2001 Hyundai Sonata: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 293 complaints
293
Total Complaints
89,863mi
Median Mileage
Frame And Members
Top Issue
34
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
62,000
25th Percentile
89,863
Median Mileage
130,000
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Frame And Members
51
Air Bags
27
Suspension
22
Vehicle Speed Control
11
Automatic Transmission
9
Steering
9
Body
9
Frontal
9
Engine
9
Sensor/Control Module
7
Severity Assessment
34
Crashes
0
Fires
30
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"ENGINE FAILED AT 1633 MILES GOING 65 MPH ON MAJOR HIGHWAY. ACCORDING TO HYNDAI SERVICE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH ENGINE SLEEVES IN EARLY PRODUCTION ENGINES. SLEEVES COME LOOSE CAUSING PISTONS TO SMASH SPARK PLUGS. NEW ENGINE INSTALLED, BUT DID NOT RUN PROPERLY. HYUNDAI SERVICE ORDERING SECOND NEW ENG..."
"FLOOR SHIFT LEVER WOULD JUMP OUT OF GEAR WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED. IT WOULD FAIL TO REMAIN IN CORRECT GEAR. SOMETIMES CAN SLIGHTLY PUSH, AND WOULD JUMP OUT OF GEAR. BEEN TO DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT FLOOR SHIFT LEVER WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. VEHICLE HAD ONLY 900 MILES. *AK"
"ON APRIL 28, 2001 I AND THREE OTHER PASSENGERS WERE RIDING IN THE VEHICLE. I WAS TRAVELING DOWN A LONG GRADE AT 35 TO 40 MILES PER HOUR. TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE GRADE THE ROAD CURVES TO THE RIGHT AND AT THE BOTTOM THERE IS A TRAFFIC SIGNAL. WHEN I CAME AROUND THE CURVE I SAW THAT THE LIGHT WAS G..."
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
51 complaints
25th: 89,075 mi
Median: 111,925 mi
75th: 129,625 mi
Air Bags
27 complaints
25th: 13,000 mi
Median: 62,105 mi
75th: 74,000 mi
Suspension
22 complaints
25th: 105,000 mi
Median: 126,000 mi
75th: 138,500 mi
Vehicle Speed Control
11 complaints
25th: 28,000 mi
Median: 63,000 mi
75th: 82,300 mi
Automatic Transmission
9 complaints
25th: 56,718 mi
Median: 72,000 mi
75th: 72,000 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
OH: 24
NY: 22
MA: 21
IL: 20
PA: 20
NJ: 20
CA: 19
MD: 16
KY: 15
MI: 12
Who Files Complaints?
29.4%
Original Owners
70.6%
Second+ Owners
Hyundai Sonata — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 25 | 0 |
| 1991 | 41 | 3 |
| 1992 | 43 | 1 |
| 1993 | 46 | 1 |
| 1995 | 93 | 17 |
| 1996 | 37 | 0 |
| 1997 | 74 | 6 |
| 1998 | 68 | 3 |
| 1999 | 187 | 25 |
| 2000 | 378 | 22 |
| 2002 | 407 | 50 |
| 2003 | 247 | 28 |
| 2004 | 285 | 36 |
| 2005 | 217 | 44 |
| 2006 | 1422 | 55 |
| 2007 | 905 | 45 |
| 2008 | 554 | 24 |
| 2009 | 610 | 29 |
| 2010 | 415 | 23 |
| 2011 | 4582 | 194 |
| 2012 | 2254 | 86 |
| 2013 | 2602 | 138 |
| 2014 | 1061 | 48 |
| 2015 | 1611 | 60 |
| 2016 | 960 | 37 |
| 2017 | 964 | 46 |
| 2018 | 519 | 26 |
| 2019 | 182 | 11 |
| 2020 | 236 | 8 |
| 2021 | 156 | 11 |
| 2022 | 123 | 14 |
| 2023 | 130 | 12 |
| 2024 | 61 | 3 |
Active Recalls (3)
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
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
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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