"How reliable is the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?"

"Based on 519 NHTSA complaints, the 2018 Hyundai Sonata has a median complaint mileage of 19862 miles. The most common issue is Engine."

"What are common problems with the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata is Engine, accounting for a significant portion of the 519 total complaints filed."

2018 Hyundai Sonata: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 519 complaints

519

Total Complaints

19,862mi

Median Mileage

Engine

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

5,987 25th Percentile

19,862 Median Mileage

58,500 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine

196

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System

Power Train

Fuel/Propulsion System

Exterior Lighting

Vehicle Speed Control

Service Brakes

Engine And Engine Cooling

Body

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2018 HYUNDAI SONATA LIMITED HAVE CONDENSATION IN THEM. IT HAS BEEN THERE FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT THE CAR ON 10/1/18. THAT DAY THE DEALERSHIP TOOK PICTURES TO SEND TO HYUNDAI AND 1 MONTH LATER REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS. BUT THE NEW HEADLIGHTS WERE WORSE THAN THE ORIGINAL AND THE DAY ..."

"WAS DRIVING A BRAND NEW HYUNDAI SONATA 2018 VEHICLE FOR A WEEK WITH 300 MILES ON IT AND WAS ABOUT TO EXIT ON A FREEWAY RAMP, BUT SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED AND WHEN THE MECHANICS AT THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP TOOK A LOOK AT THE VEHICLE, THEY WERE UNSURE OF HOW THE..."

"THERE IS A BLACK LINE ACROSS THE ROAD WITH TWO BUMPS IN IT WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AT NIGHT.IT ALSO SEEMS THAT THERE IS LIMITED FIELD OF VISION COMPARED TO MY OTHER CAR.ALSO THE HEADLIGHTS FOG UP INSIDE OCCASIONALLY. BROUGHT IT IN TO DEALER, THEY SAID NOTHING IS WRONG.IT OCCURS WHEN DRIVING THE CAR,WHE..."

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.

Engine 196 complaints

25th: 5,800 mi Median: 19,500 mi 75th: 59,000 mi

Unknown Or Other 56 complaints

25th: 7,300 mi Median: 16,000 mi 75th: 29,417 mi

Electrical System 55 complaints

25th: 10,250 mi Median: 19,725 mi 75th: 50,580 mi

Power Train 35 complaints

25th: 5,480 mi Median: 33,500 mi 75th: 79,000 mi

Fuel/Propulsion System 25 complaints

25th: 9,500 mi Median: 127,961 mi 75th: 147,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 53 FL: 40 OH: 39 IL: 36 CA: 36 NY: 28 NC: 26 GA: 24 VA: 23 PA: 19

Who Files Complaints?

Original Owners

99%

Second+ Owners

Hyundai Sonata — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	25	-	Automatic Transmission	0
1991	41	-	Seat Belts	3
1992	43	-	Automatic Transmission	1
1993	46	-	Automatic Transmission	1
1995	93	107,263	Frontal	17
1996	37	-	Gasoline	0
1997	74	86,000	Tank Assembly	6
1998	68	80,000	Automatic Transmission	3
1999	187	95,000	Frame And Members	25
2000	378	108,000	Frame And Members	22
2001	293	89,863	Frame And Members	34
2002	407	94,724	Frame And Members	50
2003	247	70,178	Air Bags	28
2004	285	91,138	Suspension	36
2005	217	80,000	Air Bags	44
2006	1422	73,838	Air Bags	55
2007	905	67,000	Air Bags	45
2008	554	65,000	Air Bags	24
2009	610	68,783	Service Brakes	29
2010	415	65,000	Body	23
2011	4582	75,702	Steering	194
2012	2254	80,000	Engine	86
2013	2602	79,000	Engine	138
2014	1061	70,000	Engine	48
2015	1611	53,758	Engine	60
2016	960	62,100	Engine	37
2017	964	53,900	Engine	46
2019	182	23,000	Engine	11
2020	236	2,700	Fuel/Propulsion System	8
2021	156	24,725	Engine	11
2022	123	13,500	Power Train	14
2023	130	11,000	Fuel/Propulsion System	12
2024	61	2,000	Electrical System	3

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Latch

Campaign 21V619000 | 06/08/2021

A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.

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.

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

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