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: service brakes
17 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Apr 20, 2026
We think there’s an issue with the abs module and wheel speed sensor because we started having a problem where the brakes wouldn’t work or would stutter. The car would shake real bad it would make an awful grinding sound but normally only when trying to stop at higher speeds or long braking. The only thing that made it stop was to unplug the abs but then other parts of the car stopped working like the speedometer and the sensors around the car. So we got the abs replaced but the new one started doing the same thing. We did some research and it sounds like the same issue Hyundai is having with the palisade. The incident that made us get it replaced to begin with was were driving down the road and we got to a traffic light but when we tried to brake they just didn’t work so we drove through the red light luckily the one person who was supposed to be going saw us and didn’t pull out in front of us so we didn’t get hit. We haven’t taken it to the dealership yet but my sister who teaches automotive repair at the community college is the one who diagnosed it so she said we should report it here so maybe it won’t happen to anyone else. Before we had the brake issue we were having problems with basically everything on the dash not working randomly. We’d be driving down the road and the speedometer and the outside sensors and the gas gauge and the traction control all would go out at the same time it’s the same stuff that went out when we had the abs unplugged so it seems that might be related.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 16, 2025
About a year and half ago, a lot of my engine trouble lights turned on while driving. It was sleeting at that time when the lights turned on and they're still on today. I paid to have the Hyundai dealer to check it out soon after the trouble lights first turned on. They diagnosed the problem as a faulty HECU. I would have had them replace this, but they estimated it would cost about $3800 to fix. This HECU malfunction is causing the following issues: ABS does not work, traction control does not work, forward collision prevention does not work, brake auto hold does not work, cruise control does not work probably because it can't auto brake any more. I've had some scary times driving and trying to stop when the roads have been wet or snowy.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, May 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the ABS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS module had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Service brakes, Jul 10, 2024, crash, fire
The contact owned a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, a pedestrian alerted him that the vehicle was on fire. The contact noticed that the rear portion and driver side of the vehicle was on fire. While traveling around a curve the brakes became inoperable the contact jumped out of the vehicle. he contact sustained injuries to his left shoulder and leg and medical attention was provided. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle continued to roll as it was burning. The vehicle crashed into a dirt mound at the end of a hill. The fire department was on the scene to extinguish the fire. There were four gallons of fuel on the ground. The vehicle was towed to tow lot. There was no police report fire or air bag deployment. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total lost. The failure mileage was approximately 105, 000.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Feb 11, 2024, crash
Vehicle 1 operating normally in traffic on [XXX] in Westfield MA. Operator 1 notices alert on dashboard. As Operator 1 looks down briefly and returns eyes immediately to the road, she sees Vehicle 2 braking to slow or stop. Operator 1 depresses brakes, but vehicle does not slow as it usually does, nor does Automatic Emergency Braking engage as it always has in the past. Front of Vehicle 1 makes contact with rear of Vehicle 2. Dashcam footage appears like brakes did not activate at all, either manually or automatically. Vehicle 1 airbags deploy. Westfield Police respond, as well as Westfield Fire, who cut the battery cable. Vehicle towed to Interstate Towing, Inc. Yard 5, 20 Clifton St, Westfield, Ma 01085. (413) 593-1900 interstatetowing.com. Owner 1 viewed vehicle at tow yard, and noted that the battery was completely melted, with only portions of the plastic casing along with internal plates visible. Much of the plastic and rubber components immediately adjacent to battery location were melted and deformed. As a layperson, it almost appears as though the battery was in the process of shorting out just prior to the collision, possibly rendering many of the safety systems inoperable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Service brakes, Engine, Mar 3, 2023
As soon as I start to press on my brakes the vehicle starts violently pulsating and locks up. Took the dealership they said my rotors and brakes were fine and we're unable to give any reason for this. Without brakes I cannot stop my vehicle and it seems like a faulty ABS but no light on dashboard. The engine consumes nearly 5.2 qts of oil in 1000 miles. Being this is not normal I have no idea I was running out of oil as soon as I was changing it which could have led to my entire engine stalling out and causing me to wreck. It's putting my life as well as other people's on the roads and danger
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Feb 28, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard with the maintenance message displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. One day while driving the vehicle, there was an abnormal tapping sound coming from the brake pedal while being depressed. The failure persisted while the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle drove through a concrete post and a fence, causing damages to the post and the fence. The contact stated that the air bags deployed upon impact. Medical attention was not sought at the scene. The contact sustained bruising all over her body. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was driven back to her residence by a neighbor. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Service brakes, Feb 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while their vehicle was parked, starting the ignition, and attempted to make 3 point turn exiting out of their driveway, the vehicle accelerated on its own and went over their curb into their neighbor yard. The contact stated they depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, however, the vehicle continued to accelerate at a slow speed before finally coming to a stop. The contact was able to reverse and exit out of their neighbor's yard and continue to drive to their destination, however, the failure intermittently occurred several times. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle but could not diagnose the cause of the failure. The contact went to another local dealership (Cars Unlimited Of Suffolk LLC 2096 NY-112, Medford, New York 11763 Phone: (631) 758-2200) but the dealer was not able to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,896 miles.
Electrical system, Tires, Service brakes, Apr 23, 2020
2018 HYUNDAI SONATA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RUSTY BRAKES. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAD ISSUES START DURING COLD WEATHER. IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT 15 MINUTES OR LONGER FOR THE VEHICLE TO TURN ON. THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED PREMATURELY. *JS
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Apr 23, 2020
ROUGH VIBRATION SLOWLY COMING UP STEERING WHEN BRAKING TO STOP. COULD BE ROTORS OR TIRES. STARTED A FEW MONTHS AGO.
