unexpectedly. Had we remained traveling on the highway at highway speeds, our safety would have been greatly compromised from the unexpected power failure to all electrical safety features. The vehicle and fractured tensioner bracket have not been inspected or confirmed by dealer or independent service provider as the vehicle is not drivable. The broken tensioner bracket is apparent and indisputable.

- Huntertown, IN, USA

problem #95

Nov 102022

Sonata

  • miles
The power steering started malfunctioning and then caused all warning lights on the dash to illuminate including check engine, power steering, abs, and after coming to a stop and waiting several minutes the lights went off but power steering was still not operating correctly

- Weatherford , TX, USA

problem #94

Oct 202022

Sonata

  • 129,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light illuminated. The contact then stated that the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that she had to use the shift release button to shift gear. The contact then stated that all the lights on the instrument panel failed to illuminate. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the hub sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V325000 (Steering, Electrical System). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that her vehicle was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

- Danville, AL, USA

problem #93

Sep 262022

Sonata

  • miles
While I was driving, my check engine light came on. It wasn-€™t flashing so I was going to continue driving to a parts house (because the dealerships around me were closed) and have them check the codes that were present. Immediately after I had that thought, I noticed the car was smoking and the battery light and the traction control light had come on, so I proceeded to pull over and shut the vehicle off. I got out and noticed the hood had soot on the edges. I called 911 and watched the car go up I-€™m flames. This all happened in less than a mile. I noticed a fluid of some sort had sprayed out of my vehicle onto the road and the underneath the vehicle was coated in the fluid. This is still being investigated but I know of a lot of Hyundai/Kia vehicles have caught on fire while driving. I-€™m not 100% sure of the cause yet, but I want to document that this did happen to my vehicle. I would love to update as soon as we figure out what has caused the car to catch fire while I was driving.

- Eldorado, AR, USA

problem #92

Jul 272022

Sonata

  • miles
The issue is with the hybrid system, which malfunctioned and apparently ruined the rest of the car. The damaged components are adding up to over 75% of the car's value. The vehicle slowed and stopped suddenly on a busy road when the issue started. Currently, it has been inspected by two different shops and they have both given me the same diagnosis.

- Mount Holly, NJ, USA

problem #91

Sep 072022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
This is yet another incident of a Sonata Hybrid hybrid flashing a warning to the driver and the the engine shutting down. This time it was Sep 7, 2022 in Morristown, TN. A brief internet search led to this: https://www.tsbsearch.com/Hyundai/17-HC-003-1 indicating that the issue is known to Hyundai. This is definitely a safety issue, this is a known problem, why was no recall issued?

- Morristown, TN, USA

problem #90

Apr 012022

Sonata

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after having her vehicle serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V749000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System) the exterior and interior lights would turn off while driving at various speeds, with the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that upon using the turn signals, the headlights would intermittently turn off; however, the headlights would turn on upon toggling the light switch. The contact had initially taken the vehicle back to the dealer where she was given a diagnostic fee to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where she was informed that the E-CVVT actuator was defective. In addition, the contact also stated that the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal or lunge forward upon depression of the brake pedal. The independent mechanic linked the failure to the E-CVVT actuator. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

- Palatine, IL, USA

problem #89

Aug 112022

Sonata

  • miles
When auto lights are engaged and the blinkers are engaged, the light will turn off and it will blink in the wrong direction for a few times and then blink the correct direction. While in auto lights and you turn a curve they will sometimes go off. Now I have an issue with my AC - it goes on and off randomly. Had it looked at and they cannot find an issue with the components but said it could be an electrical issue. BYW, Hyundai replaced the motor in this car as well because it had so many issues. I was told the issues now could be caused from them replacing the motor and causing an electrical issue. The paint is also peeling and they had a recall on the paint, but the paint on my car didn't start peeling until after their warranty had expired. This is a known issue with 2015 models - they know the paint is bad but won't fix it. Car manufacturers should be held accountable for what they put on the market, or at least fix what are known issues for multiple vehicles.

- Conway, AR, USA

problem #88

Jul 202022

Sonata

  • miles
Multiple times, when the car start up and is put in to reverse, there is no throttle response. Simultaneously, it can not be put into the manual gear select mode and the car lurches into second gear.

