2021 Hyundai SONATA HYBRID

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Average

Quick Summary

The 2021 Hyundai SONATA HYBRID has 69 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.9x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (36% of all complaints), specifically: on wednesday, october 6th, i was driving full speed (65mph) on a major highway. multiple lights on the dashboard came on. the lcd display screen for music, apps, etc. went black. more lights came on and others went off on the dash display. i let off the accelerator and steered the car. the fuel effi.

3 crash reports 6 injuries

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.9x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

25 complaints

36%

• On Wednesday, October 6th, I was driving full speed (65mph) on a major highway. Multiple lights on the dashboard came on. The LCD display screen for music, apps, etc. went black. More lights came on and others went off on the dash display. I let off the accelerator and steered the car. The fuel effi
• My 2021 Sonata Hybrid Limited has been in the shop for over 3 months. At least 4 times while driving on city streets, I'd receive an error stating problem with hybrid system please turn off vehicle. Car would go into limp mode giving me just enough power to pull off to the side of the road (if possi
• The vehicle has been turning completely off after use for over a year now. At first it would happen every now and then at the beginning and all you'd have to do was restart the car manually. Now every time the car is turned off it needs to be restarted manually now. The car will also shut itself o

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“On Wednesday, October 6th, I was driving full speed (65mph) on a major highway. Multiple lights on the dashboard came on. The LCD display screen for music, apps, etc. went black. More lights came on and others went off on the dash display. I let off the accelerator and steered the car. The fuel effi”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

23 complaints

33%

• Very loud car alarms sounded, e.g., it sounded like a something like a red alert in an old Star Trek episode. warning light indicated engine overheated, extreme exhaust/smoke bellowed out from rear of car while decelerating on highway exit ramp. My wife and I were inside the car during this event.
• Engine oil plug backed out while driving causing loss of all engine oil in the mountains. Drive time was one hour when oil lamp turned on as we reached our destination. Oil check stick had no oil on it and the whole undercarriage and rear of the car was covered in engine oil. Made an attempt to refi
• The cabin heater started blowing cold air in February. One shop said the car was low on coolant and topped it off. I made an appointment to take the car to a dealer because it's still under warranty (<37k miles). I had to wait 3 weeks. A few days before my appointment, the cabin heater started blo

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“Very loud car alarms sounded, e.g., it sounded like a something like a red alert in an old Star Trek episode. warning light indicated engine overheated, extreme exhaust/smoke bellowed out from rear of car while decelerating on highway exit ramp. My wife and I were inside the car during this event. ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

7 complaints

10%

• On Wednesday, October 6th, I was driving full speed (65mph) on a major highway. Multiple lights on the dashboard came on. The LCD display screen for music, apps, etc. went black. More lights came on and others went off on the dash display. I let off the accelerator and steered the car. The fuel effi
• Antifreeze is coming out of the exhaust. Heater is only blowing cold air. Repair shop said it is a common problem with the Hyundai hybrids. Was told I had to take it back to the dealership. The y repair shop said this is very common and is wondering why a recall has not been issued by the NTHSB.
• Integrated 12V battery dies with no warning and requires manual keyed process to get in to the vehicle. Once inside, the battery reset button needs to be pressed to have the solar battery start the vehicles electric system. After a few minutes the engine takes over to start charging the battery.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

4 complaints

• The forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control failed as the first 2 activated when there were no oncoming collisions in front of me and the nearest cars around me were 1/4 of a mile away. The cruise control failed as it turned back on after the vehicle veered
• The forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control failed as the first 2 activated when there were no oncoming collisions in front of me and the nearest cars around me were 1/4 of a mile away. The cruise control failed as it turned back on after the vehicle veered
• The vehicle has been turning completely off after use for over a year now. At first it would happen every now and then at the beginning and all you'd have to do was restart the car manually. Now every time the car is turned off it needs to be restarted manually now. The car will also shut itself o

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“The forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control failed as the first 2 activated when there were no oncoming collisions in front of me and the nearest cars around me were 1/4 of a mile away. The cruise control failed as it turned back on after the vehicle veered”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

3 complaints

• Incident sounds similar to those experienced with the dual clutch transmissions. November 2022, all of the vehicle warning lights were on and remained on. The vehicle would not move and the transmission selector/shifter was locked in place. Working with the local service/dealership, the vehicle was
• When I arrived in the parking lot and selected the R (reverse), the vehicle stayed in the D (Drive) although that it was moving backwards and was able to park it. The shift selector was stuck in DRIVE (Drive) leaving the vehicle on but not operational. After several attempts to allow the vehicle to
• Battery keeps dying randomly. Approximately once every other week and I drive 12k miles a year… dealership reassures me it’s find. Found numerous reports of other Sonota Hybrid users experiencing a similar issue.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“Incident sounds similar to those experienced with the dual clutch transmissions. November 2022, all of the vehicle warning lights were on and remained on. The vehicle would not move and the transmission selector/shifter was locked in place. Working with the local service/dealership, the vehicle was”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 69 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: On Wednesday, October 6th, I was driving full speed (65mph) on a major highway. Multiple lights on the dashboard came on. The LCD display screen for music, apps, etc. went black. More lights came on and others went off on the dash display. I let off the accelerator and steered the car. The fuel effi
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: Very loud car alarms sounded, e.g., it sounded like a something like a red alert in an old Star Trek episode. warning light indicated engine overheated, extreme exhaust/smoke bellowed out from rear of car while decelerating on highway exit ramp. My wife and I were inside the car during this event.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: On Wednesday, October 6th, I was driving full speed (65mph) on a major highway. Multiple lights on the dashboard came on. The LCD display screen for music, apps, etc. went black. More lights came on and others went off on the dash display. I let off the accelerator and steered the car. The fuel effi
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: The forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control failed as the first 2 activated when there were no oncoming collisions in front of me and the nearest cars around me were 1/4 of a mile away. The cruise control failed as it turned back on after the vehicle veered
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)