2019 Hyundai Sonata
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 161 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 21st highest complaint count among 26 Sonata model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 8 involved a crash and 6 involved a fire. 6 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
No safety recalls on file.
Representative owner complaints: engine
93 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Oct 19, 2024
In April of 2024 initially the car was under warranty. I took my vehicle to the Edmond Hyundai dealership to see why I kept having to put oil in the car in between oil changes. The dealership said iI needed an oil consumption test to determine if the loss of oil amount was excessive. They changed the oil and i drove it 1000 miles and returned it to the dealership. They said it was was around 1 quart low, which is acceptable and "normal". This isn't normal. I tried to get them to check the engine again and do other tests but they wouldn't. It is now October of 24' and I am still putting oil in between oil changes because the light comes on. I took the car back to the dealership on 10/19 and they said the only thing they could do is another consumption test to determine if the oil loss is excessive. I asked them to do a more thorough check of the engine and cited the previous time I brought the car in for the same issue that was not resolved. The mileage is now just over the warranty threshold, but they are still wanting me to pay for whatever service needs to be done to the vehicle, whether it's a combustion cleaning or a new engine. The safety of the car is of concern now and since this car is driven by the three drivers in the family, I do not want them put at a risk on the road if something fails because of oil loss and engine seize. Hyundai needs to be held accountable and honor warranty, safety, and service. The dealers need to help the customer and go above and beyond. The staff at Edmond Hyundai kept going back to the consumption test and all the steps they need to follow before they could send in a submission for doing a combustion cleaning when clearly there was an issue. I am beyond frustrated with the lack of concern for safety and customer satisfaction.
Electrical system, Engine, Oct 1, 2024
Around the 70,000 to 80,000 mile range, I began to notice that I needed more frequent oil changes. Additionally, when making turns, the oil pressure light would illuminate. I reported these concerns to the service manager, Steve Purvis, at Noblesville Hyundai, who advised that the light simply indicated the need for an oil change. Due to the ignorance of Steve Purvis, I took my vehicle to Hyundai of Carmel, where the issue was not addressed until I reached 97,000 miles. During this time, the valve covers were replaced twice, yet there were no active leaks, and the problem persisted. Hyundai subsequently denied my request for an oil consumption test to further diagnose the issue. I then took my vehicle to a different shop, where a mini oil consumption test revealed that my car burned over 2 quarts of oil from Friday to Monday. Additionally, my start/stop system has ceased functioning, preventing me from starting the vehicle. I have also noted that there are open recalls for Hyundai vehicles, yet my VIN is not recognized under these recalls. I have incurred significant expenses related to these ongoing issues. My safety has been put to risk because the oil can burn completely out and cause the car to break down in the middle of traffic like it has before. Hyundai dealership has confirmed the car has an oil burning issue, as well as an independent shop by the name of Auto Tech in Indianapolis. Auto Tech has also confirmed that the start/stop system is causing my car to not start. The oil pressure light is not consistent when my oil gets low. Some times it comes on, other times it does not.
Engine, Sep 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after the vehicle was purchased, the vehicle was taken for an oil change. The contact stated that the very next day he checked the dipstick and became aware that there was no oil on the dipstick. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was called, and the contact was informed that there might be an oil consumption failure with the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for an oil consumption test; however, the contact stated that he was not able to pay for the oil consumption test to be performed. The contact stated that the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,000.
Power train, Engine, Aug 31, 2024
Car has a rod knock, has been looked at by a private mechanic, seen online there was a recall on Hyundai Sonatas for rod knock issues.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 29, 2024
See attached document for complaint.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 3, 2024
I have had to change my spark plugs 3 times since May due to the fact that I keep getting oil in them. My car also goes through an excessive amount of oil. Within 2 weeks of having my oil changed I had to start adding more oil. But it does not ever have any on the ground under my car. My piston oil rings are not keeping oil out of the area where my spark plugs are located.
