10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 6
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
30,411 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.

2016 Hyundai Sonata electrical problems

electrical problem

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2016 Hyundai Sonata Owner Comments (Page 2 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #74

Mar 302023

Sonata

  • miles

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

HEV turn off engine light pops up WHILE driving. I could-??ve been on the highway or the middle of no where and have to turn off my car, just to turn it back on and it seems fine? This has happened a total of 5 times since owning this vehicle, and I-??ve gotten all code on the car fixed about a month ago.

- Plainfield , IL, USA

problem #73

Mar 242023

Sonata

  • 107,525 miles
Car was leaking oil I reported to Hyundai and service repair shop had to take it back 3 times due to them neglecting to listen to me oil got into other parts and I had to get 7 things fix also after having back for 1 day the brakes and electric is not working properly engine also fails to accelerate correctly

- Owensboro, KY, USA

problem #72

Mar 172023

Sonata

  • miles
The airbag light is on, indicating that the airbox is not operating and will not go off in case of an accident. All steering wheel controls also don't work so it's impossible to adjust settings using the steering wheel or to enter cruise control at all. Previous years of this same vehicle had clock spring recalls and this appears to be the same problem so I wonder if the other recalls should be extended to this year vehicle? thanks

- Lehi, UT, USA

problem #71

Feb 072023

Sonata

  • miles

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

I-??ve had this vehicle for exactly 6 months. First incident where I thought the company I bought it from lied to me because they said they topped off my oil. In reality it guzzles oil excessively, I paid $600 to get it cleaned out & add oil. 2nd incident my car shut off at a McDonald-??s drive through, no indication of warning of shutting off until 30 seconds before all error codes on dash. 3rd incident as of 02/07/23 car completely out of oil when I had an oil change a month & a half ago. Had someone come & bring me oil & it seemed to get me a mile away to school, did my school stuff & then tried to get home (30 miles away). When trying to get home my car wouldn-??t exceed 60mph and when I got to 62mph it was decreasing speed. After a few moments after noticing that, all error codes on dash came on and I thankfully was able to pull over on the freeway without being hit by anyone. My car completely shut down, called a tow truck, while I waited 3 hours for assistance. I was then notified(by the first shop I took it to) the next day that my motor is BAD & I-??m lucky that I was able to pull off to the side of the road when I did. A week prior to the 3rd incident random chunks of painting ripped off my vehicle(on the top of my trunk, above the passenger door & on the back side of the passenger door). I had my vehicle towed a second time to the Hyundai dealership themselves and the towing company asked the color of vehicle/make and model and instantly said oh is it your motor" I was weirded out because I was wondering how he knew. He mentioned to me that he has towed 25 Hyundais in the last 9 months. I said well you-??re on a role, you can now make it 26. I was also never notified of any recalls on this vehicle until 2 days after the 3rd incident I did my own research and called Hyundai dealership myself & that-??s when I was made aware of a recall. Insurance also states that this isn-??t something I can claim" & I-??m currently waiting to hear back from the dealership themselves.

- Clearfield, UT, USA

problem #70

Jan 312023

Sonata

  • miles
My car idles very rough at times, and sometimes when idling, it dies out. At times it is difficult to even start as if it's not getting the electrical signal to the engine. Hyundai replaced the fuel pump, but that did not fix the problem, but cost $1,200. No warning messages. Two other automotive companies also did a diagnostic tests, but couldn't find the problem as it seems it has to be tested WHEN IT IS ACTING UP. It died on me far from home a week ago, but eventually restarted. I'm afraid to drive it especially at night as it died when idling at a light and almost didn't restart.

