Hyundai Sonata years to avoid
Every Hyundai Sonata model year on file (2012-2025), ranked worst to best by severity index - the share of owner complaints that report a crash, fire, injury or fatality.
2013
Worst year on file
83.2
Severity index
Engine
Most-reported system
2020
Cleanest year on file
Ranked worst to best
| # | Model year | Severity | Complaints | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013 Hyundai Sonata | 83.2 High | 1,915 | Engine |
| 2 | 2021 Hyundai Sonata | 82.5 High | 134 | Engine |
| 3 | 2014 Hyundai Sonata | 81.9 High | 751 | Engine |
| 4 | 2018 Hyundai Sonata | 81.6 High | 374 | Engine |
| 5 | 2022 Hyundai Sonata | 71.6 Medium | 94 | Engine |
| 6 | 2012 Hyundai Sonata | 71.1 Medium | 1,558 | Engine |
| 7 | 2019 Hyundai Sonata | 67.5 Medium | 162 | Engine |
| 8 | 2015 Hyundai Sonata | 65.5 Medium | 1,153 | Engine |
| 9 | 2016 Hyundai Sonata | 60.2 Medium | 726 | Engine |
| 10 | 2025 Hyundai Sonata | 52.1 Medium | 17 | Service Brakes |
| 11 | 2024 Hyundai Sonata | 50.0 Medium | 46 | Electrical System |
| 12 | 2017 Hyundai Sonata | 43.3 Low | 766 | Engine |
| 13 | 2023 Hyundai Sonata | 43.1 Low | 88 | Fuel/Propulsion System |
| 14 | 2020 Hyundai Sonata | 42.3 Low | 181 | Fuel/Propulsion System |
A high rank here means a larger share of this year's complaints described a crash, fire or injury - not that the vehicle is unsafe to drive, and not a reliability or repair-cost rating. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold.
Hyundai Sonata complaints and recalls by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1,558 | 8 | 51 | 95 | 71.1 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2013 | 1,915 | 9 | 93 | 98 | 83.2 High | ENGINE |
| 2014 | 751 | 7 | 29 | 40 | 81.9 High | ENGINE |
| 2015 | 1,153 | 9 | 34 | 48 | 65.5 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2016 | 726 | 6 | 19 | 28 | 60.2 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2017 | 766 | 3 | 28 | 11 | 43.3 Low | ENGINE |
| 2018 | 374 | 1 | 18 | 13 | 81.6 High | ENGINE |
| 2019 | 162 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 67.5 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2020 | 181 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 42.3 Low | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM |
| 2021 | 134 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 82.5 High | ENGINE |
| 2022 | 94 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 71.6 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2023 | 88 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 43.1 Low | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM |
| 2024 | 46 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.0 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2025 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52.1 Medium | SERVICE BRAKES |
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.