2018 Hyundai Sonata
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 373 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 12th highest complaint count among 26 Sonata model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 18 involved a crash and 13 involved a fire. 20 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
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
Representative owner complaints: engine
223 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Feb 23, 2023
Hairline crack in engine oil pan possibly resulting in engine failure
Engine, Feb 23, 2023
This car engine has failed on multiple occasions. About 12 months ago, I observed a great loss of coolant. The car would frequently overheat even when I added coolant. Eventually, I was able to have the engine replaced at the dealership where I purchased the car, but this was right at the end of the vehicle's warranty. Even with a new engine installed, I still lose coolant all the time. It does not appear to leak anywhere, but the reservoir is consistently empty.
Engine, Feb 8, 2023
There is a rod barring warranty on my car for my engine. My engine has completely faulted. Hyundai has informed me that they are going to take at least 3 months to fix it and will not give me a vehicle for the time they have mine. I took my car to the shop to check it out, a week before it went out and Hyundai was fighting it, so I wasn’t able to get it there until it completely went out after trying to figure it out for a week prior
Steering, Electrical system, Engine, Feb 6, 2023
I was driving on freeway and all dashboard warning started to flicker on and off simultaneously then my steering wheel locked in place. I was unable to stop or turn wheel and had to maneuver car until it came to a stop. I had to get it towed home. I spoke with dealership and asked me to tow it to them so they can look at it and gave me a report that mention nothing about what I originally told them it did while I was driving but pointed out everything else that was wrong with it that added up to more than $4,500.00 in repairs. Dealership guy got upset that I asked him to email rather than phone calls and didn’t want to answer anything through email only phone calls he was refusing service and kept pushing us to approve all the other expenses without telling me anything about why the car did what it did. He then told me that it was my fault since car was just passed over 100,000 miles and I should’ve known that was going to happen. Luckily nobody got hurt during this. My wife was pregnant at the time and thank goodness nothing bad happened and dealership guy was so unprofessional and rude and just wanted our money rather than help by giving us any answers.
Engine, Jan 17, 2023
I own a 2018 Hyundai Sonata SE. The car now has 60,000 miles on it. I first reported to the Hyundai Dealership that my valves are "chattering" with acceleration up to 35 mph. I was advised my engine was low on oil. I completed a oil change and valves are still chattering. I was advised that the engine is dirty and I would have to pay for an engine cleaning at $350.00 After the cleaning the valves stopped chattering for about 1000 miles then the noise came back. I was then told to complete an oil consumption test. Part 1 of the test my car burned 2 quarts in 1000 miles. Part 2 with a cleaning my car burned .5 quarts after a cleaning, so it passed the oil consumption test. I was told by the dealership that after a couple of oil changes or around 6000 miles the car will burn oil again at the rate of over 1 quart per 1000 miles. The also told me that I would have to do the oil consumption test again. The dealership stated that the engine is faulty and and engine replacement is what needs to happen to correct the problem versus this band aid fix. I was also advised if I wanted to speed up the process don't check the oil between oil changes because it will burn 5 quarts of oil before the next oil change. This will cause the engine to lock up. THE ENGINE IS FAULTY IT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED.
Engine, Jan 12, 2023
My vehicle is unable to accelerate past 65mph. I had it towed to a local repair shop whom ran a diagnostic and they are advising there is a hyundai/kia recall on engine. To my knowledge, I was not advise by Hyundai of any recall when my spouse reached out to Hyundai directly. I was on the highway with family traveling back from Christmas vacation when the incident occurred. There was a crash ahead due to the rain so traffic had slowed down. Once I drove passed the accident and attempted to accelerate the engine light appeared I could no longer accelerate. Very scary when your on a 4 lane highway hours away from home. I was able to pull off to the nearest exit for safety as it rained.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 5, 2022
My car started leaking oil from the oil drain bolt area. I took it to the dealer and they said the oil pan had a defect, they called it a “weld crack”. A quick internet search shows that this is a very widespread issue.
