2018 Hyundai Sonata: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 365 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
365
Complaints
1
Recalls
18
Crash reports
13
Fire reports
20
Injuries
95.9
Severity index
Severity index 95.9 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 121 2018 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2018 Hyundai Sonata ranks 26 of 121 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 79% of its model-year peers. See the full 2018 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 206 | 56.4% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 60 | 16.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 58 | 15.9% |
| POWER TRAIN | 39 | 10.7% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 30 | 8.2% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 22 | 6.0% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 19 | 5.2% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 17 | 4.7% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 206 of 365 complaints (56.4%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 17 |
| 2019 | 61 |
| 2020 | 18 |
| 2021 | 22 |
| 2022 | 37 |
| 2023 | 55 |
| 2024 | 44 |
| 2025 | 82 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 28 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 2.4x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V619000 | 06/08/2021 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with t |
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.