2016 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Recalls & Reliability
995 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 22/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 83,250 miles.
Typical
Where 2016 sits among all Sonata years
What owners report
“When driving my car it doesn't accelerate it also got to the point where it is consuming oil rapidly . I took it to the dealership & they told me it's the engine”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Sonata
“The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The approximate…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Sonata
“My car burned all the engine oil within 2000 miles of oil change. And the tank is empty. This is the second time that happened”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Sonata
“Engine is using 3 quarts of oil per 2,000 miles and transmission keeps have shifting problems that they just keep reprogramming it to fix, engine stalls.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Sonata
“ABS system lights up and stop car and check brakes flashes loss of brakes completely!!!!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Sonata
“Car runs out of oil well before 2000 miles/2 months. When accelerating the car is sluggish the engine is ticking and feels like the engine is going to seize, no matter if the car is moving 5mph or 70 mph.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Sonata
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 333 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 68,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 36,000 and 102,539 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sonata, 2016-2017 Sonata Hybrid, and Sonata Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch,…
Fix: Dealers will update the SJB software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Sonata and Genesis vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the warning light to indicate that the parking brake is applied may intermittently not illuminate in the dash due to corrosion in the switch.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the parking brake switch, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059.…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicles manufactured December 8, 2014, to August 18, 2015, and Hyundai Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to March 18, 2016, equipped with the panoramic sunroof…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair the wind deflector anchor plate, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151.…
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 28, 2016 through April 12, 2016. The affected vehicles have a driver-side frontal air bag that may not adequately protect the driver's neck from injury in…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at…
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 29, 2014 to February 11, 2016, 2017 Elantra vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016 to February 22, 2016, and one 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicle manufactured…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on May 5,2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at…
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to August 21, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with an Antilock Braking System (ABS) warning light intended to warn the driver if…
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control unit software, free of charge. The recall is expected began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 23V877.
Led to recall campaign 20V024.
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 2016 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
The 2016 Hyundai Sonata drew 995 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 22/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2016 Hyundai Sonata problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata are engine (462 complaints), electrical (129), and other (98).
At what mileage do 2016 Hyundai Sonata problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 Hyundai Sonata problems around 68,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 36,000 and 102,539 miles.
Does the 2016 Hyundai Sonata have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 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.