Engine, Jul 16, 2024
Engine has been leaking oil for awhile. After close inspection i discovered a tiny crack in oil pan. There is no damage whatsoever to the oil pan. After much research online it appears many other hyundai owners have the same leak from a crack in oil pan in exact same spot. If left unchecked it would result in engine damage from low oil level. There is a spot weld for drain plug backing and the crack develops at this spot weld. No damage or impact has caused this crack as other owners experience same issue. Oil pan had to be replaced as leak was getting worse at crack
Engine, Jul 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The oil warning light was occasionally illuminated. The contact added a quart of oil, but the oil level failed to register on the dipstick. The contact stated that the vehicle was two quarts low in approximately 5,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who competed an oil change and informed the contact to bring the vehicle back within 1,000 miles. The mechanic informed the contact that the vehicle was meeting the specifications for the oil requirements. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
Engine, Jun 25, 2024
I have noticed a great amount of oil usage here in the past 2 months, I have been having my oil changed every 4,500 miles for the last 4 years. After having it changed 6 weeks ago I was coming home from work and my oil light came on so when I got up the next morning I went out and checked the level of my oil and it was barely any oil in my car, so I immediately added the oil I needed to fill what was needed . I then started to monitor my oil levels and it seems that my car was using about a quart to a quart and a half every 6-7 days, I took my car to the mechanic shop and they told me return my back to the dealer because they have been seeing at least 3-4 Hyundia's weekly come in with the same problems. So today as I was coming home from work I tried to accelerate and my car just started sputtering and slowing down so I had to gradually accelerate while noticing my engine light flashing, so I had to drive 30mph in order to get to auto parts store to get the code read for the engine light and the guy told me that he also has seen a few these same codes on the Hyundia's lately. I think this really needs to be addressed immediately and put on the recall list , because this is a serious problem because my car stalling in the middle of the highway is not safe and causing people some real life head aches and serious out of pocket money that we don't have , so now my engine has completely shut down and I don't have a second vehicle and i have to get my car to the dealer tomorrow to see what can be done. Safety and taking ownership of the problem should be #1 priority .
Engine, Lane departure, Jun 7, 2024
The check hybrid system malfunction light and the blind spot detection came on january 13 2024 for the forth time towed to dealship they attempted repair then again same issue for the fifth March 23 2024 and the last time was today June 7 2024 was towed in.
Engine, May 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the check oil warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming 4-quarts of engine oil per week. The contact stated that the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but neither offered any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle would not immediately start. After finally starting the vehicle the check engine light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine gasket was faulty causing oil to leak from the engine. The engine gasket was replaced and the failure was remedied. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,000.
Exterior lighting, Engine, Apr 29, 2024, crash
The vehicle consumes a gallon of oil weekly. The spark plugs are having to be replaced every three months. The Low beams have been replaced and are working but the headlights are completely out and flashes on the dash board. I have Hi beam’s only. There is an electrical issue with the vehicle and is very dangerous to drive with the oil leaks that are continuously happening.
Engine, Lane departure, Apr 24, 2024
Less than 70,000 miles and engine is loosing oil
Engine, Apr 22, 2024, fire
The contact owns a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while parked and powered off, the vehicle was being refueled and connected to the fuel pump when she observed smoke coming from vents and from the engine compartment. The contact opened the hood of the vehicle and she observed fire emanating from the engine compartment. The gas station attendant extinguished the fire with an extinguisher. A police report was filed. The fire department was not called. The vehicle was towed to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
Engine, Apr 17, 2024
Engine oil consumption failure. My car would not even make it to the 3,000 mile oil change without the low oil warning light coming on. Brought it to D'Arcy Hyundai in Joliet, IL for the consumption test..after 1,000 miles my car was down 2 quarts! They then did a combustion chamber cleaning. This cleaning made it so my car lags as it's driving and wouldn't shift properly and before it even left the dealership, the starter went out. Brought it back and they claim that after 1,000 miles the oil reads FULL, not any oil used whatsoever-which isn't possible. They are now denying fixing the engine. I am furious and when I get stuck again due to the oil consumption issue, they will make me start all over again and it may not be covered due to being over the mileage shortly. (I have about 2,000 miles left of my warranty) My sister has a Kia and the same garbage was pulled with her vehicle! She also had issues after the combustion cleaning costing her a starter, battery and alternator. HYUNDAI and EVERY DEALERSHIP knows this issued exists and the recall should be made immediately without all of this garbage.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Apr 4, 2024
Starting in July 2023 I have noticed that the oil consumption for my car is racing through the engine. I barely make it 1000 miles before the oil is completely gone. After 2 local oil changes - I decided to take it to the Hyundai dealer where I purchased the car. This was in October - I have brought my car in 4 times for 1000 mile oil consumption tests. I had to add an additional visit due to the fact that Hyundai changed the testing standards. Now I have to bring it again today - Hyundai has not told me what the next step is other than I have to leave the car there all day - after they speak to tech support they will determine next steps. Most likely a combustion cleaning. Then I have to start the 1000 mile consumption tests again. I live 35 mins from the dealer - I have had to hire someone to take me there to leave car - and I then have to take mass transit to work. There are never any loaners because they are booked months in advance. I have had to rent numerous cars for long distance travel due to the mileage meter of 1000 miles on my car - I am not allowed to go over - if I do have to start all over again. That happened to me the first time. My car is crap at this point - I am not able to use it as I should be able to and Hyundai is giving us the run around. I have been contacted about trading it in and getting a new Hyundai - what a scam. I am not the only person - there are so many of us - follow the chats on Facebook and Reddit - nobody is helping us. The staff said if your engine seizes - that would be great. People are seizing on highways - that is very scary to me. Why is this not recalled yet?