Electrical system, Engine, Nov 10, 2022
Loss of power on highway or during normal driving possibly due to oil pan assembly according to odi 11481745. This has cause near-miss accidents on highway on ramps a number of times. Separate issue, when the outside temp is at our below 30°F the starter can fail to turn over resulting in a car that won't start even with jumper cables applied.
Engine, Nov 9, 2022
Purchased Certified Used 2018 Hyundai Sonata in March of 2021. Engine oil light came on at 36,863 miles in July of 2021, and I took car to repair shop. I was told that these cars (2018 Hyundai Sonata) excessively burn oil -- though under 60K miles was "early" -- and that it would need to be constantly monitored. Car went through four quarts of oil before next oil change at 42,437 miles. Took car to local Hyundai dealership and was told there was a "crack in my oil pan" (though there were no oil spots in my driveway or garage that would point to an oil leak from a pan). Pan was replaced. Engine oil light came on again (despite problem being "solved") TWO MONTHS LATER AT 44,129 miles. I put a minimum amount of oil into the engine and drove over to dealership to have issue resolved. They told me it was sparkplugs, which they replaced. Checked oil level at each gas fill up. Car went through FIVE quarts of oil before oil change at 47,432 miles!!!! Five quarts in 3,000 miles. Dealership now states I must get approval from Hyundai to do an oil consumption test.
Engine, Oct 31, 2022, fire
The contact's son owned a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while her son was driving at 68 MPH with a passenger in the front passenger seat, he noticed a burning odor and he noticed smoke coming inside the cabin through the AC vents. There was no further information provided. The contact's son pulled into a gas station and saw fire underneath the hood. The contact's son and the passenger immediately exited the vehicle. The contact's son was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of bystanders who used fire extinguishers. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then repossessed by the auto financing bank. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the failure was caused by a missing oil cap. The failure mileage was unknown.
Electrical system, Engine, Oct 10, 2022
The incident occurred within my garage when I attempted to start my car and the starter went out producing a burnt smell and spark within motor. After letting the car cool down I put the car in neutral and had it towed to the nearest garage. I thought vehicle could have started a fire inside my garage and home. I have contacted the manufacture and initiated a case incident report awaiting a call back from Hyundai motor company. There were no waring lights or issues with the car the car before incident. The vehicle is under warranty but the dealership stated, they could assist since I took the car to a garage and had a mechanic work on vehicle. The disposition was the vehicle had a faulty started starter, but this incident has a huge safety flag.
Engine, Oct 4, 2022
2018 Hyundai Sonata SEL-Cylinder Misfire with engine oil consumption. It is a hazard to drive a vehicle that can cut off or engine lock up while driving. The same applied to 2014 -2015 Hyundai and Kia vehicles. Hyundai and Kia were required to replace the motors in those vehicles. Due to vehicles been unsafe to drive. The vehicle is currently at the dealership now. First was told that engine was going to be replace under warranty. Due to problem of lack of compression. But will not replace engine.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 27, 2022
Engine takes a long time to start up, about 10-15 seconds of pushing the start button starts engine which is probably not good for the car. Also, the car jolts/ wants to stop while driving. Has been an ongoing issue since the week of 9/5/22. Loss of motor power issue sounds like what is going on with my 2018 Hyundai Sonata vehicle.
