NHTSA lists 382 complaints for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata, 18 of them mention a crash and 13 mention a fire. 10 complaints mention an injury, with 21 injuries and 1 deaths reported.
Data build 2026-10-08.
NHTSA lists this vehicle as HYUNDAI SONATA.
Model-generated complaint tags
These labels are model-generated, not NHTSA data.
Failure modes| Label | Count | Share of tagged | Mean confidence |
|---|
| mechanical failure | 129 | 33.8% | 0.77 |
|---|
| electrical electronic | 84 | 22.0% | 0.75 |
|---|
| loss of control | 67 | 17.5% | 0.75 |
|---|
| fluid or fuel leak | 29 | 7.6% | 0.70 |
|---|
| visibility or lighting | 21 | 5.5% | 0.98 |
|---|
| fire or overheating | 15 | 3.9% | 0.89 |
|---|
| structural or corrosion | 12 | 3.1% | 0.86 |
|---|
| unclear | 11 | 2.9% | 0.84 |
|---|
| restraint or airbag | 10 | 2.6% | 0.91 |
|---|
| noise or comfort | 4 | 1.0% | 0.80 |
|---|
Severities| Label | Count | Share of tagged | Mean confidence |
|---|
| moderate | 224 | 58.6% | 0.82 |
|---|
| low | 114 | 29.8% | 0.74 |
|---|
| high | 34 | 8.9% | 0.86 |
|---|
| critical | 5 | 1.3% | 0.88 |
|---|
| none | 5 | 1.3% | 0.81 |
|---|
Model: typesafe/jev-1.13-20260917; schema version: tag-v1. 382 tagged complaints of 382 complaints (100.0%).
Confidence is the model's own probability for the label it chose (0 to 1), not accuracy.
Model-generated labels on tagged complaints only. Model years 2013 and newer are tagged in full; 2012 in part (see tagged_share); earlier model years have no tags. NHTSA's own flags remain separate in the complaints block.
Recalls
See new recalls and investigations this week.
2 recalls.
Date: 2021-08-06. Systems: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES.
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Consequence: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 208.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Date: 2018-03-12. Systems: HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM.
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a Voltage Protection Device (VPD), designed to protect the high voltage battery module, that may activate inadvertently.
Consequence: If the VPD activates while the vehicle is being operated in Electric Vehicle (EV) mode, there may be a loss of power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will remove the VPD switch and install a new Battery Management System (BMS) that contains an Overvoltage Protection Device (OPD). The recall is expected to begin May 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 175.
Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.
Investigations
3 investigations; 0 open.
DP22005
Opened: 2023-01-27. Closed: 2023-08-07.
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele
Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Linked campaign numbers: 22V063000.
DP22003
Opened: 2022-09-12. Closed: 2023-12-12.
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints i
Systems: ENGINE.
Linked campaign numbers: None listed.
EA19001
Opened: 2019-04-19. Closed: 2024-09-19.
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.A During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicl
Systems: AIR BAGS.
Linked campaign numbers: 20V024.
Manufacturer communications
238 manufacturer communications.
Communications by system| System | Count |
|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 76 |
|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 64 |
|---|
| EQUIPMENT | 52 |
|---|
| ENGINE | 41 |
|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 30 |
|---|
| EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY | 16 |
|---|
| STEERING | 12 |
|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 7 |
|---|
11037233
Date: 2026-08-26. Type: Warranty Program/Extension. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Certain vehicles may exhibit excessive paint peeling or bubbling of the primer/paint film on the exterior metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. This warranty extension only applies to factory-applied paint and does not cover collision-related paint
11033699
Date: 2026-05-21. Type: Service Campaign. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE.
Certain Santa Fe (TMA), Santa Fe Sport (AN), Sonata (LFA), and Tucson (TL) vehicles equipped with Theta II engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. This bulletin provides instructions for updating the Engine Control Module (ECM) to address this condition.
11033700
Date: 2026-05-21. Type: Service Campaign. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE.
Certain Santa Fe (TMA), Santa Fe Sport (AN), Sonata (LFA), and Tucson (TL) vehicles equipped with Theta II engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. The California Air Resources Board has determined that these vehicles may be releasing air pollutants which exceed Federal and California stan
11033701
Date: 2026-05-19. Type: Service Campaign. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE.
Following completion of Service Campaign 9C2 (Theta II Emissions Improvement), certain vehicles may exhibit a brief hesitation or rough shifting condition during cold start operation. If present, this condition is expected to occur only within approximately the first 1-3 minutes after engine start,
11033705
Date: 2026-05-19. Type: Service Campaign. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE.
Following completion of Service Campaign 9C2 (Theta II Emissions Improvement), certain vehicles may exhibit a brief hesitation or rough shifting condition during cold start operation. If present, this condition is expected to occur only within approximately the first 1-3 minutes after engine start,
11032528
Date: 2026-04-28. Type: Warranty Program/Extension. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Some Hyundai vehicles with exterior white paint may exhibit peeling or bubbling on metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. The paint warranty coverage for affected vehicles has been extended to 10 years/unlimited miles from the date of original retail
11032529
Date: 2026-04-28. Type: Warranty Program/Extension. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Certain Hyundai vehicles with exterior white paint may exhibit peeling or bubbling on metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. The paint warranty coverage for affected vehicles has been extended to 10 years/unlimited miles from the date of original ret
11031400
Date: 2026-04-18. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE.
Some vehicles may exhibit difficulty starting in cold weather. This bulletin provides the procedure to perform an inspection on the starter magnetic switch for potential freezing and, if necessary, replace the starter magnetic switch (solenoid) assembly.
11031416
Date: 2026-04-14. Type: Service Campaign. Systems: ENGINE.
Certain 2019 a 2020 model year Santa Fe, 2017 a 2018 model year Santa Fe Sport, 2015 a 2019 model year Sonata, and 2018 a 2021 model year Tucson vehicles may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. Hyundai is conducting a service campaign to update the Engine Control Module (ECM) Software for
11032523
Date: 2026-04-10. Type: Other. Systems: AIR BAGS.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous drivera s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the ve