10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
24,589 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.

2016 Hyundai Sonata brakes problems

brakes problem

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2016 Hyundai Sonata Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #36

Jul 172023

Sonata

  • miles

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

I am writing to bring to your attention a critical issue affecting my 2016 HYUNDAI SONATA 4 DOOR SEDAN, that warrants investigation and public awareness. Hyundai cars are currently plagued by ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEMS that ultimately lead to ENGINE FAILURE, due to there being NO WARNING LAMPS, MESSAGES, or OTHER SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. This is a concerning issue that remains largely unknown to most customers. When these issues arise, car owners such as myself, are often left with uncooperative dealerships that either deny the problem or offer minimal assistance. Even Hyundai corporate and extended warranties fail to provide adequate support, frequently citing owner negligence as a reason for denial. This occurs despite the fact that engine sludge buildup is inevitable, even with consistent car maintenance. Furthermore, I am forced to endure long waiting times for MY 2016 HYUNDAI SONATA 4 DOOR SEDAN, THAT HAS BEEN INSPECTED and, then DENIED FOR an ENGINE REPLACEMENT, and face additional months of delay for them to explain why. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of loaner vehicles and no assurance of rental reimbursement. This leaves countless individuals burdened with repair payments for stranded vehicles. My personal experience has been with Ourisman Hyundai, and many others have voiced similar grievances. Numerous complaints have been filed with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), yet little action has been taken to aid the thousands of people who are experiencing the same problems to rectify this issue. It is imperative that ATTENTION is drawn to this matter as HYUNDAI'S approach to selling cars with HIDDEN ENGINE ISSUES PUTS CUSTOMERS AT SAFETY RISK AND places them in DIRE and DEADLY HARM. I implore all News Media outlets to conduct an investigation into these concerns and help shed light on a situation that demands immediate attention

- Bowie, MD, USA

problem #35

Oct 122023

Sonata

  • miles
My husband (Scott) was driving the car on Florida highway 408 eastbound approaching the exit 21 on 10/12/2023 around 8 am. Scott heard something pop suddenly and saw fire shooting out from both sides of the car in the rearview mirrors. Upon noticing the fire, he tried to slow down to pull over the car, but brakes failed (went to the floor). A police officer on the road happened to see the fire so he drove next to my husband's car and Scott yelled at officer that he had no brakes. The officer went ahead of Scott to help Scott's car slow down. When approaching uphill slopes by the exit, Scott was finally able to use the emergency brakes to come to a complete stop. The fire engine came right away and put out the fire which took over 20 minutes. My husband is handicapped and him walking away from such car catastrophic fire unharmed was near miracle. Two weeks before the fire, I happened to take the car in for checkup at Greenway Hyundai Orlando and the 2.5 hour inspection found nothing wrong with my car. I wanted my car checked because my car stalled briefly pulling out of a parking space a few days earlier.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #34

Aug 062023

Sonata

  • miles
Bought the car on 08/20/2022. On 09/07/2022 we took the car back to Allen Turner because the engine light was flashing and the car would not go over a certain speed. There were metal shavings in the oil. It was throwing code P1326. They did an update on car and told me the cylinder walls were scored but the motor had a lifetime warranty no matter what happened to it. Every time we would have the oil changed, we would have to add 3 quarts of oil every 10-15 days. The vehicle stalled out at a very busy intersection nearly causing a wreck with my teenage daughter driving. Had it towed to dealership and they said it needed a new motor because it has one of the defective motors in it according to the VIN. Then they told me it was oil consumption and they could replace spark plugs and oil and it would be drivable but it would stall, it would break down and the motor will seize. It is only a matter of time. Hyundai will not honor the warranty on it because the motor is not seized up. The service manager told me to drive it until it seizes and then they would cover the engine replacement. The vehicle is not safe to operate. It is a safety hazard for anyone to drive. Hyundai will not stand behind their products when they already know it is defective.

