2016 Hyundai Sonata

2016 Hyundai Sonata 4 DR FWD

Overall

★★★★★

Front Crash

★★★★★

Side Crash

★★★★★

Rollover

★★★★☆

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicles manufactured December 8, 2014, to August 18, 2015, and Hyundai Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to March 18, 2016, equipped with the panoramic sunroof option. Due to a bonding issue with the sunroof wind deflector, the sunroof panel on the affected vehicles may detach while driving.

Campaign: 16V726000

PARKING BRAKE:INDICATOR LIGHT

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Sonata and Genesis vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the warning light to indicate that the parking brake is applied may intermittently not illuminate in the dash due to corrosion in the switch.

Campaign: 17V359000

AIR BAGS

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 28, 2016 through April 12, 2016. The affected vehicles have a driver-side frontal air bag that may not adequately protect the driver's neck from injury in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Campaign: 16V615000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 29, 2014 to February 11, 2016, 2017 Elantra vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016 to February 22, 2016, and one 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicle manufactured October 15, 2015. In these vehicles, the driver's frontal air bag may be missing a chemical enhancer required for the second stage air bag deployment, resulting in the second stage not deploying in certain crashes. The primary stage will deploy as intended.

Campaign: 16V232000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to August 21, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with an Antilock Braking System (ABS) warning light intended to warn the driver if there is an ABS malfunction. In the event of an ABS malfunction, the Brake System warning light will illuminate, but the ABS warning light will not illuminate. Since the vehicles have ABS malfunction lights that do not illuminate, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Campaign: 15V678000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sonata, 2016-2017 Sonata Hybrid, and Sonata Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.

Campaign: 21V749000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Backup vision system failed. Couldn't see vision because screen was blank. Radio didn't work either. Went to dealership with the problem they said it was not covered by the warranty. Paid to have it fixed.

ENGINE

The vehicle experienced a Theta II engine failure at under 57,830 miles while driving on northbound [XXX] near the [XXX] Parkway U-turn in [XXX]. The engine made a loud noise and lost power. I was able to coast to the far right side of the U-turn under the bridge. I called HERO (Austin's emergency roadside assistance). They responded, determined it was not a battery issue, and pushed the vehicle to the Southern Leisure Spa parking lot on the southbound side of the road. The vehicle was then towed. The vehicle is equipped with the KSDS (Knock Sensor Detection System) software update, installed as part of Hyundai's remedy for this known defect. Despite KSDS being installed, the engine failed due to connecting rod bearing wear, consistent with the documented Theta II defect. A Hyundai dealership confirmed KSDS was installed but denied the warranty claim, citing maintenance records. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The Theta II engine defect has been the subject of prior NHTSA investigations and Hyundai recalls. This complaint is filed to document another failure of the same defect in a vehicle with the manufacturer's remedy installed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE

I am concerned that the engine may seize or stall without warning while driving, creating a risk of crash, injury, or death. The Theta II engine defect is known to cause engine seizure, stalling, and fire. Hyundai has denied warranty coverage based on mileage and second-owner status — both of which are explicitly prohibited as denial grounds under the Settlement — leaving me driving an unsafe vehicle.

ENGINE

The car died while going 70 on a highway with no warning signs. The car completely shut off and will not turn over or move at all.

ENGINE

Component & Inspection: Vehicle engine suffered connecting rod bearing failure and entered restricted P1326 "Limp Home Mode" (max 2,000 RPM). The vehicle is grounded and available for inspection at Bud Clary Hyundai in [XXX].Safety Risk: Sudden, unexpected loss of power occurred while driving, placing me and other drivers at immediate risk on public roads due to the vehicle's inability to maintain normal traffic speed or safely accelerate.Dealer & Corporate Confirmation: Active P1326 engine code is confirmed. Car has been held for 14 days. The franchise is violating federal settlement rules by explicitly refusing to execute the mandatory, free mechanical Bearing Clearance Test (BCT) unless I pay out-of-pocket fees.Inspection & Corporate Compliance Failure: Car was brought to the dealer on XXX. The service manager admitted in writing that they are withholding safety diagnostics to protect shop labor hours due to an automated computer flag regarding a clerical title brand discrepancy. Hyundai Corporate is actively enabling this violation; my case manager refuses to issue a manual compliance override for the safety test and is violating federal settlement terms by withholding my contractually mandated alternative transportation.Warning Lamps & Symptoms: Flashing Check Engine Light and limp home mode triggered instantly and unexpectedly on XXX. There were zero warning symptoms, messages, or abnormal noises prior to that date INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE

My Sonata 2016 suddenly lit up the Check Engine icon, which was blinking. It is available for inspection request, as it's in the shop right now. Added 2 qts of oil just to be safe. Was hoping the light would go away in the morning. It didn't. The car was sputtering and jerking while I was attempting to get where I was going, so I drove a little slower so it wouldn't stall out, which would have caused someone behind me to crash into me if it stopped suddenly. My mechanic said it was engine failure, possibly due to oil burning. Hyundai Dealer told me there is no recall for this issue, but my mechanic said there had been. I was never notified of such, and when I called them, they said that there was no recall, and she acted like she had never heard of the problem. I find that amazing, since on your website, there are some 717 claims of the same problem.

ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

My 2016 Hyundai Sonata (VIN: [XXX]) has a serious safety issue involving excessive engine oil consumption. The vehicle loses oil rapidly between changes and requires frequent top‑offs to avoid engine damage. This creates a risk of sudden engine failure while driving. The dealership, South Charlotte Hyundai (10518 Cadillac Street, Pineville, NC 28134), refused to perform Hyundai’s official oil‑consumption test. Instead, they told me to pay $750 for a combustion cleaning and stated it would not fix the underlying problem. They would not document the refusal or provide any testing. I contacted Hyundai Corporate multiple times: • May 21, 2026 – Executive Office complaint submitted • June 3, 2026 – Follow‑up sent • June 29, 2026 – Regional escalation sent My Hyundai case number is XXX. As of XXX Hyundai has not responded to any of my Executive Office or Regional escalations. Only Customer Care replied with a template denial and no investigation. I have been waiting over two months with no action from Hyundai Corporate. I am reporting this because the manufacturer has not addressed a safety‑related defect, the dealership refused required testing, and the vehicle continues to consume oil abnormally. I am requesting NHTSA’s assistance in documenting this defect and Hyundai’s lack of response. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE

Cylinder 3 misfire code and rough idle/driving car tries to stall out, engine is consuming a quart of oil every 500 miles and has 30psi compression in cylinder 3. Car only has 129k miles

ENGINE

My 2016 Hyundai Sonata 2.4L suffered an in-transit engine failure and entered emergency limp mode with an active P1326 rod bearing defect code, which is a recognized fire and safety hazard under NHTSA mandates. Service Campaign 953 was successfully completed on August 12, 2019, qualifying the vehicle for a lifetime settlement engine replacement. Walser Hyundai Brooklyn Park (RO #257457) has issued an administrative denial based solely on a prior-salvage title flag from a cosmetic theft recovery. The manufacturer is actively stalling a court-ordered federal safety recall remedy based on an administrative title brand, despite the engine compartment being structurally original and undamaged. Hyundai Corporate Case #42869828 is open but unresolved.

ENGINE,HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle suddenly shut off with the message "HEV System Failure" displayed. The driver safely pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. A towing truck arrived on the scene and reset the diagnostic codes before towing the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The dealer retrieved several diagnostic trouble codes; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was test-driven but the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.