2018 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Exterior Lighting (2) · Engine (2) · Power Train (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Hyundai Sonata Hybrid model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
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 (87)
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.
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
Air Bags 2026-04-10 · DTN DL · Other
the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by jilin province detiannuo automobile safety system co., ltd. (dtn). these inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehi
Air Bags 2026-04-10 · DTN DCS · Other
the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by jilin province detiannuo automobile safety system co., ltd. (dtn), that have been identified in u.s. vehicles following prior
Air Bags 2025-12-19 · TRW Settlement DCS · Other
a class action settlement regarding the trw airbag was recently decided. based on the class action, customers are eligible for certain settlement benefits. please see attached for details. impacted vehicles are also noted below. for further information regarding settlement benefits and contacts, ple
Air Bags 2025-12-19 · TRW Summary Notice · Other
a class action settlement regarding the trw airbag was recently decided. based on the class action, customers are eligible for certain settlement benefits. impacted vehicles are also noted below. for further information regarding settlement benefits and contacts, please review the corresponding dea
Showing the 6 most recent of 87 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2024-01-11 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings“i was driving on the freeway and my car lost all power. my indicator dash board flashed lights and a loud beeping sound. the warning lights flashed to check my hybrid system and turn engine off, hev. my car immediately lost power and turned off. i was on the freeway, i almost got into an accident, cars were honking at me. my vehicle was towed by my…”
2022-06-13 · Unknown Or Other“2018 sonata hybrid may 19 - "check hybrid system turn engine off" appeared on the dashboard. vehicle brought to dealership. may 22 - i pay for a rental vehicle may 26 - dealer states vehicle is ready and they performed service campaign 966. may 27 - my rental car is returned. dealer picks me up and i go to dealership. i get into my car and "check…”
2022-06-09 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking“driving on interstate 10 westbound at about 0700. clear day. no adjacent vehicles. the frontal crash avoidance alert suddenly went off and automated emergency braking activated as i approached an underpass. there were some slightly harsh shadows, but not the worst i have seen and i drive this segment every day. entire event was very short. no injur…”
2022-04-30 · Power Train“same problem with this 2018 hyundai sonata limited hybrid engine as the already recalled 2017 sonata’s with the same 4 liter/direct fuel injection engines. at approximately 69,000 miles the problems and check engine light analyzed was done by auto zone and brandon hyundai (3 times each and finding additional problems each time). i have documentati…”
2022-02-18 · Engine · 75,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 hyundai sonata hybrid. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there were abnormal sounds coming from the vehicle. the malfunction lamp indicator warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with engine failure. the contact was informed that the engine needed to be r…”
2019-10-18 · Engine · 19,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2018 hyundai sonata hybrid. while driving various speeds, the message "hybrid system failure" suddenly displayed and the vehicle lost power and stalled. the vehicle was towed to capital hyundai (2820 eastern blvd, montgomery, al) to be diagnosed, but no failure was found. the vehicle was not repaired. after retrieving the veh…”
2019-10-15 · Exterior Lighting · 9,500 mi“i just bought this car and the low-beam headlights are set way too low and there is a definite line between the lit and unlit upper area. . it is not possible to see more than 1/2 of a city block ahead. it is a great concern to me because i could easily hit or run over something that appears to late to react to. i also live in an area with a very h…”
2019-05-13 · Air Bags · 5 mi“my 2018 hyundai sonata hybrid limited was involved in a mva on 4:19/19. it was a front right impact that included the passenger side, right front tire and rim and the passenger door. it was a hard impact. none of the airbags deployed. i was driving straight at about 45 miles per hour on an 8 lane divided city highway. the other vehicle came out of …”
2018-08-25 · Exterior Lighting · 70 mi“i just bought a hyundai sonata limited and drove it home. on low beam the headlights project 2 black notches or dark areas that do not illuminate the road under them. this is annoying and dangerous because the headlights do not evenly illuminate the road safely so i can see well. had i known about this defect i would not have purchased the car.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.