2021 HYUNDAI SONATA

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    transmission automatic

    1 stranded, 11 unsafe, 2 broken

    14
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V746000 (Power Train) however, the contact stated that on numerous occasions while driving at various speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed however,…"~12,100 mi, complaint #1906737
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormally loud sounds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer i…"~28,000 mi, complaint #1846852
  2. #2

    fuel tank and lines

    11 unsafe

    11
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, he smelled an abnormally strong fuel odor inside the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact tha…"~21,000 mi, complaint #1840693
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the fuel gauge indicated that the tank was half full. The contact stated that the gauge erroneously indicated that the tank was empty, and the check engine w…"~50,200 mi, complaint #2232224
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle unexpectedly shut off without warning. There was an abnormal popping sound coming from the vehicle with an abnormally strong fuel odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated t…"~70,000 mi, complaint #2175021
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the contact noticed that the passenger’s side rear seat level had become elevated. The contact stated that his daughter who was seated in the child seat head had started touching…"~87,000 mi, complaint #1993843
  3. #3

    engine cooling

    8 unsafe

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The ITMS is failing causing engine over heating and loss of acceleration at higher speeds."complaint #1901824
    • "The issue is well known across the DN8 platform, hundreds if not thousands of people have this problem.Car and driver even did an article on a car with this same 2.5L turbo DCT engine having the same problem! The problem is the ITMS or thermostat housing unit.…"complaint #1901825
    • "Vehicle suddenly lost heat in 30 degree weather. No warnings, check engine light, or temperature gauge indicators came on. Lucky made it to a parts store and found out I was extremely low on coolant. Bought coolant and put it in. Made it back to the house and…"complaint #2177170
    • "The EHRS coolant system failed and had a leak causing the coolant to be excessively burned off as thick white smoke. This caused me to not be able to see anything behind me and forced others to stop or slow down dramatically to avoid colliding with me. I had m…"complaint #2178877
    • "Hyundai technical service bulletin 23-EM-009H (EHRS COOLANT LEAK) - AKA a faulty heat exchange that causes the coolant to leak into the exhaust and burn away. Resulting in a very hard to diagnose coolant disappearance. This should be a recall. They have litera…"complaint #2187509
  4. #4

    engine stall or no start

    8 unsafe

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Since we purchased this brand new vehicle, we have had in the dealership service department at a minimum of 5 times for same issue. The vehicle accelerates while stopped at a light so we have to put it in neutral to keep it from accelerating. Once we take out…"complaint #1842770
    • "Oct 12: Engine stalled exiting I95 in Kittery Maine. Engine light flashed but did not stay on. Was able to get to safe place but car would not go more than 15mph. Hampton Huyndai reported mis-fire but stated it cleared on its own. Oct 17th: Engine stalled o…"complaint #1852910
    • "When attempting to pass other vehicles or under quick acceleration such as an on ramp to the highway, the vehicle will experience a sudden loss of power and oil pressure resulting in a fail safe mode which limits your acceleration and causes a sudden decrease…"complaint #1900578
    • "I took off from the house about 1 mile the car stop in the middle of the road with no warning, lights or anything. Thank God I didn’t get an accident we took the car to the dealer and the dealer telling us it’s not covered by warranty. This is 2021 Hyundai so…"complaint #1930157
    • "I was on the highway going 60 mph then all of a sudden my vehicles rpm's jumped way up to 8 and completely lost power was on I-45 in Conroe thankfully I was in the slow lane. I have attached pictures of my dash so I could get proof this time. I had to wait 7 m…"complaint #1949007
  5. #5

    glass and windshield

    7 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while traveling at highway speeds, a tiny pebble hit his windshield which caused a minor ding on the middle of the driver’s side windshield. Over time, the ding spread from the driver’s side to th…"~23,000 mi, complaint #1785141
  6. #6

    engine internal

    1 stranded, 5 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to respond with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also heard a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The co…"~2,700 mi, complaint #1851966
  7. #7