Service brakes, Oct 3, 2019
SINCE DAY OF DELIVERY TWO YEARS AGO, THE AEB SYSTEM HAS MALFUNCTIONED IN THAT WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON ANY ROAD TYPE, THE BRAKES COME ON WITH NO WARNING OR REASON, HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR ENDED THREE TIMES.DEALER HAS NEVER FOUND ANYTHING WRONG AND INSISTS THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONS AS DESIGNED. THE RADAR OR CAMERA SYSTEMS HAVE TO HAVE A DEFECT. TOYOTA AND HONDA HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE BUT MADE EFFORTS TO CORRECT EITHER BY RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS. PEDESTRIAN DETECTION HAS ALSO NEVER WORKED ON THIS VEHICLE..
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Aug 10, 2019
"MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS ARE COMING ON THE DASH FOR ABS FAILURE."CAUSE: 5891R00 HYDRAULIC MODULE ASSEMBLY REPLACED. "SCAN TEST CODES C1741, C2402, C1360 DIAG SYSTEM. LINE CASE NUMBER 2019080600434 PERFORM VOLTAGE AND GROUND TEST PER TECH LINE FOUND ABS HYDRAULIC UNIT INTERNAL FAILURE, REPLACED ABS HYDRAULIC UNIT, PERFORM ALL CALIBRATIONS AND VARIANT CODING CLEAR CODES, RESET ADAPTIVES. PROBLEMS OF YELLOW LIGHT COMING ON ON DASH WAS DURING ACCELERATIONS AND TURNING CRUISE CONTROL ON
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Engine, Apr 18, 2019
I OWN THIS 2019 SONATA SINCE 1/16/19. WAS RUNING GOOD AT THE FIRST. BUT COUPLE TIMES START SHOWING THE ENGINE LIGHT FOR SECONDS. BUT ON APRIL SUNDAY 14 2019 MY CAR SHOWS THE ENGINE LIGHT AND THE TIRE CONTROL STABILIZER AT THE SAME TIME THEN THE CAR START SHAKING LOSSING SPEED,THE BRAKES GETTING HARD AND POWER STEERING. . LUCKY I WENT AT 10MPH TO 15MPH.THE VEHICLE WILL BE PLACED IN A TEMPORARY ENGINE PROTECTION MODE WITH REDUCED POWER AND ACCELERATION. NO SPEED NO ACCELERATION THEN I PARK IN A PARKING LOT FOR TOWING AT THE NEAREST HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP. TECHNITIA FOUND CODE( P0638 ) ACTIVE CODE AND (P211935002A00 THROTTLE BODY CARBON CLEANING- ADJUSTMENT AND FOUND RUBBER GROMMET STUCK IN THE THROTTLE BODY ROVED GROMMET. THIS CAUSE TROUBLE WITH THE INTAKE AND INJECTORS MAKING THE CAR LIMP AND STATE IN PROTECTION MODE. I HAVE LUCKY I WASN'T IN THE FREEWAY AT 55,60 TO 65 MPH. O CAN BE A DIFFERENT RISK AND DANGEROUS FOR ME AND OTHERS DRIVERS. PLEASE TAKE THIS NOTE SERIOUSLY BEFORE SOMETHING WORSE CAN HAPPEN TO OTHERS DRIVERS . THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Feb 1, 2019, crash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT IT FAILED TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A PALM TREE. AN INCIDENT REPORT WAS FILED, BUT NOT A POLICE REPORT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE INJURY. THE CONTACT SUFFERED A SORE NECK AND A POSSIBLE WHIPLASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT FACILITY. KEARNEY MESA HYUNDAI (4797 CONVOY ST, SAN DIEGO, CA 92111, (858) 278-7100) WAS CONTACTED AND A VOICE MESSAGE WAS LEFT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500. *TT CONSUMER STATED BRAKE PEDAL WAS PUSHED MULTIPLE TIMES AND SHE DID SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.*JB
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Vehicle speed control, Aug 2, 2018, crash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK. THE CONTACT COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE STIFFNESS OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR OF ANOTHER ONCOMING VEHICLE. ALL OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. BOTH DRIVERS SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. A DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,000.
Service brakes, Jun 15, 2018, crash
I HAD STOPPED MY VEHICLE, PUTTING EMERGENCY BRAKE ON, BUT STILL IN DRIVE. I STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR AND IT BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD ON ITS OWN AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET BACK INTO THE VEHICLE. IT TRAVELED QUITE A DISTANCE BEFORE RUNNING INTO SOME INANIMATE THAT CAUSED IT TO STOP. IT WAS IN A DRIVEWAY BEHINDS BUILDINGS AND DID EVENTUALLY CROSS OVER A SIDE STREET BEFORE STOPPING. I DON'T SEE WHY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DID NOT HOLD, EVEN THOUGH NOT IN PARK?
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Jun 1, 2018
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO AUTOMATICALLY STOP WHEN A SECOND VEHICLE WAS PRESENT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AND WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NAPLETON HYUNDAI GLENVIEW (1620 WAUKEGAN RD., GLENVIEW, IL) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NORMAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400. *TT CONSUMER STATED BRAKING WORKS WHEN CAR HAS CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, WHEN RELYING IN "AEB" NOTHING HAPPENS. VEHICLE PURCHASE DATE SHOULD BE ON OR BEFORE INCIDENT DATE UPDATED 9/21/18*JB