- Naples, FL, USA

problem #69

Jan 062023

Sonata

  • miles
While driving the hybrid system warning light comes on and says to check hybrid system, vehicle goes into limp mode will not accelerate over 25 mph and codes need to be cleared before vehicle van be driven. This has caused me to almost have several accidents. The vehicle slows down and gives no warning prior to this occurring. It has started happening more frequently vehicle currently has 85k miles.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #68

Dec 212022

Sonata

  • miles

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

The vehicle is able to be started without a key by using a usb cable. This makes the vehicle extremely vulnerable to theft. Because of this issue vehicles incur other damages due to theft such as broken windows and possibly bodily injury due to theft. They are able to remove the steering column cover, unplug the ignition switch and using a usb cable as an object to turn the ignition. Because the switch appears to be plug and play it makes it easy to steal cause Hyundai car owners unnecessary dollars for repairs. https://youtu.be/fbTrLyqL_nw This is the link showing what they do. It-??s not just Kia vehicles. My vehicle was stolen the same way.

- Woodbridge, VA, USA

problem #67

Nov 072022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
My vehicle is a hybrid and the Check Hybrid System light has lit up while I'm driving and you have to pull over and turn off your car when that happens. The car will slow down and come to a complete stop regardless. It's scary when you are driving on the freeway. I've had this happen to me several times and my car has been worked on four times now by the Hyundai service department in Amarillo and Lubbock TX. I purchased extended warranty and it's about to expire at 100,000 miles. I currently have around 82,000 miles on my car. I contacted the Hyundai corporate office and have a case number. I'm very disappointed the way the Hyundai corporate office and the service department has handled my situation. I even lost my job because I had no transportation for two months. I just paid off my car yesterday and I can't even drive my car.

- Amarillo, TX, USA

problem #66

Nov 202022

Sonata

  • miles
While driving on the highway at speed, I received a red Check Hybrid System error, and immediately lost all acceleration, putting myself and all occupants at risk on a busy interstate highway, as we tried to find a safe way to quickly change lanes and coast to a stop in a safe location. The cause is under diagnosis by a Hyundai Service Center. This was a sudden failure and there had been no previous warning alerting us to substandard system condition.

- Richardson, TX, USA

problem #65

Oct 292022

Sonata

  • miles
Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Failure.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #64

Sep 272022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles

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

My vehicle lost power exiting the freeway. I went from 70 miles an hour to 10 miles per hour in a matter of seconds. The Check Hybrid system, Turn off engine HEV ! triangle showed up on the dash, then the car slowed to a halt. I had to get my vehicle towed home, then towed to the dealer the next day. The problem with this is, for the past year, the Check Hybrid System HEV light would come on. I took it to the World Car Hyundai North dealership in Live Oak, Texas and a few months later, it's doing the same thing. My vehicle was in the shop at World Car Hyundai from March 24, 2022 until 9/9/2022. I drove my vehicle one week, went out of the country for 2 weeks and upon return, coming from the airport almost home, the car does the same thing. You would think after having my vehicle for 6 months, the problem would be fixed. I started bringing my car in for this problem September of 2021. I was told, I needed an oil change, a new battery, ne plugs, codes checked, etc. None of this seemed to fix my vehicle, because a few weeks later, the car would slow to an almost stop and I would have it towed to the dealership again. There has been several mechanics working on my vehicle and they've all said something differently. My vehicle was never written up for the correct problem until recently, when the manager was able to drive my vehicle and it stopped on him. I don't feel safe driving this vehicle anymore. I have taken this car to the dealer ship for the same problem, actually once in 2018 and every other month since 2021. I've been inconvenienced, , put on hold, far to long, I need a new vehicle and I need a loaner car, while my they're trying to figure out what to do. I've been told I needed a new engine twice, but all of a sudden, it passes the engine test and there is something else that the dealership is trying to do to fix the problem. Well, since I've been taking my car back and forth to the dealership, it is now out of warranty. The car remains unsafe to drive.

- Schertz, TX, USA

problem #63

Sep 222022

Sonata

  • miles
Had previous issue with HEV warning light and took to dealer. But While driving down the road last night, the HEV light on the dash comes on and beeps, the car sputters then the brakes slam on and the car immediately shut off in the travel lane. Turn car back on put into drive and same thing happens. Vehicle was towed to Dealer.

