FaultScore

Worst years for a Hyundai Sonata

Owners have filed 22,259 complaints about the Hyundai Sonata with NHTSA across model years 1987 to 2026. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.

Avoid

2013 Hyundai Sonata

2,651 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly engine & cooling.

Cleanest on record

2025 Hyundai Sonata

21 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Hyundai Sonata year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2026 2 0 0 Tires
2025 A 21 0 0 Brakes
2024 B 74 3 0 2,000 Electrical System
2023 B 140 12 0 14,750 Fuel & Propulsion
2022 C 142 17 0 15,000 Fuel & Propulsion
2021 B 180 11 0 35,000 Engine & Cooling
2020 B 268 8 3 9,000 Fuel & Propulsion
2019 C 212 11 9 25,000 Engine & Cooling
2018 C 548 26 19 20,000 Engine & Cooling
2017 D 1,000 46 16 53,900 Engine & Cooling
2016 D 996 37 42 62,550 Engine & Cooling
2015 D 1,660 61 81 54,000 Engine & Cooling
2014 D 1,080 48 61 70,000 Engine & Cooling
2013 F 2,651 141 161 79,000 Engine & Cooling
2012 D 2,280 86 165 80,000 Engine & Cooling
2011 D 4,621 194 187 75,800 Steering
2010 B 415 23 5 65,000 Body & Structure
2009 C 612 29 16 68,783 Brakes
2008 C 554 24 17 65,000 Airbags
2007 C 906 45 13 67,000 Airbags
2006 D 1,422 55 13 74,000 Airbags
2005 C 217 44 6 80,000 Airbags
2004 C 288 36 2 91,138 Suspension
2003 C 249 28 2 70,872 Airbags
2002 C 407 50 9 94,724 Body & Structure
2001 C 293 34 0 90,426 Body & Structure
2000 B 378 22 9 108,000 Body & Structure
1999 B 187 25 4 95,000 Body & Structure
1998 A 68 3 0 80,000 Fuel & Propulsion
1997 B 74 6 1 86,000 Fuel & Propulsion
1996 A 37 0 0 Engine & Cooling
1995 B 93 17 1 107,263 Transmission & Drivetrain
1994 7 0 0 Seats
1993 A 46 1 0 Engine & Cooling
1992 43 1 0 Engine & Cooling
1991 41 3 6 Seat Belts
1990 25 0 0 Transmission & Drivetrain
1989 18 1 2 Engine & Cooling
1987 4 0 0 Steering

What breaks on a Hyundai Sonata

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Engine & Cooling 5,099 22.9%

Worst in 2011

Steering 2,377 10.7%

Worst in 2011

Airbags 2,068 9.3%

Worst in 2006

Electrical System 2,003 9.0%

Worst in 2011

Other & Unspecified 1,327 6.0%

Worst in 2011

Brakes 1,258 5.7%

Worst in 2011

Body & Structure 1,087 4.9%

Worst in 2010

Fuel & Propulsion 1,087 4.9%

Worst in 2013

Worst in 2011

Lights 1,040 4.7%

Worst in 2011

Suspension 704 3.2%

Worst in 2011

Worst in 2006

Worst in 2011

Seat Belts 569 2.6%

Worst in 2011

Exactly what failed on a Hyundai Sonata

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Body 597 39.4%
Frame AND Members 240 15.8%
Frontal 160 10.6%
Automatic Transmission 145 9.6%
Door 81 5.3%
Engine 70 4.6%
Sensor/Control Module 60 4.0%
Front 58 3.8%
Sun/Moon Roof Assembly 53 3.5%
Gasoline 52 3.4%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Hyundai Sonata, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 203 Aug 2026

Hyundai Sonata problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Hyundai Sonata

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.