Owners have filed 21 complaints
about the 2025 Hyundai Sonata with NHTSA between 2024 and 2026.
The largest single group is the brakes.
Across this model's run it ranks 32 of 32 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 2
Against the median year of the Hyundai Sonata. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2025 Hyundai Sonata
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Brakes
523.8%
Other & Unspecified
314.3%
Acceleration & Cruise Control
314.3%
Transmission & Drivetrain
314.3%
Median failure at 19,025 miles
Fuel & Propulsion
29.5%
Engine & Cooling
29.5%
Wheels
14.8%
Airbags
14.8%
Electrical System
14.8%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Dec 2024peak 5Aug 2026
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
at 38,000 milesMontgomery, AL
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while the accelerator was depressed, the vehicle hesitated, jerked, and failed to accelerate as intended. The failure occurred while driving from a stop and while driving at various speeds, causing the vehicle to decelerate during the failure. While depressing the brake pedal, there was a rubbing or grinding coming from the vehicle, and the braking was rough. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
NHTSA complaint #11757370 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Montgomery, AL
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The vehicle is stalling in the acceleration process. I can feel and hear the stall by the air conditioner going out or fading out when it happens while driving. Pressing the gas and it barely moves at times. Makes a noise now while running. Unknown to whether it's electrical or engine or transmission. Pull out in the traffic accelerating but the car wasn't moving at the pace it should have. Could have cause an accident when trying to cross on going traffic. Just got the vehicle 2 weeks ago. No one has inspected the vehicle yet. Going to have it looked at for recalls. No warning lights appeared to reflect an issue, but there clearly is.
NHTSA complaint #11743044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Montgomery, AL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle is stalling in the acceleration process. I can feel and hear the stall by the air conditioner going out or fading out when it happens while driving. Pressing the gas and it barely moves at times. Makes a noise now while running. Unknown to whether it's electrical or engine or transmission. Pull out in the traffic accelerating but the car wasn't moving at the pace it should have. Could have cause an accident when trying to cross on going traffic. Just got the vehicle 2 weeks ago. No one has inspected the vehicle yet. Going to have it looked at for recalls. No warning lights appeared to reflect an issue, but there clearly is.
NHTSA complaint #11743044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Montgomery, AL
ENGINE
The vehicle is stalling in the acceleration process. I can feel and hear the stall by the air conditioner going out or fading out when it happens while driving. Pressing the gas and it barely moves at times. Makes a noise now while running. Unknown to whether it's electrical or engine or transmission. Pull out in the traffic accelerating but the car wasn't moving at the pace it should have. Could have cause an accident when trying to cross on going traffic. Just got the vehicle 2 weeks ago. No one has inspected the vehicle yet. Going to have it looked at for recalls. No warning lights appeared to reflect an issue, but there clearly is.
NHTSA complaint #11743044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Montgomery, AL
SERVICE BRAKES
Vehicle brakes sound and feel rough when pressing them. And when backing up the vehicle spotted another car turning in and hit brakes automatically. Car jerked hard as if I hit something. Very rough. Made a scrubbing sound. Does the same when pressing the parking button. It perks and makes the scrubbing sound. Just purchased Vehicle 2weeks ago. No inspection on it yet. A warning light about the approaching car but didn't know it was going to hit on brakes by itself so forcefully. Car wasn't near the vehicle just in the scenery of the camera.
NHTSA complaint #11743052 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 50 milesWaldorf, MD
POWER TRAIN
The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would jerk upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. In addition, the contact stated that on multiple occasions while turning into a parking lot, the vehicle's collision avoidance system would engage while in the vicinity of another vehicle as a warning chime would emit from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they initially could not diagnose or duplicate the failure. The contact was asked to come and drive the vehicle herself and she was able to duplicate the failure. The dealer eventually diagnosed the vehicle with a failed transmission and remained in the dealer's possession. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was later informed that they would not replace the vehicle but would replace the transmission. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the dealer's possession. The failure mileage was approximately 50.
NHTSA complaint #11741548 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lakeside, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The panoramic sunroof/front movable glass panel on my Hyundai Sonata N Line appeared to spontaneously shatter while driving on the highway. Weather conditions were clear and normal at the time of the incident. There was no traffic around the vehicle, no bridges or overhead objects nearby, and I did not observe any object strike the roof before the glass failed. The vehicle has approximately 20,000 miles. The glass suddenly developed widespread cracking and a large opening in the panel. The glass also appeared to lift/bulge upward around the damaged area. There was no obvious impact point or bullseye pattern visible that would clearly indicate an object strike. The failed component was the panoramic sunroof/front movable glass panel. The damaged component is still available for inspection. This created a serious safety concern because shattered glass could have entered the vehicle while driving at highway speeds and could have caused distraction, injury, or loss of visibility/control. The vehicle has been inspected by a Hyundai dealership. I was informed the panoramic roof assembly may require replacement. I am filing this complaint because the failure appeared spontaneous and may indicate a defect or structural stress issue with the panoramic roof glass. There were no warning lights, alerts, or prior symptoms before the failure occurred. Photos of the damage are available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11739406 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kyle, TX
ENGINE
the car has two issues. brake issue (gas pedal is soft and sinks) and engine power ( gas pedal is soft and not responsive) Brakes are soft and spongy some times and sometimes hard. even you push the brake pedal twice or three time it takes long distance to stop. some times the brake looks good but for short period of time. the brakes inconsistent. I took to the dealer where I bought it hey refuse to repair it. then i took it to another dealer. first time they said no issue with car then second time they they replace the vacuum pump and they found out one of the piston is not firing. they replace the ignition coil. the car still has issue and not fixed. I filed case with the manufacturer but the manufacturer closed the case. After that I file lemon law case.
