10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 17
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
29,300 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #235

Jun 182020

Sonata

  • miles
Engine burns off oil at an excessive rate. I was told there is a recall on the engine for my vehicle. Also, the transmission is acting up. I have a white pearl sonata and the paint has peeled off the roof and part of the hood. There is a recall on that as well, as I was told.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #234

Apr 122022

Sonata

  • miles
On April 12, 2022. I was driving with my grandson. I heard some loud engine noise in which I thought was coming from an old red truck next to me. I continued driving and continued to hear the noise after I was away from the truck. I realized the noise was coming from my vehicle (2016 Hyundai Sonata). The interior lights started flashing ( oil light, engine and battery lights) and the car started losing power. I was able to pull over to the right lane by the curb. The engine shutdown and wouldn't start back up. The car was towed to Jeff Wyler Superior Hyundai, 238 W. Mitchell Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45232. My vehicle is still there. In January of 2022 I had my car at the dealership for losing power. They repaired it, saying it was the cylinders and then in April 2022 the whole engine shuts completely down.

- Cincinnati , OH, USA

problem #233

Jan 012023

Sonata

  • miles
I have a 2016 Sonata with 81,000 miles, I was driving the car when I started hearing knocking noise under the hood and Suddenly the car cut off and wouldn-??t start. No dash board lights came on. Prior to car shutdown. My safety was put at risk because the car cut off near the highway and I had to push the car to a safe location. The dealer confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced at $8,500.

- Washington , DC, USA

problem #232

Apr 122022

Sonata

  • miles
I was driving the vehicle, it started making a weird noise, the console lights started flashing and then the engine shutdown and wouldn't start back up.

- Cincinnati , OH, USA

problem #231

Aug 012022

Sonata

  • miles
Purchased a 2016 Hyundai Sonata on 7/2/22. At the time, it had approximately 119,000 miles on it. About a month later, the car overheated. Thankfully, husband is a mechanic. Since the initial overheating, we had been diligently adding coolant every few days. However, as of last month, the overheating had gotten so bad, we took it to an independent mechanic who quoted us about $8,500 for repairs, including installing a new engine.

- Escondido, CA, USA

problem #230

Jun 152018

Sonata 4-cyl

  • 59,013 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was confirmed that no cause for the failure was found. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as engine wear, due to a lack of proper lubrication The vehicle was not repaired. The contact then took the vehicle to another dealer, North Freeway Hyundai (20440 Interstate 45 N, Spring, TX 77373) where it was diagnosed as needing the engine to be flushed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 59,013.

- Magnolia, TX, USA

problem #229

Jan 062023

Sonata

  • miles
While driving the hybrid system warning light comes on and says to check hybrid system, vehicle goes into limp mode will not accelerate over 25 mph and codes need to be cleared before vehicle van be driven. This has caused me to almost have several accidents. The vehicle slows down and gives no warning prior to this occurring. It has started happening more frequently vehicle currently has 85k miles.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #228

Sep 212021

Sonata

  • miles
Upon buying the vehicle the engine started to burn excessive amounts of oil.

- Terrell, TX, USA

problem #227

Dec 302022

Sonata

  • miles
My 2016 Hyundai Sonata is sitting at the Red Hoagland dealership in Winter Haven, FL after the engine started knocking. Rather than continue driving it and risk an accident with our 19-yr old child driving it, or risk worse damage to the engine, I had it towed to Red Hoagland service department. This occurred less than a week after we had it at the dealership for the third and final oil consumption test. These tests were being conducted as part of Hyundai-??s process to identify the known engine issue with this model. Each 1,000 mile test revealed that the engine was consuming approximately 3.5 quarts of oil per 1,000 miles (approximately 1 month timeframe). Despite the results of the tests and now the engine failure, Hyundai has denied the claim on the lifetime warranty of the engine. Their stated reason is -??out of warranty caused by time in service and mileage on the vehicle.-?? The mileage on the vehicle was 143,260 on 10/29. Apparently to Hyundai a -??lifetime warranty-?? on an engine that is known to fail due to this oil consumption issue does not mean -??lifetime-?? but only less than 145,000 miles. I will appeal this decision and if they do not honor their lifetime warranty on this known issue they will hear from my attorney and hopefully the NHTSA will also help to enforce what Hyundai should have already done rather then making me go through this additional effort and trouble.

