Your vehicle report
2016 Hyundai Sonata
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 728
- Received Jan 2016 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine burns excessive oil between changes134 complaints · 18% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine stalls and loses power while driving74 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine knocking from rod or main bearings32 complaints · 4.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #21V749000Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sonata, 2016-2017 Sonata Hybrid, and Sonata Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. 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.
- Recall #17V359000Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Sonata and Genesis vehicles. 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Engine burns excessive oil between changesFirst signal: Dec 2019
- Engine stalls and loses power while drivingFirst signal: Nov 2016
- Engine knocking from rod or main bearingsFirst signal: Dec 2020
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 19 crashes, 28 fires, 19 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 25 |
| 2017 | 23 |
| 2018 | 22 |
| 2019 | 51 |
| 2020 | 50 |
| 2021 | 85 |
| 2022 | 111 |
| 2023 | 152 |
| 2024 | 65 |
| 2025 | 92 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 52 |
| Total | 728 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 134 | 18% | 13.1× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Dec 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.5% |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 74 | 10% | 5.9× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Nov 2016 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.5% |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 32 | 4.4% | 4.9× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Dec 2020 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.1% |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 31 | 4.3% | 3× | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 23 | 3.2% | 1.2× | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 20 | 2.8% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 18 | 2.5% | – | |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 16 | 2.2% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 15 | 2.1% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 14 | 1.9% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 12 | 1.7% | 1.2× | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 11 | 1.5% | 0.6× | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 10 | 1.4% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 9 | 1.2% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 8 | 1.1% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 7 | 1.0% | – | NHTSA recall #16V232000, #16V615000 |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 7 | 1.0% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 6 | 0.8% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 6 | 0.8% | – | NHTSA recall #15V678000 |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 5 | 0.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #21V749000September 24, 2021469,377 vehicles affected
electrical system: software; exterior lighting: turn signal
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sonata, 2016-2017 Sonata Hybrid, and Sonata Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. 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.
A turn signal that activates in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will update the SJB software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 210.
NHTSA recall #17V359000June 5, 2017161,074 vehicles affected
parking brake: indicator light
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Sonata and Genesis vehicles. 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.
If the parking brake indicator is not illuminated when the parking brake is applied, the driver may operate the vehicle with the parking brake partially engaged, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the parking brake switch, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 164.
NHTSA recall #16V726000October 11, 201662,811 vehicles affected
visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicles manufactured December 8, 2014, to August 18, 2015, and Hyundai Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to March 18, 2016, equipped with the panoramic sunroof option. Due to a bonding issue with the sunroof wind deflector, the sunroof panel on the affected vehicles may detach while driving.
If the sunroof detaches from the vehicle it could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair the wind deflector anchor plate, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 152.
NHTSA recall #16V615000August 24, 20161,031 vehicles affected
air bags
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 28, 2016 through April 12, 2016. The affected vehicles have a driver-side frontal air bag that may not adequately protect the driver's neck from injury in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
A frontal air bag that does not adequately protect the driver's neck may increase their risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 148.
NHTSA recall #16V232000April 21, 201633 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 29, 2014 to February 11, 2016, 2017 Elantra vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016 to February 22, 2016, and one 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicle manufactured October 15, 2015. In these vehicles, the driver's frontal air bag may be missing a chemical enhancer required for the second stage air bag deployment, resulting in the second stage not deploying in certain crashes. The primary stage will deploy as intended.
An air bag that does not inflate increases the risk of injury.
Remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on May 5,2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 144.
NHTSA recall #15V678000October 20, 201564,744 vehicles affected
electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to August 21, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with an Antilock Braking System (ABS) warning light intended to warn the driver if there is an ABS malfunction. In the event of an ABS malfunction, the Brake System warning light will illuminate, but the ABS warning light will not illuminate. Since the vehicles have ABS malfunction lights that do not illuminate, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
If the driver is alerted there is a brake system malfunction, but not specifically with the ABS system, the driver may operate the vehicle unaware that the vehicle's brakes may lock up during hard braking, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control unit software, free of charge. The recall is expected began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 134.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN