2017 Hyundai Sonata Complaints
Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA
764
Total
28
Crashes
11
Fires
12
Injuries
1
Deaths
Most Reported Components
Owner Complaint Reports
Showing 25 of 764 reports, crash, fire and injury reports first, then the most recently filed. The full set is on NHTSA.gov.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE — Filed 01/05/2026
I was involved in a severe motor vehicle collision in a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The airbags failed to deploy during the crash. I sustained serious injuries and was transported from the scene by EMS. This vehicle has known safety recalls, and I believe the airbag non-deployment may indicate a safety defect.
POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 11/15/2025
Airbags did not deploy no indicator light came on before nor after I was struck from my driver side front area and yes it is available for inspection upon request. My safety along with my sisters safety was put at risk due to the negligence and cheapness of the dealership I purchased the car from also from there misleading information and improper inspection before selling me the car Car has not been reproduced or confirmed The car was inspected by a third party appraisal company for damages amounts There were no lights on at all before the accident and I am pretty certain that the dealership cleaared the codes before selling me the car
ENGINE — Filed 12/19/2025
My 2017 Hyundai Sonata Sport Limited 2.4 has a known engine defect causing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was at an authorized Hyundai dealership for the oil consumption test and had been approved for a new engine replacement. Prior to the repair, I completed $2,300 in maintenance, specifically an oil combustion cleaning and spark plug replacement, which the dealership said was required to perform the oil consumption test. While the vehicle was in the dealership’s custody, it caught fire on 12/19/2025 at World Hyundai Matteson. No one was injured, but the car was destroyed. This occurred while the vehicle was under warranty repair, creating a serious safety risk. I am submitting this complaint to document the fire and the associated safety issue with this engine defect.
AIR BAGS — Filed 11/18/2025
I am reporting a serious safety defect involving a vehicle purchased from [XXX] on [XXX]. The vehicle was later involved in a collision that resulted in a total loss. According to the police report, I was not at fault. During this crash, none of the airbags deployed, which indicates a possible defect or prior undisclosed issue with the airbag system. The vehicle was sold with a warranty and was represented as safe and road-ready. The dealership also provided and managed the full-coverage insurance policy. However, the total-loss claim has been delayed and obstructed, and the dealership has not taken responsibility for ensuring the vehicle’s safety or functionality. There is significant concern regarding the condition of the vehicle prior to sale. Records show that Byrider cleared the vehicle’s computer on July 16, 2025, less than a month before purchase. This may have erased important diagnostic information, including any prior airbag-system faults. Clearing the computer in this manner raises questions about whether a known issue was hidden or whether mandatory diagnostic data was removed before the sale. At the time of purchase, I signed an airbag disclosure form in which Byrider stated: •They had “no knowledge of any reason why the airbag system would not operate properly,” and •They “cannot guarantee that the airbag system will deploy in the event of an accident.” Despite this disclosure, the fact that the airbags did not deploy in a crash severe enough to total the vehicle suggests a significant safety defect, potential misrepresentation, or a failure to comply with federal safety requirements. Airbag non-deployment in a total-loss collision indicates a system failure that poses a serious risk to consumers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS — Filed 05/16/2022
Power relay has been replaced several times, air bags did not deploy with either wreck and loss control of steering causing a crash which bent the frame. Hyundai never once contacted me regarding this defective car they replaced motor in because of knock sensor and im lucky to be alive. On one of the accidents in February there was an error message that popped up right before I had the wreck and it was an error message wrong with the cars transmission system or something like that I had the dealership who said there was no codes on that car and I had my own personal mechanic who had codes pop up on that car that the dealership hid
ENGINE — Filed 12/13/2024
The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while on travel, the contact stopped at a local gas station. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, the contact was informed by the store attendant that the vehicle was on fire. The contact noticed the fire came from under the hood compartment and the vehicle was engulfed with flames. The contact stated an off-duty police officer and the store owner attempted to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers, however, they were unsuccessful. The fire department was called, arrived on the scene, and extinguished the fire but the vehicle was already consumed by the fire. The vehicle and all properties in the vehicle were destroyed in the fire. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned to total loss by the insurance company. A police report was filed. In addition, the contact stated that 75 miles before the fire occurrence, the vehicle was started, and the contact noticed white smoke exiting from under the hood compartment. The contact interpreted it to be frost from the start of the engine being cold. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000
UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 02/03/2025
The contact is a death investigator calling on behalf of the owner of a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while he was driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle failed to yield causing the front of the vehicle to crash into the front end of another vehicle. The events leading to the crash were unknown. The air bags were deployed. The owner of the 2017 Hyundai Senata was pronounced deceased at the scene; the cause was presumed to have been caused by the wheel hub dislodging. The death investigator arrived at the scene and discovered the wheel hub in the back of the neck of the driver possibly leading to the fatality. The other vehicle involved in the crash was able to drive off the scene. No further information was available on the other vehicle in the crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
ENGINE — Filed 11/05/2024
The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed smoke was coming from the engine compartment. No warning light was illuminated. The contact exited the vehicle and discovered that the engine compartment was on fire. The vehicle was not occupied during the fire. The local Fire Department (Cuyahoga Heights Fire Department) came and extinguished the fire; a Fire Department report was filed. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not drivable and was diagnosed as totaled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,500.
ENGINE — Filed 08/23/2024
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and turned off, there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated the engine compartment had caught on fire. The contact’s spouse extinguished the vehicle. The local fire department was not contacted, and a report was not filed. however, a cause for the failure was not yet determined. A Police report was not filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
STEERING — Filed 03/19/2024
I was pulling into a street parallel parking space and the wheel suddenly locked and became hard to turn- causing my to side swipe another vehicle. Almost a week later my daughter was driving onto a highway on ramp and the wheel wouldn’t turn. She took her foot off the gas and drifted into the shoulder brakes.
