Hyundai Sonata: which model years draw the most owner complaints?
15,704 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Hyundai Sonata, model years 2000 to 2026. 10 model years stand out for the engine or transmission: 2011 (engine 40×); 2013 (engine 31×); 2012 (engine 23×); 2015 (engine 26×). Quietest mature years by complaint count: 2019, 2005, 2003. Counts of unverified owner reports, compared only with other years of the same model; not failure rates.
Complaints by model year
| MODEL YEAR | COMPLAINTS | VS OTHER YEARS | STANDS OUT | RECALLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Sonata | 276 | quiet: 6 of 20 | 4 | |
| 2001 Sonata | 205 | quiet: 5 of 20 | 3 | |
| 2002 Sonata | 320 | quiet: 7 of 20 | 7 | |
| 2003 Sonata | 199 | quiet: 3 of 20 | 6 | |
| 2004 Sonata | 202 | quiet: 4 of 20 | 1 | |
| 2005 Sonata | 165 | quiet: 2 of 20 | 1 | |
| 2006 Sonata | 1,047 | — | 11 | |
| 2007 Sonata | 695 | — | 7 | |
| 2008 Sonata | 425 | — | 5 | |
| 2009 Sonata | 460 | engine 2.5×, transmission 3.7× | 2 | |
| 2010 Sonata | 345 | — | 2 | |
| 2011 Sonata | 3,378 | engine 40× | 14 | |
| 2012 Sonata | 1,559 | engine 23× | 8 | |
| 2013 Sonata | 1,918 | engine 31× | 9 | |
| 2014 Sonata | 749 | engine 13× | 7 | |
| 2015 Sonata | 1,156 | engine 26× | 9 | |
| 2016 Sonata | 730 | engine 19× | 6 | |
| 2017 Sonata | 768 | engine 16× | 3 | |
| 2018 Sonata | 375 | engine 9× | 1 | |
| 2019 Sonata | 162 | engine 3.8× | 0 | |
| 2020 Sonata | 183 | — | 4 | |
| 2021 SonataFEW REPORTS | 135 | — | 4 | |
| 2022 SonataFEW REPORTS | 96 | — | 3 | |
| 2023 SonataFEW REPORTS | 88 | — | 2 | |
| 2024 SonataFEW REPORTS | 48 | — | 1 | |
| 2025 SonataFEW REPORTS | 17 | — | 0 | |
| 2026 SonataFEW REPORTS | 3 | — | 1 |
"Stands out" = 40 or more complaints naming that system and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share seen across every vehicle of that model year. Newer years have had less time on the road. "Quiet" ranks only years with 7+ years on the road and 20+ complaints. NHTSA data through November 2026.
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Other Hyundai models
Hyundai Accent · Hyundai Azera · Hyundai Elantra · Hyundai Elantra Touring · Hyundai Entourage · Hyundai Genesis · Hyundai Genesis Coupe · Hyundai Ioniq 5 · Hyundai Kona · Hyundai Kona Electric · Hyundai Palisade · Hyundai Santa Cruz · Hyundai Santa Fe · Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid · Hyundai Santa Fe Sport · Hyundai Sonata Hybrid · Hyundai Tiburon · Hyundai Tucson · Hyundai Tucson Hybrid · Hyundai Veloster · Hyundai Veracruz · Hyundai XG350. All makes and models.
Source: NHTSA public complaints, recalls, service bulletin and investigation databases, data received through November 2026. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not failure rates: sales volumes are unknown, so a model year is only compared with other years of the same model. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Year pages: 200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020