- Milton, FL, USA

problem #33

May 022023

Sonata

  • miles

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

I just got my car out the shop on April 29th at a Hyundai dealer and on may 2nd was driving on highway my check engine came back on and my speed decreased on its own almost causing a wreck then my car would only go 20mph in a 70 mph zone I have contacted Hyundai they refuse to do anything

- Owensboro , KY, USA

problem #32

Jul 102023

Sonata

  • miles
This vehicle had a complete engine failure. Since it is a hybrid, when the engine shut down, the vehicle lost all power. The driver had no control over steering or brakes. The vehicle crashed through three trees and into a house. Hyundai Motors of America and NHTSA are aware of the issues with this vehicle's engine, however, this engine was already replaced. The problem was that the "limp mode" did not enact in this specific car. I brought this to Hyundai's attention at least 20 times and expressed my concern about the threat this vehicle posed to me and anyone else on the road, yet they continued to ignore me or attempt to rectify the issue. This vehicle was part of the class action lawsuit. I was told, after the seventh time the vehicle broke down (fourth time after engine replacement) that Hyundai would buy back the vehicle. That never happened. The vehicle shut down without "limp/safe mode", with an entire loss of power eight times and was brought into the dealership. Hyundai refused to help me. I knew it would end in disaster, and it did. I'm sure my vehicle is not the only one that does not have a safe mode taking effect when the power shuts off and there is no steering or brakes at 70 mph. I am using the date for the last time the vehicle shut off and the driver lost control and hit a house. However, there are eight other times this happened. I have more information and documentation if needed. I'm attaching my first claim, documents collected after that claim, the accident report (did not have photos attached, the photos are from the scene when I went there the next day), and all email conversations with Hyundai since the first engine failure. My big concern here is that even though Hyundai did try to repair the recall issues, they ignored everything else. I told them over and over that the limp mode did not work. This made it morally impossible for me to sell, even if I wanted to. They refused to help. I worry there may be others out there with this issue.

- Kenosha, WI, USA

problem #31

Jul 302023

Sonata

  • miles
While driving on the highway, there was a sudden beep sound followed by the ABS light, the brake lights turning on, and the traction control light turning on. The vehicle keeps moving and the breaks are not working, and the brake pedal is too tight to press. To avoid a collision on the highway, I used the emergency brake to stop the vehicle If I turn off the engine and then turn it back on, I can drive, but again the same problem begins, and we must use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. A local Hyundai dealer has been notified about this issue, but it has been 3 days since they have not been able to resolve

- Jackson Heights, NY, USA

problem #30

Jun 012023

Sonata

  • miles

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

Upon entering the roadway, both of my brake taillights went out on my vehicle. The left, driver side bulb had been replaced within the last year, however, both brake lights stopped working at the same time. This happened in front of an officer who then pulled me over.

- Savannah, GA, USA

problem #29

Apr 122023

Sonata

  • miles
Please contact me for more details on issues and info on this dealership (Kendall Hyndai in Miami I know there something wrong with the way they-??re responding to this very dangerous brake issue-??s before it cause l serious injuries or. fatalities Took the car to dealership with an abs light on and stop check brakes light as well had total brake failure after running diagnostic the said I need to change the pressure source unit which cost me 4k after picking up vehicle and driving a few mile had same issue happen they said I need to change both rear bearing sensors which is another. 1500 iam feeling like this is a very serious issue and the are just charging me as much as they can. I called another dealer close by and found that they charged way less labor and parts fees example ~ was charged 289 an hour other dealer 190 plus less hour as well the parts were same issue paid 2159 for pressure source unit and other dealer was 1900 plus a shipping fee of 100 to get it faster the other dealer said the don-??t charge for that in other words the dealer I went to Kendall Hyndai was way over charging for every aspect of my issue this unexceptable to me and should be looked into!!!! This more importantly is a dangerous problem when you lose breaks unexpectedly which could cause serious bodily harm to one self and the second part of the dealer charging way more than reasonable prices is also unbelievable and disturbing as well

- Coral Gables, FL, USA

problem #28

Apr 042023

Sonata

  • 135,982 miles
ABS system lights up and stop car and check brakes flashes loss of brakes completely!!!!

- Coral Gables, FL, USA

problem #27

Mar 242023

Sonata

  • 107,525 miles
Car was leaking oil I reported to Hyundai and service repair shop had to take it back 3 times due to them neglecting to listen to me oil got into other parts and I had to get 7 things fix also after having back for 1 day the brakes and electric is not working properly engine also fails to accelerate correctly

- Owensboro, KY, USA

problem #26

Sep 222022

Sonata

  • miles

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

Had previous issue with HEV warning light and took to dealer. But While driving down the road last night, the HEV light on the dash comes on and beeps, the car sputters then the brakes slam on and the car immediately shut off in the travel lane. Turn car back on put into drive and same thing happens. Vehicle was towed to Dealer.

