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Hyundai Sonata Problems by Year

Which Hyundai Sonata years have the most owner complaints, what goes wrong, and how many recalls each year has.

Hyundai Sonata, 2020 to 2024 model years
Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0

Owners have filed 7,968 complaints with NHTSA about the Hyundai Sonata from 2012 to 2024. Across every year, the most reported problem areas are the engine and cooling, the electrical system and the steering. The years with the most complaints are 2013, 2012 and 2015.

Years to avoid

The most complaints compared with other Sonata years.

Safer bets

Clearly fewer complaints than a typical Sonata year. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate.

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Complaints by year

Tap a year to see its most reported problems, its recalls and what to check before you buy. Newer years have had less time on the road, so they always look better here. Red marks the worst years, orange years worse than most, and green the better ones.

Every year at a glance

YearVs. other yearsComplaintsRecallsMost reported
2012 SonataAmong the worst years1,5598Engine and cooling
2013 SonataAmong the worst years1,9189Engine and cooling
2014 SonataAbout average7507Engine and cooling
2015 SonataWorse than most years1,1569Engine and cooling
2016 SonataAbout average7306Engine and cooling
2017 SonataAbout average7693Engine and cooling
2018 SonataOne of the better years3751Engine and cooling
2019 SonataOne of the better years1620Engine and cooling
2020 SonataOne of the better years1834Fuel system
2021 SonataOne of the better years1354Engine and cooling
2022 SonataToo new to judge963Fuel system
2023 SonataToo new to judge882Fuel system
2024 SonataToo new to judge471Electrical system

Hyundai Sonata questions

What are the worst Hyundai Sonata years?

Compared with its other years, the Sonata years with the most owner complaints to NHTSA are 2012 and 2013. The most reported problem area across all years is the engine and cooling.

What are the best Hyundai Sonata years?

The Sonata years with clearly fewer complaints than a typical year are 2019, 2020 and 2021. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly, since complaints keep coming in as cars age.

What are the most common Hyundai Sonata problems?

Across 2012 to 2024, owners report problems with the engine and cooling, the electrical system and the steering most often. Each model year has its own pattern, so check the year you are looking at.

How many recalls does the Hyundai Sonata have?

NHTSA lists 57 recalls across the 2012 to 2024 Sonata, counted per model year. A recall can cover several years.

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Where these numbers come from. Complaints are reports that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counted from NHTSA’s complaint database as of November 5, 2026. Owners do not have to prove a problem to file one, so a complaint is a report, not a confirmed defect. Models that sell in big numbers get more complaints, and newer model years have had less time on the road, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Recalls come from NHTSA’s recall database and cover every vehicle of that model year, not one particular car. Quotes are trimmed, and anything that looks like a VIN is hidden.