2012 Hyundai SONATA

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2012 Hyundai SONATA has 2271 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 28.4x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (25% of all complaints), specifically: tl* the contact owns a 2012 hyundai sonata. the contact stated that the vehicle would stall without warning, followed by an abnormal grinding. the dealer made three attempts to duplicate the failure but to no avail. the manufacturer did not offer any assistance. no repairs were performed. the cur. ⚠️ 148 fire reports filed.

148 fire reports 56 crash reports 55 injuries

2271

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

28.4x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

572 complaints

25%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING, FOLLOWED BY AN ABNORMAL GRINDING. THE DEALER MADE THREE ATTEMPTS TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CUR
• WHEN ACCELERATING FROM IDLE, SUCH AS SITTING AT A STOP SIGN, STOP LIGHT, OR WAITING TO PULL OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE WILL JUST START TO MOVE THE CAR AND THEN DELAY, ALLOWING YOU TO PUSH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITH NO RESPONSE FOR 2-4 SECONDS. THIS HAPPENS AT ALL TIME
• REPAIR ATTEMPTS 5; FIRST ATTEMPT AT DATE OF INCIDENT. DRIVING ON LEVEL THREE LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPS ACCELERATING AND EXHIBITS A NO POWER CONDITION WHERE ONLY ELECTRICAL IS WORKING. I APPLY ACCELERATION UP PAST 5000 RPM AND NO RESPONSE. PAST 6000 RPM AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 70 fire reports💥 11 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING, FOLLOWED BY AN ABNORMAL GRINDING. THE DEALER MADE THREE ATTEMPTS TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CUR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

301 complaints

13%

• THIS IS FOR A 2012 SONATA. YOUR OPTIONS TO SELECT THIS MAKE AND MODEL ONLY SHOWED 2011 AS THE OPTION YEAR. THIS COMPLAINT IS FOR A 2012. I PURCHASED A 2012 SONATA IN LATE JUNE. TECHNICALLY THIS IS THE SECOND ONE I PURCHASED. I CAN EXPLAIN IT THIS WAY. THE FIRST ONE I BOUGHT HAD A HORRIBLE PULLING IS
• VEHICLE PULLS RIGHT. CONSTANT CORRECTION NEEDED WHEN DRIVING. THE SLIGHTEST AMOUNT OF CROWN SLOPE MAKES IT PULL TO THE RIGHT. EVEN ON A FLAT SURFACE LIKE A PARKING LOT IT WILL DRIVE TO THE RIGHT. *TR
• MY BRAND NEW 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA PULLS HARD TO THE RIGHT. TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR, DEALER SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. LEFT THE CAR DEALERSHIP AND NOTHING WAS FIXED. STILL PULLING HARD TO THE RIGHT. I SET ANOTHER APPOINTMENT TO TAKE THE CAR BACK IN. *TR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 3 fire reports💥 6 crashes

“THIS IS FOR A 2012 SONATA. YOUR OPTIONS TO SELECT THIS MAKE AND MODEL ONLY SHOWED 2011 AS THE OPTION YEAR. THIS COMPLAINT IS FOR A 2012. I PURCHASED A 2012 SONATA IN LATE JUNE. TECHNICALLY THIS IS THE SECOND ONE I PURCHASED. I CAN EXPLAIN IT THIS WAY. THE FIRST ONE I BOUGHT HAD A HORRIBLE PULLING IS”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

234 complaints

10%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BLUE TOOTH DEVICE WAS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HIS PHONE WAS NOT COMPATIBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED N
• VEHICLE CHECK ENGINE LIT AND ALL DASH LIGHTS LIT UPON STARTING THE CAR. IT WOULD NOT LET ME SHIFT IT INTO ANY OTHER GEAR. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER FOR SEVERAL DAYS WITH THEM CONSULTING WITH HYUNDAI. THEY REPLACED SOME CONTROL MODULE TO REPAIR IT. -------------------------- TWO WEEKS LATER, T
• AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR ONE MONTH (980 MILES), MY CAR LOST POWER STEERING, AIR, AND ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING. A WARNING CAME ON THAT SAID, "CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM." IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I REFUS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 32 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BLUE TOOTH DEVICE WAS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HIS PHONE WAS NOT COMPATIBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED N”

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

170 complaints

• VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN PARKING LOT WHEN WE CAME OUT THE DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG (FRONT AND BACK) HAD DEPLOYED....INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE IN PARKING LOT AND THERE WAS NONE FOUND IN OTHER WORDS NOBODY HIT VEHICLE....TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER IN COLUMBIA MISSOURI, JOE MACHENS HYUNDAI, AND THEY INDICATED T
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, A LOUD, ABNORMAL BANG WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN LOST BRAKING AND STEERING ABILITIES AS THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO
• I HAVE HAD ISSUES GALORE WITH MY CAR SINCE THE DAY I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT. FIRST ISSUE AND STILL IS JUST GAVE UP ON BRINGING IT BACK WAS THE STEERING THAT DRIFTED. THEN I HAD A SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR THAT MADE A LOUD NOISE. I ALSO HAVE A SOUND COMING FROM THE SUN ROOF. AFTER THAT

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 18 crashes

“VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN PARKING LOT WHEN WE CAME OUT THE DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG (FRONT AND BACK) HAD DEPLOYED....INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE IN PARKING LOT AND THERE WAS NONE FOUND IN OTHER WORDS NOBODY HIT VEHICLE....TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER IN COLUMBIA MISSOURI, JOE MACHENS HYUNDAI, AND THEY INDICATED T”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

158 complaints

• CAR LOST ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL FUNCTIONS. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE DRIVERS FRONT WHEEL SENSOR WIRE RUBBING AGAINST A SHARP SHEET METAL EDGE. SEE PHOTOS. *TR
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL COULD BE DEPRESSED AT LEAST SIX INCHES FURTHER THAN NORMAL WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SIX OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAIL
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, A LOUD, ABNORMAL BANG WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN LOST BRAKING AND STEERING ABILITIES AS THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 9 fire reports💥 10 crashes

“CAR LOST ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL FUNCTIONS. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE DRIVERS FRONT WHEEL SENSOR WIRE RUBBING AGAINST A SHARP SHEET METAL EDGE. SEE PHOTOS. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

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

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 2271 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING, FOLLOWED BY AN ABNORMAL GRINDING. THE DEALER MADE THREE ATTEMPTS TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CUR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: THIS IS FOR A 2012 SONATA. YOUR OPTIONS TO SELECT THIS MAKE AND MODEL ONLY SHOWED 2011 AS THE OPTION YEAR. THIS COMPLAINT IS FOR A 2012. I PURCHASED A 2012 SONATA IN LATE JUNE. TECHNICALLY THIS IS THE SECOND ONE I PURCHASED. I CAN EXPLAIN IT THIS WAY. THE FIRST ONE I BOUGHT HAD A HORRIBLE PULLING IS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BLUE TOOTH DEVICE WAS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HIS PHONE WAS NOT COMPATIBLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED N
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
AIR BAGS: VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN PARKING LOT WHEN WE CAME OUT THE DRIVER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG (FRONT AND BACK) HAD DEPLOYED....INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE IN PARKING LOT AND THERE WAS NONE FOUND IN OTHER WORDS NOBODY HIT VEHICLE....TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER IN COLUMBIA MISSOURI, JOE MACHENS HYUNDAI, AND THEY INDICATED T
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)