Hyundai
Hyundai Sonata years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2015, 2016 and 2017. Best years: 2024.
The 2015, 2016 and 2017 Hyundai Sonata draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 1,144 complaints (95 for each year on the road), 2016 has 725 complaints (66 for each year on the road) and 2017 has 764 complaints (76 for each year on the road), against a median of 25 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is stalling (250 reports).
- 4,427complaints
- 28recall campaigns
- 11model years with a page
Newest report Sep 28, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2015
Most reported: stalling (250 reports, median 65,000 miles) and engine failure (226 reports, median 82,985 miles).
2016
Most reported: engine failure (191 reports, median 97,000 miles) and stalling (148 reports, median 82,015 miles).
2017
Most reported: engine failure (147 reports, median 83,000 miles) and oil consumption (131 reports, median 55,000 miles).
Best years
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 2015 has the most complaints of any Hyundai Sonata year here: 1,144 of 4,427 (26%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Engine failure leads in 3 of the 11 model years and has the most reports overall, 829. Pooled across the years, half of the 440 owners who gave a mileage for engine failure were under about 84,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 7% of Hyundai Sonata complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2014, 72 of its 722 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 1 of the 7 model years where owners report engine failure have a recall on the same system: 2014. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2023 at 619 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 557. So far in 2026, 398 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Seventh generation (LF)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 avoid | 1,144 | 95 | 9 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (250) | 58,076 |
| 2016 avoid | 725 | 66 | 6 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (191) | 70,000 |
| 2017 avoid | 764 | 76 | 3 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (147) | 53,000 |
| 2018 | 373 | 41 | 1 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (88) | 32,677 |
| 2019 | 161 | 20 | 0 | Burns oil or oil level rises (47) | 49,000 |
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
.jpg){kind=link}
Eighth generation (DN8)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 178 | 25 | 4 | Check engine light or misfire (25) | 12,000 |
| 2021 | 134 | 22 | 4 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (17) | 41,000 |
| 2022 | 93 | 19 | 3 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (14) | 15,000 |
| 2023 | 87 | 22 | 2 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (24) | 22,000 |
| 2024 best | 46 | 15 | 1 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (9) | 16,000 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2025 (16).
Year by year
2024 Hyundai Sonata best
46 owner complaints, 15 for each year on the road (0.6 times the model median). 1 report involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 1 recall: 24V-583 on the exterior lighting.
2023 Hyundai Sonata
87 owner complaints, 22 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (24 reports, median 9,500 miles) and misfire (22 reports, median 28,000 miles). 5 reports involved a crash. 2 recalls, including 25V-796 on the fuel system and 23V-526 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2022 Hyundai Sonata
93 owner complaints, 19 for each year on the road (0.7 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (14 reports) and misfire (11 reports). 8 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 25V-796 on the fuel system and 22V-746 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2021 Hyundai Sonata
134 owner complaints, 22 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (17 reports) and misfire (12 reports). 7 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 25V-796 on the fuel system and 22V-746 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2020 Hyundai Sonata
178 owner complaints, 25 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: misfire (25 reports, median 47,000 miles), stalling (18 reports) and seat belt (17 reports). 5 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 25V-796 on the fuel system and 20V-213 on the electrical system.
2019 Hyundai Sonata
161 owner complaints, 20 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: oil consumption (47 reports, median 69,895 miles), engine failure (32 reports, median 73,000 miles) and misfire (19 reports, median 81,000 miles). 8 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. No recalls.
2018 Hyundai Sonata
373 owner complaints, 41 for each year on the road (1.6 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (88 reports, median 22,000 miles), oil consumption (75 reports, median 57,000 miles) and misfire (66 reports, median 37,291 miles). 18 reports involved a crash and 20 people were hurt. 1 recall: 21V-619 on the latches and locks.
2017 Hyundai Sonata avoid
764 owner complaints, 76 for each year on the road (3.0 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (147 reports, median 83,000 miles), oil consumption (131 reports, median 55,000 miles) and stalling (116 reports, median 57,000 miles). 28 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 21V-749 on the exterior lighting and 21V-619 on the latches and locks.
2016 Hyundai Sonata avoid
725 owner complaints, 66 for each year on the road (2.6 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (191 reports, median 97,000 miles), stalling (148 reports, median 82,015 miles) and misfire (122 reports, median 97,000 miles). 19 reports involved a crash and 19 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 21V-749 on the exterior lighting and 17V-359 on the parking brake.
2015 Hyundai Sonata avoid
1,144 owner complaints, 95 for each year on the road (3.7 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (250 reports, median 65,000 miles), engine failure (226 reports, median 82,985 miles) and misfire (171 reports, median 79,000 miles). 34 reports involved a crash and 32 people were hurt. 9 recalls, including 14V-368 on the brakes (do not drive) and 14V-325 on the steering system (do not drive).
2014 Hyundai Sonata
722 owner complaints, 56 for each year on the road (2.2 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (141 reports, median 85,000 miles), engine failure (136 reports, median 96,000 miles) and misfire (65 reports, median 98,000 miles). 26 reports involved a crash and 31 people were hurt. 7 recalls, including 22V-312 on the fuel system and 20V-121 on the fuel system.
Recalls that cover several model years
A damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, melting the tank.
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 vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
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."
Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
In the affected vehicles, the warning light to indicate that the parking brake is applied may intermittently not illuminate in the dash due to corrosion in the switch.
Compare the Sonata with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Sonata vs Toyota Camry2014 to 2024
- Sonata vs Honda Accord2014 to 2024
- Sonata vs Nissan Altima2014 to 2024
- Sonata vs Kia K52021 to 2023
Questions
What Hyundai Sonata years should you avoid?
The 2015, 2016 and 2017 Hyundai Sonata draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2015 has 1,144 complaints (95 for each year on the road), 2016 has 725 complaints (66 for each year on the road) and 2017 has 764 complaints (76 for each year on the road), against a median of 25 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is stalling (250 reports).
What are the best years for the Hyundai Sonata?
The 2024 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 46, or 15 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?
Engine failure, with 829 reports across the 11 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2016, 2017 and 2018.
How many recalls does the Hyundai Sonata have?
28 recall campaigns cover the Hyundai Sonata model years 2014 to 2024 on this site. The widest, 25V-796 on the fuel system, covers 4 model years.
How many Hyundai Sonata complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
7% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2014 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for engine failure on the Hyundai Sonata?
On 1 of the 7 model years where owners report it: 2014.