2012 Hyundai Sonata: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 1,553 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 8 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
1,553
Complaints
8
Recalls
51
Crash reports
94
Fire reports
38
Injuries
71.6
Severity index
Severity index 71.6 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Hyundai Sonata ranks 55 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 57% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 564 | 36.3% |
| STEERING | 301 | 19.4% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 234 | 15.1% |
| AIR BAGS | 169 | 10.9% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 158 | 10.2% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 141 | 9.1% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 121 | 7.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 98 | 6.3% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 564 of 1,553 complaints (36.3%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 18 |
| 2012 | 60 |
| 2013 | 42 |
| 2014 | 59 |
| 2015 | 120 |
| 2016 | 128 |
| 2017 | 130 |
| 2018 | 198 |
| 2019 | 194 |
| 2020 | 142 |
| 2021 | 118 |
| 2022 | 117 |
| 2023 | 95 |
| 2024 | 67 |
| 2025 | 43 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 22 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V934000 | 28/12/2018 | ENGINE | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2013-2014 Santa Fe Sport vehicles previously repaired under recall numbers 15V-568 and 17V-226. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned, or impr |
| 17V617000 | 04/10/2017 | SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles previously repaired under recall campaign 17V-152. The seat belt linkages for both front seat belts may detach from the seat belt anchor pretensioners. |
| 18V137000 | 27/02/2018 | SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. On February 27, 2018, Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) notified NHTSA that they were recalling 154,753 model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. On April 18, 2018, Hyundai expand |
| 17V152000 | 08/03/2017 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the seat belt linkages for both front seat belts may detach from the seat belt anchor pretensioners. |
| 15V759000 | 16/11/2015 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model 2011-2012 Sonata vehicles. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released. |
| 15V568000 | 10/09/2015 | ENGINE | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, to April 12, 2012 at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama and equipped with either a 2.0 liter or 2.4 liter Gasoline Direct injection engine. In the affected v |
| 14V434000 | 18/07/2014 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, through May 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable may detach from from the shift lever pin. |
| 12V352000 | 24/07/2012 | AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Hyundai Sonata passenger cars, manufactured from January 24, 2012, through June 21, 2012. The curtain side airbags on these vehicles may inflate without deployment command due to an error during manufacturing. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.