NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
24 reportsClear category filterMileage unknown · Jun 27, 2024
Fuel/propulsion SystemPower TrainStructure
I was on my way back home from Alexandria LA on [XXX] when I heard like the sound of an blow out tire but wasn’t happen to look in back of car and seen back seat was blown off the area of the car and proceeded to see that the gas tank was expanded like you would see a balloon and the me car started running funny and. Then a se…
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I was on my way back home from Alexandria LA on [XXX] when I heard like the sound of an blow out tire but wasn’t happen to look in back of car and seen back seat was blown off the area of the car and proceeded to see that the gas tank was expanded like you would see a balloon and the me car started running funny and. Then a service code comes across the screen of the radio po45100 , so I pull over and look beneath the car and see that the gas tank is so expanded it’s now pressing against the exhaust pipe. So I turned car off and here we are now I’m without a car due to this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11597170
Mileage unknown · May 26, 2024
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train
Vechile shut down completely on the highway, engine's been replaced twice, Catalytic converter, Turbo was replaced three times, Battery oxygen sensors, timing belt all have been replaced, Along with my wireless charger and Both heaterhouses and splash guard. I recently had my vehicle SERVICED Thirty five hundred miles after NEW …
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Vechile shut down completely on the highway, engine's been replaced twice, Catalytic converter, Turbo was replaced three times, Battery oxygen sensors, timing belt all have been replaced, Along with my wireless charger and Both heaterhouses and splash guard. I recently had my vehicle SERVICED Thirty five hundred miles after NEW engine install The dealership serviced my car didn't reset my service indicator 3 weeks later, my vehicle without warning said Engine overheated, so I pulled over immediately that display went off. My actual thermostat stayed under the center line in between cold and hot. I contacted the dealership and got my vehicle into BE inspected At that time, they said my coolant level was low and both heapeer. Hoses needed to be replaced and my engine needed to be flushed and refilled. I had those services completed. I picked up my car 5/24 it was OK on 5/25 My service indicator pop back on and at that time it was counting 58 days, so even after I brought it to the dealership's attention, they failed to reset it again. So I googled how to reset the service interval and did it myself. And about thirty minutes later, I was driving my car started shaking excessively And Woodin's accelerate, over 20 miles per hour in traffic. I had to put on my hazard lights and get me and my grandson to a safe place so that I could contact the dealership regarding this matter and they stated there was nothing they could do I had to wait until Tuesday I have put in a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, as well as consumer affairs. And also the county attorney's office for. Consumer fraud. This vehicle was misrepresented at the time of sale. It has countless safety issues. I need assistance
NHTSA ODI #11590819
21,000 miles · Apr 9, 2024
Power Train
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the shift assists malfunction warning light illuminated. The contact turned the vehicle off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repai…
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The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the shift assists malfunction warning light illuminated. The contact turned the vehicle off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.
NHTSA ODI #11581941
Mileage unknown · Jul 17, 2023
EnginePower Train
Engine leaks oil. I went to the dealer and they blamed the other Hyundai dealer saying they stripped out the drain bolt. After all the back and forth they told me they will replace the drain pan. I scheduled to have the car dropped off and wasn’t given a loaner. When I went to pick up the car they told me the ac bolt and bra…
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Engine leaks oil. I went to the dealer and they blamed the other Hyundai dealer saying they stripped out the drain bolt. After all the back and forth they told me they will replace the drain pan. I scheduled to have the car dropped off and wasn’t given a loaner. When I went to pick up the car they told me the ac bolt and bracket are broken and to come on Monday but the drain pan has been replaced. I went home and the car continued to leak oil and when I went back to the dealer and called them out they came up with every excuse in the books. Bolt is stripped, impact to pan, and so on. Long story short I went to fix the oil pan and they damaged the ac bolt so instead of telling me to come back to do everything they said they did the drain pan but the bolt would have to be done another day. I am waiting on a loaner car as I waisted a whole day without a car and the issue wasn’t fixed. I have a receipt showing the work was done but it never was. The dealer is dishonest and unprofessional. Not sure how they get away with this. They need to be held accountable.
NHTSA ODI #11532836
19,000 miles · Aug 25, 2022
Electrical SystemPower Train
The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 75 MPH, the brake warning light appeared on the instrument panel as the vehicle began to hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH as her husband pulled to the side of t…
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The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 75 MPH, the brake warning light appeared on the instrument panel as the vehicle began to hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH as her husband pulled to the side of the highway and turned off the vehicle. The contact called the dealer and was given suggestions on how to correct the failure; however, none of the options worked. After some time, her husband restarted the vehicle and the vehicle resumed normal operation. The next day, the contact stated that the brake light returned upon start of the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
NHTSA ODI #11481137
Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 2022
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control
When accelerating hard (pedal to the floor) from approximately 55 mph, the transmission may not downshift correctly and loses power causing a safety issue. When attempting to continue accelerate at full throttle, the RPMs hang while simultaneously losing vehicle speed. Other symptoms noticed were slight vehicle jerkiness from RP…
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When accelerating hard (pedal to the floor) from approximately 55 mph, the transmission may not downshift correctly and loses power causing a safety issue. When attempting to continue accelerate at full throttle, the RPMs hang while simultaneously losing vehicle speed. Other symptoms noticed were slight vehicle jerkiness from RPMs bouncing up and down a couple of hundred RPMs. When letting off of the accelerator to a "normal" depression level, the vehicle upshifts into an appropriate gear and will gain speed (though sluggish). In the same drive (meaning the ignition was not turned off then back on) , if attempting to push accelerator to the floor, the same results happen as stated before. Also in the same drive (after exiting the highway), from a stop at a red light I tested the issue again with the same results. No warning lights, messages, or other symptoms were present to indicate a malfunction. My safety was at risk because I merged onto the highway and noticed another vehicle approaching me at an unsafe pace. Due to the issue, the car had to hit their brakes hard to avoid a crash. This is also a safety risk because if it happens from a stop, the car may fail to accelerate appropriately when turning in front of traffic. The problem has not be reproduced, confirmed or inspected by anyone besides myself. A video of the issue as it occurred was recorded. This issue is not consistent and has happened twice in approximately 3 months. My Hyundai dealership's service department suggested the car may have went into "limp mode." Given the inconsistent nature of the issue, I did not schedule an appointment to have it looked at because I would have been charged if nothing was found.