Structure, Engine, Mar 26, 2024
Engine burns oils horribly. Cannot sell car due to oil issues. Paint is chipping on exterior of the vehicle.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 12, 2024, fire
The contact owned a 2019 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, smoke was present coming from the hood and a burning oil odor was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. Moments later while driving, flames were seen coming from under the hood before the vehicle stalled. After exiting the vehicle, the front of the vehicle burst into flames. The local fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed and later towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. A fire report was taken at the scene. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Mar 7, 2024
Everything was displayed in red on the front screen, it was automatically parked, and the steering wheel did not move. This happened late March/02/2024 last Saturday night, so I called AAA twice and had them toward to my house. March/04/2024 I called AAA on Monday and had my car toward to hyundai service. They gave me a $199.95 bill for finding the problem with my car. And they said they would contact me and let me know about the problem with my car in 3~4 days. I am an Uber driver, but I am currently unable to work because I don't have a car.
Engine, Feb 27, 2024
We keep getting an engine light every 2-3weeks. That sets the engine in a safe mode (limp mode). The code comes up Knock sensor overheat. Tho inspecting the engine we have notice in that time frame the car is low 1-2qts oil. Once the oil has either been replaced or added to and code reset it drives normal. Again until 2-3 weeks and bam. A course now we know to check our oil. After hours of research, we see no recalls for our car. Tho many years back that have had the exact same issue. The issues also came to light when car hit around 80k miles.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 19, 2024
The hybrid power system has stopped all together twice while driving once back in May 2021 and again in December 2022, the car has just under 50,000 miles. Both times this has happened the car was actively being driven, and has caused us to pull over on the side of the highway because there is no warning beforehand, everything from the power steering to the gas goes out. It’s terrifying and unsafe for anyone in the car but also near it when it happens.
Engine, Dec 7, 2023
There is excessive oil consumption with the engine in my car. Hyundai says 1qt per 1000 miles is “acceptable” however this is not acceptable and can lead to catastrophic engine failure and oil slick on roadways if not caught in time. This is a know problem with Hyundai/Kia at this time. In many cases Hyundai/Kia owners are left with a “lemon” of a new car that is currently in warranty. Some have been granted replacement engines that have not lasted 3000 miles. A recall must be issued in the name of safety on these cars. The manufacturer must be held accountable for the lack of quality that has been put out over the last decade.
Engine, Oct 29, 2023
I bought this car 1 year and 2 months ago from a Hyundai dealership. The car was close to 73,000 miles. A few days after I got the car I started hearing this noise that sounded like a rattle coming from the front while accelerating to about 2,000 RPM. Due to my work, I went back to the dealer after 1,000 miles and explained to them about the noise and they duplicate it. The engine was consuming oil when I bought the car, I went back to the dealer and never did any testing on oil consumption. The problem got worst and worst. I started a claim with Hyundai Corp and I waited for 4 months to the an approval and they are only covering 50% of the engine. Dealer says I have to pay $3,200 to start engine replacement process, with no payment plan. Now I have a debt of $17k and no car. Engine has no compression on cylinder 3, which causes a misfire and makes the car unsafe to drive and leaves me unemployed with a child and bills to take care of. Thank you Hyundai, nice job .
Engine, Aug 7, 2023
After a year of issues, burning oil, changing spark plugs, my engine is dead. Hyundai has ignored issues and many times refused to pay for oil, parts, etc passing all costs to me. I have a loan of 15k and no car. Called and emailed their case management team—no help, no reimbursements. I have no equity-No property left. This was my only mode of transportation. Due to their slowness, I had to buy a new car and spend money I was not scheduled to spend. The financial stress and lack safety and unprofessional manner from Hyundai is at a new level-ridiculous.