- Dubois, PA, USA

problem #25

Jul 192022

Sonata

  • miles
ABS light has been on since the car had under 40k miles on it...I took it in and they won't repair without cost to myself although my car was under warranty. I had it looked at again at 79k miles and they still won't do anything about it. This also affects (according to them) how the transmission shifts which is a really hard shift when accelerating. I have had animals (deer and dogs) jump in front of me while driving and my brakes lock up and cause me to swerve out of control.

- Ellijay, GA, USA

problem #24

Apr 262022

Sonata

  • 91,000 miles
The contact called on behalf of the driver. The contact owned a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while the driver was driving approximately 30 MPH the vehicle braking system functionality completely failed. Then shortly after there was smoke exhausted from the hood. There were no warning lights. The driver was able to cruise to the nearest parking, got the vehicle down to 5 MPH, and forced the brakes on. Upon exiting the vehicle the smoke became more intense and spread in the cab. The vehicle was destroyed by the fire. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. There was a police report filed. There were no major injuries; just minor smoke inhaled. The vehicle was towed to the wrecking yard. There were no medical reports. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #23

Apr 012021

Sonata

  • miles
2016 Hyundai Sonata Limited 2.0, 62,000 miles Ive had my vehicle to the dealers 3 times for a soft pedal /no brakes. They said they cant fix it. The said they replaced the entire abs system but there is no record of it. They said they put all new brakes lines on. They gave me my car back both times and I avoided a few major accidents. They have had my vehicle for 4 months. The owner will not respond to my call or email. They said an engineer from the factory was coming wendnesday 10/6/2021 and I'm not sure I believe them.

- Carol Stream, IL, USA

problem #22

Jul 032019

Sonata

  • 36,000 miles
Rear brakes are never applied evenly. Every time car brakes it lurches forward between times when it feels like the brakes are engaging. This happens when the vehicle is in motion on both city streets and highway. When going above 45 mph the steering wheel will also shake after brakes are engaged.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #21

Oct 072020

Sonata

  • 80,000 miles
The engine loses power. I almost got hit merging onto the highway. The oil light keeps coming on right after I get an oil change. The sensor for lane departure does not work. This can cause deaths it needs to be fixed Hyundai of greer will not fix the issue. I almost died. I have stopped payments on the vehicle and I have purchased a new one. I refuse to drive this death trap.

- Woodruff, SC, USA

problem #20

Mar 022021

Sonata

  • 62,000 miles
While driving car loses power, foot is on the gas car will not move. Then jerks. Car is in reverse and it still moves forward

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #19

Jan 072020

Sonata

  • 0 miles
Parking break light not showing when it is applied my car is a hybrid and that's why dealer said recall no 164 doesn't apply to my vehicle, even though I have the same problem and same vehicle only because my vehicle is hybrid dealer refused to repair my car

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #18

Dec 262019

Sonata

  • 80,000 miles
Driving to airport in car. Just pulled in to freeway after stopping at store 45 mins into drive. My 3016 Sonata hybrid limited started making a knocking sound. My boyfriend who is a mechanic recognized it immediatly. Then suddenly engine made loud noise and parts and oil flew all over behind us from underneath car. He managed to get it off road without us getting hit.waited 4 hours for tow that was covered by warranties I purchased. Hyundai tried to state that only 2 people could ride in tow truck. So one person (there were 2 adults and a child) would have to wait in middle of nowhere while other 2 went the hour back home with tow truck and then came the hour back. There wasn't a gas station or anything around. The car is in shop waiting to see what warranty says about it needing a new engine. All maintenance was done and was in Hyundai shop 5 weeks prior with ABS unit needing replaced. There was no warning light or engine light that alerted us to a possible issue.

- Sinton, TX, USA

problem #17

Apr 082019

Sonata 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 8,020 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. While driving 30 mph, the rear passenger brake seized 3 times before the incident on 4-8-19 were those times it corrected itself but the last time it happened the right rear tire locked up and the car would not move. The vehicle dragged onto the street as the other three tires spun out. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to transittowne Hyundai (7420 transit rd, williamsville, NY 14221, (716) 634-3000) to be diagnosed; however, the test could not read the codes. The dealer installed a new rear brake caliper. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,020..

- Amherst, NY, USA

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