2017 Hyundai Sonata
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 764 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 6th highest complaint count among 26 Sonata model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 28 involved a crash and 11 involved a fire. 12 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
Latches/locks/linkages, trunk lid, latchAug 6, 2021
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."
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 21V619000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator moduleDec 30, 2016
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2017 Hyundai Elantra vehicles manufactured April 15, 2016, to September 13, 2016, and Sonata vehicles manufactured May 27, 2016 to September 16, 2016. In these vehicles, the end seal for the driver's frontal air bag inflator may not have been properly installed, possibly resulting in reduced inflation of the frontal air bag in the event of a crash.
In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not inflate fully 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 February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 156.
Campaign 16V956000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: steering
173 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Mar 25, 2022
Was driving and the steering wheel became hard to steer. Had two lights come on the dash, steering wheel with an exclamation point and the traction control. I was able to pull over and shut the car off. I waited a few minutes and turned the car back on. The lights went off and steering was back.
Steering, Mar 16, 2022
power steering went out, apparently this is common with this year/model but there is still not a recall on it
Steering, Feb 9, 2022
"Steering wheel exclamation" red warning dash light came up on dash and lost all power steering abilities.
Steering, Jan 10, 2022
Steering wheel and response was "intermittently" grinding and non-responsive. This situation has occurred sporadically over the course of the fall of 2021. On December 17, 2021 while on the way to work, the steering system "froze" while I was driving and put me in a very dangerous and hazardous situation. Dash warning lights indicated a red steering wheel symbol with a cross-line and the orange anti-skid symbol at the time of the incident. I immediately stopped the car and turned it off. Upon re-start, all dash warning lights were off and the steering seemed to work normally. I next carefully and slowly drove the car to my local car repair shop. They could not duplicate the problem, but felt certain it was the electronic power steering module that was failing intermittently. My local shop strongly recommended I have the vehicle towed to the Hyundai dealership for evaluation and repair. I had the car towed to Huffines Hyundai in Plano, Texas on Dec. 21, 2021. After three weeks in at the Huffines Plano Service Shop, the service manager called and stated they are unable to duplicate the problem and to "come pick up your car". I have called and created an incident report with Hyundai National Help line, but to date, no resolution has been offered other than "come get your car". This is clearly a driver and road safety issue. When the steering failed, I could not turn the wheel at all. The car was out of my control. Stopping was the only thing I still had control of, and even this was dangerous as I was on a very busy 6-lane divided thoroughfare. This electrical (or mechanical) failure put me and all other drivers around in a dangerous situation. Clearly, I am not comfortable retrieving this car and putting it back on the road. Please Advise my next best step(s)
Steering, Dec 14, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel locked, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer reset the steering sensor however, the steering wheel felt loose. Additionally, the steering wheel inadvertently moved to the right and was stiff while making left turns. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and diagnosed with rack and pinion failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but denied the claim since the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
Steering, Dec 13, 2021
The electrical steering system lock up. If I cannot steer it a big safety problem for me and other drivers Will call dealer today (not sure if it must be towed) No inspection yet Yes I did get a waring lamp light but the streeing wheel could not be moved ( light came on after staring car
Steering, Sep 28, 2021
3 times steering has locked up while driving. Had to turn vehicle off and back on to get it working again. Have not driven since last incident as it is too dangerous. Will tow to mechanic to have it looked at. Have read many complaints from other owners with same problem. Hyundai has not issued recall for this problem and not admit it is a problem. This is serious and could cause death or serious injury.
Steering, Sep 28, 2021
When steering right in a corner of a traffic light the car loss the Electric Power Steering and it became very hard to steer the car. The Electric Power steering light and the Traction Control light went On. I drove straight to a safe location where I pulled over, the steering wheel was very hard to turn. I shut down the car to check the car manual.After approximately 5 min, I started up the car again, I noticed the electric power steering came on again and the ESP & TC lights were not visible any more. I drove home to park the car. The failure did not show again.
Steering, Sep 7, 2021
The steering collar has locked up while driving home and on the street 4x's since Mid August. I was lucky that I was strong enough to get it to turn and I was able to turn the car off and back on and the steering wheel went back to regular control. This is a serious issue that Hyundai will not do a recall on. My family and I could be in the car and this could have happen. The biggest problem is that this can not be confirmed by any one there is not diagnosis code for a steering collar. The waring lights come on at the same time once the wheel locks up on you. You have to stop the car turn it off and turn it back on so it can work properly once it happens.
