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)

84 of 1,551 complaints match · Speed control · clear filters · page 4 of 4

Jun 17, 2013Electrical systemSpeed control

CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE BY HITTING CANCEL OR TURNING IT OFF. IT WOULD ONLY DISENGAGE BY DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL. I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS ENGAGING CRUISE CONTROL FOR ABOUT A WEEK. THE BRAKE INTERLOCK SWITCH WAS ALREADY REPLACED ONCE, IF IT HAD FAILED AGAIN THE ONLY OPTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND SHUT IT OFF. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10520279

Jun 3, 2013Speed control

THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILS TO ENGAGE EVERY TIME YOU PRESS IT. SOMETIMES IT WORKS, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. DEALER REPLACED THE SWITCH SAYING IT WAS BAD. PROBLEM PERSISTED SO I TOOK IT BACK IN. THEY CANNOT REPLICATE IT SINCE IT IS INTERMITTENT THEREFORE I CANNOT GET THIS FIXED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10514837

Mar 1, 2013Electrical systemLightsSpeed control

THE VEHICLE'S CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO ENGAGE OR DISENGAGE WHEN USED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS INITIALLY UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THEN REPLACED A HEADLAMP SWITCH. AFTER THIS, THE RADIO BEGAN TURNING COMPLETELY OFF WHILE DRIVING, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL CONTINUED TO ACT ERRATICALLY. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM BUT REPLACED THE RADIO. SEVERAL MORE TIMES, THE DEALERSHIP STATED THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL AND RADIO. AFTER CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER, THE DEALERSHIP LOOKED AT THE CAR AGAIN AND FOUND LOOSE PINS IN THE CONNECTOR TO THE FUSE BOX. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10500987

Feb 26, 2013Speed controlEquipment

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, HE ENGAGED THE BRAKES AND SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT HIM AT A LATER DATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,000. N UPDATED 4/24/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE CONSUMER TRADED THE VEHICLE IN. THE MANUFACTURER REQUESTED THE VEHICLE BE HELD FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WOULD, INTERMITTENTLY, NOT SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR. THE AIR CONDITION MALFUNCTIONED. UPDATED 06/05/2013 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10500507

Sep 26, 2012Speed control

MY 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA TURBO HAS THE FOLLOWING PERSISTENT ISSUE. WHEN THE VEHICLE SITS OVER NIGHT, IN COOL WEATHER CONDITIONS OF ABOUT 60 DEGREES AND/OR LOWER, UPON FIRST START IN THE MORNING IT WILL NOT REV PAST 4000 RPM (WHILE DRIVING) AND AS A RESULT IT DOESN'T HAVE THE POWER TO MERGE ONTO THE HIGHWAY IN A MANNER THAT I WOULD CONSIDER SAFELY. I KNOW OF A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN THAT HYUNDAI HAS RELEASED THAT'S SUPPOSE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE HOWEVER, I ALSO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF ABOUT 10 VEHICLES WITH THIS SAME ISSUE, SOME THE ISSUE PERSISTED EVEN AFTER THE DEALER CLAIMED TO HAVE REPAIRED IT. WHAT I CONSIDER THE MAIN SAFETY ISSUE TO BE IS; THERE IS NO INDICATION/ALERT WITHIN THE VEHICLE'S DASHBOARD ILLUSTRATING THE ISSUE AFFECTING THE ACCELERATION/PERFORMANCE. MY VEHICLE HAS NORMAL POWER CITY STREETS OR AT ABOUT 30 MPH OR LESS. I DISCOVERED THE ISSUE WHEN TRYING TO MERGE ONTO A HIGHWAY, DUE TO LACK OF ACCELERATION POWER (WHICH MY VEHICLE SHOULD/DID HAVE), I WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED BY A 18 WHEELER AS I WAS TRYING TO GET UP TO HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS EVER TURNED ON. MY VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND HAS ABOUT 13,000 MILES ON IT NOW. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION ON THIS HAZARDOUS MATTER. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10477225

Aug 9, 2012Speed control

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HILL THAT WAS NOT VERY STEEP, IN GOOD WEATHER, WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON AT 60 MPH. AS THE CAR WENT DOWN THE HILL, THE SPEED INCREASED TO 80,AT WHICH POINT IN TIME I USED MY BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN. THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WITH ME ALONE AND WITH OTHERS IN THE CAR, INCLUDING A STAFF MEMBER OF THE DEALERSHIP, WHO TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR A HYUNDAI SONATA AND FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL ON HIS OWN VEHICLE. IF I CANCEL CRUISE CONTROL IN THE MIDDLE OF A HILL, SPEED DECREASES OR HOLDS STEADY --IT DOES NOT ACCELERATE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10470060

May 18, 2012Speed controlCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, HE APPLIED SLIGHT PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE WALL OF A GARAGE AS A RESULT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN AT THE MOMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,500. UPDATED 07/13/12 *BF

NHTSA ODI 10458935

Jan 18, 2012Speed control1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, HIS FOOT WOULD SWELL, CAUSING HIM TO PAY LESS ATTENTION TO THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT ONLY EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING HIS VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10444386

Oct 22, 2011SteeringBody & structureSpeed control

THREE PROBLEMS CROPPED UP IMMEDIATELY OR SHORTLY AFTER INITIAL OWNERSHIP. THE CAR PULLS TO THE RIGHT, AND THE STEERING WHEEL MUST BE TURNED TO THE LEFT OF CENTER TO COMPENSATE WHEN DRIVING ON A FLAT SURFACE. SECOND, THE SUNROOF AREA DEVELOPED A LOUD CREAKING SOUND WHEN THE CAR IS DRIVEN THROUGH A TURN OR OVER UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE. THIRD, AND MOST ALARMINGLY, THE CRUISE CONTROL INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO DISENGAGE WHEN THE CANCEL BUTTON IS PRESSED. IT ALSO INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO ENGAGE WHEN THE SET BUTTON IS PRESSED. IF THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS FAILED TO DISENGAGE, TAPPING THE BRAKE OR PRESSING THE MAIN ON/OFF BUTTON WILL CAUSE IT TO DISENGAGE. HOWEVER, THE CONFUSION THAT COMES FROM THE CANCEL BUTTON FAILURE MAY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALER CANNOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM DURING A SHORT TEST DRIVE AND REFUSES TO REPLACE OR TEST THE ELECTRONIC MODULES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10432454

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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 →