Your vehicle report
2017 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
- 768
- Received Oct 2016 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine burns excessive oil between changes144 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Power steering cuts out while driving72 complaints · 9.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine stalls and loses power while driving68 complaints · 8.8% 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 #21V619000Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. 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."
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: Sep 2020
- Engine stalls and loses power while drivingFirst signal: Nov 2017
- Engine knocking from rod or main bearingsFirst signal: Mar 2022
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 28 crashes, 11 fires, 12 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
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Power steering cuts out while driving
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly
- Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
1 more problem
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 | 2 |
| 2017 | 22 |
| 2018 | 23 |
| 2019 | 59 |
| 2020 | 65 |
| 2021 | 88 |
| 2022 | 131 |
| 2023 | 122 |
| 2024 | 113 |
| 2025 | 92 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 51 |
| Total | 768 |
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 | 144 | 19% | 18.5× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Sep 2020 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.3% |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 72 | 9.4% | 1.5× | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 68 | 8.8% | 5.1× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Nov 2017 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.5% |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 61 | 7.9% | 1.2× | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 26 | 3.4% | – | NHTSA recall #21V619000 |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 24 | 3.1% | 4.2× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Mar 2022 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.5% |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 23 | 3.0% | 3.5× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Sep 2022 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.0% |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 23 | 3.0% | 1.4× | |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 18 | 2.3% | 3.8× | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 17 | 2.2% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 15 | 1.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 11 | 1.4% | 1.1× | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 11 | 1.4% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 10 | 1.3% | – | NHTSA recall #16V956000 |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 9 | 1.2% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 8 | 1.0% | 0.9× | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 6 | 0.8% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 6 | 0.8% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 0.7% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 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 #21V619000August 6, 2021348,158 vehicles affected
latches/locks/linkages: trunk lid: latch
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. 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."
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the trunk latch base, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 208.
NHTSA recall #16V956000December 30, 2016110 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2017 Hyundai Elantra vehicles manufactured April 15, 2016, to September 13, 2016, and Sonata vehicles manufactured May 27, 2016 to September 16, 2016. In these vehicles, the end seal for the driver's frontal air bag inflator may not have been properly installed, possibly resulting in reduced inflation of the frontal air bag in the event of a crash.
In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not inflate fully 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 February 13, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 156.
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 2017 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