2000 Hyundai Sonata: Reliability Data

378
Total Complaints
108,000mi
Median Mileage
Frame And Members
Top Issue
22
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

73,874 25th Percentile
108,000 Median Mileage
138,191 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Frame And Members
89
Suspension
30
Front
26
Air Bags
21
Electrical System
16
Automatic Transmission
14
Frontal
13
Gasoline
12
Engine And Engine Cooling
10
Wiring
9

Severity Assessment

22
Crashes
9
Fires
15
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING NO BRAKING ABILITY, AND RESULTING IN A CRASH. ALSO, AIRBAG DEPLOYED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO HIT THE HEAD RESTRAINT WHICH FLEW INTO THE REAR SEAT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK"
"WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING NO BRAKING ABILITY, AND RESULTING IN A CRASH. ALSO, AIRBAG DEPLOYED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO HIT THE HEAD RESTRAINT WHICH FLEW INTO THE REAR SEAT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK"
"WE PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA. PRIOR TO PURCHASE WE NOTICED THAT MY SON, WHO WEIGHS 350 LBS. COULD NOT GET EITHER OF THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS TO LATCH AND THE ONLY WAY THE FRONT SEAT BELT WOULD LATCH IS IF THE SEAT WAS TILTED BACK AND SLIDE ALL THE WAY BACK, EVEN AT THAT THE SEAT..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Frame And Members 89 complaints
25th: 88,438 mi Median: 116,297 mi 75th: 131,500 mi
Suspension 30 complaints
25th: 103,780 mi Median: 123,000 mi 75th: 170,000 mi
Front 26 complaints
25th: 100,000 mi Median: 122,000 mi 75th: 151,000 mi
Air Bags 21 complaints
25th: 53,231 mi Median: 96,000 mi 75th: 165,285 mi
Electrical System 16 complaints
25th: 85,317 mi Median: 109,214 mi 75th: 133,375 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

NY: 41 PA: 27 IL: 27 CA: 25 FL: 23 MA: 22 OH: 22 GA: 19 TN: 15 VA: 14

Who Files Complaints?

23.3%
Original Owners
76.7%
Second+ Owners

Hyundai Sonata — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
1990250
1991413
1992431
1993461
19959317
1996370
1997746
1998683
199918725
200129334
200240750
200324728
200428536
200521744
2006142255
200790545
200855424
200961029
201041523
20114582194
2012225486
20132602138
2014106148
2015161160
201696037
201796446
201851926
201918211
20202368
202115611
202212314
202313012
2024613

Active Recalls (4)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Suspension
Campaign 09V124000 | 16/04/2009
IF THAT HAPPENS, THE VEHICLE MAY LOSE DRIVE POWER TO THE WHEELS, AND THE FRONT WHEEL MAY MAKE CONTACT WITH THE FENDER OR WHEEL WELL, THEREBY INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL MEASURE THE THICKNESS OF THE FRONT SUB-FRAME AND INSPECT THE FRONT SUB-FRAME FOR CORROSION DAMAGE AND, IF NECESSARY, THE FRONT SUB-FRAME WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW SUB-FRAME THAT INCORPORATES ADDITIONAL HOLES IN THE UPPER AND LOWER PANELS. IF THE FRONT SUB-FRAME DOES NOT REQUIRE REPLA
Wiring
Campaign 00V259001 | 11/09/2000
THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL RE-ROUTE THE MAF SENSOR CONNECTOR WIRING HARNESS.
Air Bags
Campaign 01V347000 | 06/11/2001
THIS CONDITION COULD PREVENT SEAT MOUNTED SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT DURING AN ACCIDENT WHERE SUCH DEPLOYMENT SHOULD OCCUR. NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE SRS SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY DURING AN ACCIDENT WHERE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT IS INTENDED.
DEALERS WILL MORE SECURELY FASTEN THE FRONT SEAT SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESS AND CONNECTORS TO THE VEHICLE'S FRONT SEAT CUSHION FRAMES. OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL OCCUR IN SIX MAILINGS ON MAY 27, JUNE 3, JUNE 10, JUNE 17, JUNE 24, AND JULY 1, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZ
Side/Window
Campaign 02V105000 | 09/04/2002
NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE SRS SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY DURING A SIDE IMPACT CRASH.
DEALERS WILL MORE SECURELY FASTEN THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG WIRING HARNESSES AND CONNECTORS TO THE VEHICLE'S FRONT SEAT CUSHION FRAMES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 28, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WI

General Vehicle Maintenance

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule in your owner's manual
  • Don't ignore warning lights — early diagnosis prevents expensive repairs
  • Keep records of all maintenance and repairs
  • Use OEM or equivalent-quality parts for repairs
  • Address unusual noises, vibrations, or smells promptly

Compare Hyundai Sonata

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28