Home · 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in · Complaints

What 4 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 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 (4)Fuel system (2)Electrical system (1)Engine (1)Transmission & drivetrain (1)

Newest first · 4 complaints

Sep 7, 2023Fuel system

While driving the car it suddenly decelerated and multiple warning errors on electronics, driver assist, braking started going off then the error message of Check Hybrid Turn Engine Off came on. I was able to coast into a parking lot as the car could only go around 5 miles an hour. I turned the care off and on and the Check Hybrid Turn Engine Off remained for the 2 hours it took to have a tow truck come to take the car to a dealer. The car has 16,383 miles and prior to this there was no warning or error messages. The dealer hasn't reviewed the car yet, but the fact that it immediately, with no warning, decelerated and would go only 5 miles an hour is very risky and unsafe.

NHTSA ODI 11543096

Nov 7, 2022Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

I was traveling on a highway when a "hybrid system warning" suddenly appeared on the dashboard. Every dashboard warning light illuminated. The car began to lose power. I exited the highway immediately and the car began to have sporadic power and was "lurching." I immediately pulled onto the shoulder and at that time another warning on the dash appeared within a minute or two of the first warning that said "shut engine off." The computer screen began to flash on and of and the windows would not roll up smoothly. When the tow truck arrived the car wouldn't start and it didn't recognize the key fob. Hyundai now has the vehicle and claims the car needed a "software update", but they cannot tell me if it will ever happen again and cannot tell me why the car goes into critical failure when it needs a mere software update. This is the second time this has happened. The first time it was repaired under a voluntary recall campaign about a year ago. This is an extremely dangerous occurrence as the car loses power without warning. I was fortunate to be near an exit when it happened and able to safely get off the highway, but that was just luck. The manual indicates that a hybrid system warning means that the car can potentially go on fire.

NHTSA ODI 11492604

Oct 21, 2020Fuel system

THE MESSAGE "HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE" SUDDENLY DISPLAYED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND STALLED. THIS OCCURED ON HYW (65MPH) AND NEARLY CAUSED WRECK FROM BEHIND

NHTSA ODI 11365546

Sep 5, 2020

THE TOUCH SCREEN RADIO IS INEFFECTIVE WHEN TUNING TO SIRIUSXM. IT JUST SITS ON UPDATING AND NOTHING ELSE YOU PRESS WORKS. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE MECHANICS LOOK AT IT, PULLED FUSES, RESETS AND NOTHING FIXES THE ISSUE. FROM RESEARCH ONLINE IT APPEARS THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR YEARS WITH HYUNDAI TOUCH SCREENS. THEY SAY THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO, BUT I LITERALLY JUST BOUGHT THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11353282

Working with the data? Download all 4 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 21, 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 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in verdict →