NHTSA complaint #11738622 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Kyle, TX
SERVICE BRAKES
the car has two issues. brake issue (gas pedal is soft and sinks) and engine power ( gas pedal is soft and not responsive) Brakes are soft and spongy some times and sometimes hard. even you push the brake pedal twice or three time it takes long distance to stop. some times the brake looks good but for short period of time. the brakes inconsistent. I took to the dealer where I bought it hey refuse to repair it. then i took it to another dealer. first time they said no issue with car then second time they they replace the vacuum pump and they found out one of the piston is not firing. they replace the ignition coil. the car still has issue and not fixed. I filed case with the manufacturer but the manufacturer closed the case. After that I file lemon law case.
NHTSA complaint #11738622 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cumming, GA
SERVICE BRAKES
I am the original owner of a 2025 Hyundai Sonata purchased new in 2025. The vehicle currently has fewer than 4,000 miles on the odometer. Since early in my ownership, I have experienced a persistent and recurring squealing noise that occurs specifically when releasing the brake pedal after a short stop, and when transitioning from braking to acceleration. This is not an intermittent or weather/humidity-related issue. The noise has been consistent and ongoing throughout my ownership and has not resolved on its own--I was thinking it might since new cars take some time to adjust. At under 4,000 miles, brake components on this vehicle should be essentially new. Brake pads are engineered to last between 30,000 and 70,000 miles under normal driving conditions. A persistent brake noise at this mileage cannot reasonably be attributed to normal wear and tear and is indicative of a manufacturing defect, defective OEM brake pad compound, or a sticking/dragging brake caliper that fails to fully release after braking. I note that NHTSA has previously investigated Hyundai Sonata brake behavior, including a technical bulletin concerning rear brake pads remaining in contact with rotors after a diagnostic self-check cycle, causing a dragging condition in the next drive cycle. My symptoms are consistent with this type of brake drag behavior. Multiple Hyundai Sonata owners have documented the same persistent squeal-on-release pattern on Hyundai owner forums, with some reporting the issue beginning within the first year of new vehicle ownership and dealers being unable to diagnose or resolve it. I have formally reported this issue to Hyundai Motor America Consumer Affairs prior to filing this complaint and have requested warranty coverage. I am filing this complaint to create an official federal record of this defect and to contribute to any pattern investigation NHTSA may conduct on 2025 Hyundai Sonata brake systems.
NHTSA complaint #11726347 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Surprise, AZ
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Driving home and heard what sounded like a gun shot. Upon arriving home we found the moonroof glass had exploded/shattered. Took pictures/video to document. Found online that there have been reports of similar instances happening dating back to 2011 and newer vehicles. Have called dealership to see what next steps are to have repaired as a warranty issue but service department is closed until Monday morning 7am.
NHTSA complaint #11721199 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mableton, GA
POWER TRAIN
My engine light come on. Air flow notification come on. I had a brake cleaner notification come on.
NHTSA complaint #11717157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mableton, GA
AIR BAGS
My engine light come on. Air flow notification come on. I had a brake cleaner notification come on.
NHTSA complaint #11717157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mableton, GA
SERVICE BRAKES
My engine light come on. Air flow notification come on. I had a brake cleaner notification come on.
NHTSA complaint #11717157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Antonio, TX
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
the gas tank is loose upon pumping gas it was found loose today the red mccombs dealership is the only service company who has performed service on vehicle
NHTSA complaint #11710046 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Antonio, TX
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I went into dealer was told there was a car recall for radio update which I later was not provided any documentation for on another visit I noticed a speedometer update was performed to vehicle since the speedometer does not match the actual speed of the vehicle as the other complaint in December 2024 by another same model vehicle owner
NHTSA complaint #11700869 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Antonio, TX
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Upon topping up gas to full or anytime fueling after there is a heavy scent of gas inside the cabin lingering
NHTSA complaint #11700872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
El Mirage, AZ
SERVICE BRAKES
I recently purchased a 2025 Hyundai Sonata. I’m writing to raise a concern regarding the height of the brake pedal in this vehicle. Both my wife and I have observed that the brake pedal seems noticeably higher than the gas pedal. This positioning requires extra effort to lift the foot during normal driving, and we are concerned that it may delay reaction time when moving from the accelerator to the brake — especially in emergency situations. I contacted the service department at the dealership to inquire if this pedal height is standard and whether any adjustment is possible. However, I have not received a response. I would appreciate it if you could confirm: Is the brake pedal height in the 2025 Hyundai Sonata within your design standards? If any manufacturer-recommended adjustments or modifications could improve pedal accessibility and response time. This is a significant safety concern for my family, and I would be grateful for your prompt attention and guidance.
NHTSA complaint #11678512 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Whitestown, IN
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Speedometer display inaccurate speed. Sometimes its shows 1-4mph miles more than the actual speed and other times 6-8mph. Verified issue with sonar system from different truck, street speed limit screen and own gps.
NHTSA complaint #11655652 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Englishtown, NJ
WHEELS
Vehicle is shaky at highway speeds
NHTSA complaint #11651446 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lawrence, NY
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My speedometer doesn’t match my actual speed u had my passenger measure the speed by timing the trip from one mile marker to the next and it doesn’t match the stated speed
NHTSA complaint #11630751 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.