- Winter Haven, FL, USA

problem #226

Sep 162022

Sonata

  • miles
Huge amounts of oil consumption, have to refill all oil every 20-30 days. Car shut down on highway and went into limp mode, had to impede traffic to attempt to pull over safely. Potential known issue with Theta II engine, but dealership is declining a fix.

- Silver Springs, NV, USA

problem #225

Oct 092022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
10/9/22 I was traveling approximately 60 miles an hour on Hwy 25 in Hollister when I experienced Engine Failure in my 2016 Hyundai Sonata Sport 2.4 liter. Engine available for inspection. *This was the 2nd time the engine light has turned on and resulted in vehicle stalling while driving on the highway. Fortunately, there was no accident. *Hyundai Dealer, Hyundai Corporate, or independent service center have not reproduced or confirmed the problem. There is an extended warranty covering the rod bearing and associated parts, that was neither inspected nor granted by Hyundai. I also reported excessive oil consumption to Hyundai and was put through an "Oil Consumption test" at 120677 miles and was denied repair/replacement, even though the engine was burning more than a quart every 1000miles. This increased to me adding a quart every 500 miles and eventually the engine failed at 161147 miles. The vehicle is an independent mechanic awaiting an engine replacement. engine has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance representative or any other entity for the mechanism of engine failure. It is confirmed loss of compression and blown pistons/piston rings. Hyundai dealer did not conduct rod bearing test. *Engine light turned on and engine stalled. It was then towed to Hyundai Dealer. There is an extended lifetime warranty on the rod bearings in the engine, which was not inspected by Hyundai prior denial of engine repair/replacement under extended warranty. Excessive oil consumption problem was also an ongoing problem which Hyundai refused to resolve. In my opinion the engine failure is due to either excessive oil consumption, or the rod bearing failure. Hyundai is not taking responsibility and resolving these ongoing problems with the GDI Theta engines.

- Hollister, CA, USA

problem #224

Oct 252022

Sonata

  • miles
The vehicle has had mechanical problems since I purchased it. I have submitted a complaint with the dealership who sold it to me and at their recommendation I am moving it up the ladder. The engine had the knock sensor go bad and also failed the bearing test. As I was driving the check engine light, oil light, and battery light came on and the vehicle lost all power. I was going 60 miles an hour and was barely able to safely get it on the side of the road. It had to be towed to the dealership I bought it from, who determined it had no oil in the reservoir and had burned through it in less than 2000 miles. There was no warning lights. I have had mechanical issues since purchasing the vehicle and they failed to correctly diagnose it. It had an oil consumption test that it barely passed months before the engine needed to be replaced. I travel extensively for work and the vehicle malfunctions put me at risk. It has broken down several times and took months to diagnose the issue.

- Johnson City, TN, USA

problem #223

Jan 202022

Sonata

  • miles
The engine light has come on and I have done extensive repairs on my vehicle since January 2022. No warning signs showed prior as I have kept up with maintenance on the car since the 60,000 mile marker. The valve gasket cover was replaced as the engine was smoking due to an oil leak. A pipe was repaired due to the leak. The engine camshaft position sensor was replaced. There is still issues with the engine after replacing the CVVT cover and plugs. The spark plugs have been replaced. If my car stalls or blows on the highway, this can cause a major accident putting myself and others at risk. I have done multiple tests with Hyundai dealerships and Firestone and AutoZone and no one can tell me what the ultimate issue is with the Sonata.

- Aurora, IL, USA

problem #222

Oct 262022

Sonata

  • miles
While driving at about 45MPH, the car lost and acceleration was limited as the car wouldn-??t work properly. Engine make a ticking sound when trying to accelerate. At the time of lost power the check engine(flashing), abs and traction control all came on. It almost caused me to get into an accident. The car also indicated to shut off vehicle. The vehicle code read P1326, called dealer and they stated multiple vehicles has been having the same issues and that they are full with no openings. So I-??m in the process of getting it to a dealer who has an opening for a better diagnostic. Dealer says it may be rod bearings.

