2012 Hyundai Sonata Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: August 19, 2026 · Filed: October 27, 2026

On August 19, 2026, at 76,170 miles, the engine in a 2012 Hyundai Sonata GLS suddenly lost power and shut off while the vehicle was moving on gas station property. The driver had traveled approximately 10 feet before the engine stopped. Repeated attempts to restart were unsuccessful; the engine would not crank. The driver shifted into neutral and pushed the vehicle to a safe location. Before the failure, the vehicle was running smoothly, with no warning lights, warning messages, unusual noises, or other symptoms. There was no collision, injury, smoke, or fire. The sudden, unannounced loss of propulsion created a safety concern because the vehicle could no longer move under its own power. Fortunately, the driver was still on the gas station property and was not blocking traffic. An independent repair shop inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the engine was mechanically locked up. The vehicle was subsequently taken to an authorized Hyundai dealership for inspection. The dealership’s service adviser reported lower rod-bearing failure. Hyundai later denied engine-replacement coverage, citing neglect and missing maintenance records. That denial is being disputed through BBB arbitration. The vehicle had received an oil and filter change and a mechanical inspection on August 4, 2026, at 74,548 miles—15 days and 1,622 miles before the failure. The vehicle remains at the Hyundai dealership, and the engine is available for inspection upon request. The exact underlying cause of the reported bearing failure is UNKNOWN.

Incident: October 15, 2026 · Filed: October 15, 2026

I am reporting a total manufacturer parts shortage. My 2012 Hyundai Sonata GLS is part of the Hyundai Anti-Theft Customer Satisfaction Campaign P33 (Ignition Cylinder Protector). Hyundai launched this program to fix a massive vehicle theft vulnerability, but they have failed to release or distribute the physical parts to dealerships. I have been blocked from receiving this security fix since the campaign's rollout, leaving my car exposed to theft. I spoke today 10/15/26, with Piazza Hyundai in West Chester PA, to schedule appt, and was told this recall was launched in 12/25, and as of today, Hyundai still has not provided the parts. The P33 letter mandates that I repair the car by March 31,2027. BUT THERE ARE NO PARTS!

Incident: September 25, 2026 · Filed: September 26, 2026

The passenger side curtain and front airbags popped with no crash or reason, yes Hyundai will be able to inspect upon pick up. My safety risk was fortunately at minimal during times of explosion because I had just parked the vehicle when curtain side air bags went off first then slowly reserving when the front passenger side air bags went off good thing I wasn’t on highway going highway speeds. The manufacturer said some one will reach out to me in 2 business days. No there were no warnings lights or anything

Incident: July 30, 2026 · Filed: July 31, 2026

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, the engine started knocking, and smoke emitted from under the hood. The contact decelerated to approximately 15 MPH and drove to her nearby residence. Upon inspection, the contact observed green fluid under the hood. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and the head gasket was blown. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Incident: April 10, 2026 · Filed: July 30, 2026

Vehicle engine caught fire in April 2026! Tow company sold for parts without my permission! Immediately after gaining possession of my car. I didn't have comprehensive insurance, only basic. I had a brain bleed stroke Nov. 2022 and this is causing stress, setbacks. No attorneys want to take the case because there was no injuries! I jumped out in time. THANK GOD!