Steering, Sep 6, 2021
The steering wheel continuously locks up when pulling out of the driveway or a parking spot. It has gotten to the point where it was completely locked and my car is now unable to be driven. It also has locked while driving on the road twice prior to that. No warning signs popped up before the situation happened. Usually when it would happen, I would turn the car on and off, and the issue would be resolved, but now I’m unable to drive my car as it has completely locked. I brought the car in prior to this to the Hyundai dealership in Puyallup, WA, and they advised that the MDPS column needs to be replaced which will cost $3,000. I asked them if they have received any complaints about this, and they stated that they haven’t, yet when I look online I see hundreds of Hyundai owners stating that they have had similar issues with their power steering. Clearly the cars need to be recalled immediately has this is a safety hazard for many Hyundai owners.
Steering, Aug 24, 2021
Power steering failure on 07/27/2021 as reported in complaint number 11427000. It took until 08/24/2021 to have the vehicle checked at Ricart Automotive in Columbus Ohio. The problem could not be duplicated at the dealer and no error codes were found. The car is not considered safe to drive by the owner, since I do not know when or under what conditions the power steering will malfunction again. 28000 miles, original owner.
Steering, Aug 10, 2021
On two occasions my steering wheel locked up completely. Fortunately at the times I was only maneuvering my car at low speeds and I was able to stop the car in time. I was only able to regain steering after shutting off the engine and restarting. Both times the lockups occurred immediately following a “hard over” steering wherein the steering wheel was held against a stop. i.e.,the wheel could turn no further. After rebooting the startup, the steering returned to normal. I’m a little reluctant to try this maneuver again but I’m sure that the lockup could be repeated.
Steering, Jul 29, 2021
On numerous occasions, the steering wheel feels loose after starting but then begins to work normally. On 7/27/2021, as I was backing out of the driveway, there was excessive steering wheel motion where the wheels did not turn at all even though the steering wheel was turned in each direction about 10 degrees. Then the power steering completely stopped working at all, and I had to steer the car to the curb with extreme effort since the power assist was completely gone. Several dash warning lights were illuminated including the traction control light. After turning the car off, and then back on, the steering was back to normal. I have continued driving the car for the last three days and the problem has not recurred. But I am very nervous about the safety aspect of this and don't enjoy driving the car anymore. I am the original owner of the car and it only has about 28000 miles on it.
Steering, Jun 30, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was restarted, and the power steering functionality was restored. The contact stated that the traction control and power steering warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Steering, Jun 9, 2021
Was driving on a busy road. Turned the corner and went to accelerate and once I hit 45 my steering locked up, couldn't turn or adjust my vehicle at all. I had my 3 kids in the car and was lucky we could get to the side of the road. Shut off the car and started it up and seemed fine. Then later that day i was driving on highway going 65 and my steering locked up and I couldn't drive. Lucky it was early morning and no traffic because I was able to get to the side of the road. This needs to be recalled before someone loses their life!
Steering, Jun 4, 2021
The power steering on 2017 Hyundai Sonata's will randomly stop working while I am driving. It started as an every month occurrence and now has become more than weekly occurrence. The steering locks up and two light indicators illuminate on the dashboard. These two lights are not on prior to the random power steering failure. My family's safety is at risk every time this occurs as are those on the road near my vehicle. I purchased this vehicle from my 88 year old grandmother. This extreme safety problem would have killed her had it happened when she was driving. I have taken the vehicle to a local dealership who seemed to be aware of the notorious problem on 2017 Sonata's but they explained that they are unable to reproduce the failure in their shop, so they are unable to fix the problem.
Steering, May 24, 2021
I had just left my house and was just a few miles down the road turning onto the main highway. The steering wheel jerked and then The steering wheel locked up like it had no power steering and I could not turn the wheel. Three lights came on on the dashboard, an exclamation point, a steering wheel and the traction lights all came on. It was a sunny day and there was no rain the pavement was not slick. I had to pull over on the side of the road and let my husband drive my vehicle. We had to take it in to the dealership and they said it was a sensor in the steering column and the entire steering column would have to be replaced at a cost if $2000.00. This is not a driver error this is a manufacturer error and it is not covered under any warranty. My car only has 67,500 miles on it and this should be recalled for the 2017 Hyundai Sonata‘s. After researching online about steering issues with the Hyundai Sonata’s I discovered that the 2015 Hyundai sonata’s have been recalled for the steering and so have the Hyundai ELANTRA’s. I called the Hyundai corporation and they said that there had to be a class action lawsuit for the 2017 models to get a recall. This could have been extremely dangerous had I been on a busier street. Hyundai needs to step up and recall this.