- Germantown, MD, USA

problem #87

Jul 212022

Sonata

  • miles
My ABS lights came on and then minutes later my check engine light kept blinking while my car kept stalling or not let me accelerate in the middle of traffic. It-€™s like the engine dies but the car is on. It only stalls for a second then accelerates then stalls again and accelerates. Almost caused an accident. Seems that this is a problem for a lot of these models. It-€™s just crazy how it all happened back to back. My car has been running fine otherwise till that happened.

- Hinesville , GA, USA

problem #86

Jun 182022

Sonata

  • miles
While driving on the interstate, the car began to jerk, and then the engine proceeded to rev as if the car needed a power boost to continue performing. The dashboard then said "Hybrid System Warning! Stop and Do Not Drive" and then the car would no longer accelerate and I had to pull over. This was an extremely dangerous and unsafe situation to be in, and unfortunately, the error only presents itself while driving so the mechanics are unable to get a code that clearly defines the issue that needs to be resolved. I have spent numerous hours on forums with complaints from Hyundai Sonata Hybrid owners who had the same issue and have visited various mechanics to fix the issue, only to end up having the issue arise yet again, further endangering their lives on the road. I believe the best solution forward is to take a serious investigation into the issue and issue an open recall so drivers can get the assistance they need to remain safe on the roads.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #85

May 012022

Sonata

  • miles
The powered driver seat returning from a reclined position can get stuck in the recline position for some unknown reason. The seat motor, electrical wiring system and the switch have all been examined and replaced and yet for some unknown reason it continues to occur. Two different mechanics thought it was the switch for the seat being faulty but its been replaced twice and still this issue can occur where the seat after reclining any amount the seat will remain in that recline position for an extended period of time (multiple days) and can if reclined completely, remain in the full reclined position unable to return in the direction so as to raise it to a normal seated position. The seat switch will only recline but will not return back to the seated position to any degree. All of the other swithces and buttons with the drivers side seat continue to remain operational and work even when the seated position direction does not function. To operate a vehicle in the fully reclined position is dangerous as you have no back support while driving, there is also no whiplash protection or support in the event of a collision. It can also impair the drivers ability to reach the pedals or operate the vehicle properly. It also makes the seat behind the driver unusable. Further adding to the danger the seat has no manual options and therefore is unable to be manually returned to the seated position, thus once it is reclined back it remains stuck in that position until the switch begins to function again or the seat is removed. There are no warning lamps or indicators and the seat continues to properly function in the recline direction. Only upon trying to return to a seated position is there any indication of an issue. This has happened at least 3 times in the past year. Repair shops have examined the electrical wiring and the switch and cant seem to keep it from happening

- Elizabeth, NJ, USA

problem #84

Apr 222022

Sonata

  • miles
While driving, the following warning appeared: Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do not Drive. The vehicle was turned off and restarted, due to the fact that this same warning appeared in the summer of 2021, where it was towed to the dealer and they were unable to discover any problem. When the vehicle was taken to the dealer this time they found the code P1B70, high voltage battery to low, there was a flash update for the BMS module to correct the issue. My issue is that you do not always have a appropriate spot where you can stop the vehicle and leave it for a tow. Perhaps this flash update should be installed in all 2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrids as a recall so as not to leave the drivers in an unsafe condition

- Apple Valley, MN, USA

problem #83

Mar 152022

Sonata

  • miles
Fuse-High Voltage blow, no continuity. Forced us to pull off one lane highway. Turned off car and it would not start after that. Car displayed "Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do Not Drive" on dashboard, while driving.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #82

Feb 212022

Sonata

  • miles
While going home on highway 95 at approximately 70 mph. The vehicle stalled almost causing many accidents. Thank goodness I steered it on the shoulder and it will not restart I had to call for a Tow. This was the 3rd time this happened. The first time was approximately a month in 2015 after my purchase it stalled on the highway. Again, in 2017 it once again stalled on the highway while I was driving. The dealership has told me on all 2 previous occasions that they had fixed the problem and it wasn't going to happen again. Here we are in 2022 and it stalled again. Why can't they just replace the engine? This is the second week and my car is still in the dealership which they are saying they don't know what the problem is smh.

- Allenhurst, GA, USA

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