10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
57,174 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Hyundai Sonata steering problems

steering problem

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2012 Hyundai Sonata Owner Comments (Page 1 of 15)

problem #295

Mar 162024

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The brake lights keep going off, they have been replaced several times. The passenger airbag deployed on a stop sign and cracked the entire windshield. The steering wheel feels like it-??s going to come off. Please help

- Miramar, FL, USA

problem #294

Dec 282023

Sonata

  • miles
The power steering has failed to work on multiple occasions and I-??m worried that it may happen during a tight manuver and possibly cause a wreck. This is very dangerous. When this power steering stops working it is way harder to turn than a car with no power at all.

- Starke, FL, USA

problem #293

Jan 072019

Sonata

  • miles
Steering has a clunking/clicking sound when turning left or right. It has gotten worse from when I noticed it. At first I could hear a faint rattling sound when going over bumps in the road (more noticeable in colder time of the year). Now for the past 2-3 years it-??s very noticeable and makes clunking like noise every time turning even when parked. When I first heard the faint noise my mechanic couldn-??t hear it. He said I have to hear it to know for sure but said it-??s possibly the steering column And at that time he priced it at $500 I-??m sure it-??s more now with this economy. I didn-??t get it fixed bc he wasn-??t sure and I didn-??t want to pay to get it fixed if that wasn-??t the problem. I had no idea I could file this complaint otherwise I would have done it sooner! This problem started January 2019. Also the gas gage will blink and say I have no gas even tho I filled up. The sensor to gaging the gas I believe is faulty. Hard to show a mechanic because it does it randomly starting the car, while driving, after filling up to name a few. Then the lines will fill in while driving, stopped at a traffic light/stop sign, starting the car. It will stay good for a while and act up again. This has been doing it so long I-??d say it started a few years after owning so around 2015 about 45,000 miles. I-??m lucky that I have jobs 5-10mins from my home I haven-??t put on miles that most do. Again I would have put in a complaint if I knew of this site. Anyone driving this car could cause an accident if it runs out of gas in the middle of driving.

- Racine , WI, USA

problem #292

Feb 232023

Sonata

  • 100,300 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle downshifted unintendedly and decelerated. The contact stated that she shifted into neutral(N). The contact pulled over to the side of the road and remained there for several minutes. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the failure recurred while driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure recurred while the vehicle was being test-driven; however, the dealer informed the contact that they could not determine the cause of the failure. The dealer informed the contact that the steering wheel needed to be disassembled to inspect the paddle shifters. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,300.

- Mays Landing, NJ, USA

problem #291

Jan 302023

Sonata

  • miles
Daughter was driving her car on interstate, doing 75, in the middle of traffic when the car would jerk and then loose power. The gas petal stopped working and the check engine light would come on. She had to make her way over to the shoulder, without causing an accident. Once car gets shut off and you wait a few minutes, you can start it and drive it home. This has happened about 4 times now. We are lucky that this hasn't caused an accident! This last time (yesterday), the check engine light stayed on and we were able to hook up the dianostic reader and it read the code for the crankshaft positioning sensor A circut. It says online that this is a common problem with that car and is very dangerous. How is this not up for a recall? My daughter is scared to drive her car.

- Perdido, AL, USA

problem #290

Jan 292023

Sonata

  • miles
Steering wheel has a clicking clunking sound when turning right and left a mechanic told me it is the yolk in the sterring problem and he was sure there was a recall about this

- Centereach, NY, USA

problem #289

Nov 262022

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Power steering loses power and window between speedometer and tach goes blank. Car keeps running but no power steering and cannot take out of park. Must restart the car to solve issue. Happened several times while at idle, in park. Happened once while in drive, at idle while stopped, and was able to drive forward when I discovered no power steering. Concerned it could happen while driving.

