2018 Hyundai Sonata Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 384 owner complaints for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata (including the hybrid).

Recalled components: latches, locks and linkages and hybrid propulsion system. Most-described problem: excessive oil consumption (78 complaints, 20%). Most-reported area: engine (217 complaints, 57%; median mileage when it happened: 19,800).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Nov 12, 2026

Year to avoidBest year

Includes the Sonata Hybrid and the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid.

2 safety recalls for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2018 Hyundai Sonata; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 384 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Sonata. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Excessive oil consumption78 · 20%
• Check engine light66 · 17%
  Median 22,900 miles at failure, from 37 reports with mileage
• Engine failure or replacement60 · 16%
  Median 35,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode44 · 11%
  Median 20,500 miles at failure, from 19 reports with mileage
• Stalling or shutting off41 · 11%
• Hesitation or slow acceleration34 · 9%
  Median 13,500 miles at failure, from 19 reports with mileage
• Misfires or rough running34 · 9%
• Shaking, shuddering or vibration26 · 7%

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Engine217 · 57%
  Median 19,800 miles at failure, from 60 reports with mileage
• Electrical system62 · 16%
  Median 20,500 miles at failure, from 27 reports with mileage
• Powertrain41 · 11%
• Fuel and propulsion system33 · 9%
• Exterior lighting24 · 6%
  Median 300 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
• Speed control19 · 5%
• Body structure17 · 4%
  Most named: body (14)
• Unknown or other59 · 15%
  Median 16,000 miles at failure, from 19 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Hyundai Sonata recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2018 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2011 Sonata drew the most (624) and the 2018 drew 101.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2018 Sonata MPG

Questions