2016 Hyundai Sonata
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 723 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 26 Sonata model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 19 involved a crash and 28 involved a fire. 19 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Exterior lighting, turn signalSep 24, 2021
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sonata, 2016-2017 Sonata Hybrid, and Sonata Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.
A turn signal that activates in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the SJB software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 210.
Campaign 21V749000 on NHTSA.gov
Parking brake, indicator lightJun 5, 2017
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Sonata and Genesis vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the warning light to indicate that the parking brake is applied may intermittently not illuminate in the dash due to corrosion in the switch.
If the parking brake indicator is not illuminated when the parking brake is applied, the driver may operate the vehicle with the parking brake partially engaged, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the parking brake switch, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 164.
Campaign 17V359000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, sun/moon roof assemblyOct 11, 2016
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicles manufactured December 8, 2014, to August 18, 2015, and Hyundai Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to March 18, 2016, equipped with the panoramic sunroof option. Due to a bonding issue with the sunroof wind deflector, the sunroof panel on the affected vehicles may detach while driving.
If the sunroof detaches from the vehicle it could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair the wind deflector anchor plate, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 152.
Campaign 16V726000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bagsAug 24, 2016
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 28, 2016 through April 12, 2016. The affected vehicles have a driver-side frontal air bag that may not adequately protect the driver's neck from injury in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
A frontal air bag that does not adequately protect the driver's neck may increase their risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 148.
Campaign 16V615000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalApr 21, 2016
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 29, 2014 to February 11, 2016, 2017 Elantra vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016 to February 22, 2016, and one 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicle manufactured October 15, 2015. In these vehicles, the driver's frontal air bag may be missing a chemical enhancer required for the second stage air bag deployment, resulting in the second stage not deploying in certain crashes. The primary stage will deploy as intended.
An air bag that does not inflate increases the risk of injury.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on May 5,2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 144.
Campaign 16V232000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, instrument cluster/panelOct 20, 2015
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to August 21, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with an Antilock Braking System (ABS) warning light intended to warn the driver if there is an ABS malfunction. In the event of an ABS malfunction, the Brake System warning light will illuminate, but the ABS warning light will not illuminate. Since the vehicles have ABS malfunction lights that do not illuminate, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
If the driver is alerted there is a brake system malfunction, but not specifically with the ABS system, the driver may operate the vehicle unaware that the vehicle's brakes may lock up during hard braking, increasing the risk of a crash.
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control unit software, free of charge. The recall is expected began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 134.
Campaign 15V678000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
457 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, May 1, 2023
Burns excessive oil; Had oil changed less than 500 miles ago and have since had to add a quart of oil;
Engine, May 1, 2023
The engine seized on my car while I was driving and the car stopped in the middle of the road. The safety of my daughter and I were put at risk. We could have been hit by oncoming cars. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The Bob Bell Hyundai of Glen Burnie, MD, confirmed the engine seized. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than Bob Bell. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the failure prior to failure.
Engine, Apr 28, 2023
Catastrophic engine failure. The car stopped running/moving while driving. It has not been inspected by a dealer. All lights came on and car was violently shaking.
Engine, Apr 28, 2023
Car stopped on interstate.. jerking and loss power.. cylinder 3 went out with no warning… car just burning a lot of oil no oil on ground no check engine until car stopped on interstate
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Apr 25, 2023
Knock Sensor, ECM, Engine stalling and loss of connection. Resulting in flashing engine light. Low acceleration. Power reduced to 40 and below Engine misfire.