- Dubois, PA, USA

problem #62

Apr 282022

Sonata

  • miles
Somehow, either by design or manufacturing defect, a part in the headlamp assembly melts and causes a gap in the illumination of the lights while driving. Technicians have said that this is a progressive issue, rather than some sudden onset, and multiple people have said they've never experienced this before but are having this issue with the Hyundai Sonata.

- Cooper City, FL, USA

problem #61

Oct 052021

Sonata

  • miles
My 2016 plug in hybrid Sonata repeatedly inidcates that there is "high system temperature switching to hybrid mode." This first happened on my first long trip in the car in 10/21 and has happened repeatedly since. This happens at all temperatures, including moderate temperatures (mid 70s). It seems to happen randomly, such as when battery has several miles of charge left in it, when it is fully discharged, and repeatedly when the car is already running in hybrid mode, which a driver could interpret means that the engine is about to shut down, as I did on a long trip. I have taken it to two separate dealers, and the only thing they did was replace the fuel pump, which did not solve the problem. In addition, the battery life has reduced greatly, despite the fact that I always fully discharge and recharge the batter. As you can see from the attached Hyundai forum comments, this appears to be a prevalent problem for this make and model car and no relief from the manufacturer appears to be on the horizon.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #60

Aug 052022

Sonata

  • miles
The vehicle is highly susceptible to theft. There are multiple articles and videos on how my vehicle and many others made Hyundai and Kia can be stolen in minutes with just a USB drive. This needs to be investigated and fixed immediately.

- New Orleans, LA, USA

problem #59

Jul 272022

Sonata

  • miles
The car requires a quart of oil every 1 to two weeks. Brought it to multiple dealerships and was never given a reason why. Car was making knocking noises anytime driven at 45 or below and sometimes higher. We believe it had to be about the recall Hyundai has advised us about multiple times. We brought it to them on Friday July 22nd. They updated the Hybrid system and we left. Driving the car to work July 27th and the car went into -??limp-?? mode and stated that there was a issue with the hybrid engine and to shut the car off immediately. I was able to pull the car off the road and turn it off. The engine light constantly blinked when the error happened. When I shut the car off and turned it back on, it the same hybrid error shows up on the screen again. We had to have it towed to the same dealership we went to the previous day. They have to diagnose the issue but it might take weeks because they have one hybrid tech.

- Sevierville, TN, USA

problem #58

May 262022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • 138,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, he became aware of smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact veered to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. The TPMS, oil pressure, power train, and battery warning lights along with an unknown warning light were illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. Upon opening the hood to inspect the vehicle, the contact noticed that oil was leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced, the transmission needed to be flushed, and the drivebelt needed to be replaced. The dealer also diagnosed that the failure was associated NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V749000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 138,100.

- Tyler, TX, USA

problem #57

Jun 242022

Sonata

  • miles
Ive bought this car used at 30k miles currently at 79k in 2020. Ever since this car has been given me nothing but issues. On 6-24-22 for the third time in two years the car would lose all power going 60-70 mph no gas, no battery engine wouldnt work all while driving on busy I-95. I refuse to drive this car any longer as it is not safe for myself and other drivers around me. This car has got to get taken off the road and or recalled as there have been many reports of this same car with the same issues doing this to other drivers.

- Philadelphia , PA, USA

problem #56

Jun 222022

Sonata 4-cyl

  • miles
I have a 2016 Hybrid Sonata [XXX], the dash started flashing and said...... HEV trouble! STOP the engine now! Now I have a orange engine light. I brought the car to the dealer. They will look at it and contact me. This car cost me plenty, last year they made me pay for a new engine, it would eat up a quart of oil every two weeks. That is 2 quarts a month. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Katy, TX, USA

problem #55

Jun 122022

Sonata

  • miles
Engine caught on fire while driving

- Bluffton, SC, USA

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