10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
10 / 58
Injuries / Deaths:
13 / 0
Average Mileage:
59,405 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Hyundai Sonata engine problems

engine problem

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2012 Hyundai Sonata Owner Comments (Page 6 of 26)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #414

Mar 032022

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving and DoorDashing for money when all of a sudden there was a weird knocking noise, causing all of the lights on my dash to turn on. I had just taken my car in for an oil change 2 days prior to an independent service center. This was the first time this situation occurred. I had never dealt with it before. I went to make a left to get out of the road and a burning smell started to occur and my entire car died in the turning lane. I was stuck in the lane for about an hour until a tow truck came and towed me to Huffines Hyundai Plano. While there they told me I had a lot of recalls and they would take care of them. About a week later they called me to tell me that my entire engine had seized up and failed and my recall was denied due to a software update campaign back in 2015 that I did not do. I have been to multiple Hyundai Dealerships since 2015 and was never informed of the severity of this recall, nor was I told if I didn't get such a software update that if my engine did indeed fail they would deny fixing their mistake to begin with. I had no idea of the important of this software update and really don't understand how it comes down on me that metal shards potentially were left in the engine, causing to dislodge and ruin my engine. It was incredibly sudden and I have only put 50,000 miles on the car in 7 years since owning it. The dealership also kept bringing up my warranty as if that had anything to do with this recall that is out for the engine.

- Rowlett, TX, USA

problem #413

Mar 252022

Sonata

  • miles
As I was driving on the highway, my car engine stalled and all the interior dashboard lights came on. I was unable to accelerate although all other features of my car worked (steering, brakes, radio, bluetooth, etc...). I was barely able to get off the highway safely as the highway I was on had no shoulder that was safely accessible. Luckily, I was in the far right lane already which allowed me to exit the highway. I was just barely able to exit the highway and move to the middle and far right lane of the service road before my car came to a complete stop. I attempted to turn my car off and back on without success. At this point, I could start to smell burning of something and knew I needed to exit the car immediately, however, I was unable to do so due to traffic on the driver side of my car. I noticed smoke coming from my engine which prompted to me to jump out of the car without continuing to pay attention to the traffic that was passing me. I called 911 to alert them of my car impeding traffic, potentially causing another wreck, and the potential that my car may be on fire. After making those statements to dispatch, flames shot forward from my hood and I was able to move away from my car. The fire department arrived on scene but not before the flames had reached 12+ feet as they were taller than the fire truck. The firefighters were able to put out the flames. My car engine was completely melted from the fire. At this point, the dealership, insurance agent or any other representative has determined a cause of the fire or has looked at my car. No warning lights to indicate a malfunction was visible prior to the incident. No noises or engine malfunctions were noted prior to the incident.

- Rowlett, TX, USA

problem #412

Dec 062016

Sonata

  • miles
My 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid has not had any resolution after the motor seized in 2016. The dealership service department said the motor needed to be replaced in 2016 but refused to honor the warranty. I drove the car part way home when the motor seized on the highway. At that time I made multiple attempts for Hyundai to honor the warranty. The Sonata had 58,708 miles on it. It had to be towed has been in storage since that time. Hyundai since has placed a recall on the motor. The Hyundai customer care center is refusing to cover the cost of towing and loaner vehicle while -??they check it out to see if it covered under the recall-??. I would like to know what rights I have" Will I need to initiate a law suit to get resolution? My VIN indicates it is included in the recall. I contacted a Hyundai dealership who stated they would get back with me also. They also have not contacted me to date. Six years has passed and Hyundai has been fined billions according to your website yet they do not respond in any reasonable fashion. Do have have any information about what they are required to do for someone in my position" It has been pointed out to me that many other parts will need replacing such as the hybrid battery, connectors, hoses and so on due to the time lapse which Hyundai purposely created by their refusal to act in a timely manner. I am making a complaint against them for the above reasons.

- Wellington, TX, USA

problem #411

Feb 162022

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Engine failed per hyundai recall September 2nd 2015 engine should be repaired or replaced. Hyundai is refusing to honor recall.

