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
723 reports, newest first.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 12, 2023
We purchased a 2016 Hyundai Sonata in December 2020 for our son who is in college. In early August of 2022, my son noticed his oil light was coming on before it was time for an oil change. He had the vehicle topped off and maintained regular oil change and service schedule. While in for service at Fitzgerald Hyundai in Rockville, MD, August 2022, they replaced the spark plugs (4 cylinder tune-up) at 108,127 miles. The car continued to burn a lot of oil, so another appointment was scheduled at the dealership in Rockville September, 2022 at 111,792 miles. An oil and filter change, complete 23 pt. Vehicle Maintenance Inspection was performed, and all fluids topped off. The vehicle continued to burn oil at an unacceptable rate well before an oil change was required. My son continued to get oil changes and top off before the standard mileage. Another appointment was scheduled with the same dealer in Rockville, MD December 2022 at 118,989 miles requesting a diagnosis for the excessive oil consumption. After inspection, we were told an oil consumption test needed to be performed in order to determine why we are having this issue. We were also told that the spark plugs needed replacing again, less than 5 months from the previous replacement. Our service advisor said oil was probably shooting out onto the plugs. Hyundai denied the request to pay for the oil consumption test. The service advisor said she sees this a lot when I asked about excessive oil consumption on a vehicle with less than 120,000 miles. Also, they kept the car for almost 2 weeks.We are looking to rid ourselves of this piece of junk and purchase a vehicle by a reputable manufacturer. In the meantime, we are topping off and getting frequent oil changes. There definitely appears to be a defect with this year and model vehicle and Hyundai should acknowledge there is an issue and resolve it. I will never purchase another Hyundai and will spread the word to everyone I know, not to buy a Hyundai.
Engine, Jan 10, 2023
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.
Exterior lighting, Jan 6, 2023
While driving at night, when I engage my turn signal to make a turn and my headlights go off. The headlights stay off until I play with the turn signal leaver moving it up, down, forward, and backward until the headlights come back on. I see this as a major safety issue. Driving a night without headlights impairs my ability to see and for other vehicles to see me. A search on the internet displays many websites discussing this issue for my year, make and model of car. Local Hyundai said there is no recall. There was no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms presenting on this issue. It appears there is a malfunction in the turn signal switch. This has been occurring for over a month.
Engine, Jan 3, 2023
Upon buying the vehicle the engine started to burn excessive amounts of oil.
Electrical system, Jan 2, 2023
Car was stolen on 12/27/22 because 2016 Hyundai Sonata does not have an engine immobilizer - highly likely inspired by recent Hyundai/Kia TikTok challenge.
Electrical system, Jan 2, 2023
The vehicle is able to be started without a key by using a usb cable. This makes the vehicle extremely vulnerable to theft. Because of this issue vehicles incur other damages due to theft such as broken windows and possibly bodily injury due to theft. They are able to remove the steering column cover, unplug the ignition switch and using a usb cable as an object to turn the ignition. Because the switch appears to be plug and play it makes it easy to steal cause Hyundai car owners unnecessary dollars for repairs. https://youtu.be/fbTrLyqL_nw This is the link showing what they do. It’s not just Kia vehicles. My vehicle was stolen the same way.
Engine, Dec 30, 2022
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.
Structure, Dec 16, 2022
The Sunroof wind deflector , the panel has become detached. It is loose and flapping when sunroof is open. Yes it is available for inspection. My safety was at risk because when it happened at first it scared me and I didn't know what happened. 2nd if it had came all the way off it could have flown into someone else's windshield and causing them to crash or swerve to miss it flying in the air. I did mention it to the dealership when it was there, but rather they looked at it or not I have no idea. No one else has inspected it. No warning lamps or other signals appeared before hand.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, Dec 15, 2022
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.
Visibility, Dec 1, 2022
I have a 2016 Hyundai Sonata with a panoramic sunroof. The sunroof has a collapsible wind deflector that pop up when the sunroof is open. If the wind deflector becomes partially dismounted while the sunroof is open, it can interfere with the closing sunroof panel. The loose deflector can actually dislodge the sunroof panel from its track (imagine a crowbar prying a board loose for the general effect), at which point the force of the passing wind can lift it away from the assembly. Attempts to manually force the sunroof closed around the detached deflector element can cause similar problems. The wind defector was fixed twice by a Hyundai dealer and has separated a third time. Hyundai won’t fix the separated wind deflector because the warranty and repair warranty have expired. Even if fixed a third time the fix is unlikely to last making the situation unpredictable and dangerous for me and subsequent owners. Hyundai recall bulletin Date: December 08, 2016 Attn: Dealer Principal/General Manager/Service Manager/Parts Manager 16-01-067 The sunroof assembly incorporates a wind deflector to help reduce wind noise in the passenger compartment when the sunroof is open. If the wind deflector becomes partially detached from its mounting bracket while the sunroof is open, the deflector can interfere with the closing of the moveable sunroof panel. In some cases this interference can result in the sunroof panel detaching from its mounting tabs.