- Goodyear, AZ, USA

problem #288

Sep 162022

Sonata

  • miles
I purchased my 2012 Hyundai Sonata on 4-7-22. The car has had no mechanical work, no accidents and has less than 1000 miles. On 9-16-22 i was driving my car home and was less than five minutes away on the highway. My car began to decelerate, I attempted to stop at a red light but my car would not give me control and the brake was rock solid and would not push down. I also could not turn the car off via the start button as the car would not let me. My engine ESC light came on the dashboard in red and the engine completely halted. To get to safety as i was on the highway with oncoming traffic i steered the car to the right on the ramp.I exited the vehicle as it began to smoke, i thought it would catch fire so i moved far away and called my boyfriend for help and a tow truck to get the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to College park Hyundai 9500 Baltimore Ave., College park, MD 20740.I looked up my car and noticed there are recalls for this engine and a few other recalls as i told the dealership. The car is currently being inspected and the dealer said they would get back to me. Once the service department received the car they told me the recall most likely will not effect my vehicle. I don't believe that to be true and i was put in danger because of this engine issue with Hyundai.

- Burtonsville, MD, USA

problem #287

May 182022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
Steering mechanism is loose and is failing. The steering in my Hyundai is getting worse and sounding very bad.

- Pueblo, CO, USA

problem #286

Jun 152020

Sonata

  • miles
Steering wheel couplet is broken causing the steering wheel to make a clanking noise when driving or going over little bumps on the road. It also makes the steering wheel and I believe tires make clanking noise when making a turn or pulling out of a driveway.

- Mc Farland, CA, USA

problem #285

Apr 052021

Sonata

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The vehicle was stationary when vehicle wouldn't start due to the interior fuse box gone bad once fixed while drive on a residential street the steering wheel begin click while turn either left or right and almost locked on me the 2012 Hyundai Sonata steering column flexible coupler went bad and from my research this seem to be an ongoing problem with there car

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #284

Mar 122021

Sonata

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while his wife was driving, the vehicle loss power steering assist while in reverse, making the vehicle hard to steer. The vehicle was driven back to the residence in manual steering mode. The contact took the vehicle to universal Hyundai (12801 South, orange blossom trail, orlando, fl 32837) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,000

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #283

Sep 022020

Sonata

  • miles
While driving and turning the steering wheel there is a knocking sound. The driver seat belt does not lock when hitting brakes and is loose. The passenger window on one side does not go down. The airbag signal stays on.

- St. Thomas, VI, USA

problem #282

Nov 012019

Sonata

  • 104,000 miles
Seems steering column is defective, keep giving clanking sounds. Also airbag warning sign keeps coming.

- Newark, CA, USA

problem #281

Nov 062020

Sonata

  • 159,000 miles
Clunking in steering wheel when rocking left and right. Plastic steering wheel coupler worn. You need a recall on this!

- Lake Crystal, MN, USA

problem #280

Sep 102020

Sonata

  • 143,000 miles
Loud clunking noise from steering column when turning right or left. Also very audible noises from front end when hitting bumps. Also travels into steering wheel. Steering feels unsafe and loose like wheel is going to fall off.

- Burton, MI, USA

problem #279

Sep 172020

Sonata

  • 90,000 miles
Steering wheel noise. In addition, loud clanking noises when traveling over bumps and bumpy roads with vibrations coming to the steering wheel. Very similar to the descriptions on the NHTSA pages.

- Stoughton, MA, USA

problem #278

Mar 052019

Sonata

  • miles
Shortly after the engine was replaced from a recall, the steering started clicking and rattling. Worse on rougher terrain and the interstate, but basically makes the noise with any movement of the steering wheel. It seems like a very common problem, I am not sure why Hyundai is not fixing this issue. It is pretty bad that this car has had 8 to 10 recalls.

- Vienna, WV, USA

problem #277

Apr 132018

Sonata

  • miles
The steering wheel makes clicking noises. When ever I'm driving, going over bumps and turning. The driver side airbag stays on.

- Hurlock, MD, USA

problem #276

Aug 102020

Sonata

  • miles
The eps just came on when I crunk my car up yesterday evening. The seatvelt light been on about a week now

- Montgomery, AL, USA

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