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
373 reports, newest first.
Engine, Oct 30, 2023
I was driving and when I made a left turn I heard a sucking type of noise coming from the engine. I immediately made an appointment at my local Hyundai dealership, however they were booked for another month so I made it at my local mechanic shop. After inspection by the mechanic I was told and confirmed that the noise was a result of having barely ANY OIL LEFT IN MY ENGINE!!! Because the oil pan had a hairline crack in it and had leaked the oil out. My check engine light had never come on through this process. This is so dangerous because my engine could have eventually seized while being in traffic with potential harm to both myself, people in my car and other vehicle traffic!!! Also, WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH DAMAGE WAS DONE TO MY ENGINE AS A RESULT OF THIS!!! My engine can be ruined!!!
Other or unspecified, Oct 21, 2023
For now the fifth time in the last 16 months the HEV light and engine light has lit up while the car jerks and sputters and dies. Below is the incident report that I filed on or about August 8, 2022. Again at the end of the day yesterday on October 20, 2023 the same issues still arise for the fifth time. See below for a re-cap of the issues I am once again experiencing after Hyundai claims to have fixed the issues: 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, Sep 20, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH uphill, the vehicle shuddered. The check engine warning light and low oil pressure warning light were illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where an oil change was performed, and the spark plugs were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: DP22003 (Engine). The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,347.
Power train, Engine, Sep 15, 2023
My car is misfiring, hesitating accelerating, severely shaking and vibrating which you can feel in the pedals and steering wheel, and the check engine light is on. This issue has been ongoing for over a week already. When the engine light first came on on 9/7, i pulled over on the side of the road and had a mobile mechanic check it out. The code was coming up as a bad ignition coil in cylinder 1. When he took out the coil and spark plugs, he saw scoring on the spark plug from oil as well as oil being consumed in the cylinder itself which has been causing my vehicle to misfire. The mobile mechanic stated on his invoice that I need a new engine. I took my car to Faulkner Hyundai on 9/11 and they said the best they can do is an oil consumption test even though they personally know I need an engine as well. I have not been able to drive the vehicle due to the ongoing issues, I am afraid for my life and safety that god forbid the car stalls out on the highway while I am traveling to or from work I could get into a major accident. They are putting my life in jeopardy.
Engine, Sep 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved DTC Code: P1326 and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 20-01-024H-1 (Theta GDI Engine DTC P1326 - Engine Inspection / Replacement); however, the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
Power train, Electrical system, Aug 30, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH the vehicle suddenly began sputtering and then completely stalled. The contact had to coast to the side of the road and noticed the check engine light illuminated. After approximately 10 minutes, the vehicle was able to restart. When starting the vehicle there would be a sputtering followed by the vehicle shutting off. The failure began to occur while idle as well. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse out of a parking spot the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward instead. As a result, the vehicle ended up crashing into a concrete light post. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries or medical attention needed. The vehicle was able to be driven after. No police report was filed. The vehicle had been towed to the dealer who had stated that the starter relay issue may be the cause, however, because of not being able to duplicate the failure they were unable to give an official diagnosis. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.
Other or unspecified, Aug 27, 2023, fire
UNKNOWN. I noticed that there was a check engine light on and I took it to autozone to have it checked out, they told me that it was coming back with the code of an o2 sensor. I thought nothing of it until it started not wanting to start right. On July 1, 2023 I took my car in to the dealership for an oil change and they never said anything about why my car was doing a delayed start. It would eventually start but it took at least a minute. I bought a new battery from walmart to put in my car so that it would not do the delayed start, but it kept doing it anyway. Finally decided to take it to a mechanic and the first time that he started it took at least a minute, he realized that he didn't have his computer (code reader) with him so he turned it off. When he returned with the code reader he plugged it in and started the car then it started smoking, smoking turned into fire that caused the entire underside of my hood to melt including engine, electrical harness, belts, battery and much more. If it wasn't for the mechanic's quick thinking by putting out the fire while calling 9-1-1, the fire would have gone to the fuel tank and exploded. Yes, the safety of others was put at risk.
Engine, Aug 23, 2023
Oil leaking, replaced gaskets Oil continues to burn at a fast rate. Putting up to 6qt oil extra every month. Oil changes have been regular. Dealership only cleaned engine and told me that was all they could do.
Engine, Aug 20, 2023
While I was driving the car shut off by itself.
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 20, 2023
RIGHT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR FAILED IN FEB 2023 NOW LEFT REAR WHEEL SENSOR HAS FAILED IN AUG HAS 50486 MILES
Power train, Aug 8, 2023
transmition problem , stop and go high rev engine sutck in geer angine stals in stop and go tslow moving trafic
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 4, 2023
Car consumes TOO much oil. Even after I get an oil change I have to add more oil weeks later and the oil is always black. Several times the sensor has gone out on me on the hwy and I’m not able to accelerate or go over 35 miles which is extremely dangerous .
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 2, 2023
This vehicle consumes one quart of oil every 1000 miles. I have documentation to prove it. Hyundai has done their own asessments and claimed that it consumes less. There was a class action lawsuit filed in California for this issue.
Engine, Jul 25, 2023
My engine was burning oil, I was/ am up to date with my oil changes. The oil suddenly kept being dirty. My car broke down twice. One time oil was shooting out of the top of my engine and it was smoking. Hyundai claimed it was neglect and only accepted my paper copy of oil changes but not the ones on my debit card statement.