Engine, Apr 24, 2023
Bought the car in November of 2022 after 2 weeks noticed it started burning oil. Now the engine has seized. Only have had car 5 months. Engine light came on before seizing.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 20, 2023
I got this car less than a year ago and immediately had issues within the 2nd day of getting it. Called the dealership and they had me take it in to a mechanic who fixed the issues. Since then I have had issues with this car consuming so much oil it's beyond ridiculous. This past Saturday night the car was being driven and all of a sudden the acceleration has become an issue. The car acts as if it doesn't want to go and hesitates. The dealership I got the car from no longer is in business and the loans were sold to another company and I'm not sure why no one is doing anything about the many issues with hyundai cars and their dangerous engine issues. When you're in traffic on the road with your children in the car and cars coming at you with full on speeds (here in alabama 70plus mph on interstate) it's very scary. Hyundai and kia need to take responsibility for these engines people are forking over thousands of dollars for. I'm not even a yr in and having several issues. Oil consumptions and issues with acceleration which seems that it leads to dead engines all the way around. We need help and we need it now. Please assist us with these issues. Thanks
Engine, Apr 19, 2023
RANDOMLY ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING ON THE INNERSATE, THE CAR STARTED JERKING AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS BLINKING THEN THE CAR STALLED. I GET MY CAR ROUTINELY MAINTENCED, THEN MY ENGINE WAS KNOCKING AND BLEW UP OIL OUT OF MY ENGINE. I HAVE MY OIL CHANGED EVERY 3,000 MILES, ALSO JUST HAD AN OIL CHANGE 3 WEEKS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED MY CAR JUST NOW HAS REACHED 100,000 AND THEN THE ENGINE BLOWS???? MULIPLE COMPLAINTS HAVE HAPPENED LIKE MINE AND THEY ARE DOING NOTHING
Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 6, 2023
Hello, I have reached out to Modesto Hyundai and consumer affairs since May of 2022. I have been shunned and told nothing is wrong. The message below was sent last year in May. I was turned away because I could not afford the diagnostic even though it was covered under a past warranty recall. I had to complain. A few months later I came up with the money and was told I was given the wrong information the first time. They kept the car for a week,, drove only 30 miles and said it was the battery. I recently had a oil change done at Hyundai in February 2023. They failed to mention the oil everywhere and said everything was fine. The engine stalls on a daily bases. The 2 prior oil changes one said they thought oil was leaking but didn't know from where the other said something was wrong with the oil pan. Also you can smell gas in the cab and the head and tail lights have been replaced 3x each in the last few months. "I have gotten no where with the Hyundai dealership here in my town. I was told I'd have to pay for a diagnostic to see if something is wrong before the vehicle could be checked to see if the engine is failing. I believe this car is a lemon and has stalled on several occasions. I recently had an oil change and was told their diagnostic came out clear yet the engine still acts up and will stall while driving. Will it take for my car to stall on railroad tracks and be hit by a train and killed before Hyundai fixes the issue? Women and children die in in faulty cars because no one would listen. A mechanic told me his friend had the same exact car down to the year and had the same issues and Hyundai said it was infact a recall and they replaced the vehicle. Did Hyundai make it right because he was a man? Is this something I should just look for an attorney for? Please help as I know something is seriously wrong with this car. I was told that Hyundais are safe cars yet I have never felt more unsafe in a vehicle." Thank you for your time. Hoping for the best.
Engine, Mar 31, 2023
The vehicle consumes oil quickly.
Engine, Mar 28, 2023
I have 81345 miles on my car and I was driving on a long trip on a turnpike after 3 hours and approximately 150 miles of driving, the blinking check engine light came in my car and the engine lost power, I was unable to go past 50MPH in the posted speed limit of 70MPH. I had other 4 passengers in my car including 2 minors. had to tow it to Stoltz Hyundai of PA and the dealership told me it was low on oil and my car had 2 quarts of oil left which was unbelievable to me because I just had an oil change at 79123 Miles. I also had them replace my spark plugs at 79K miles. I was told by the dealership to perform an oil consumption test at a cost of approx. $400 and I was not covered under any kind of warranty as I am the second owner of the car. I have read online that there is a problem with the 2.4L Hyundai GDI engine of excessive oil consumption and nothing is done. the dealership is not helping either Hyundai. it's a clear problem with the Engine and I have proof of receipts for every recommended service performed on my car.
Engine, Mar 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact veered to the side of the road before the vehicle ceased. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving to his residence at low speed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Mar 27, 2023
Car was leaking oil I reported to Hyundai and service repair shop had to take it back 3 times due to them neglecting to listen to me oil got into other parts and I had to get 7 things fix also after having back for 1 day the brakes and electric is not working properly engine also fails to accelerate correctly
Engine, Mar 23, 2023, fire
The contact owned a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 2 mph, the vehicle seized and multiple warning lights were illuminated. The contact saw fire exiting from under the hood and under the vehicle. The contact was able to exit the vehicle safely before it was engulfed in fire. The fire department extinguished the fire but no fire report was filed. A police report was filed. The contact stated no one was injured nor sought medical attention. The vehicle was not drivable. The police officer deemed the vehicle a total loss. The vehicle was towed to the police department lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine, Mar 20, 2023
Purchased car with just under 97000 miles. Was working terrific. Time for the first oil change and 2 miles after the change the car froze and went limp. Traveling 45 miles per hour it recorded a trouble code on my monitoring device. P0605 - ROM error and the car was dead. All lights had lit up on the panel and then it was off. Luckily was able to recover to the side and turn into a parking lot. Oil was low the night before and refiled before oil change. An additional code was recorded on Feb 12 P0128 Coolant Thermostat Malfunction. The selling dealer cleared the code and said the car was fine. I think there may be an additional issue here and why the oil was low.