Electrical system, Nov 29, 2022
My vehicle is a hybrid and the Check Hybrid System light has lit up while I'm driving and you have to pull over and turn off your car when that happens. The car will slow down and come to a complete stop regardless. It's scary when you are driving on the freeway. I've had this happen to me several times and my car has been worked on four times now by the Hyundai service department in Amarillo and Lubbock TX. I purchased extended warranty and it's about to expire at 100,000 miles. I currently have around 82,000 miles on my car. I contacted the Hyundai corporate office and have a case number. I'm very disappointed the way the Hyundai corporate office and the service department has handled my situation. I even lost my job because I had no transportation for two months. I just paid off my car yesterday and I can't even drive my car.
Exterior lighting, Seat belts, Nov 17, 2022
The first is the drivers side headlight not properly projecting light. The light projected a shadow across the center of the light preventing proper illumination in front of my vehicle. This is causing a safety issue. Brought car to dealer who confirmed that the left headlight was deformed preventing proper projection of the light. This deformity was not covered nor are there any recalls even though numerous people reported the same issue. Am working on privately replacing them both. The second was the return tensioner not properly retracting the seatbelt back in. This was not covered by the dealer but it’sa safety issue where the system may fail.
Engine, Nov 13, 2022
*On 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. *The 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.
Engine, Nov 8, 2022
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.
Power train, Engine, Nov 7, 2022
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.
Power train, Nov 6, 2022
Car shut off on me twice as i driving. Once along time ago but again just October 18th while I was driving on the highway I know hyndai has a class action lawsuit against them but the fact it shut off on me twice and the first time the issue accrued I took it to Fairfax Hyundai and they weren’t phased at all and didn’t even bother to check/diagnose my car because I didn’t have a check engine light illumination at the time of incident ;because they were backed up with cars but a huge safety concern, and they just simply let me leave the shop and didn’t advise me to be safe/careful. I want to bring this to your attention because I have no voice and if anything could be taken from this is that I could’ve crashed and caused an accident the first time this ever happened because I was in the city bumper to bumper when it shut off on me and it’s would’ve been my fault and my issues to deal with. Also this car is very unreliable i don’t know what star rating you guys have gave this car but it needs to be a -0. I got it when it was at 89,000 from a private dealer but the car just went downhill since I got it then I have been nothing but Patient with the car along with keeping up with maintenance & recalls, but after 4-5 months I’ve already changed the transmission out of pocket @ around 100k miles , cv axle later on along with , right side whole knee suspension, engine packs and spark plugs TWICE, front break calipers, and now they’re changing the engine block warranted out through Hyundai after the car stalled out on me again the second time on oct 18th with an check engine light where the car is now getting warranty worked. I just hope you advocate and push demand on hyndai that they’re screwing consumers like me that have to deal with the pain & agony we have to go through these dealerships who try to charge us an arm and a leg.please do something about this dangerous situation and hold them accountable especially the private dealerships associated with hyndai please.
Steering, Electrical system, Nov 1, 2022
Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Failure.
Engine, Oct 27, 2022
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.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 25, 2022, fire
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.
Other or unspecified, Oct 24, 2022
Still having intermittent turn signal problems after the dealership worked on turn signal recall. Sometimes no signal or signal stays on after turning, even after flipping the turn signal switch off. Sometimes there is a delay (up to 10 seconds) before turn signal lights on. Just trying to signal a lane change is dangerous because I never know if the turn signals will work properly.
Structure, Oct 15, 2022
Paint is peeling off car in several places, causing rust. Paint peeled in sheets from roof of car and hood. Paint is peeling off of side panels as well. Currently a class action lawsuit against Kia/Hyundai regarding improper curing of white pearl paint on models from 2014 to present. Dealership admitted to issue being replicated among same make/models of that color. No warnings were issued, however, company has settled several occasions by paying for repaint, thus admitting there is an extreme issue with improper curing of the paint.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Oct 8, 2022
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 .
Engine, Oct 5, 2022
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.
Engine, Oct 5, 2022
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.
Engine, Oct 1, 2022
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).