Engine and engine cooling, Latches/locks/linkages, Engine, Sep 20, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated the vehicle had failed to start. On other occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was not running correctly, bucking, lost motive power and stalled. Additionally, the door and trunk failed to lock securely. There were no warning lights illuminated. A signal was sent to the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the fuel pump failed and caused the starter to burn out and drain the battery. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 23,944.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 18, 2022
My 2018 Hyundai Sonata GDI Engine stop working while I was driving on the freeway without a warning prior to the issue. It never gave me a heads up in advance that the engine needed service. No check engine light to alert me that an issue needed attention. I learned about the engine problem when my engine stop working while I was on the freeway. I heard a loud noise coming from the engine and within seconds my RPM started going down and my car started loosing power while I was driving on the freeway. At the same time my check engine light came on and it was flashing. At that moment I realize something bad was happening with my motor. The check engine light was not on before that. It never alerted me before that, and when it came on flashing on and off it was already too late because my engine was dying and it died and didn't turn back on after I pulled over in the side of the freeway. I was so scared. The cars where going so fast and very close to my car with little room to pull over. The high velocity of the others cars where making my car cradle from the wind. It was so terrifying for me and my little dog i had with me. My seat belt stop working a few weeks before my engine died, and the thought of me getting hit by another car without a seat belt on. I've never been scared for my life like I was on that day. Hyundai dealer sold me a car with a bad engine. I was putting atleast 1 quart of oil every other week sometimes every week in the past year until just recently. I've only had it for 3 years since I bought it and I was putting 1 quart of oil every month in the beginning and with time the consumption of oil increased and increased more with time. Hyundai service my car for an oil gasket last year that should've been cover under warranty, but made me pay for it. I made it aware to them about the excessive oil consumption and told them it wasn't normal how much oil the car was consuming but they denied to service my car under warranty.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 10, 2022
On May 03, 2022 at approximately 3:30pm I was traveling southbound on Arizona State Route 101 in Tempe, Arizona. I was going about 75 mph, and without no warning my car shut off. I had to pull off to the shoulder of the highway to avoid being struck by other vehicles, and also incase I lost control. My Hyundai picked up nails on 3 of the 4 tires in the process. I barely avoided a fatal accident due to the defect, which I had no idea about.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 9, 2022
For the fourth time the HEV light (and others) has come on and the dash has lit up while I was driving, with the last three times leaving us stranded in dangerous road situations with little or no power. The light first came on in July 2020 at 40,089 miles. A dealership reset the codes and I had no problems until June 7, 2022 when the lights lit up on the dash again and the car died and I had to have it towed to a local dealership. They could find nothing wrong with it and checked all the wiring and said none of the codes were coming up and that the car ran fine for them when test driving a day or two after I had it towed. So they released the car back to me deeming it good to go. Then only 19 days later on June 26, 2022 the HEV light among other lit up again and the dash indicated to pull over and cut the car off due to the hybrid system. I had it towed to the nearest dealership again. The then looked at it and said they reset all the codes and everything looked to be good to go. Then AGAIN on Aug 8, 2022 (3rd time in two months), we were put in a dangerous situation trying to get the car off a busy highway when the HEV light (and others) again lit up the dash and our power went almost completely out while the engine jerked violently as we tried to avoid being hit by cars while trying to get off the highway before it completely died on us. Four times now Hyundai dealers have shrugged this off saying "we reset the codes" and we can't find an issue. We have been put in dangerous traffic conditions three of these times.
