2018 Hyundai Sonata — Problems & Complaints
NHTSA has 374 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.
Hyundai Sonata — Complaints by Model Year
Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.
3,378 complaints
1,558 complaints
1,915 complaints
751 complaints
1,153 complaints
725 complaints
766 complaints
374 complaints
162 complaints
180 complaints
134 complaints
94 complaints
87 complaints
46 complaints
17 complaints
What Owners Complain About Most
Recent Owner Reports
- Component or system that failed: engine (cylinder #4 misfire) - Safety was put at risk twice: once when knock sensor went off on interstate (October) and engine went into limp mode (aka protection mode). Required a tow from the, which was tricky with a vehicle full of passengers. Safety was put at risk gain when vehicle began to stutter/sputter on interstate (December). Drov…
THE CAR BUCK GOING THREW LIGHTS IT HAD NO POWER. IT WOULD BOG DOWN WHEN YOU LEASE EXPECT IT. THIS DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN. BUT ONCE HAPPEN AT 1:30AM. THE LIGHT BEEN ON FOR AWHILE. I GO THREW A GREEN LIGHT THE CAR WENT LIP AND THE SEMI LAID ON HIS HORN AT 1:30AM. BECAUSE HE DIDN'T KNOW I BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM FOR MONTHS.THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO THE DEALER JUST AS THEY GOT T…
THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2018 HYUNDAI SONATA LIMITED HAVE CONDENSATION IN THEM. IT HAS BEEN THERE FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT THE CAR ON 10/1/18. THAT DAY THE DEALERSHIP TOOK PICTURES TO SEND TO HYUNDAI AND 1 MONTH LATER REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS. BUT THE NEW HEADLIGHTS WERE WORSE THAN THE ORIGINAL AND THE DAY AFTER THEY WERE INSTALLED I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE PARTS MANAGER …
When my car suddenly stopped on the highway, I encountered an issue with the “body control module.” The car wouldn’t start, and the key fob was ineffective. Additionally, the airbags stopped working. I don’t recall all the details, but I was unsure of where to report the dangerous vehicle. I’ve noticed several other Hyundai owners complaining about this issue, where their cars…
Intermittent no-crank, no-start condition. Dash lights illuminate, push-button start produces no response. Brake pedal applied. Vehicle becomes immobilized without warning. I’ve been stranded on multiple occasions. Unable to commute to work, or home. Most recently on December 19,2025 the car completely shut off while driving on the highway.
Recalls & Crash Tests
Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.
Problems Checker
Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.