What 157 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in

I WAS GOING ABOUT 70 MPH IN FULL ELECTRIC MODE AND THE CAR REMOVED ALL POWER FROM MY GAS PEDAL, THERE WAS LOTS OF DINGING SOUNDS AND THE DASH SAID "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM, TURN YOUR CAR OFF". LUCKILY I WAS ALREADY TO THE FAR RIGHT SO I COULD JUST PULL TOT HE SHOULDER AND STOP THE CAR, THE BREAKS AND STEERING WERE STILL WORKING. TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, HOPING THE MARCH 2018 RECALL IS THE FIX. I HAD TO CALL AAA, ALL BLUE LINK CAPABILITIES STOPPED WORKING AS WELL. 2016 PLUGIN WITH ABOUT 25,000 MILES.

NHTSA ODI 11099959

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE FAILED TO START AND THE ENGINE AND HYBRID INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. BROWN'S MANASSAS HYUNDAI (8651 CENTREVILLE RD, MANASSAS, VA 20110, (703) 361-9600) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

NHTSA ODI 11098766

ON APPROXIMATELY APRIL 30, 2018, WHILE DRIVING MY HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID TO MONTGOMERY ALABAMA I STOPPED TO FILL UP ON GAS. AFTER FILLING UP I GOT BACK IN MY CAR AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START MY CAR, THAT'S WHEN I NOTICED THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE STEERING WAS LOCKED AND THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT A GAS PUMP

NHTSA ODI 11093719

THIS IS 4TH TIME THE "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" LIGHT CAME ON IN LAST 7,000 MILES OF DRIVING. HYUNDAI CLAIMED TO HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM THREE TIMES SO FAR BUT IT KEEPS HAPPENING AND SINCE THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPAIR IT UNDER WARRANTY, THEY MUST BUY THE CAR BACK. ONE OUT OF THE FOUR TIMES, THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED ON THE ROAD PUTTING LIVES ON THE LINE. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED EARLIER (REF: HYUNDAI CASE #111109600, NHTSA COMPLAIN #11080680) BUT NO ACTIONS WERE TAKEN BY EITHER HYUNDAI OR NAHTSA. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD AND CAN NOT BE FIXED AFTER THREE TRIES WITHIN A YEAR.

NHTSA ODI 11093231

HEV CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM. CAR WOULD NOT START. CAR DROPPED @ DEALER ON 4/16/18 @ 0830. TODAY IS 4/24/18. CAR STARTED AFTER WAITING 15-20 MINS. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON WHEN DROPPED AT DEALER.

NHTSA ODI 11089970

MY CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. THE DASH READ "HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE". IT SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN THE CARPOOL LANE. THERE WAS NO WARNING, JUST SHUT RIGHT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO COAST OVER TO THE SHOULDER TO SAFETY UNTIL AAA CAME TO TOW ME AWAY. THE CAR WOULD NOT START BACK UP. IT TURNED ON BUT COULDN'T START THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11084582

ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAYS AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN EV MODE, GETTING A WARNING "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM TURN OFF ENGINE" ALONG WITH A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT; THESE ARE THE OCCURRENCE DATES 12/01/2017, 12/11/2017, 12/23/2017, 01/06/2018. EACH TIME HAS BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY A COMPLETE LOSS OF GASOLINE ENGINE AVAILABILITY RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT AND UNSAFE DROP IN VEHICLE SPEED DUE TO THE CAR ONLY BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE RUNNING ON BATTERY POWER. AFTER PULLING OVER I HAVE BEEN ABLE SHUTDOWN THE CAR AND RESTART. UPON RESTART, THE GASOLINE ENGINE DOES COME BACK ON. ALSO NOTE THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT HAS TURNED BACK OFF BY THE TIME I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE NOW AND SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED BOTH TIMES UNDER WARRANTY. THE FIRST REPAIR ATTEMPT ON 12/12/2017; THE DEALER WAS INSTRUCTED BY HYUNDAI TO TRY TSB 16-01-020-1. THE SECOND REPAIR ATTEMPT ON 12/27/2017; THERE HAD BEEN A P261F AND P0A0F FAULT CODE AND THE DEALER WAS INSTRUCTED BY HYUNDAI TO REPLACE ALL FOUR SPARK PLUG COILS. THESE ATTEMPTS HAVE NOT FIXED THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM AS REPRESENTED BY THE LATEST OCCURRENCE ON 01/06/2018. THIS CAR IS LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD AND HAD ONLY 36000 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS STARTED HAPPENING.

NHTSA ODI 11061129

ON 1/7/2018 WE WERE DRIVING OUR 2016 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID WITH APPROXIMATELY 41,100 MILES IN IT TO LOS ANGELES, CA WITH MY 82 YEAR OLD FATHER ON OXYGEN FROM SAN JOSE WHICH IS ABOUT 370 MILES AWAY ON HIGHWAY I5 WITH THE SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MPH. WHEN WE EXPERIENCED ENGINE PROBLEM. WHILE EXITING TO OUR DESTINATION ON HIGHWAY 118 DE SOTO EXIT, THE ENGINE HAD SLOWED DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION AND BARELY TURNED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR SAFELY .WE WERE UNABLE TO START THE CAR AND DASHBOARD HAD INDICATED TO CHECK HEV . SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO START THE CAR, TO NO SUCCESS. LIGHTS WILL COME ON DASHBOARD, STILL ABLE TO CONNECT TO BLUELINK TO CALL FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE BUT THERE WAS A LONG WAIT BEFORE A CUSTOMER SERVICE ANSWERED UNTIL THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DIED AND STALLED. WE WERE STRANDED WITH AN 82 YEAR OLD MAN WHO HAS RESPIRATORY ILLNESS AND WE HAVE FINALLY CALLED AN UBER TO HIS HOME BEFORE OXYGEN RUNS OUT. ROAD ASSISTANCE FINALLY CAME AFTER 2 HOURS OF WAITING AND THE CAR WAS FINALLY TOWED TO THE NEAREST HYUNDAI DEALER IN WOODLAND HILLS 20539 VENTURA BLVD WOODLAND HILLS .THE CAR IS BEING SERVICED AND HAS NO UPDATE YET. I CALLED HYUNDAI USA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-855 671 3059 THIS AM 1/8/2018 AND CLAIMED THERE HAS BEEN NO REPORT OF RECALL TO THIS SORT OF PROBLEM AND HAS THEREFORE GAVE ME A REFERENCE CASE #10911352 .

NHTSA ODI 11061171

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AT 68 MPH IN HOV LANE, HYBRID SYSTEM ALERT LIGHT UP AND THE ENGINE COMPLETELY LOST POWER AND SHUT DOWN. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND LUCKY ABLE TO DIRECT THE CAR TO RIGHT SIDE AND STOP AND WAIT FOR TOWING. THIS HAPPEN DURING TRAFFIC WAS SLIGHTLY JAM SO ABLE TO DRIVE TO THE RIGHT SIDE WHEN OTHER CARS ARE SLOWING DOWN IN REGULAR LANE. CANNOT IMAGINE IF THERE IS NO TRAFFIC JAM, HIGH POTENTIAL TO GET INTO ACCIDENT AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. WITH THE DEALER FOR FIVE DAYS AND THEY CANNOT PINPOINT THE EXACT PROBLEM AND KEEP ON SAYING IS SLIGHT PROBLEM. HOW CAN THIS BE SLIGHT PROBLEM WHEN THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN?? NEED TO HAVE MAJOR RECALL FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. THERE ARE SIMILAR PROBLEMS FROM OTHER OWNERS THAT HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. I HOPE THIS WILL BE ADDRESS AND RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GET INTO MAJOR INJURY OR LOST OF LIFE.

NHTSA ODI 11058626

CAR IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY IN THE MOUNTAINS LOST POWER AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER WHO INDICATED THEY HAD SEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS. ENGINE REPAIRS NEEDED AND WILL TAKE AT LEAST 2 WEEKS WHEN THEY IDENTIFY PROBLEM. CAR HAS 11,700 MILES ON IT. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OFF ROAD SO NO INJURIES OR ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11055967

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN THE PHEV WARNING ILLUMINATED AND THE GASOLINE ENGINE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE LOST ALL PROPULSION. IT REFUSED TO ENGAGE THE GASOLINE OR ELECTRIC MOTOR TO MOVE OUT OF A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE HYUNDAI DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAILED HYBRID BATTERY.

NHTSA ODI 11044785

OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, I HAVE HAD THE YELLOW ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE NO ISSUES RELATED TO PERFORMANCE NOTED, I TOOK VEHICLE TO MY GARAGE TO DIAGNOSE. THE DIAGNOSIS DID NOT FIND ANY ISSUE, BUT MECHANIC PROCEEDED TO CHECK THE GAS COVER CAP. LO AND BEHOLD, BOTH TIMES, REMOVING THE CAP AND REPLACING SEEMED TO CORRECT THE ISSUE AND THE YELLOW ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF. QUITE ANNOYING AS DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO KEEP CHECKING IF LIGHT COMES ON INCORRECTLY AND NOT ADDRESS IF THERE WAS INDEED A PROBLEM TO CORRECT.

NHTSA ODI 11031772

MY SONATA PHEV HAD HYBRID SYSTEM FAILED NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE WITHIN A SPAN OF 1.5 MONTHS. IT'S BEEN HARDLY 1.5 YEARS SINCE I HAD BOUGHT THIS CAR. IN BOTH CASES THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING COMES UP AND ENGINE LOOSES TOTAL POWER. THE 1ST TIME IT HAPPENED, IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY 405 FREEWAY AND WAS LEFT ALL OF A SUDDEN WITH NO POWER ON THE ENGINE. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM TO FACE WITH. WITH WHATEVER POWER WAS LEFT, WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE RAMP ON THE RIGHT. STOPPING ANYWHERE IN 405 FREEWAY IS ABSOLUTELY DANGEROUS, EVEN ON THE SHOULDER (MANY PEOPLE INCLUDING COPS HAS BEEN REAR ENDED). THE 2ND TIME IT HAPPENED IT WAS ON A 3 LANE LOCAL PARKWAY STILL DANGEROUS AS I AM LEFT WITH NO POWER TO CONTROL THE CAR. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP IN BOTH CASES.THE DEALERSHIP TOOK 1 MONTH TO FIX THE CAR THE 1ST TIME. THEY ENDED UP REPLACING THE POWER RELAY ASSEMBLY WHICH HAD TO BE SHIPPED FROM SOUTH KOREA. IT RAN FOR CLOSE TO 1.5 MONTHS AND AGAIN THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING AND IT'S BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT THE POWER RELAY HAS GONE AGAIN AND HYUNDAI NOW WANTS TO SEE IF REPLACING THE HYBRID BATTERY WILL FIX IT. AS OF TODAY AFTER 18 DAYS THE CAR IS STILL IN THE SERVICE CENTRE.

NHTSA ODI 11024125

ABRUPT AND TOTAL LOSS OF ACCELERATION AT FULL THROTTLE AT OR NEAR HIGH RPM SHIFT POINTS. THIS BEHAVIOR CAN BE RELIABLY REPRODUCED BY "FLOORING IT" (ALL THE WAY, INCLUDING KICKDOWN) AND NOT LETTING GO - AS IF ONE IS EXECUTING A PASSING MANEUVER. THE POWER LOSS WILL OCCUR AT THE NEXT SHIFT POINT AFTER KICK DOWN, AND WILL NOT BE CLEARED UNTIL THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED AND RE-APPLIED - OR AFTER APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 SECONDS AFTER THE OCCURRENCE IF THE DRIVER DOES NOT RELEASE THE PEDAL. IN CASES WHERE THE PEDAL IS NOT RELEASED AFTER THE POWER LOSS, THE VEHICLE WILL SURGE SUDDENLY AFTER THE CONDITION HAS CLEARED AND REPEAT THE BEHAVIOR DESCRIBED ABOVE. THIS BEHAVIOR CAN BE REPRODUCED IN ANY DRIVE PROGRAM MODE (ECO, NORMAL, SPORT,) AND IN BOTH AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL SHIFT SELECTION MODES, AND IS ESPECIALLY PREVALENT AT SPEEDS ABOVE 45 MPH WHERE SUDDEN FULL THROTTLE COMMAND CAUSES KICKDOWN. THE DRIVETRAIN SHOULD RESPOND RELIABLY WHEN IT IS COMMANDED FULL-THROTTLE. A SUDDEN POWER LOSS AT A SHIFT POINT DURING A FULL THROTTLE MANEUVER IS UNSAFE: (1) IT DISORIENTATES THE DRIVER AND; (2) CAUSES UN-COMMANDED, UNEXPECTED, AND RAPID CHANGES IN DRIVING FORCE, WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION, FRICTION, AND REACTION FORCES WHICH COULD LEAD TO A LOSS OF CONTROL.

NHTSA ODI 10994531

I SAW ENGINE POWERTRAIN PROBLEM LIGHT ON MY CAR SCREEN. SO I WENT TO CAPITAL HILL HYNDAI DEALER. I WAITED MORE THAN 6,5HOUR WITH EATING BREAKFAST AND LUNCH AT NEAR MALL. HYUNDAI EXPLAINED JUST GAS CAP TIGHTING PROBLEM. THEY NEVER EXPLAINED THE PROCESS ABOUT SIX AND HALF HOUR FIXING. I NEED DETAIL EXPLANATION ABOUT SIX HOUR FIXING PROCESS AND SINCERE APOLOGY ABOUT THE ENGINE PROBLEM SIGN IN ONE WEEK AFTER BUYING NEW CAR. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10873672