Engine, Jul 29, 2022
The issue that I am having with my 2018 Hyundai Sonata is excessive oil consumption. And yes the vehicle is available for inspection. My family and I are put at risk because of the high oil consumption the engine may seize at any time. I have been told that not only is the engine is at risk but also the exhaust system due to the possibility of oil build up there also causing safety issues. The Sonata has been put through an oil consumption test by a local Hyundai dealership. This consists of changing the oil and then at 1000 mile intervals up to 3000 miles the oil level is checked by a dealer mechanic to check for oil loss. During this 1st test period one check had a loss of 3/4 of a quart and another was 1 3/4 of a quart. After this 1st series of tests there was a complete engine cleaning to remove all built-up oil residue within the engine followed the checking of oil levels again every 1000 miles 3 times. Again, oil losses varied from 1 quart to a 1/2 quart loss. I was assigned a case manager to monitor these tests. At the completion of the testing, after 4 weeks of hearing nothing from my case manager even though I had left multiple messages, he called and said that these results were considered normal by Hyundai. Again, all tests were completed by a authorized Hyundai dealership. There were no warning lights or messages but I did hear a slight knocking noise within the engine. I checked the oil on a regular basis after that and noticed the continued loss of oil. The was no smoke coming from the exhaust or no noticeable signs of oil loss on the engine or my garage floor. Although Hyundai recommends oil changes every 7500 miles I had oil changes every 3000 to 4000 miles by my Hyundai dealer. No one else. I also spoke to mechanics other than Hyundai and was told that there was an ongoing problem with Hyundai engines for oil loss. That is why I initiated the oil consumption test with my dealership.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 9, 2022
On the way home from the produce store today, the engine seemed to stall or seize while I was driving and the car reacted in a jerky manner. I kept going, as I was close to home, but could only travel about 20 mph, and it would periodically feel as if it were about to conk out. Check engine light came on at this point. Made it home, but no longer feel safe driving it. Am online now, searching for what to do. What I experienced sounds like the engine recall problem others have experienced, although my 2018 Hyundai Sonata is not on the recall list. Perhaps it should be.
Engine, May 21, 2022
The engine is burning oil. Oil level drops by 3-4 quarts every 1,500 miles.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, May 4, 2022
I was stopped at a red light and when it turned green, I began to accelerate. The car stuttered and the check engine light was blinking. I pulled over and had Autozone run the code. The code is P1326, engine knock sensor. It was put into limp mode and it shook pretty bad in lower gears while accelerating. I had to pull over and let several cars pass me as I couldn't go above 2,000 RPMs. When I got home, I called roadside assistance and had it towed to the nearest dealership. That was this morning (5-4-2022). I just purchased this car used in the beginning of March. I don't have all the records since I just purchased the vehicle used. I just changed the oil last week.
Engine, Jan 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after filling the engine with oil, approximately 2 months later it was discovered the engine oil level was extremely low. The contact indicated that the engine oil was being consumed at a very rapid pace. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000. Consumer stated it was determined it was a valve cover gasket not pistons as a previous mechanic stated. So no need for recall.
Engine, Jan 3, 2022
The contact's mother owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while his mother was driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle started shaking inadvertently and would not exceed 25-30 MPH. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's mother was able to continue to drive the vehicle under 20 MPH. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,913.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving, the oil warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he checked the engine oil level and discovered that there was no oil in the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as an oil plug needing replacement. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure continued. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer several times and the failure cause could not be determined. The contact stated that recently an oil consumption test was completed, and the dealer determined that to be the failure cause. The dealer contacted the manufacturer who stated that the failure cause was due to the owner's negligence and no solution was offered. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
Engine, Aug 30, 2021
2018 Hyundai Sonata sport. Purchased vehicle 03/20/2021 and it has been in the shop 5 times for the same issue. Car starts to smoke and make a loud knocking noise, when checking the oil, it appears to have no oil in the engine at all. Every single time they have changed the oil and replaced it and within a 1,000 miles the oil has completely dissolved in the engine. They performed a consumption test and stated that they did a top engine cleaning for the combustion and that it should not happen again and if it did that they would reach out to Hyundai to start the process of replacing the engine. Took it back at the 1,000 mile mark and they stated that it was fine, but after only a few weeks to a month the car started smoking and knocking again, took it back and yes the engine was bone dry again no oil at all on the dipstick. This vehicle has been in the shop more than I was able to drive it. The oil light keeps jumping on and off and the dealer is aware of this issue and they stated that the manufacturer is aware of this issue as well. But it seems that they are refusing to rectify the issue with a new engine and just keep patching the problem, that I would have to keep taking back every 1,00 miles for a consumption test. The oil ight was present when they sold me the vehicle but the dealership stated that they had performed an oil change and it needed to be reprogrammed but that did not fix the problem.