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

Based on what I experienced, the fire appears to have resulted from an internal mechanical or electrical failure that occurred without warning while the vehicle was in motion. No prior issues or dashboard alerts were present at the time, and there was no external impact or damage that could explain the fire.

NHTSA ODI 11701989

The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that various functions on the steering wheel including the horn, cruise control, and other electrical functions; all failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that a warranty had been placed on the vehicle for the clock spring which they linked to the failure. The steering wheel also began to stick soon after the diagnosis. The dealer was notified of the failure; however, the dealer could not provide an appointment until months out. The contact then stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact began to pull over as the EPS(Electrical Power Steering) and several other warning lights appeared on the instrument panel. As the contact opened the door, a fellow motorist had also pulled over to alert the contact that the vehicle was on fire. Soon after exiting the vehicle, the entire vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames. The fire department quickly arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. The contact was not injured, no other occupants were inside the vehicle, and the contact was unsure if a fire or police report was filed. Some of the grass and trees in the area had caught fire as a result of the failure. The remains of the vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was completely destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

NHTSA ODI 11627450

WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED CAUSING ME TO HIT THE ONLY PARKED CAR THAT WAS 20 FT FROM THE CORNER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11325020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS HAD AN INTERNAL ELECTRICAL SHORT AND CONTAINED RUST AND CORROSION. ALSO, THE SOCKETS MELTED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT HAD TO BE REMOVED TO PREVENT THE MIDDLE REAR BRAKE LIGHT FROM REMAINING ILLUMINATED. THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHT WAS OPERABLE, BUT EVENTUALLY SHORTED OUT AS WELL. THE CONTACT ORDERED REPLACEMENT TAIL LIGHTS THREE TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH TIME. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE CONCERNING THE FUEL SYSTEM. WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL IN EITHER DIRECTION, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 18V137000 (SEAT BELTS AND AIR BAGS) AND 18V934000 (ENGINE, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATIONS. MCGRATH CITY HYUNDAI (6750 W GRAND AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60707, (773) 889-9090) WAS CONTACTED, BUT HAD NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11193325

THE DRIVER EXPERIENCED A STALLED ENGINE WHILE DRIVING. THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. THE CAR COASTED, DESPITE REPEATED BRAKING ATTEMPTS, AND JUMPED A CURB AND STOPPED WHEN IT RAN OVER ONTO A PERSON'S LAWN. THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO STEER AND STOP MULTIPLE TIMES. AS A CONSEQUENCE, THE TWO DRIVER SIDE TIRES BLEW OUT. THE CAR WILL BE TOWED TO A DEALER. A POLICE REPORT WAS ISSUED.

NHTSA ODI 11175828

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. AS WELL AS THE HORRIBLE TICKING (CYLINDERS NOT INJECTORS!) MAINLY AT FIRST WAS THE RADIO WOULD GO OUT. WAS NOT EVEN A MONTH AFTER PURCHASE, DEALERS ANSWER WAS TO "REMOVE THE FUSE AND PUSH BACK IN AND IT WILL WORK". SO I DID, SHADY BUT I DID. THEN CRUISE WOULD NOT WORK, WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER SHUT OFF VEHICLE THEN MAYBE IT WOULD WORK. NEXT MY CAR KEPT BURNING OUT HEADLAMPS. FRIGGIN EXPENSIVE (I USE SILVER SILVERSTAR ULTRA HEADLIGHTS FOR LONG TRIPS) I'M NOW ON MY 8TH SET. I EVEN CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR CHEAP HEADLIGHTS! OOPS! THEN THE CLICKING AND POPPING STARTED WITH THE FRONT WHEELS FIRST ONLY IN REVERSE THEN ALL THE TIME ESPECIALLY WHILE TURNING. I WAS PAST THE WARRANTY AND BECAUSE I DIDN'T ASK ABOUT IT BEFORE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED THEY DIDN'T FIX IT!!! THEN THE CRAZY ELECTRICAL STUFF STARTED! MY DOME LIGHT STOPPED WORKING RIGHT SO I HAD TO TURN IT OFF COMPLETELY. THEN PARKING TAIL LIGHT STOPPED WORKING. FINALLY I WENT THROUGH MY THIRD BATTERY AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO ASK WHAT ALL THIS CRAPPIE AS ABOUT, OH IT'S A BAD BATTERY, YOU KNOW THEY DO GO BAD THEY SAID. WELL THANK GOD I PURCHASED EXTENDED WARRANTY THEY FIXED AN AXLE, CLOCK SPRING REPLACED BUTTONS ON STEERING WHEEL, I HAD TO BUY A NEW BATTERY AND STILL THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. RECENTLY AFTER THIS WHOLE ORDEAL I STARTED WITH THE DEALER IN AUGUST AND DIDN'T GET MY CAR FIXED AND BACK TO ME UNTIL ALMOST CHRISTMAS! GOT MY CAR BACK TAIL LIGHT STILL DOESN'T WORK, CRUISE IS SOMEWHAT FIXED RADIO DID IT AGAIN AND GUESS WHAT, THE HEADLIGHT BURNED OUT AGAIN A WEEK AFTER I PICKED UP THE CAR!!! ARRRGGGHHHH! I WENT AND BOUGHT A NEW SET OF HEADLIGHTS (BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS TELL YOU TO REPLACE IN PAIRS) AND GUESS WHAT EVEN THE BRAND NEW BULB DOESN'T WORK!!! I SPENT ALMOST 30K ON THIS CAR AND MY 18K COROLLA WAS WAY BETTER! FUNCTIONING.