- North Branch, MN, USA

problem #410

Mar 162022

Sonata

  • miles
Limp mode on the 16th of march, no symptoms prior to entering limp mode. Check engine light was illuminated and blinking & a knocking sound came from under the hood, along with not being able to get over 1800 rpms before having to shift. Drove back home until the next day on march 17th went to try to take it to a manufacturing company and did not make it. While in the middle of driving it had a loud bang under hood and left me on side the road. Could not crank it again.

- Kinston, AL, USA

problem #409

Mar 162022

Sonata

  • miles
I was driving inner city about 40 mph on 3/16/22. Vehicle lost power while driving. There were no warning signs, no check engine light, nothing. It just died while driving. I was nearly hit in the back by another vehicle with my 2 small grandchildren in the back seat. I was stuck in middle of road with 2 grandchildren at night in the dark around 8pm in the rain. The roads are slippery and wet during rain. Many cars passing had to jump over without warning because my car was just sitting in the middle of road. It was not safe for me and my grandchildren to get out of the car as it was heavily raining. I got out and stood on side the car until a passer by in a car pulled over to help me push the car out of the middle of the street until the tow truck arrived. Tow truck finally arrived 2 hours later. This car always stalls with no warning and did not crank. It had to be towed to nearby repair shop. My grandchildren and I had to find a ride back home.

- Clayton, NC, USA

problem #408

Jan 042022

Sonata

  • 122,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, she noticed that the vehicle had started decelerating before stalling without warning. The contact was able to pull off the road to a parking lot and park the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and then to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine had seized and needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 122,000.

- West Haven, CT, USA

problem #407

Jan 182021

Sonata

  • miles
I keep getting this error message Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do not Drive with the caution symbol. I have take it to the dealership 5 times and they do not see anything wrong. Usually the message flash for a few seconds and then go away. Today it did something different. The display keep alternating with Check charging system and Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do not Drive along with a beeping sound. I had to pull over and restart the car. I travel in rural areas for work, and I am so afraid my car is going to stop in the middle on nowhere. When I googled the error message it appears so many other Sonata owners from 2011-2014 are experiencing the same problem. I have reported this to Hyundai warranty, but when they contact the dealership, they tell them nothing is wrong with my car. Please advise of what to do.

- Fort Mitchell, AL, USA

problem #406

Jan 042021

Sonata

  • 94,750 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after fully refilling the gas tank at the gas station, and driving at 40-55 MPH, he smelled a strong gasoline odor inside the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle. Upon investigating the failure, the contact noticed that each time he fully refilled the gas tank, in addition to the smell, the vehicle would shudder for 3-5 min while driving. Additionally, the contact noticed that gas was leaking onto the driver's side rear wheel well whenever the gas tank was fully refilled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with evap failure. The dealer informed the contact to check his gas cap; however, the contact stated that the fuel cap was new and was a manufacturer-approved gas cap. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V121000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was approximately 94,750.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #405

Mar 032022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle then lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the engine oil. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER AUTHORIZED A NEW ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED.

- Altamonte Springs, FL, USA

problem #404

Feb 012022

Sonata

  • 84,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that occasionally while driving 66 MPH and other speeds, the vehicle lost power and decelerated. The contact stated that the power steering was still functional during the failure. There was no warning light illuminated. The accelerator pedal was depressed several times and the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was happening more frequently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic did not recover any fault codes. The mechanic duplicated the failure and informed the contact that there was a hesitation in the engine instead of a loss of motive power. The fuel injectors were cleaned however, the failure recurred. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

- East Meadow, NY, USA

problem #403

Dec 162021

Sonata

  • miles
1. The engine failed due to rod knock - rod bearing wear/damage. This vehicle is in the possession of Killeen Hyundai. 2. This engine failure occurred on the highway while my family and I were traveling. 3. The Killeen dealership has confirmed this information over the phone but we do not have documentation of this. We are unable to contact the dealership for any updates or statuses for 2 months now. 4. unknown 5. No warning lights or indicator appeared prior to the issue. This occurred on 12-16-2021.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #402

