2018 Hyundai Sonata problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (135) · Power Train (34) · Fuel/Propulsion System (21)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Sonata model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
140 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (1)
Latches/Locks/Linkages:trunk Lid:latch 2021-08-06 · campaign 21V619000 · 348,158 vehicles
Defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 208.
Service bulletins (208)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Back Over Prevention: Warnings 2026-10-15 · 26-GI-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some hyundai vehicles may be equipped with a parking distance warning (pdw) sensor(s) that may trigger various dtcs and display warning messages on the instrument cluster, resulting in the pdw sensor(s) failing to detect nearby objects or triggering multiple false alarms. this condition may be a res
Engine 2026-10-08 · 26-EM-016H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for vehicles diagnosed with this condition. all internal combustion engines consume some engine oil during normal operatio
Engine 2026-10-07 · 26-EM-015H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. this bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition. all internal combustion engines consume engine oil as part of normal engine operatio
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-26 · Z05 OL · Warranty Program/Extension
certain vehicles may exhibit excessive paint peeling or bubbling of the primer/paint film on the exterior metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. this warranty extension only applies to factory-applied paint and does not cover collision-related paint
Engine 2026-05-21 · 26-01-013H-2 DN · Service Campaign
certain santa fe (tma), santa fe sport (an), sonata (lfa), and tucson (tl) vehicles equipped with theta ii engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. the california air resources board has determined that these vehicles may be releasing air pollutants which exceed federal and california stan
Engine 2026-05-21 · 26-01-013H-2 TSB · Service Campaign
certain santa fe (tma), santa fe sport (an), sonata (lfa), and tucson (tl) vehicles equipped with theta ii engines may exhibit elevated engine-out emissions. this bulletin provides instructions for updating the engine control module (ecm) to address this condition.
Showing the 6 most recent of 208 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-22 · Fuel/Propulsion System“the vehicle experiences a severe delayed start/extended crank condition before finally starting. this is caused by a loss of fuel pressure prime due to the defective fuel filter housing leaking internally, creating an unpredictable and unsafe vehicle operation hazard. the dealership is denying coverage under the 15-year/150,000-mile extended warra…”
2026-10-05 · Structure:body“what component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the paint is peeling off the car, when i went to the dealership they said this is a known problem for 2015-2018, but they can't fix it there is no recall. it is causing rust. the valve cover gasket leaks oil and caused spark plugs to blow twice. how …”
2026-09-21 · Engine“hyundai dealership confirms i am in need of a new engine due to large oil consumption which is a known issue on 2018 hyundai sonata engines. hyundai will not approve repairs because i am the second owner and vehicle is out of the 5 year warranty period. i only have 52k miles on my vehicle.…”
2026-09-11 · Engine“one engine valve has lost pressure and is not repairable…”
2026-09-08 · Suspension“vehicle has been making a clunking noise (front passenger area). brought to independent service center where they determined that the strut tower is failing. current mileage 66000. appt set for checkered flag hyundai to evaluate on 9/11/2026. …”
2026-09-04 · Fuel/Propulsion System“my car stalls while driving and then i try to restart it but nothing happens. after reading online about the fuel pump issues and extended warranty related to the fuel pump i took the car in for repair. my car has 75,000 miles and the extended repair on this is for 150,000 miles/15 years. the dealer is refusing the repair because my car has a br…”
2026-08-25 · Engine“since i had service campaign 9c2 completed, the car hesitates to start, does a mini-lurch upon cold start and runs rough. two weeks ago, it was put in park, lurched backwards, then died. the starter and battery have been replaced but this has not helped. the car ran fine before this update was done. …”
2026-08-16 · Structure:body“the paint on all parts of the car is completely coming off down to bare metal. it’s as if the car wasn’t prepped to receive paint. every hyundai i pass that’s white the paint is coming off. there is also an internal engine oil leak where i’m losing 4qts of oil a week. …”
2026-08-16 · Power Train“i recently had the 9c2 emissions recall update performed on my car, and since the update my car drives like total garbage after a cold start. it hesitates to accelerate, it bucks when trying to accelerate, and it’s to the point the engine is about to stall. i took it back to the hyundai dealership and they said they are aware of the issue, but ther…”
2026-07-24 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 92,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 hyundai sonata. the contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was diagnosed with an inoperable low-pressure fuel pump. the contact was informed that the low-pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not ye…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.