NHTSA ODI 10939948

THERE ARE ACTUALLY 2 ISSUES GOING ON. FIRST OFF, I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN SEPTEMBER 2011 (TO REPLACE A GM LEMON) AND EVER SINCE I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE, IT HAS PULLED TO THE RIGHT. SECOND ISSUE, I LEFT WORK PULLING ONTO THE ROAD, DROVE A COUPLE OF BLOCKS WHEN TRAFFIC HAD STOPPED AT THE UPCOMING LIGHT; THEREFORE I HAD NOT COMPLETELY BUILT UP SPEED TO THE SPEED LIMIT (40) WHEN I HAD TO STOP. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND DID NOT COMPLETELY STOP BEFORE HITTING THE TOYOTA 4RUNNER IN FRONT OF ME, I FELT LIKE I WAS DRIVING ON ICE. WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES, THE CAR STARTED TO STOP BUT THE BRAKES KEPT GOING FURTHER DOWN TO THE FLOOR, WITH NO FEELING OF STOPPING. THE DEALERSHIP THAT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE INSURANCE COMPANY( GM) SAID THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES SO I TOOK IT TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER, WHO DID FIND THAT MY BRAKE LINES HAD AIR IN THEM. I DON'T KNOW HOW SINCE I HAD NEVER HAD THEM WORKED ON AND IT'S A SEALED SYSTEM. AFTER THE TECHNICIAN CALLED HYUNDAI, THEY ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER. WHILE MY CAR WAS BEING REPAIRED, I MENTIONED THAT THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT SO THEY DID AN ALIGNMENT ON IT, SINCE IT WAS A FRONT END CRASH. THEY DID NOTICE THE PULLING BUT THE ALIGNMENT DID NOT HELP AND THOUGHT I MAY HAVE A BAD TIRE, BUT WITH 21,000 MILES, WOULD NOT REPLACE IT. I GET MY TIRES ROTATED FAITHFULLY AND HAVE ALREADY BEEN TOLD THEY ARE WEARING OUT. THIS IS THE FIRST FOREIGN CAR I'VE OWNED AND (AS PREV. NOTED) GOT IT TO REPLACE A GM LEMON, NOW I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR AND I HAVE TO USE IT TO TRAVEL ACROSS THE STATE. BETWEEN THE STEERING AND THE BRAKES, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. DID I GET ANOTHER LEMON? SINCE I CAN'T SEEM TO GET ANY SATISFACTION,I'M CONTACTING YOU, I'M TIRED OF CALLING THE HYUNDAI DEALER SINCE THEY SAY CAN'T DO ANYTHING. I DON'T WANT TO GET SATISFACTION, ONLY AFTER MY FAMILY IS WRITING MY OBITUARY. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10507430

WHILE BRAKING HARD TO AVOID A COYOTE, VEHICLE PULLED HARD RIGHT EVEN THOUGH I WAS TRYING TO STEER LEFT. WAS PULLED OFF ROAD TO THE RIGHT AND HIT A DRIVEWAY. CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO UNDER CARRIAGE AND BUMPER. NOTIFIED DEALERSHIP OF THE ISSUE WHILE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED VEHICLE FROM. AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER 2011, I RECEIVED AN E-MAIL FROM HYUNDAI BLUE LINK THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE ESC (ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL). BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS AN ERROR WITH THE BLUE LINK SYSTEM. A MONTH LATER, ANOTHER E-MAIL, TOOK CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP, THEY PERFORMED DIAGNOSTICS AND A CLOCK WHEEL SENSOR WAS DEAD IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE ESC ADJUSTS PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE CALIPERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN THE VEHICLE IN THE SAME DIRECTION BEFORE BRAKING. WAS TOLD BY SERVICE MANAGER THAT IF A SENSOR WAS BAD IN THE STEERING COLUMN, IT WOULD AFFECT THE BRAKING AND COULD HAVE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO IMPROPERLY APPLY BRAKING PRESSURE THUS PULLING THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. CONTACTED INSURANCE COMPANY AND THEY WERE PURSUING HYUNDAI ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10476779

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH. THE STEERING WHEEL INDEPENDENTLY TURNED LEFT AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE STEERING, LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A LIGHT POLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED BUT THE TEST DID NOT GENERATE A FAILURE CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 700.

NHTSA ODI 10439889