Tires, Jul 24, 2023
the Kumho 205/65 R16 treads are losing chucks of rubber on 3 tires with just under 17000 miles as of this date 7/24/23 and under 6 years old. ( their warranty states 60K or 6 yrs) Kumho will not warrant the tires in any way shape or form. Have tried to get some help from them since Jan of this year (2023) with no results. Also the service dept at the dealership tried to get me help but was not successful. Even after taking many pictures and information and sending them to Kumho. No help.
Engine, Jul 10, 2023, fire
I first reported issues with my vehicle to a local Hyundai dealer January 16, 2023. I was advised I couldn’t get an appointment until March 8, 2023. Since March 8, 2023 I have taken my car to the dealer my numerous times for a series of testing over the course of 3 months. I was advised my car was burning too much oil of oil per 1000 miles. I was also advised that the transvalve and engine needed to be inspected by an adjuster to determine a faulty engine in order to get approval from the manufacturer. My car was at the dealer for almost a week. On June 15, 2023 the Hyundai dealership advised the engine was faulty. I was also advised warranty approved for a new engine due to faulty engine/oil consumption. I was advised to pick up my vehicle from the dealership. On June 16, 2023 I picked up my vehicle. I was told by the dealership to keep driving my vehicle until the new engine came in due. I was denied a loaner/rental at the time even though they knew the car had a faulty engine. Immediately after leaving the dealership dealership my car started smoking. I pulled over immediately got out. The car caught on fire and burst into flames. This was a very dangerous safety risk. It caused panic attacks, anxiety, headaches, and lots of sleepless nights. If I hadn’t gotten out sooner I could’ve been severely injured or dead. The car is with the insurance company. A field investigation has been done by the insurance. They determined faulty engine and total loss if the vehicle. It is still available for inspection if needed. There were no warning lamps or messages before the car started smoking or caught fire.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jul 4, 2023
My 2018 sonata has been stalling out while I’m driving more so when I accelerate.I have a baby that I’m scared to drive with in the car because it does it randomly. It has been happening more & more everyday. I got new parts/starter etc. No codes on dash. Have an appointment next week with Hyundai to take a look.
Engine, Jun 16, 2023
Oil consumption problem 2018 Hyundai Sonata
Engine, Jun 7, 2023
After only 38,000 miles, the engine seized up and failed to start. Has been a the dealership where I purchased it for 2 months and has yet to be looked at
Other or unspecified, Engine, May 30, 2023
When driving the car on the highway - "check engine - hybrid system" warning lights come on and indicate hybrid system issue and to shut car off immediately. Extreme safety issue as the car goes from highway speeds to 35MPH almost instantly. This has happened seven times now and Hyundai keeps indicating that technicians are following engineering guidance in fixing the issue related to the knock sensor. The seventh occurrence happened on May 23rd of 2023. First one was in December 2021. As Hyundai is unable to correctly fix the issue I have repeatedly asked for them to replace the car since it is an extreme safety issue but they will not do so. Still waiting for diagnosis of the latest occurrence from May 23rd. Hyundai does not acknowledge that this issue is of safety concern and just indicates that the issue has been fixed each time it occurs.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, May 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled in traffic. The vehicle was misfiring, and the RPM was abnormally elevated. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled again. There were no warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact was adding approximately two quarts of engine oil every two weeks. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Twin City Hyundai (3024 Alcoa Hwy, Alcoa, TN 37701, (866) 229-3953) but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
Engine, Apr 27, 2023
In January, At 65k miles I took my car in for an oil change. I informed them I was putting a quart of oil every month for the last 3 months just to keep the oil light off on my dash. Tech told me all Hyundais are burning oil and to just drive it until the engine blows and I’ll get a free engine replacement through Hyundai. The following month in February, I went to get my back brakes done. Mechanic told me I had no oil left in my car. They filled it up for me. In March, I took my car back to the dealership service center and demanded service. I was told I needed to do a combustion cleaning which would cost $700 and my extended warranty would not cover it because it’s considered general maintenance. I threw a fit and they agreed to do an oil consumption test. A few days ago I hit the 1k miles I was supposed to drive and took my car in for the first check. It was almost 2 quarts low and they said the next step in Hyundais flow chart is the combustion cleaning. They told me 1. It doesn’t actually clean anything and 2. Hyundai says this is the fix to the issue but it doesn’t actually fix anything. They said after, we would do another oil consumption test and then we could submit to Hyundai under “good faith” and ask for an engine replacement. I started researching and see this is a major issue with Hyundais and leave people with a blown engine and Hyundai refuses to cover anything. I traded it in today and got a new car, not a Hyundai!
Electrical system, Engine, Apr 17, 2023
Was driving on freeway on the way back from visiting family in different state when rpms dropped off and suddenly lost power. Car began shuddering and check engine light started blinking. Put hazards on and somehow managed to pull over to shoulder. No problems with car or anything to indicate anything was wrong before this. Called to have car towed to dealership where they said there was a software problem and it was falsely indicating low oil levels. ECM was reset and software updated for $233 which they said fixed the problem. Said that carbon deposits may have caused the software to misread and that may have been why there was no indication of problems before. Hope so because i have a long drive back.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 30, 2023
During the drive, check engine lights on then suddenly, HEV warning lights with turn off the engine with critical alert sound. I was drove again after attempting to start several times then again & again... It freaked me out when I drove on the highway, and yet to fixed & afraid to go to the dealer becase of cost & uncertain reasons. This could be big accidents on the highway.
Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 27, 2023
Fuel pump started going out. My brothers vehicle also started going out too in the same vehicle as this. It's clearly a wide issue. Car stalls when gas is at half tank.