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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

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.

374
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
18
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
13
Involved Fire
owner-reported
20 / 1
Injuries / Deaths
across all reports
Years to Avoid

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

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Engine 212 reports
Electrical System 60 reports
Unknown Or Other 58 reports
Power Train 40 reports
Fuel/propulsion System 31 reports
Exterior Lighting 22 reports
Vehicle Speed Control 19 reports
Structure 17 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Engine ODI 11633308 12/31/2024

- 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…

Engine ODI 11292346 12/31/2019

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…

Exterior Lighting ODI 11057733 12/31/2017

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 …

Power Train ODI 11632977 12/29/2024

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…

Electrical System ODI 11707411 12/28/2025

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.

Same Vehicle

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.

Check Another Car

Problems Checker

Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.

Questions

FAQ

Is the 2018 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
Owners have filed 374 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata, most often about engine. Compare the complaint counts across model years above — a year with far more complaints than the model's average is the strongest 'avoid' signal in public data.
Which Hyundai Sonata years should I avoid?
The rule of thumb used by analysts: a model year whose complaint count is well above the model's own average (we flag 2× or more) usually had a real manufacturing or design problem — not just noisy reporting. Use the year-by-year strip on this page.
Where do these complaints come from?
Directly from NHTSA, the US government road-safety agency. Any owner can file a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire; NHTSA publishes them as public domain data. We cache each lookup for up to 7 days.
Do complaints mean a recall is coming?
Sometimes. NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns emerge, and investigations can end in recalls. Check the recalls page for this vehicle to see what has already been recalled.