Steering, May 24, 2021
I had just left my house and had stopped to turn on main road. My steering wheel jerked a little and then when I went to turn it was extremely hard to turn. I pulled over to let my husband try and he had a hard time. The steering wheel light and an exclamation point came on and the traction lights came on but it was not even raining. We took the car to the dealership and they said it was a sensor in the steering column. It would cost $2000.00 to repair it. My car only has 67500 miles on it. They said the 100000 mile power/Tran warranty does not cover the steering column... I search online about steering issues with the Sonata and it seems very common. The 2015 models have a recall fir this issue. Had I been on a very busy street this could have been extremely dangerous because I could not control the steering of my car at all. I called the Hyundai Corporation and they said sorry there has to be a class action lawsuit with hundreds of names for a recall to be issued. They said to keep my records and if the model is recalled then they will reimburse me. We are in a pandemic and I don’t have the extra 2000 lying around to spend on a manufacturing safety error.
Steering, May 7, 2021
MY STEERING KEEPS LOCKING UP WHILE I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I HAVE TO STOP MY CAR, PUT IT IN PARK AND TURN MY CAR OFF. THEN RESTART MY CAR IN ORDER FOR IT TO UNLOCK. I HAVE ALMOST CAUSE SOME WRECKS. MY CAR IS NOT THAT OLD TO BE HAVING THIS ISSUE. WHEN I WENT ON YOUTUBE TO SEE WHAT I CAN DO TO FIX IT, I FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM.
Steering, May 2, 2021
AS I WAS BACKING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, I COULDN'T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IN EITHER DIRECTION AND THE STEERING WHEEL LIGHT WITH THE EXCLAMATION MARK CAME ON.
Steering, Apr 13, 2021
THIS MORNING WHILE LEAVING FOR WORK ON A CITY STREET, MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, AND THE STEERING INDICATOR LIGHT ALONG WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. AT THE TIME, I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, AND I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF TURNING. AFTER REVIEWING SIMILAR INSTANCES ONLINE, IT IS APPARENT THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, AND COULD BE DEADLY. IT'S UNACCEPTABLE THAT A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED. I CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND WAS ADVISED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY MY ONLY OPTION IS TO BRING IT TO THE DEALER AND PAY FOR AN INSPECTION AND REPAIRS MYSELF. THIS IS A MANUFACTURES SAFETY ISSUE, AND IT NEEDS A RECALL. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT I CAN BRING THE CAR IN AND PAY FOR AN INSPECTION, BUT THEY WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WHY HAS NOTHING BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS?? IS HYUNDAI WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO BE SEVERELY INJURED OR EVEN KILLED?
Steering, Mar 4, 2021
AS I WAS DRIVING YESTERDAY. A STEERING WHEEL LIGHT WHICH AN EXPLANATION POINT NEXT TO IT POPPED UP AND THEN AS SOON AS IT DID MY STEERING WHEEL GOT HARD AND WOULD NOT TURN. THANKFULLY I WAS ON A SMALL ROAD AND ABLE TO DRIVE OFF TO THE SIDE SAFELY OR ELSE WHO KNOWS I COULD OF BEEN ON A BRIDGE AND FLEW OFF DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL! I WOULD HOPE THIS COULD BE FIXED AS A RECALL SEEMING AS IT HAS HAPPENED TO MANY PEOPLE.
Steering, Feb 8, 2021
I WAS DRIVING AND MY STEERING WHEEL RANDOMNLY LOCKS UP. PULLING MY CAR IN DIFFERENT LANES. I READ SO MANY OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS. Y'ALL NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.*DT
Steering, Nov 27, 2020
THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES WHEN I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AND STEERING WOULD MAKE A CLICKING NOT AND THEN IT WOULD GET TIGHT AND THE STEERING LIGHT WOULD COME ALONG WITH SERIAL OTHER LIGHTS AND I WOULD HAVE TO TURN MY CAR OFF AND THEN TURN IT BACK. LUCKILY I WAS DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED. I HAVE TAKEN MY CARE TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE REPAIR IT BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT REPEAT THE PROBLEM I WAS TOLD TAKE THE NEXT TIME IT OCCURRED. AS OF YESTERDAY 11/25/2020 MY STEERING MY CAR TO THE LEFT HAS BECOME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
Steering, Nov 17, 2020
I WAS DRIVING THIS MORNING, AND MY 2017 HYUNDAI WAS MANEUVERING AS IF THERE WERE TOO MUCH POWER STEERING FLUID. WITH EVERY LANE CHANGE, IT WAS AS IF I WAS GOING TO CRASH. ABOUT 4 HOURS LATER, I WENT TO GRAB MY SON AND SAME THING. CAR MOVING VERY EASILY. TURNING COULD BE DONE WITH MY PINKY. AS I WAS TURNING INTO MY STREET, ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S AS IF SOMETHING WAS HOLDING MY CAR BACK. THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. THANK GOD I WAS RIGHT BY THE HOUSE. RED STEERING WHEEL AND EXCLAIMATION POINT NOTIFICATION APPEARED ON MY DASHBOARD.