569 of the 22,259 complaints filed about the Hyundai Sonata are about the seat belts — 3% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2011.
569
Complaints
3%
Share of all complaints
59
Crashes
3
Fires
SEAT BELTS
Driver's side seatbelt retraction mechanism failed without warning. Intentionally brought car to dealer ASAP since it was close to 100,000 miles pointed out. This was serious safety defect dealer refused to repair under warranty.
NHTSA complaint #11750832 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
The seat belt latches do not latch or will spontaneously unlatch. This has been a problem for about 4 years. I have checked for recalls and not seen any for my car. I will check with the dealer but have tried vacuuming the latches without effect. I have never experienced anything like this in any previous vehicle. The warning buzzer lets me know when the seatbelt unlatches, but I seriously doubt the belt would hold in case of an accident.
NHTSA complaint #11749402 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s side seat belt unexpectedly detached. Several attempts were needed to secure the seat belt while driving. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the driver’s seat belt became inoperable and failed to latch properly. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was also contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 127,819.
NHTSA complaint #11731186 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the front driver’s side seat belt failed to lock securely. The contact stated that the seat belt loosened unexpectedly and failed to properly protect the driver while operating the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,000.
NHTSA complaint #11727305 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 2024 Hyundai Sonata. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the seat belt warning light intermittently illuminated with an audible chime while the driver’s and passenger's side seat belts were properly buckled. Additionally, on two separate occasions, the horn was inoperable, and the anti-collision warning light illuminated while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and two other dealers, Alexandria Hyundai (1707 Mt Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301) and Sheehy Hyundai of Waldorf (2910 Crain Hwy, Waldorf, MD 20601), who were unable to duplicate the seat belt failures. The third dealer, Sheehy Hyundai of Waldorf (2910 Crain Hwy, Waldorf, MD 20601), determined that the horn needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
NHTSA complaint #11725462 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
Painting chipping on front top car... Seatbelt don't fasten all the time...Lights are dim.
NHTSA complaint #11722537 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
P0471 error comes up off and on, this is recall related but the dealership refuses to address it. The seatbelt has to be clicked 2x in order to stick. Happens with driver side.
NHTSA complaint #11706868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
My 2012 Hyundai Sonata (VIN: [XXX] ) experienced complete engine failure at 241,433 miles on August 7, 2025. The failure aligns with known safety defect symptoms described under NHTSA Recall Campaign 15V568000 and 17V226000, which cite premature bearing wear due to metal debris during engine manufacturing. My vehicle had previously received the knock sensor update under Campaign T3G and failed the BCT (bearing clearance test), confirming bearing damage. Despite this, Hyundai denied my engine replacement claim, stating the issue was related to a fuel pipe and not a rod bearing issue—this is contrary to their own recall documentation and dealer diagnosis. Hyundai continues to deny engine replacement, in violation of their federal recall obligations under 49 U.S.C. §30120. Their refusal endangers public safety by ignoring engine failures that can lead to stalling and crashes. I request NHTSA intervention to compel Hyundai Motor America to comply with federal law and perform the necessary recall repairs on my vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11695628 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
Front two seat belts are difficult to latch to buckles. Even when they are buckled while the car is in motion they tend to unlatch by itself.
NHTSA complaint #11690137 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
It first started when the engine needed to be replaced, I spent thousands trying to get it repaired, soon after they fixed the engine everything started going wrong ( I truly think they put in a faulty or wrong engine @ Hyundai) the car was overheating, I would take it in they would say it’s one thing pay thousands and it wasn’t it, changed the coolant that goes into the cabin, there’s always been a chemical smell since…still overheats, they said maybe it’s the thermostat, spent more money still didn’t fix it, the battery now won’t stay charged(trunk battery) not sure if they hooked it up wrong…the seatbelt hasn’t worked in years, I take it in they say it’s fine, it never clicks, I have to click it in to the passenger seat for safety. They always say it’s fine! I will never ever buy another Hyundai in life due to all of the issues I’ve experienced with mainly Hyundai dealership service mechanics and dealerships, I’m now dealing with a faulty car that could still be a great car if they didn’t mess it up, I thought I was doing right by always only taking my car to Hyundai and goodness I was wrong! There are no “recalls” currently on my car but honestly, did they even do the recalls correctly?! I disagree! They have literally lied, drained my wallet and disappointed me all while making my car worse, it’s like dr’s take these meds that might fix the issue but it’s going to mess up something else, it’s a guessing game all while killing you or in this case my car!!! I don’t know dates, all I know is Hyundai has all the records! Oh and the last straw was them driving my car without my permission mint you, they took it to a totally different shop without my knowledge & had someone else repair the frame which I was unaware of & drive it with ZERO oil in my car which now my car has been sitting for the most part since they repaired my car(or lack there of) because they broke my car! yes I turned it in when it happened, I just never heard anything from anyone now I’m carless
NHTSA complaint #11676453 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
1. I purchased this vehicle in 2016 and I have had my rear brake lights repaired several times because the rear tail lights continue to go out, This happens regularly. There is no warning lights on the dash to indicate an issue. The only way i learned that my brake lights don't work properly is another motorist driving behind me and almost rear ending me. I have had the rear brake lights repaired by the dealership before. My brakes always smell like burning rubber after driving having me to believe that the lubricant for the brake pads aren't working. 2.The dashboard lights also periodically blinks out without warning. After a few moments it will illuminate again. 3. My seatbelts sometimes doesn't tighten up. I have to pull them several times for them to catch and return after the seatbelt isn't in use.
NHTSA complaint #11660077 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
Multifunction box is in the steering column that controls your lights, signals, I put my turn signal on right or left at night and my lights go out,but they come back on.also I have zero warning lights on my dashboard for when something happens it let's you know,well I have none. Hyundai of California says it's not unsafe.it should be a recall because it's a thousand dollars for update..
NHTSA complaint #11659651 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
Car keep stalling misfire just started muffler sound smoke lack of power when driving
NHTSA complaint #11653089 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
Seatbelt does not recoil
NHTSA complaint #11647399 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, the contact became aware that the driver’s side seat belt failed to latch securely into the buckle. The seat belt warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the seat belt buckle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 45,000.
NHTSA complaint #11637409 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the driver's seat belt became inoperable. The contact stated that the seat belt failed to properly retract or properly restrain the contact while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the seat belt assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 66,800.
NHTSA complaint #11631674 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
The drivers seat belt does not engage. The engine has been burning oil, misfiring, and even after thousands in repairs was returned to me by the dealership with continued misfiring. When returning the car back to the dealer service center days later after Hurricane Helene, the car continued to misfire and became so overheated the engine light was flashing. Upon calling for a tow, I attempted to raise the hood for the driver to locate the car, but the hood was so hot it burned my hand. The engine was so hot, I believe it was about to catch fire and would have had I not been able to pull over so quickly. Had I been driving on the Interstate, I have no doubt this car would have been on fire within minutes.
NHTSA complaint #11627049 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
My car will randomly shut off while I’m driving. My seatbelt comes undone My door has opened while I was driving down the highway.
NHTSA complaint #11625258 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer performed a compression check. The failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was advised to drive the vehicle until it blew up. In addition, the contact stated that all four seat belts had failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the front driver's side and passenger's side seat belts failed to retract as intended. The contact stated that the seat belts failed to secure the passengers in place. Additionally, the contact stated that the rear seat belts completely failed to retract as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for a combustion check and an oil consumption test to be performed out-of-pocket expense. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11624830 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
There is no lights at all on the brake lights but the brake light in the back window stays on all the time the dim head light only lets one side work
NHTSA complaint #11623794 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.