NHTSA ODI #11477596
Mileage unknown · May 12, 2022
Power Train
Car is 20 months old and in that period the car has experienced on at least 3 occasions a problem with acceleration. After stopping and then attempting to accelerate the transmission had a problem engaging and increasing speed. It took probably 30-40 seconds to get from zero to 25 or so then engaged back to normal. Obviously …
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Car is 20 months old and in that period the car has experienced on at least 3 occasions a problem with acceleration. After stopping and then attempting to accelerate the transmission had a problem engaging and increasing speed. It took probably 30-40 seconds to get from zero to 25 or so then engaged back to normal. Obviously dangerous if getting onto highway or turning in traffic. Dealership cannot replicate problem so they cannot analyze. Last instance was about 2 months ago March 2022. Similar to other incidents posted here.
NHTSA ODI #11464341
Mileage unknown · Jul 26, 2021
Power Train
1.TRANSMISSION DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY AT ALL TIMES. IT SLIPS FROM TIME TO TIME UPON ACCELERATION, (RIGHT AFTER DECELERATION), INCREASING THE ODDS OF A COLLISION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO AVOID OTHER VEHICLES ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH MINE. 2.NOISE FROM STEERING COLUMN 3. THREE TRIPS TO DEALER HAVE BROUGHT NO RESOLUTION
NHTSA ODI #11426486
Mileage unknown · Jun 20, 2021
Power Train
The transmission since we got the vehicle has had random hard shifts. The software updates seemed to have alleviate some of the occurrences. How ever when it does happen now. The whole car shakes while at idle and shifts extremely hard. Almost like braking hard. The problem has not been reproduced at a dealership yet, taking it …
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The transmission since we got the vehicle has had random hard shifts. The software updates seemed to have alleviate some of the occurrences. How ever when it does happen now. The whole car shakes while at idle and shifts extremely hard. Almost like braking hard. The problem has not been reproduced at a dealership yet, taking it in ASAP for inspection. Noting relating to the power train has been replaced. Just a software update a while back. No warning lights came on the screen when it happened. My wife was going about 20 miles per hour when she tried to accelerate. It was hesitant than shifted hard, lurching forward than accelerated. When she came to a stop at the next light it was shaking the whole car.
NHTSA ODI #11421543
14,698 miles · Mar 31, 2021
EnginePower Train
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH AND ENTERING THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR AND THE VEHICLE WAS SPUTTERING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT EXCEED 45 MPH. THE CONTACT PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AND SHUT-OFF THE VEHICLE. NO WARNING …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH AND ENTERING THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR AND THE VEHICLE WAS SPUTTERING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT EXCEED 45 MPH. THE CONTACT PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AND SHUT-OFF THE VEHICLE. NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACTED RESTARTED THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO RESTART THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER - WEBB HYUNDAI MERRILLVILLE (1000 81ST AVE MERRILLVILLE IN 46410, (219) 249-4961) WHERE THE DIAGNOSIS WAS NOT DETERMINED FOR THE ENGINE HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE HEATING SYSTEM WAS FAULTY AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO PROVIDE AN ACCURATE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT, DID NOT PROVIDE ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,698.
NHTSA ODI #11405813
Official recalls
4Nov 17, 2025
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Sonata vehicles. A damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, melting the tank.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A melted fuel tank can leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the check valve. The fuel tank assembly will be inspected for damage and replaced if necessary. Additionally, dealers will inspect and update the engine control unit software. All repairs will be performed as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning March 13, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 286. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 19, 2025.
Mar 28, 2022
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Sonata and Sonata Hybrid, and 2019 Genesis G70 vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the trunk latch and replace the trunk latch base, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 221/010G.
Apr 9, 2020
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Nexo and Sonata vehicles. The Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) software may fail to prevent vehicle movement upon detection of an RSPA system malfunction.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Unintended vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the RSPA software, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 191.
Feb 28, 2020
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Sonata vehicles produced between October 22, 2019 and February 13, 2020. The tire pressure label inside the driver's door and the owner's manual state an incorrect tire size. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The incorrect tire information may mislead the vehicle owner to install the wrong tire size, potentially affecting vehicle handling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install new label stickers over the tire pressure label and in the owner's manual, free of charge. The recall began April 22, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 190.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power
Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.