    other

    2 unsafe, 4 annoyance

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "Recall on my vehicle states there is still no remedy after one month."complaint #1791109
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00M000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet a…"complaint #1811827
    • "My car barely has 11,000 miles and just the other day it had about 20miles left of gas but as I was driving on the road it started to feel and seem like it was about to die on me, Also the front Wipers are not well restrained with the vehicle you can tell by…"complaint #1876387
    • "A semi truck passed me from the opposite direction and caused a gust of wind to be generated diagonally across the car. Both of us were traveling at highway speeds. The gust of wind caused the undercarriage retainers\clips to completely fail. The undercarriage…"complaint #2065106
    • "• I experienced trouble with my splash guard being damaged from hanging and scraping the ground about a month after purchasing the vehicle. Also, my hood paint started chipping after a recent cold front experienced in my state earlier this year. Yes it is ava…"complaint #2194985
  8. #8

    sunroof

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "PANORAMIC SUNROOF EXPLOSION. HAPPENED ON OPEN HIGHWAY ROAD WITH NO CAR IN NEAR VICINITY OR SIGN OF ANY KIND OF DEBRIS HITTING THE VEHICLE."~5,836 mi, complaint #1736655
    • "The contact owned a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the sunroof suddenly fractured. The contact stated that there was no external cause to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not di…"~13,300 mi, complaint #1882157
  9. #9

    wiring harness

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "After 9 months of ownership, on at least five (5) instances, the car has the following things happen at the same time: 1) all warning lights on the dashboard activate, 2) the battery discharge warning light activates, a loss of power steering, no speedometer,…"complaint #1880168
    • "Infotainment center won't switch to Radio. No signal for AM/FM or Satellite. Then HVAC system stopped blowing. No defrost, won't blow heat or AC. Blower motors been tested and works, blower motor resister replaced. Everyone I talk to is saying it's an electri…"complaint #1983463
    • "Fuse box has a defect causing the AC blower motor to intermittently not work. Appears to be the result of loose connections between the fuse box and the fuse itself. The receptacle for the fuse is clearly burnt/melting, and appears to pose as a fire hazard as…"complaint #2022357
    • "Blower motor on 2021 Hyundai Sonata SEL stopped working. Same issue happened on my 2020 Hyundai SEL and currently waiting on my 2020 Sonata to be fixed. Hyundai technician said the wiring harness had a crack and it’s why my 2020 Sonata’s Blower motor stopped w…"complaint #2022952
    • "In June 2024, I was driving my vehicle when I started to smell burning from under the dashboard. As I continued to drive, the smell got worse, and on my way to the dealer, my air conditioner stopped working. I took my car back to the dealer for service, and se…"complaint #2050265
  10. #10

    airbag system

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "WE LEASE A 2021 SONATA SEL EQUIPPED WITH AIR BAG SYSTEM FEATURING AN OCS IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE PURPOSE OF THE OCS IS TO DISABLE RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT FRONT AIR BAG WHEN IT DETECTS TA CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM OR SMALL CHILD IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. RIGHT F…"complaint #1772260
    • "I turned on a highway and had gotten my car up to 45 mph when a deer came out of nowhere and I slammed into it hard back on January 12th. The car only suffered cosmetic damage thankfully, but the air bags did not deploy. I have since then found out that the…"complaint #1800865
    • "During a front end collision the car did not auto brake and the air bags did not deploy. The car has been totaled and is currently at a dealership for insurance appraisal. "complaint #2118647
  11. #11

    abs module

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Was driving in reverse out of garage and ABS brakes were applied like I hit a patch of ice stopping the car. Released when applied pressure to brake. Then while on highway going 60 miles an hour the emergency brake system went on for no reason applying pressu…"complaint #2060770
    • "Will be driving the car and suddenly hear a beep. Then the dashboard will flash with the ABS light engine light tire pressure light check Blindspot sensors, forward collision sensors. once all the lights appear on the dashboard, I can no longer accelerate. i’…"complaint #2172246
  12. #12

    adas collision warning

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH and attempting to make a right turn, the brakes independently activated. Neither the dealer nor an independent mechanic was contacted. The check engine warning light was illum…"~42,000 mi, complaint #2221125
  13. #13

    backup camera

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Rearview camera fails to display an image. It does work sometimes but then most of the times the rearview camera does not display any image as seen in the images attached. This issue started occurring recently, that is when I reverse the car, the rearview came…"complaint #2101906
    • "The parking assistant camera on the front of the car is loose, which means that the bracket is broke. I took my car into Hyundai and they could not explain to me how it got broke or came loose and this is a safety issue because this helps you park and see what…"complaint #2127492
  14. #14

