2018 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Recalls & Reliability
544 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata, alongside 1 recall campaign and 2 defect investigations. It scores 12/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports, typically around 24,272 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2018 Hyundai Sonata has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2018 sits among all Sonata years
What owners report
“Engine is failing, stalls frequently. Dealership where I bought the car will not help, other dealership advised us to drive the car until the engine fails. I do not feel safe driving this car with my children.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sonata
“When driving at night with low beam headlights there is very distinct shadows in front of car. It is very distracting and hyundai tsb 18-be-003 says it is normal with led and instructs dealers to not try adjustment”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sonata
“When starting car warning lights came on for ABS, AEB, Cruise Control. Cruise control is locked out and not working due to these warnings.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sonata
“The engine shuts off, doesn’t start, check engine light flashing, losses power, jerks while driving it, i will get it up yo speed then will shut off or won’t move.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sonata
“Engine takes a long time to start up, about 10-15 seconds of pushing the start button starts engine which is probably not good for the car. Also, the car jolts/ wants to stop while driving. Has been an ongoing issue since the week of 9/5/22. Loss of motor power issue sounds like what is going on…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sonata
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 183 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 23,944 miles. Half of those reports fall between 8,916 and 70,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles…
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
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 2018 Hyundai Sonata reliable?
The 2018 Hyundai Sonata drew 544 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 12/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2018 Hyundai Sonata problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata are engine (220 complaints), electrical (82), and other (61).
At what mileage do 2018 Hyundai Sonata problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Hyundai Sonata problems around 23,944 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 8,916 and 70,000 miles.
Does the 2018 Hyundai Sonata have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2018 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.