Home · 2014 Hyundai Sonata · Complaints

What 741 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Hyundai Sonata

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 (741)Crash / fire / injury (75)Engine (299)Electrical system (135)Lights (119)Fuel system (87)Steering (64)Brakes (60)Transmission & drivetrain (54)Airbags (31)Seat belts (25)Speed control (22)

10 of 741 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Nov 29, 2024Electrical systemBrakesDriver assistanceCrash

I was driving and my car started beeping and the wheel jerked to the left and my car slowed down from 65mph to 20mph and almost caused me to have an accident. After I replaced the breaking module, my battery started shorting out and my car once again jerked off to the side and then slowed down abruptly from 65 mph to 20mph.

NHTSA ODI 11627965

Nov 11, 2023Transmission & drivetrainBrakesEngineCrash

Incident date 07/04/2023 Incident place I-405 exit WA-522 Incident total engine, car system completely off, brakes won't work Traveling with whole family complete car system failure, had to drive to side road hitting bushes and trees in order to get the car stopped State patrol arrived at the scene, assisted getting towing Everything turned off while on freeway to direction to the two/three lane bridge had to quickly take any exit in order to avoid the freeway bridge I repeat again Total Engine & System failure, Brakes won't work at all while system is dead

NHTSA ODI 11554647

Feb 6, 2023SteeringBrakesEngineCrash1 injury

The contact owned a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated there was play in the steering wheel while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an unknown repair was completed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle made abnormal sounds while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the engine oil. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the steering wheel loosened up inadvertently and she lost control of the vehicle. The contact depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle failed to respond, causing the vehicle to crash into two occupied vehicles. The air bags deployed. The contact sustained a seat belt mark, and soreness on the neck and shoulders. The contact also sustained numbness in the right hand. The contact later sought medical assistance. The occupants of the other vehicle did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was awaiting to be totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

NHTSA ODI 11505840

Oct 9, 2020BrakesEngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY STOP WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOOSE AUTOMOTIVE POWER. MOMENTS LATER SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE PRESENT COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. WATER WAS USED TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER (FIVE STAR HYUNDAI 650 RUSSELL PKWY, WARNER ROBINS, GA 31088) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT YET CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. INVALID VIN.

NHTSA ODI 11363586

Jun 22, 2018Body & structureBrakesEngineFire

ON JUNE 15, 2018, MY CAR CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE 70, NEAR GREENVILLE, ILLINOIS. THERE WAS NO WARNING, JUST A NOISE SIMILAR TO A LOOSE PIECE OF PLASTIC. BLACK SMOKE BILLOWED FROM BEHIND THE VEHICLE, AND AS I ATTEMPTED TO PULL OVER, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. ONCE WE WERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE FIRE WAS VISIBLE FROM UNDER THE ENGINE. WE CONTACTED 911. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. THIS CAR HAD VARIOUS RECALLS, ALL DEEMED 'RESOLVED' BY HYUNDAI. THEY DID EXTEND THE WARRANTY DUE TO THE KNOWN ISSUES. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO THEM DAILY AND HAVE NOT HEARD BACK.

NHTSA ODI 11103420

Jun 18, 2018BrakesFire

BRAKES LOCK ON CAR. THE BRAKES ARE BEING APPLIED WITHOUT PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE BRAKES WILL LOCK AND THE CAR IS NOT ABLE TO GO WITHOUT PRESSING HARD ON THE GAS. THIS HAS OCCURRED 4 TIMES. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON 06/17/2018. THE BRAKES LOCKED AGAIN AND YOU COULD SEE SMOKE COMING FROM A SMALL FIRE BY THE BRAKE AREA AT THE FRONT WHEELS. THE CAR HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN.

NHTSA ODI 11102289

Jan 31, 2016Speed controlWheelsBrakesCrash

HAD A NEAR DEATH INCIDENT AT FREEWAY SPEEDS IN HEAVY RAIN WHEN THE CAR LOST TOTAL CONTROL, HYDRO-PLANED FROM THE 2ND TO LEFT LANE AND HIT THE CEMENT BARRICADE ON THE LEFT AND IN THE PROCESS THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED ALONG WITH THE BRAKES AND WITH THAT IMPACT, RICOCHETED ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER OF A 4-LANE FREEWAY BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. FREEWAY IS 280 S (SAN FRANCISCO TO SAN JOSE). LOCATION WAS PALO ALTO, JUST A FEW MILES AFTER SAND HILL RD EXIT (MENLO PARK) WHERE THE FREEWAY IS JUST STRAIGHT FOR MILES WITHOUT ANY STEEP CURVES. HAVE DRIVEN SO MANY OTHER BRANDS OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS IN HEAVY RAIN ON THE SAME FREEWAY WITHOUT AN INCIDENT. THE CAR CANNOT HANDLE FREEWAY SPEEDS AND BECAME VERY UNSTABLE. COULD BE DEFECTIVE TIRES, THEIR TECHNOLOGY CONTROLLING THE WET TRACTION WHICH CAUSED HYDROPLANING ETC FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS IN PROXIMITY ELSE COULD HAVE BEEN A BIGGER ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 10823293