ENGINE — Filed 01/16/2024
I was taking the car doing the oil consumption test for the 3rd time and I had just got it out the shop one hour before this happen
UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 01/11/2024
I heard a pop noise. My car started to smoke a few seconds later full fire. The whole dashboard radio was gone. Burned. No light indicating there was a problem. Car was not running hot.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE — Filed 12/19/2022
I purchased the vehicle in December and the same weak it began leaking oil the window won’t roll down and the car shuts down by itself. It caused me to have an accident and the dealership has repaired it 14 times with the same issue. They are forcing me to drive an unsafe vehicle I need to report this vehicle as unsafe
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS — Filed 01/08/2023
The car was involved in a front end collision going about 35 mph. The Collison was enough to bust the radiator and likely total the car. The entire front end is heavily damaged. There was a driver and front seat passenger in the vehicle at the time of Collision. The seat belts did not lock nor did any airbag deploy.
ENGINE — Filed 11/10/2022
The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 30-30 MPH, he saw smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon opening the hood, he saw fire. The contact stated that the fire burned the front end and interior of the vehicle. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. There were no injuries sustained. A fire department report was filed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot yard where it was totaled. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
AIR BAGS — Filed 10/11/2022
Airbags did not deploy when involved in a 30mph front end collision. Driver sustained injuries from seatbelt and whiplash.
STEERING — Filed 10/10/2022
While driving the electric power steering locked and I couldn’t turn while driving. Hit curb and someone’s personal property. I was so frustrated because there wasn’t anything I could do. The steering locks up and you can’t move it.
ENGINE — Filed 09/01/2022
The engine rod bearing gave out and cause the car to stop abrubtly. This caused a pile up car accident directly behind me. My car was not hit thankfully but the engine is damaged and Hyundai said they will not replace it even though there is a recall on the engine.
STEERING — Filed 07/08/2022
While driving my 2017 Sonata on a winding backroad my power steering suddenly locked up without warning, and I was unable to turn the vehicle left or right. Prior to this incident there were no warning or check engine lights lit indicating any type of issue with my car, and my power steering was operating normally. I hit, and jumped a curb striking a rock wall attempting to turn slightly left to keep myself in my lane, and on the road damaging the right passenger side rim and fender. After coming to a stop I noticed there were two warning lights that had activated. I immediately called my local Hyundai dealer (Imperial Hyundai of Milford Massachusetts) informing them of what had happened, and scheduled a service appointment to have this issue diagnosed. I was informed by the dealership that Hyundai is having issues with their electric assist steering motor, and computer module which controls the steering assist motor. Had this been my wife or son this would have definitely turned out differently, because I'm over 240lbs and could barely get the steering wheel to turn at all prior to hitting the curb. After shutting off the car, and then restarting it repeatedly for approx 30 minutes suddenly the service lights went out, and the vehicle started operating normally again. My appointment at the Hyundai dealer is on July 13, 2022. I was told Hyundai has extended the warranty on parts associated with the steering system, but they wouldn't tell me which parts are covered or not covered. That is the least of my concerns, because like I said had I not been the driver, or if this had happened at highway speed this could have been tragic. It's a serious safety issue
STRUCTURE,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 04/03/2022
The Hyundai was started, feint knocking was heard. Progressed louder as vehicle accelerated, engine then stalled, check engine light and oil pressure light turned on and traction control disengaged as the vehicle erupted into a rolling blaze
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — Filed 04/03/2022
Vehicle’s engine began to emit a knocking sound that would increase in volume and speed as engine progressed in speed. Engine suddenly lost power, check engine light began to flash and traction control disabled itself. Vehicle was pulled over and turned off when it immediately began to rapidly self immolate over the course of minutes while the power to the engine was completely disabled.
STRUCTURE,ENGINE — Filed 11/01/2021
Vehicle caught fire while undergoing warranty repairs
UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 08/23/2021
While being driven, the check in engine light came on. Next the battery light came on followed by the other lights on the dashboards. It then became difficult to accelerate and smoke began to come from under the hood. Then flames were noticed by a man passing and he began to point to the bottom passenger side of the car. The car was pulled over and more flames began. The passengers exited out of the driver side and the car was soon engulfed.
AIR BAGS — Filed 09/09/2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE MADE AN ILLEGAL-U TURN AND CRASHED INTO THE DRIVER SIDE. THE REAR DRIVER SEAT AIR BAG DEPLOYED PARTIALLY BUT NO OTHER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT AND HER HUSBAND SUSTAINED WHIPLASH BUT NO MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS SOUGHT. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACTS DAUGHTER WHO WAS SEATED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT MENTIONED ENCOUNTERING WITH AIR BAG DEBRIS. THE CONTACT HAD UNDERLYING RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS AND DUE TO THE DEBRIS INTENDS TO VISIT A DOCTOR. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE POLICE TO A LOT WHERE GEICO INSPECTED THE FAILURE BUT FURTHER INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) — Filed 02/05/2020
WHILE DRIVING THE 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA AT SPEEDS OF 60 PLUS MPH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP AND THE POWER STEERING LIGHT COMES ON ALONG WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS. THIS INCIDENT HAS EVEN CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER OF MY HYUNDAI DUE TO LOSING STEERING CAUSING ME TO VEER IN TO THE GUARD RAILS.
About This Data
Complaints are filed by vehicle owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). They represent individual consumer experiences and do not necessarily indicate a widespread defect.
View on NHTSA.gov