Model record
Hyundai Sonata Years to Avoid: Reliability and Recalls
Every Hyundai Sonata model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025: how many complaints each year drew, the problem owners named most, and the recalls to check before you buy.
NHTSA owner complaintsChecked Oct 2, 202611,606 complaints16 model years
The Hyundai Sonata years with the most owner complaints are 2011, 2013 and 2012. Owners named the steering most for 2011, and the engine for 2013 and 2012.
It's a count of reports, not a failure rate, and the newest years have had less time on the road to collect them.
Most of the complaints fall in the 2011 to 2014 generation, the Sonata Hyundai called all-new for 2011, and they peak at 3,374 for 2011.
Hyundai Sonata complaints by model year
Every Hyundai Sonata model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025. Years with 2,000 or more complaints are dark; beside each bar is the system owners named most that year.
- 2010Body structure39%345
- 2011Steering34%3,374
- 2012Engine36%1,556
- 2013Engine38%1,903
- 2014Engine40%743
- 2015Engine54%1,139
- 2016Engine62%720
- 2017Engine50%761
- 2018Engine57%368
- 2019Engine53%159
- 2020Fuel and power delivery26%173
- 2021Engine27%128
- 2022Engine26%91
- 2023Fuel and power delivery44%85
- 2024Electrical system36%45
- 2025Braking system31%16
Best Hyundai Sonata years by complaint count
Of the years with at least five years on the road, these drew the fewest owner complaints. Fewer reports is not a clean bill of health: check the recalls for the exact car, and remember 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have had less time to collect complaints.
- 2021Engine · 4 recalls128
- 2019Engine · recalls not read159
- 2020Fuel and power delivery · 4 recalls173
Most common Hyundai Sonata problems
The systems owners named most across all 16 model years, counted from each year's six most-named systems.
- EngineNamed most in 10 of 16 years4,447
- SteeringNamed most in 1 of 16 years2,038
- Electrical systemNamed most in 1 of 16 years1,489
- Airbag systemNever the top system in a year610
- Exterior lightingNever the top system in a year587
Our guides for these problems
Check engine codes Hyundai Sonata owners name
The OBD-II codes owners wrote into their complaints for the Sonata years we have read in full (2011, 2012 and 2013), one count per complaint. None of these codes has a guide yet.
Hyundai Sonata years to avoid by generation
Hyundai called the 2011, 2015 and 2020 Sonata all-new, the 2020 its eighth generation, so the years in the file fall into four groups. NHTSA's file starts at 2010.
2010
Last year before the all-new 2011
2010 most complaints · body structure
- 2010345
345 complaints · 1 model year
2011–2014
All-new for 2011
2011 most complaints · steering
- 20113,374
- 20121,556
- 20131,903
- 2014743
7,576 complaints · 4 model years
2015–2019
All-new for 2015
2015 most complaints · engine
- 20151,139
- 2016720
- 2017761
- 2018368
- 2019159
3,147 complaints · 5 model years
2020–2025
All-new eighth generation for 2020
2020 most complaints · fuel and power delivery
- 2020173
- 2021128
- 202291
- 202385
- 202445
- 202516
538 complaints · 6 model years
Hyundai Sonata recalls by year
Recall campaigns NHTSA lists for each model year, read Oct 2, 2026. A campaign that covers several years counts in each of them. NHTSA's recall service returned no answer for 2019 and 2025, so those years are not counted. Recall repairs are free at the dealer; check one car with its VIN.
- 2010Most often: exterior lighting2
- 2011Most often: seat belts14
- 2012Most often: seat belts8
- 2013Most often: seat belts9
- 2014Most often: seat belts7
- 2015Most often: visibility9
- 2016Most often: airbag system6
- 2017Most often: airbag system3
- 2018Most often: latches and locks1
- 2019No answer from NHTSA—
- 2020Most often: electrical system4
- 2021Most often: fuel system4
- 2022Most often: fuel system3
- 2023Most often: powertrain2
- 2024Most often: exterior lighting1
- 2025No answer from NHTSA—
Hyundai Sonata crash test ratings by year
NHTSA's overall star rating for each model year, with the frontal, side and rollover stars beside it.
- 2010No overall rating—
- 2011Frontal 3–4 · Side 5 · Rollover 54–5/5
- 2012Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2013Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2014Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2015Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2016Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2017Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2018Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2019Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2020Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2021Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2022Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2023Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2024Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
- 2025Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 55/5
Federal investigations
NHTSA's defect office has opened 13 investigations into 12 problems that cover Hyundai Sonata model years from 2010 to 2025. An investigation looks into a possible defect; it is not a finding.
Common questions
What are the Hyundai Sonata years to avoid?
The years with the most owner complaints are 2011, 2013 and 2012. Treat them as the years to inspect hardest, not as a verdict on every car: run the VIN for open recalls and have the systems owners named checked before you buy.
What year is the most reliable Hyundai Sonata?
Complaints can't name a most reliable year, because the file counts reports, not failures per car sold. Of the years with at least five years on the road, 2021 drew the fewest complaints: 128. Newer years have fewer still, but they have had less time to collect them.
What is the most common problem with the Hyundai Sonata?
Across every year in the file, owners named the engine most, in 4,447 complaints, then the steering, in 2,038.
Which Hyundai Sonata years have the most recalls?
2011, 2013 and 2015, with 14, 9 and 9 recall campaigns.
Sonata year pages
20113,374What the complaint record can't tell you
Sources
Show all 5 sources
Counts by system and year cover vehicles with at least 10 complaints.