We received the "Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do Not Drive" warning while on the highway. We pulled over, turned the car off, but then it wouldn't restart. We towed the car to a Hyundai dealer and they performed the repair.

It appears to be an issue with the Power Relay Assembly in the hybrid system. The relay assembly part was $636, and we also had to replace the EV safety plug which was $238. ALSO, the battery died, so we had to replace that for $220. After all the parts and labor, the total came out to $1677, but we had a warranty and only paid $524 out of pocket. Still very scary and a pain in the ass.

If this has just happened to you, you unfortunately need to tow the car. There's no way to get it moving again on your own. TOW IT TO A HYUNDAI DEALER - a regular mechanic won't have Hyundai's proprietary diagnostic tools, and therefore won't be able to help you.

I was driving 20 MPH straight down a flat, residential street. A loud dash alarm sounded in my 2014 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The dash displayed "Hybrid System Warning, Safely Stop and Do Not Drive". Below the warning a yellow caution triangle displayed. I attempted to give the vehicle gas, so I could pull to the side of the road, but the engine acted like it had no power. A blinking green "Ready" light was displayed. The ECO guide display was moving up and down from the top to bottom.

I took my foot off the gas pedal and began braking. The brakes felt mushy and the vehicle was not stopping. Within a few seconds the vehicle shook and was the engine was revving up and down but like it was out of gear. After approximately 10-15 seconds, I lost the power steering and it was almost impossible to turn the steering wheel. I again tried to brake but the brakes just felt mushy and were not stopping the vehicle. I continued coasting down the road and eventually used the emergency brake to stop the vehicle.

Once the vehicle was stopped, I shut it off and attempted to start the vehicle again. The green "Ready" light displayed on the dash as well as the warning lights. The vehicle would turn on, but not start again. I put the vehicle in neutral and had people push me to the curbside. The brakes were very mushy and almost non-existent. I again used the emergency brake to stop it. I notified my local Hyundai dealer and advised I would be towing the vehicle to them.

I had just come off the freeway and had this happened a few minutes earlier, I would not have been able to get to the shoulder of the freeway. I believe this issue could have caused serious injury or death. It was literally terrifying to lose control of the vehicle the way this occurred. There was NO prior warning of an issue and not enough time to react once the warning symbol was displayed.

Prior issues regarding the electrical system: Unknown if it is related, but several times the key FOB would not work. I would replace the battery in the key FOB several times.

Dealer stated an unknown electrical surge occurred and caused the “Safety Plug” in the HEV system to pop. Dealer said it pops and shuts down the Hybrid’s electrical system so the computer system and electrical system doesn’t fry. Saving an electrical system instead of the person driving the car is not right and not safe.

I am in touch with the Hyundai Corporate Office and was advised a Case Manager would call me in a few days. We will see.......But car is now permanently parked on the curb.