Hyundai
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2016, 2017 and 2021. Best years: 2020.
The 2016, 2017 and 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 132 complaints (12 for each year on the road), 2017 has 80 complaints (8 for each year on the road) and 2021 has 55 complaints (9 for each year on the road), against a median of 4 a year across the 8 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2016 is hybrid system (59 reports).
- 320complaints
- 13recall campaigns
- 4model years with a page
Newest report Sep 21, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2016
Most reported: hybrid system (59 reports, median 80,000 miles) and engine failure (31 reports, median 89,000 miles).
2017
Most reported: hybrid system (44 reports, median 80,000 miles) and stalling (18 reports, median 80,000 miles).
2021
Most reported: dead battery (22 reports) and hybrid system (22 reports).
Best years
2020
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2016 has the most complaints of any Hyundai Sonata Hybrid year here: 132 of 320 (41%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem changes over time: hybrid system from 2015 to 2017; dead battery in 2021. Pooled across the years, half of the 91 owners who gave a mileage for hybrid system were under about 75,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 6% of Hyundai Sonata Hybrid complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 4 model years where owners report hybrid system has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2024 at 49 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 27. So far in 2026, 17 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
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Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2014 (25), 2020 (16), 2022 (19), 2023 (15), 2025 (11).
Year by year
2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid avoid
55 owner complaints, 9 for each year on the road (2.2 times the model median). Most reported: dead battery (22 reports), hybrid system (22 reports) and overheating (14 reports). 1 report involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 25V-796 on the fuel system and 22V-746 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid avoid
80 owner complaints, 8 for each year on the road (1.9 times the model median). Most reported: hybrid system (44 reports, median 80,000 miles), stalling (18 reports, median 80,000 miles) and engine failure (16 reports, median 90,000 miles). 1 report involved a crash. 3 recalls, including 21V-727 on the engine and 21V-749 on the exterior lighting.
2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid avoid
132 owner complaints, 12 for each year on the road (2.9 times the model median). Most reported: hybrid system (59 reports, median 80,000 miles), engine failure (31 reports, median 89,000 miles) and stalling (23 reports, median 66,500 miles). 4 reports involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 5 recalls, including 20V-746 on the engine and 21V-749 on the exterior lighting.
2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
53 owner complaints, 4 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: hybrid system (28 reports, median 74,680 miles), stalling (18 reports, median 75,000 miles) and brake wear (14 reports). 4 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 23V-651 on the brakes and 17V-617 on the seat belts.
Recalls that cover several model years
The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.
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."
Due to a bonding issue with the sunroof wind deflector, the sunroof panel on the affected vehicles may detach while driving.
Questions
What Hyundai Sonata Hybrid years should you avoid?
The 2016, 2017 and 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 132 complaints (12 for each year on the road), 2017 has 80 complaints (8 for each year on the road) and 2021 has 55 complaints (9 for each year on the road), against a median of 4 a year across the 8 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2016 is hybrid system (59 reports).
What are the best years for the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid?
The 2020 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 16, or 2 for each year on the road. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid?
Hybrid system, with 153 reports across the 4 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2015, 2016 and 2017.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid have?
13 recall campaigns cover the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid model years 2015 to 2021 on this site. The widest, 16V-726 on the visibility, covers 2 model years. NHTSA files recalls for the Sonata Hybrid under the base model, so these are the base model's recalls.
How many Hyundai Sonata Hybrid complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
6% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site.
Is there a recall for hybrid system on the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid?
No. None of the 4 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.