    battery and charging

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Car sits several days at a time. Door locked. 12 volt auxiliary battery goes dead within 60 minutes after driving 60 miles. Happened 6 times in last 6 weeks. Battery is lithium. Dealer looked at car Sept 8. They did cursory check and said my rodent deterrent…"complaint #2141770
    • "My 2021 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid 12v battery has started to die randomly. My car is currently with the Hyundai dealer to confirm if this will be a warranty claim. Searching online, I have found other posts of people complaining about a similar issue with…"complaint #2149778
  15. #15

    brake hydraulics

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Vehicle in front of me stopped. Six car lengths between us. I applied brakes, nothing, I even put my left foot on top of my right foot. There was plenty of time to stop but brake peddle wouldn’t go down, Felt like it was locked. Automatic Brake Sensor didn’t…"complaint #1892756
    • "The car slowly goes forward after releasing the break"complaint #1924406
  16. #16

    fuel pump

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I bought this car in June 2013 for its safety and its Amazing warranty and all the features that it has Hyundai manufacture had an obligation as a consumer service and failed to send notification of any recalled to us in regards to a recall High pressure, fue…"complaint #2102778
    • "Please see Attachment To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally notify you under the Virginia Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act (Virginia Lemon Law, Va. Code §§ 59.1-207.9 to 59.1-207.16) that my 2021 Hyundai Sonata, has a nonconformity that subs…"complaint #2164277
  17. #17

    lighting exterior

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "So for the past year and half my cars left turn signal has been working intermittently. It just stops working and then it starts again. I have taken it to the dealer many times they changed out signal assembly i have taken many videos show proof. I am told…"complaint #1912758
    • "The Left blinker switch keeps going in and out, working about 50% of the time. Both the light and the blinker sound do not turn on. When getting it checked out at an auto repair shop, the maintenance tech said this was more and more common for 2021 sonatas and…"complaint #2233254
  18. #18

    noise or vibration unspecified

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Excessive wind noise is coming from the driver side window when speeds are over 55mph+. A lot of other owners on the forums are experiencing the same problem."complaint #1750863
    • "Engine makes rattling and knocking noises. Transmission hesitates and jerks Suspension front struts and rear shocks are bad. Possible the isolators. Having horrible back pain when riding in car. Starter intermittently doesn't work Lane keep assistance goes…"complaint #2164745
  19. #19

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, his son complained that the seat belt had tightened and locked and that he was unable to adjust the seat belt. Upon arriving at his destination, the contact…"~26,450 mi, complaint #1915479
  20. #20

    throttle and pedal

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "1. Vehicle Speed Control 2. I was in a friend's driveway with the car in drive with auto hold activated. Car lunged forward and not able to stop it. Ran into a garage door did substantial damage to home owners property. I guess we were lucky the door took th…"complaint #1948955
    • "2021 Hyundai Sonata 59,850 miles RPM jumps to around 1,300 at zero miles on occasion. If I am stopped, at a red light or behind other stopped autos, the vehicle jumps forward when I take my foot off the brake. Because this happens quite often, I am aware of…"complaint #2030267
  21. #21

    transmission cvt

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Issue with DCT transmission. Unknown remedy"complaint #2015011
    • "2021 Hyundai Sonata with approximately 39,000 miles. On [XXX], the dashboard displayed the following message "Shifter system malfunction! Service immediately" When the warning appeared, the vehicle shifter button would not function, creating a traffic safety r…"complaint #2127571
  22. #22

    unintended acceleration

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "WAS PARKED IN BANK PARKING LOT. STARTED ENGINE, PLACED CAR IN REVERSE AND CAR ACCELERATED AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED. (LIKE I WAS IN A DRAG RACE!!) APPLIED BRAKES, WHICH DID NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. DID NOT STOP UNTIL I RAN INTO A PARKED CAR. WHOLE IN…"complaint #1973933
    • "The car would excelerate while in park. While I was pressing the brakes the car would jerk forward, it would not just quietly idle. While driving the car would randomly speed up or slow down. Sometime it would sound like it was going to shut off and start vibr…"complaint #2085555
  23. #23

