2018 Hyundai Sonata · symptom sheet
Engine stalls or loses power while driving
- 53owner reports
- 22,000median miles
- 2involved a crash
Newest report Sep 4, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
261 of the 373 complaints on this car are about the engine. 53 of those describe stalling.
Tick what matches of 53 reports
Stalling on other Sonata years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.
What this problem usually is
Stalling reports are some of the most alarming on the site. The engine quits while the car is moving, sometimes on a highway and sometimes at a stop. Many owners say it restarted right away and the dealer found no stored code, which is part of why these complaints pile up before anything gets fixed.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the ignition coil or plugs (11 reports), the engine (8 reports) and the fuel pump (4 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the engine covers the 2018 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Sonata
Loss of motive power. Closed dec 12, 2023.
Engine fires. Closed feb 5, 2024, led to recall 23V-877.
Non-crash vehicle fires. Closed dec 22, 2021, led to recall 20V-061.
Non-crash vehicle fires. Closed may 10, 2019, led to recall 18V-907.
Scope and timeliness. Closed dec 22, 2021, led to recall 17V-226.
Charging system failures. Closed oct 31, 1994.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 4,200 and 86,000 miles, from the 28 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 1 service bulletin or notice for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
If you are servicing a vehicle with a transmission slipping concern, follow the Service Procedure shown below and perform a stall test. This TSB provides a procedure to test each clutch in the transmission.
What owners wrote
“Intermittent no-crank, no-start condition. Dash lights illuminate, push-button start produces no response. Brake pedal applied. Vehicle becomes immobilized without warning. Iâve been stranded on multiple occasions. Unable to commute to work, or home. Most recently on December 19,2025 the car completely shut off while driving on the highway.”
Filed Dec 28, 2025
“Engine is failing, stalls frequently. Dealership where I bought the car will not help, other dealership advised us to drive the car until the engine fails. I do not feel safe driving this car with my children.”
Filed Nov 1, 2023
“My 2018 sonata has been stalling out while Iâm driving more so when I accelerate.I have a baby that Iâm scared to drive with in the car because it does it randomly. It has been happening more & more everyday. I got new parts/starter etc. No codes on dash. Have an appointment next week with Hyundai to take a look.”
Filed Jul 4, 2023
“Fuel pump started going out. My brothers vehicle also started going out too in the same vehicle as this. It's clearly a wide issue. Car stalls when gas is at half tank.”
Filed Mar 27, 2023
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 2 of 53 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 88 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 75 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 66 reports