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: other or unspecified
58 reports, newest first. Show all
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
Other or unspecified, Jul 31, 2019
WHILE DRIVING CRASH WARNING, ABS, TRACK AND CHECK BRAKES WARNING LIGHTS WOULD COME ON. HYUNDAI DEALER INITIALLY REFLAGGED ECO BUT LIGHTS CAME BACK. DEALER HAD CAR FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND AFTER CHECKING WITH HYUNDAI TECH CENTER AND GOT TEST CODES C2402 C1741 AND C1360 AND SYSTEM FOUND CONNECTION AT ABS MODULE. ALLEGED FIX WAS TO REPAIR ABNORMAL CONNECTION / CONNECTOR AT ABS MODULE. CAR IS HYUNDAI SONATA 2 LITER TURBO WITH 19639 MILES WHEN BROUGHT TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIR. WE HAVE PICTURES OF ERROR LIGHTS ON OUR CELL PHONE.
Other or unspecified, Engine, May 2, 2019
MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO BUCK AND WOULDN'T ACCELERATE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND SHE PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY. SHE CALLED HYUNDAI AND THEY TOLD HER NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR AND TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. WE WERE THEN TOLD BY HYUNDAI THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THEY INSTALLED A KNOCK SENSOR WIRING HARNESS AND SAID THEY HOPE THAT DOES THE TRICK BUT IT COULD NEED A WHOLE NEW ENGINE. EXPECTED REPAIR TIME IS 6 WEEKS SINCE PARTS ARE ON BACKORDER. WE HAVE SINCE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS AS WELL AS CONSUMERS AND THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THEIR CARS FOR MONTHS.
Other or unspecified, Apr 3, 2019
I CAN NOT GET HYUNDAI TO GIVE ME AN ADEQUATE ANSWER
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 11, 2019
I WENT INTO PURCHASING DEALER FOR FIRST OIL CHANGE AT 5100 MILES, THEY FLASHED COMPUTER AND LOADED UPDATE HYUNDAI CAMPAIGN 953 PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT. ABOUT 50 MILES AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED MY CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND IS BARELY DRIVEABLE. CAR WAS ALSO HESITATING, AND BUCKING A BIT. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER THEY STATED THE CODE DIDN'T APPLY TO MY CAR AND FLASHED IT AGAIN. IT AGAIN WENT INTO LIMP MODE AFTER 50 MILES OR SO. THE RECALL IS SUPPOSED TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN LIMP MODE DUE TO ROD BEARING WEAR. MY CAR HAS 5,400 MILES ON IT AND IT NOW AT A DIFFERENT DEALER. GOT INFORMATION FROM THAT DEALER REGARDING A TBS #19-01-002 AND LOOKS LIKE ENGINE REPLACEMENT OR WIRING HARNESS.
Other or unspecified, Feb 2, 2019
THE LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SOUND DOES NOT HAVE ADEQUATE VOLUME AND THERE IS NO OPTION OR SOFTWARE ADJUSTMENT TO INCREASE THIS VOLUME ACCORDING TO HYUNDAI CORPORATE OR MY LOCAL DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. WITH INCREASED AGE OUR HEARING ABILITY MAY BE LESS THAN WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER, MIXED IN WITH FLUCTUATING ROAD NOISE, THIS SAFETY FEATURE MAY NOT INFORM (AUDIBLE SOUND NOTIFICATION TO LOW) A DRIVER OF LANE DEPARTURE AT THE EARLY DESIRED NOTIFICATION TIME. IN MY OPINION, THIS NON ABILITY TO ADJUST THE VOLUME UP OR DOWN ON THE LANE DEPARTURE SAFETY FEATURE IS A GROSS ENGINEERING FAILURE.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jan 31, 2019
CAR HAS KEYLESS START. WILL NOT START IN TEMPS BELOW 20 DEGREES F. HAS HAPPENED 4X IN 2 WEEKS. CAR IS 8 MOS OLD / LESS THAN 6K MILES. 1ST 3 TIMES EVENTUALLY STARTED BY RUNNING ENGINE. THE WARNING LIGHTS THAT SHOW ARE CHARGING SYSTEM (RAN ITSELF DOWN TO 57% BATTERY THIS TIME); ENGINE OIL PRESSURE AND MIL LIGHT. THE IMMOBILIZED INDICATOR IS ON BUT THEN GOES OFF. THE TANK IS FULL OF GAS. THE BLUE LINK APP CAN'T REMOTELY START THE CAR. IT STATES THAT THE REQUEST WAS NOT PROCESSED.
Other or unspecified, Jan 22, 2019
I BOUGHT MY 2018 SONATA IN JANUARY 2018. I HAVE NOTICED THAT IT TENDS TO HESITATE WHEN MAKING TURNS ESPECIALLY RIGHT TURNS. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS RANDOMLY WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STOP OR SLOW MOTION. LAST WEEK, I SLOWED DOWN TO TAKE A NEAR 90 DEGREE LEFT TURN. THE SPEED LIMIT IS 25 MPH ON THIS ROAD. THERE WAS A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME - SO, I MAINTAINED A SAFE SPEED AND DISTANCE. AFTER TAKING THE TURN, MY CAR SKIDDED VERY SUDDENLY AS I WAS COMING OUT OF THE CURVE, AND IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO CORRECT IT AND PREVENT IT FROM HITTING A CONCRETE PILLAR OF THE FREEWAY PASSING ABOVE. THE ROAD APPEARED DRY AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS. WHILE I CANNOT RULE OUT THE PRESENCE OF BLACK ICE, I WAS CONCERNED THAT ONE OF THE WHEEL MAY HAVE LOCKED UP EITHER DUE TO HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TODAY. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CHECKED OUT CAR AND THEY DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. I AM REPORTING THIS INCIDENT SINCE I NOTICED THAT SOME OTHER OWNER COMPLAINED OF ENGINE HESITATION WHEN TAKING TURNS. PERHAPS, OTHER OWNERS MAY BE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR ISSUES.