- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 1
- on record
- MPG
- 31
- combined
Fatalities reported
Owner complaints to NHTSA include 1 report involving a death. Read the complaint record closely.
Vehicle Summary
2018 Hyundai Sonata
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 1
- Owner complaints
- 366
- Complaints citing a crash
- 18
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
1 Recall on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
1 NHTSA campaign affecting this model year.
- 21V619000high
Latches/locks/linkages · trunk lid · latch
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."
Consequence
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will replace the trunk latch base, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 208.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 10.5%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2018 Hyundai Sonata 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 7 comparable 2018 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 10.5% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
28
City
37
Hwy
31
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,000
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 284 g/mi
How this compares
At 31 MPG combined, the 2018 Hyundai Sonata ranks 1st of 10 large cars EPA rated for 2018 — 6 MPG better than the 25 MPG median for that group.
That places it in the upper third of its class. Fuel cost is unlikely to be the deciding factor against its direct rivals.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,000, $650 less than the $2,650 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $10,000, a $3,250 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 284 grams per mile — about 4.3 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
366 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 366
- Total
- 18
- Crashes
- 13
- Fires
- 20
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE226
- OTHER49
- BRAKES17
- ELECTRICAL16
- LIGHTING16
Serious Concerns
366 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves a death. 20 reports involve injuries. 18 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata, newest first.
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA19001
Electrical overstress
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Recall
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA19001
Electrical overstress
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Large Cars
- Drive type
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Engine
- 1.6L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (AM7)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
28
City
37
Hwy
31
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,000
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Compare with
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation EA19001
Electrical overstress
- Investigation closed
NHTSA closed investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation DP22003
Loss of Motive Power
- Recall
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
- Investigation opened
NHTSA opened investigation EA19001
Electrical overstress