Engine, Mar 10, 2023
Oil consumption issue. Car was driving funny and oil light blinked and then stopped. Checked the oil immediately and it was empty. Changed the oil and it was low within less than 100 miles. Could have blown up if I hadn’t noticed the light blink once and car acting funny. No warning and using way too much oil.
Engine, Mar 2, 2023
Check engine light came on, difficulty accelerating from a dead stop or going up an incline. I had it at to 2 different locations to be placed on a computer, code P0010 for intake (A) camshaft position actuator circuit. I had that replaced only to drive the car for a week and a half for the check engine light to come back on when accelerating up an incline and have the car almost come to a stop. New code, P0302 misfire #2 cylinder. All four spark plugs were replaced, a compression test was performed to confirm low compression on cylinder #2. Car is drivable, however check engine light will continue to come on because of the low compression but was told to baby the car as the engine should probably be replaced sooner than later and I don't have thousands of dollars for this fix. And last be not least, excessive oil usage.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 28, 2023
I just drove up a small hill and then I had to accelerate to get onto the on-ramp to match the speeds of highway traffic. The engine shut off. no lights from the cluster gauge illuminated. had to really use my leg muscles to step on the brakes really hard to avoid a front collision. had to really use the muscles in my arms and hands to steer the steering wheel hard too. it felt like the loss of brakes and steering capabilities turned off and were really hard to use when the engine turned off for no apparent reason.
Engine, Feb 27, 2023
engine is running out of oil after driving 200 to 300 miles. Dealer cannt find any oil leakage. I need help with this problem
Engine, Feb 25, 2023
My 2016 Hyundai Sonata (sport) with the 2.4 GDI theta II seized on me WHILE DRIVING down the interstate on April 14, 2022, no engine light, no warnings, nothing. It was extremely dangerous & also very scary. The car did this at 135,000 miles. I had my Sonata towed to a Hyundai service center after this happened. They did a diagnosis, confirming it needs an engine replacement due to connecting rod bearing failure. They sent in a Prior Approval request to Hyundai and Hyundai DENIED the engine replacement, due to not having Campaign 953 (knock sensor detection software) completed prior to bearing failure. (EVEN WITH having this sensor update done, it would NOT prevent the motor from failing, just tell you when it happened.) That software update wasn't going to save my engine, it was only designed so Hyundai had a LOOPHOLE to deny as many engine replacements as possible and not process these warranties the right and ethical way. They put a faulty engine in my car and it seized and failed at NO fault of my own. But the fault of Hyundai for allowing these vehicles with bad engines to be sold to innocent people who had no idea these engines were made to fail. Hyundai knew the Theta 2 engines were going to fail and STILL allowed these vehicles to be sold and NOT RECALLED knowing the dangers. That is wrong and unethical. It is crucial that these vehicles be RECALLED. Any engine liable to seize while driving 70+ mph on the interstate warrants a RECALL. They needed to be recalled long ago, but instead Hyundai created a loophole by issuing Campaign 953 (knock sensor detection software). It never fixed these dangerous, faulty engines. It's only put more people at risk by not issuing a RECALL on all THETA 2 engines.
Engine, Feb 20, 2023
Burning oil at an alarming rate. No oil leaks. Had oil changed and 3 weeks later checked and it had about 2 quarts in it.
Engine, Feb 20, 2023
While driving home on my way from work, the car started to stall on the highway and slow down. A knocking sound began to come from under the hood and would speed up when I stepped on the gas. From the sound of it, it seemed like the engine was malfunctioning and yes it is available for inspection. My safety was put at risk because if the car was to stop in the middle of the highway, not only am I at risk of being in an accident but other people as well as we are all driving at high speeds. This problem has not yet been confirmed by a dealer but when I took it to a mechanic, I was told that it was a rod that's what's causing this, and though there are no recalls on this specific model (2016 Sonata Limited) there are other recalls on the hybrid model for a rod in the engine wearing out prematurely which is very similar to what is happening with my car. A check engine light turned on a few minutes prior to the incident but then turned off.
Engine, Feb 18, 2023
Pulled in driveway and putted out and wouldn't start. It is an internal engine issue. Possibly a rod issue
Engine, Feb 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated four days after purchasing the vehicle, he needed to add oil to the engine. The contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing an oil consumption test performed. The contact stated after 1,000 miles the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that oil needed to be added to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,156.
Engine, Feb 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact was constantly topping off the engine oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an oil consumption test was performed, and the dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,156. The VIN was unavailable.