Feb 012022

Sonata

  • miles
On January 29th I was driving my 2012 Hyundai Sonata to my dads and the check engine light was on. We used a scanner to see what codes were present and there were none so we cleared the light. On February 1st we were driving back from getting tires put on the car and getting the inspection done and the engine seized up with no warning while driving. We got the car towed to freysinger Hyundai in mechanicsburg pa and when they looked over the car they stated that it failed the bearing test and due to the engine failure recall on my car Hyundai should replace it. Hyundai is denying the engine replacement because of the previous owner didn-??t do the ecm update when that has nothing to do with the bearings and oil in the car.

- Petersburg , PA, USA

problem #401

Jan 282022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
2012 Hyundai Sonata. Consumer writes in regards to engine failure. The consumer stated while the vehicle was being driven, it shut off causing the driver to crash into a curb. The right front wheel of the vehicle was bent. The consumer requested information pertaining to any recalls.

- Thomaston, GA, USA

problem #400

Nov 012021

Sonata 4-cyl

  • 120,000 miles
The contact's son owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while her son was driving at various speeds, an abnormal knocking noise would emit from the engine without warning. Upon investigation, her son discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V568000 (Engine) which he linked to the failure. Her son then took the vehicle to a dealer where he was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was also notified, and her son was informed that the recall on the vehicle had expired. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. The VIN was not available.

- New Smyrna Beach, FL, USA

problem #399

Dec 172021

Sonata

  • miles
While driving the car started smoking white smoke and locked up. I was unable to get off roadway and almosred caused wreck. Had vehicle towed to dealership they said ut had a recall on it for engine failure. Checked the engine and it was locked up. They submitted the engine replace to hyundai and they denied because I didn't have a software update done prior to engine failure. Had no warning at all.

- Owensboro, KY, USA

problem #398

Jan 042022

Sonata

  • miles
After an oil change, my car started losing power at the gas and suddenly turned off on me while I was driving and never turned back on! When I tried turning my car back on my engine started smoking

- Delano, CA, USA

problem #397

Dec 312021

Sonata

  • miles
After the recent recall repairs, the car started to intermittently getting a message on the dashboard saying -??Hybrid System Warning - Safely stop and do not drive-?? and -??Check brakes-?? and the brake lights came on with a loud chiming beep, the car would stop accelerating and would not go beyond 10 mph, also the breaks would fail to apply correctly and made a loud screeching sound when applied. It used to do have this issue without any warning, while driving or stopped at the light, without any distinguishing pattern. However, it used to go away when the car was restarted multiple times. However now the message is on continuously and doesn-??t go away with the restarting the car. After taking to the dealership, they said that the repairs would cost $3000 as the Hydraulic Power Assembly unit has failed. After looking for the issue online, I have found that a lot of the 2011-14 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid have this same issue and seems to be a manufacturing defect. This is a huge life risk for the owners of this car since it can happen while on the freeway and pose a life threatening risk to their life. It is also a huge financial burden for the owners for a manufacturing defect. I would like you to investigate these issues and provide us with a appropriate solution.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #396

Dec 022021

Sonata 4-cyl

  • 148,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was awaiting a diagnosis. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V568000 (Engine) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000. Consumer was told by the dealer engine was gone and case number [XXX] was issued. On 12/22/21 Hyundai denied coverage, stating it wasn't associated with Recall/Campaign 132. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).-??

- Leesburg, VA, USA

problem #395

Dec 032021

Sonata

  • miles
Check engine light started flashing. Drove approximately.5 miles home then towed to Brown's Hyundai of Leesburg dealership on 12/06/2021. Advised on 12/22/2021 Hyundai will not cover repair of engine and said it was not covered by their recall. Dealership described problems as those listed in the recall. "Metal shavings" seen.

- Leesburg, VA, USA

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