2012 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Recalls & Reliability
2,280 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Hyundai Sonata, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 7 defect investigations. It scores 53/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 93,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2012 sits among all Sonata years
What owners report
“My car engine just stopped working on me. My check engine light came on and then my oil light and the car wouldn't turn on. Car was stationary”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sonata
“Taillight not working. I purchased a bulb for taillight and it’s still out. I got a recall letter in the mail about the lights on sonata but I misplaced it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sonata
“When driving there is a clicking noise coming from the steering wheel and shaking of the car and when running over man holes”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sonata
“The vehicle has been at the dealer for more than 60 days and the manufacturer will not proceed with the repair of the safety recalls.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sonata
“Received a warning message saying pull over safely do not drive this vehicle in the middle of the road as I'm driving all the warning lights on the dash came on . The car jerked Then the car died”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sonata
“Alarm started and Hybrid brake check warning instructed to pull over and do not drive. This happened while driving down the road. The car lost power and would not accelerate. The brakes were gone and were making a grinding noise.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sonata
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,343 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 83,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 53,725 and 115,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (8)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2013-2014 Santa Fe Sport vehicles previously repaired under recall numbers 15V-568 and 17V-226. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 1, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. On February 27, 2018, Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) notified NHTSA that they were recalling 154,753 model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. On April 18,…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install an external wire filter kit, free of charge. The recall began October 15, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles previously repaired under recall campaign 17V-152. The seat belt linkages for both front seat belts may detach from the seat belt anchor pretensioners.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will again verify the connection between the seat belt linkage and the pretensioner and additionally install a warning label to prevent future seat belt…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the seat belt linkages for both front seat belts may detach from the seat belt anchor pretensioners.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners and dealers will inspect the connection between the seat belt linkages and the seat belt anchor pretensioners, repairing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model 2011-2012 Sonata vehicles. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake pedal stopper pad with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 6, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, to April 12, 2012 at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama and equipped with either a 2.0 liter or 2.4 liter Gasoline Direct injection…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace the engine assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Additionally, Hyundai Motor America will increase the warranty for…
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, through May 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable may detach from from the shift lever pin.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, repair the connection between the shift cable and shift lever, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may…
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Hyundai Sonata passenger cars, manufactured from January 24, 2012, through June 21, 2012. The curtain side airbags on these vehicles may inflate without deployment command due to an error during manufacturing.
Fix: Hyundai dealers will notify owners, and dealers will replace the curtain side airbags free of charge. This recall began on August 31, 2012. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 23V877.
Led to recall campaign 20V061000.
Led to recall campaign 18V907000.
Led to recall campaign 18E043000.
Led to recall campaign 17V226000.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
The 2012 Hyundai Sonata drew 2,280 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 53/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2012 Hyundai Sonata problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Hyundai Sonata are engine (578 complaints), electrical (377), and steering (301).
At what mileage do 2012 Hyundai Sonata problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Hyundai Sonata problems around 83,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 53,725 and 115,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Hyundai Sonata have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Hyundai Sonata. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.