Jul 6, 2015BrakesCrash

I WAS TRAVELING EAST ON US I90 IN CHARLTON MA IN HEAVY HOLIDAY TRAFFIC KEEPING A SAFE INTERVAL AS CARS KEPT BRAKING OFF AND ON AND SOMEONE A DOZEN CARS UP SLAMMED ON THIER BRAKES CAUSING A CHAIN REACTION. I HIT MY BRAKES HARD ALSO BUT DID NOT SLOW DOWN FAST AS IF I WAS STILL PRESSING ON GAS PEDAL I WAS SLOWING BUT NOT (RIGHT ?) OR FAST ENOUGH AS I WAS STANDING ON BRAKE BUT STILL KEEP MOVING FASTER AHEAD THEN SEEMED RIGHT? THIS HAD HAPPENED A MONTH OR SO BEFORE AND I THOUGHT MAYBE MY RUG HAD SLIPPED UNDER BRAKE PETAL AND OVER MY GAS PEDAL AS IT SEEMED THE HARDER I PRESSED ON BRAKE I STILL KEPT MOVING FORWARD AS IF BOTH WERE BEING PRESSED AT THE SAME TIME IT SEEMED VERY ODD OR ERIE AS I JUST KEPT MOVING FORWARD. I DID MANAGE TO STOP JUST IN TIME BEFORE I HIT HIS BUMPER. LIKE I SAID I THOUGHT AT THE TIME MAYBE THE RUG HAD SLIPPED OR SOMETHING BECAUSE IT HAD SLIPPED OFF THE HOOK ON THE FLOOR BUT IT HAD NOT REALY MOVED THAT MUCH AND I SECURED IT WITH HOOK ON FLOOR AND CHECKED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS STILL SECURE THE SECOND TIME IN JULY 3RD AND IT WAS . SINCE THEN I HAVE READ ABOUT 2014 SONATAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIER BRAKES THAT FITS WHAT HAPPENED EXACTLY ON OVER 800,000

NHTSA ODI 10732322

May 10, 2015BrakesCrash2 injuries

100 % BRAKE FAILURE. 45 MPH,MODERATE TRAFFIC, 6:30PM THURSDAY MAY 7TH 2015, DRY PAVEMENT AND APPROACHING TRAFFIC THAT WHICH MADE AN ABRUPT STOP AHEAD. STEPPED ON BRAKE PEDAL, PEDAL FLUTTERED AS IF ANTI LOCKING BRAKE ACTIVITY WAS BE ACTIVATED. CAR CONTINUED TO FREE WHEEL FORWARD, I STEPPED HARDER ON BRAKE PEDAL AND PEDAL BEGAN PUSHING BACK TO ME. THE HARDER I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL THE MORE IT PUSHED BACK (THERE WAS NO BRAKING ACTION).THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP , AND HAD ENOUGH DISTANCE TO STOP (I HAD A MINIMUM FOLLOWING DISTANCE OF TWO CAR SPACES) BUT BRAKES FAILED TO DO SO WHICH CAUSED ME TO CRASH INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS SUCH AS DODGE CHARGER 2006 SXT/CHEVY MALIBU 2009 TO NAME A FEW AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. I'M THE FIRST OWNER OF THIS CAR AND THIS IS THE FIRST HYUNDAI I HAVE EVER BOUGHT.

NHTSA ODI 10715526

Sep 2, 2014Speed controlBrakesCrash

AS RPTD TO HYUNDAI MOTOR AMER. (HMA) VIA CUST. CARE LINE & PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION RPT. VEHICLE: 2014 HYUNDAI SONATA SE 2.0T SEDAN DETAILS OF INCIDENT: INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE IN PARKING LOT. PARKING SPOT: PERPENDICULAR PARKING (PARK BETWEEN PAINTED LINES) CURB, SHRUBBERY AND WALL IN FRONT OF SPOT (IN THAT ORDER). APPROACHED PARKING SPOT, TOWARD FRONT OF PARKING SPOT APPLIED BRAKE. UPON APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD --- FELT LIKE IT WAS FLYING --- WENT FORWARD AND OVER THE CURB AND STOPPED IN THE SHRUBBERY BEFORE THE WALL (DID NOT HIT THE WALL). SEAT BELT PREVENTED INJURY (HEAD MOVEMENT ONLY). FYI, NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT (GIVEN SITUATION I WOULD NOT EXPECT DEPLOYMENT). AFTER LANDING IN SHRUBBERY, REVERSED VEHICLE OUT AND BACK INTO PARKING SPOT. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE APPEARS TO BE ALL FRONT END (BUMPER, FENDERS, HOOD, UNDER FRONT END, POSSIBLY ENGINE). THERE IS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO FRONT OF VEHICLE. AUG 4, 2014: RPTD TO CUST. CARE. AUG 11, 2014: HMA RECEIVED COMPLETED PIR PACKET & VEHICLE TOWED TO LOCAL DEALER. AUG 18, 2014: TOLD (BY SERVICE ADVISOR) VEHICLE PICKED UP FROM DEALER ON AUG 14, 2014 FOR 3RD PARTY ENGINEERING INSPECTION. HOWEVER, OWNER'S INSURER CONDUCTED CLAIMS EVALUATION ON AUG 15, 2014 AT SAME DEALER. AUG 20, 2014: 3RD PARTY INSPECTOR CALLED OWNER TRYING TO LOCATE VEHICLE. HYUNDAI CASE WORKER AND LOCAL SERVICE ADVISOR UNABLE TO LOCATE VEHICLE. AUG 25, 2014: 3RD PARTY INSPECTOR COMMITTED TO FIND CAR (ESTIMATED INSPECTION AND RELEASE DATE AUG 27, 2014). AUG 27, 2014: 3RD PARTY INSPECTOR FOUND CAR IN LOCAL DEALER'S SERVICE LOT (VEHICLE WAS LOST' FOR 2 WEEKS). 3RD PARTY INSPECTION COMPLETED SEP 2, 2014 AND VEHICLE RELEASED FOR BODY WORK REPAIRS. 3RD PARTY INSPECTOR WAS NOT AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION ON FINDINGS OF INSPECTION, EXPECTED TURNAROUND OF HMA REVIEW IS AN ADDITIONAL 2 WEEKS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10630203

Working with the data? Download all 741 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 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 2014 Hyundai Sonata verdict →