Incident: July 20, 2026 · Filed: July 29, 2026

Diagnosed 07/20/2026 with catastrophic oil ring failure requiring engine replacement. Engine can stall due to oil degradation/absence of causing uncontrolled vehicle handling and fire. This would put myself and others at risk. It has been diagnosed at dealership. Complaint Narrative: The subject vehicle is experiencing its third total engine failure due to an inherent manufacturing and design defect, presenting a severe and repeating highway safety hazard. The original factory engine failed catastrophically in 2015 at 116,440 miles and was replaced under NHTSA Recall 15V-568. The second engine failed in 2021 at 244,710 miles and was replaced under NHTSA Recall 17V-226. The third engine (the second replacement) has now failed prematurely at 334,935 chassis miles, lasting a mere 90,225 miles. An authorized Hyundai dealership diagnosed a total failure of the oil control rings. This mechanical defect allows engine oil to bypass the pistons directly into the combustion chambers. This causes severe, rapid oil consumption, spark plug fouling, engine stalling, and total loss of motive power at highway speeds without prior dashboard warning illumination. The manufacturer is failing to provide safe, durable remedies for its federally mandated safety recalls (see warranty info Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (15 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq./ Breach of Implied Warranty of Merchantability). Instead, they are installing subsequent replacement powerplants that suffer from the exact same structural vulnerabilities and component lifecycle failures. This creates a continuous risk of sudden engine seizure and traffic collisions for consumers.

Incident: May 13, 2026 · Filed: July 22, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Incident: May 13, 2026 · Filed: July 15, 2026

As I was merging onto the interstate I put my foot on the gas pedal to give it a little more gas then usual to get pulled out and all of a sudden all the lights on the dash board illuminated and it slowly lost all power I was able to move it out of the road ... There was no loud ,knocking or ticking noises prior to this happening there was no type of any kind of warning .. my car is the push start button so after the car died completely I hit the push button and all the lights on the dash came on the radio worked and everything else seemed to be working it was when I went to put my foot on the brake to start it it would do nothing it would not start at all .. I was still able to put it in neutral even after the incident happened . I had it towed t Hyundai of Bristol to have it inspected well they did verifi that the engine was locked up but failed to give me any information on the test they ran or how they keep it was locked up and what locked it up so then they have my car over a week and they tell me I need a new engine but then contact me to tell ke that HMA refused to replace the engine on warranty and I had the campaign 953 completed the knox sensor thing before my car broke down so then I had to pay for towing once again out of my pocket to go pick the car from their dealership so when I got there to get my car the service was not that great and my car was in a mess very uncalled for the battery to the car was completely dead with that being said we had to use another battery to just get it turned on to even put it in neutral well then fuel started spraying from the fuel line , the engine cover was left off right along with engine mount was taken off and they even took the belt off there were bolts laying all over my hood of my car and I'm pretty sure we lost a few transporting the car back ..their service they provided was not business/professional behavior and very disrespectful at that .. returning my car in that condition was very unnecessary

Incident: May 22, 2026 · Filed: June 30, 2026

Around the end of May 2026, my vehicle stalled without warning while traveling at highway speed. The engine light and EPS warning light illuminated simultaneously. The engine cranks but will not start. The vehicle was towed to a Hyundai dealership on June 15, 2026 where the engine failure was confirmed. My safety was directly at risk. The vehicle lost power on an active highway with no warning, creating a collision hazard for myself and other drivers. The failure has been confirmed by the dealership. Hyundai Motor America acknowledged the engine failure falls under the TXXI Settlement Agreement and offered a buyback or cash settlement. However, Hyundai has had physical possession of my vehicle since June 15, 2026 and has repeatedly failed to provide a written buyback offer despite multiple commitments to do so. Prior warning signs included the engine and EPS lights activating at the moment of failure. No prior warning lamps appeared before that day. The vehicle has 2 open safety recalls as of the date of purchase in November 2025.

Incident: May 19, 2026 · Filed: June 16, 2026

Knock sensor needs to be replaced upon evaluation of an inspection on March 27, 2026. It failed a mission codes and upon my understanding the knock sensor one circuit range performance pink wonder single sensor is an engine failure as well as I did an ODB test myself on May 19 of 2026 for the Knox sensor as well and the check engine dominator reading at 2111 the the code indicated that bank one Knox and electrical circuit was out of it upper range or had it perform problem for a predetermined period of time and the code is P0326 and the secondary DTC is a combustion vibration sensor a circuit range performance which affects the powertrain. Also, I have switches with the electrical features in the vehicle as far as the ABS and the steering wheel controls and glitching for the cigarette adapter and plug-in area as well on top of the rear passenger side window, having issues with going up and down.