- Powder Springs , GA, USA

problem #221

Oct 142022

Sonata

  • miles
2016 Hyundai Sonata (not part of any recall) driven short distance on expressway had "check engine light" come on. Pulled off of expressway and checked under hood...No visible issues. Chose to return home via side streets as car was riding rough and having problems with acceleration at that point. Short while later, heard loud noise and saw smoke coming from under hood. Pulled to the side of the road and exited car. Was told by bystander that car was on fire. Called Fire Dept, by the time of their arrival, entire front end ablaze, tires and body melted. Thankfully, fire extinguished before any explosion or damage to neighbor's property occurred. Vehicle was a total loss.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #220

Sep 272022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
My vehicle lost power exiting the freeway. I went from 70 miles an hour to 10 miles per hour in a matter of seconds. The Check Hybrid system, Turn off engine HEV ! triangle showed up on the dash, then the car slowed to a halt. I had to get my vehicle towed home, then towed to the dealer the next day. The problem with this is, for the past year, the Check Hybrid System HEV light would come on. I took it to the World Car Hyundai North dealership in Live Oak, Texas and a few months later, it's doing the same thing. My vehicle was in the shop at World Car Hyundai from March 24, 2022 until 9/9/2022. I drove my vehicle one week, went out of the country for 2 weeks and upon return, coming from the airport almost home, the car does the same thing. You would think after having my vehicle for 6 months, the problem would be fixed. I started bringing my car in for this problem September of 2021. I was told, I needed an oil change, a new battery, ne plugs, codes checked, etc. None of this seemed to fix my vehicle, because a few weeks later, the car would slow to an almost stop and I would have it towed to the dealership again. There has been several mechanics working on my vehicle and they've all said something differently. My vehicle was never written up for the correct problem until recently, when the manager was able to drive my vehicle and it stopped on him. I don't feel safe driving this vehicle anymore. I have taken this car to the dealer ship for the same problem, actually once in 2018 and every other month since 2021. I've been inconvenienced, , put on hold, far to long, I need a new vehicle and I need a loaner car, while my they're trying to figure out what to do. I've been told I needed a new engine twice, but all of a sudden, it passes the engine test and there is something else that the dealership is trying to do to fix the problem. Well, since I've been taking my car back and forth to the dealership, it is now out of warranty. The car remains unsafe to drive.

- Schertz, TX, USA

problem #219

May 022022

Sonata

  • miles
Vehicle has excessive oil consumption. Has been an issue for some time now. Same engine is under recall for the rods/valves malfunction. vehicle has had regular maintenance done. there is no aftermarket work done to the engine. Vehicle has been to the dealer for this issue 3 separate times now and the issue is progressively getting worse.

- Quakertown, PA, USA

problem #218

Jun 012022

Sonata

  • miles
For the past several months I have been experiencing extreme oil consumption. I drive my Hyundai Sonata 2016 an average of 120 miles per week and I am required to put in at least one quart of oil each week. This is not normal and there is a serious internal problem with my engine. I am not leaking any oil whatsoever, therefore, the engine is burning oil. The Planet Hyundai dealership in Golden, CO has told me that they have many cars with the same problem waiting to get their engines replaced under warranty. Planet Hyundai has told me there is nothing more to be done and I need a new engine and to contact Hyundai Headquarters, which I have. I have an extended warranty I purchased when I bought the car and it goes for $100,000 miles or July 2, 2023. My extended warranty has referred me to another Hyundai dealership in the Denver area and they are telling me I need to do a combustion cleaning for approximately $1000. Then I have to wait till I drive another 1000 miles and then they will let me know how my engine is doing? If one Hyundai dealership says there is nothing more they can do why would another Hyundai dealership (MacDonald. Please help and thank you so much for your time.

- Lakewood, CO, USA

problem #217

Mar 102022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
The engine failed. PIAZZA HYUNDAI in West Chester, Pa confirmed that the engine bearing in my THETA 2 ENGINE failed however HYUNDAI refused to honor their Expressed warranty of 10 year 100,000 mile. This engine is part f the Whistleblower's case which was reported to NHTSA however HYUNDAI refused to replace the engine even though they know they have a major problem with the design and manufacturing of their engine. We have been without our car since March of 2022. We want HYUNDAI to honor their warranty and compensate use for our loss of use of our vehicle during the last 6 months. HYUNDAI knew and knows they have a problem however they have failed to live up to their responsibility. Please contact me as soon as possible via phone and in writing. My cell # is [XXX]. My home # is [XXX]. My mailing address is [XXX]. I have additional documentation on this matter which I will provide to you once you contact m since I'm reporting this on my cell phone. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Oxford, PA, USA

problem #216

Sep 222022

Sonata

  • miles
Had previous issue with HEV warning light and took to dealer. But While driving down the road last night, the HEV light on the dash comes on and beeps, the car sputters then the brakes slam on and the car immediately shut off in the travel lane. Turn car back on put into drive and same thing happens. Vehicle was towed to Dealer.

- Dubois, PA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »