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What 32 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in

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 (32)Engine (17)Electrical system (11)Fuel system (6)Transmission & drivetrain (4)Speed control (2)Brakes (1)Driver assistance (1)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (1)Steering (1)

1 of 32 complaints match · Brakes · clear filters

Mar 17, 2018Electronic Stability Control (esc)BrakesEngine

14 MARCH 2018 10:30 AM, 70 MPH ON US 101 TO SAN FRANCISCO, HEV MODE, RAINY WEATHER, 4 PASSENGERS FOR A BUSINESS MEETING. CAR STEERING SHUDDERED AS IF THE TIRES SLIPPED AND SPUN ON THE WET PAVEMENT. ESC, BRAKE, AND AUTO HOLD LIGHTS TURNED YELLOW. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR NORMALLY TO REACH DESTINATION, PARKED, ATTENDED MEETING, AND STARTED DRIVING BACK HOME WITH MY PASSENGERS AT 3PM. ESC, BRAKE, AND AUTO HOLD LIGHTS WERE STILL ON. HEV MODE. 30 MINUTES LATER, I-280 AT 65+ MPH, ENGINE POWER DRASTICALLY REDUCED ABRUPTLY, CAR STARTED TO SLOW DOWN AND BECAME UNRESPONSIVE TO THE GAS. TURNED ON EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY IN THE EVENING RUSH HOUR COMMUTE TRAFFIC, MANAGED TO SHIFT RIGHT THREE LANES AND TAKE THE NEXT EXIT, WENT INTO A PARKING LOT AND STOPPED THE CAR. CONSULTED MANUAL FOR ANY MEANINGFUL ACTIONS. STARTED CAR BACK UP. MIL LIGHT ALSO CAME ON ALONG WITH MESSAGE TO TAKE CAR TO DEALER. RAN VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS AND GOT 'A POSSIBLE CONDITION WITH THE ECS HAS BEEN DETECTED AND A FULL SYSTEM CHECK IS RECOMMENDED SOON'. STARTED DRIVING CAR AGAIN. SAME LACK OF ENGINE POWER. DROVE THROUGH LOCAL ROADS AND COUNTLESS MANY TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND REACHED HOME AFTER 4 HOURS (NORMAL = 1 1/2 HOURS). AT HOME, PLUGGED CAR IN FOR CHARGING. CHARGING STARTED NORMALLY. AROUND 10PM, WANTED TO TAKE A PICTURE OF ALL THE LIGHTS, SO PULLED CHARGING CABLE OUT AND STARTED CAR. ALL LIGHTS WERE OFF EXCEPT MIL! DECIDED TO TEST DRIVE AND FOUND NO LOSS OF POWER. TOOK IT TO NEARBY FREEWAY, FLOORED GAS PEDAL. CAR RESPONDED WITH FULL POWER! NEXT DAY MORNING, DRIVING CAR TO DEALER, HEV LIGHT AND CONTINUOUS WARNING BEEP CAME ON, JUST A MILE AWAY FROM HOME.

NHTSA ODI 11079939

Working with the data? Download all 32 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 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 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in verdict →