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "After initial startup and drive for a short time, I come to a stop. Then after vehicle doesn’t want to accelerate as it normally would. Vehicle struggles to gain speed but, the engine revs excessively. I pull off the road and come to a stop and try to accelera…"complaint #2114380
  24. #24

    engine head gasket

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I took my car to the dealer on [XXX] with concerns about the strong gas smell that I have been smelling. The Hyundai dealership kept my car for 3 days and stated they could not smell the gas after driving the vehicle themselves. They did repair a cracked cylin…"complaint #2169170
  25. #25

    engine oil consumption

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "P0471 code before 55k miles even after repair is made"complaint #2182645
  26. #26

    exhaust system

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The internal core of the Exhaust Heat Recovery System (EHRS), part of the center muffler/front pipe assembly (#28600-L5210), suffered a catastrophic failure. This allowed approximately 9 gallons of engine coolant to leak directly into the hot exhaust stream. S…"complaint #2190912
  27. #27

    fluid leak unspecified

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for an oil change, the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with transmission fluid leaking from the engine. The mechanic informed the contact that the t…"~5,600 mi, complaint #1781349
  28. #28

    fuel injector

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I was driving my 2021 Hyundai Sonata at approximately 3:00 AM when the vehicle suddenly began shaking and vibrating. While stopped at a traffic light, the check engine light illuminated, and the engine was shaking severely. I immediately pulled over and shut…"complaint #2164609
  29. #29

    heater core and blower

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The vehicle's HVAC (heating) system failed. It stopped producing heat on one side of the vehicle. My mechanic/dealer diagnosed the issue as a broken component within the HVAC case under the dashboard, requiring full dashboard removal and a repair estimated at…"complaint #2147065
  30. #30

    hv system fault reduced power

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Going down the road driving the car lost power and went in limp mode with no warnings on the dash at all!"complaint #2231248
  31. #31

    infotainment head unit

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE WIRELESS APPLE CAR PLAY. REGARDLESS IF THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION OR NOT IT LOSES CONNECTIVITY. WHILE DRIVING THIS CAUSE YOU TO TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD AS MESSAGES APPEAR ON THEIR INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM. CALLS ARE DROPPED, NAVI…"complaint #1738176
  32. #32

    key fob and immobilizer

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My vehicle is trending in theft, car was leased to me from Napelton in Lansing IL sept 2022. The first attempt of theft/break in UIC area Dec 10, second attempt in west Chicago area Jan 29. Both times I just cried and shut down. With having to contact the pol…"complaint #1869505
  33. #33

    parking brake

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after driving out of the garage and parking in the driveway with the engine idling and remote smart parking assist feature activated, 6 minutes later the vehicle suddenly began to slowly roll forw…"~1,400 mi, complaint #1758896
  34. #34

    power windows and locks

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The buttons to the door locking and unlocking don't work unless I open and close my door a few times. The same thing with the back windows. But after you do the trick and use the intended button once, it stops working and have to repeat the entire process over…"complaint #2087645
  35. #35

    seat mechanism

    1 broken

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The driver seat motor malfunctioned when pennies got jammed iin the unprotected/exposed seat tracks. Hyundai would not cover the warranty and charged me $2000.00 for repair. After complaining to the Hyundai National customer service they would not consider m…"complaint #2149064
  36. #36

    steering electric assist

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I leased a 2021 Sonata, and the Car has been a nightmare. My Car has been serviced by the dealership twice for a steering wheel that will not stop making noises. I am very concerned for my safety in this Car. The Wheel becomes hard to move. Also, last year, th…"complaint #1858224
  37. #37

    unknown

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "UNKNOWN Wednesday 7-3-24 I was driving on an interstate at night, going approximately 74mph and my car totally powered down and powered back on with no warnings. Everything on the dashboard and display screen went black. This was totally random and has never…"complaint #2012956
  38. #38

    wiper and washer

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "2021 Sonata N LINE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AUTO WIPERS WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY COME ON BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS COME ON MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN USING MY TURN SIGNAL. WIPES ONCE THEN GOES OFF. HAS ALSO COME ON ONCE WITHOUT THE USE OF THE TURN SIGNAL. SWIPED 3 TO 4…"complaint #1776014

NHTSA investigations

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for HYUNDAI SONATA directly.