Home · 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hev · Complaints

What 1,551 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (1,551)Crash / fire / injury (147)Engine (563)Steering (301)Electrical system (234)Airbags (169)Brakes (158)Lights (141)Fuel system (112)Transmission & drivetrain (97)Speed control (84)Seat belts (74)

79 of 1,551 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters · page 4 of 4

Jul 14, 2015EngineCrash

I HAD A MINOR FENDER BENDER ( A PERSON HIT ME AND TOOK OFF) 1 BLOCK LATER THE ENGINE DIED. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE SHOP WHERE I WAS FIRST TOLD IT NEEDED A NEW BATTERY AND A STARTER. BATTERY WAS ONLY 12 MONTHS OLD AND STARTER WAS NOT A PROBLEM. I HAD IT TOWED TO HYUNDAI AND THEY TOLD ME THE ENGINE SEIZED FROM SLUDGE AND WATER. I I DONT EVEN HAVE A SPRINKLER SYSTEM FOR WATER DAMAGE AND WE ARE IN A DROUGHT AND THE OIL WAS CHANGED A FEW MONTHS AGO. I HAD READ ABOUT THE SEIZED ENGINE ISSUES ON THIS MODEL BUT HYUNDAI SAYS THAT IS NOT TRUE. I POINTED OUT TO THEM THAT NO OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON.I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR UNTIL THIS HAPPENED. THEY REFUSE TO DO ANY THING ABOUT IT BUT ARE WILLING TO CHARGE ME $6700.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE

NHTSA ODI 10734078

Sep 4, 2014Body & structureSpeed controlEngineCrash

CAR ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED. I WAS IN A PARKING LOT AND BACKED UP TO LEAVE, ACCIDENTALLY HITTING A STORAGE CONTAINER WITH MY REAR BUMPER. I PUT CAR IN DRIVE TO MOVE FORWARD AND THE CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL BY ITSELF TRAVELING FAST ABOUT 30 FEET. I TRIED TO BRAKE BUT COULD NOT STOP THE CAR. WE HIT A FENCE, MOVING THE FENCE ABOUT 5 FEET AND HIT THE CAR PARKED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FENCE, SMASHING IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. WE HAD OUR SEAT BELTS ON AND WERE NOT INJURED BUT WITHOUT SEAT BELTS WE WOULD HAVE BEEN THROWN THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR ANYMORE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10630662

Jun 24, 2014Transmission & drivetrainBrakesEngineCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PARKING AND TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE IN HER RESIDENTIAL GARAGE, THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS. IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT FELL WHICH CAUSED HER TO SCRAPE HER CHIN NEEDING 10 STITCHES. THE CONTACT WAS TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE AND THE POLICE ATTEMPTED TO PIECE TOGETHER THE SCENARIO, THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN PARK, WHEN SHE TURNED IT OFF. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE COULD BE PUT INTO ANY GEAR, AND IT COULD ROLL, WHETHER IT WAS ON A FLAT OF HILLY SURFACE. UPDATED 08/20/14 UPDATED 8/27/14*CN

NHTSA ODI 10605525

Nov 26, 2013Electrical systemBody & structureEngineFire

WALKED OUT OF STORE I HAD BEEN SHOPPING IN FOR OVER AN HOUR AND CAR WAS IN FLAMES. THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR EXPLAINED IT AS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT THAT STARTED AT THE MAIN ENGINE WIRE HARNESS AND MELTED THE TUBING/WIRING ALL THROUGH THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DOWN NEAR PASSENGER HEADLIGHT AND THE MELTING WIRES/TUBING/RUBBER DRIPPED AND IGNITED ON A PILE OF LEAVES UNDERNEATH THE CAR IN THE PARKING SPACE. THE RESULTING FIRE AND ELECTRICAL BURN MELTED ALL RUBBER PLASTIC,EXTERNAL BELTS, WIRE HARNESS, FRONT BUMPER, INTAKE MANIFOLD AND ANY PLASTIC RUBBER,FLUID LIDS, EXTERIOR PARTS SURROUNDING OR ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10553823

← Newer

Working with the data? Download all 1,551 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hev verdict →