What Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 70 |
| 2017 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 91 |
| 2016 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80 |
The vehicle systems named most often in Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
The high voltage battery will no longer charge neither from being plugged in to the charger on the wall nor from the buikt in system onboard the car. There are warning lights saying the inverter coolant is low but the reservoir is at the proper level. I suspect the coolant for the Hybrid charging inverter is bad and crystalizes causing blockages in the inverter coolant system. My car refuses to charge for the last 2 years. After a few seconds (about 7-10) the car shuts off the charging system when plugged in. And now that summer heat us here in the South West, it will not even charge from the regenerative braking. The high voltage battery previously would maintain 10-15% charge from th…
On 12/20/25, the car - a Sonata plug-in hybrid - failed to start. When I pushed the "start" button, the dashboard display lit up w many clearly irrelevant error messages. Each time I pressed start, somewhat fewer error messages blasted toward me, and finally, no response at all. On 12/21/2026, the tow driver said it was the 12-volt battery. He gave us a jump start and we drove a few blocks. However, it failed at the turn lane while waiting for the light to turn. We turned it back on, bought a new battery, had it installed. On 12/29/25, my husband was driving. He turned into the intersection with a traffic light. As he was making the turn, the car simply quit. No warning. The car was dead,…
I am reporting a serious safety issue involving a 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid (VIN: [XXX] ), originally purchased in California. While driving at approximately 70 mph on a highway, the vehicle suddenly lost all propulsion without warning and rapidly decelerated. This created a dangerous situation with surrounding traffic and put me and my family at risk. I had to quickly maneuver to the shoulder to avoid a potential collision. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Hyundai dealership in Utah, where it was diagnosed with a failure of the high-voltage battery system. I was informed that the battery requires replacement. This type of sudden loss of propulsion at highway speed is extre…
To the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I am filing this formal safety complaint regarding a dangerous engine failure incident involving my 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid. Description of Incident: While traveling on CA-85 near Mountain View, California, at approximately 65 miles per hour, the engine suddenly and without warning lost all power. The vehicle began to slow down involuntarily in active highway traffic, creating an immediate and serious risk of rear-end collision. The driver had no ability to maintain safe highway speed or accelerate out of danger. The vehicle had to be towed from the scene to the dealership. There was no warning light or prior indication th…
While driving car stuttered check engine light and check hybrid system flashed. Check engine lights stayed on until getting home. Next day. I scanned and code p0b68 was set.
While driving at a high rate of speed propulsion to the vehicle suddenly and without warning ceased, the electric and internal combustion engine were non-responsive (ICE stopped; hybrid motor didn't provide propulsion), the warning light said "Check Hybrid System. Turn off engine" I was put at risk because I was traveling at highway speed and was given no warning before the vehicle shut down. This has occurred nine times, I've reported all to Hyundai, they have had the car in the shop three times, the issue is not fixed. No, despite ODB2 error codes, the car has not shut down while a dealership is driving it. Yes, the vehicle has been inspected multiple times by Hyundai. Yes, always …
While driving the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid, the car will begin to stall, a rapid number of audible beeps will start, the "Check Hybrid System" notification will pop up on the dashboard, and the "Check Engine Light" appears.. The car therefore cannot be driven anymore, and I am forced to pull over to the side. In order to fix the issue temporarily, I need to turn the car off and turn it back on again. Once this is completed, both the "Check Hybrid System" and the "Check Engine Light" disappears and the car can be driven again. An OBD Scanner is unable to find exactly what is going on as the "Check Hybrid System" and the "Check Engine Light" no longer appear. This has happened 4 ti…
I was driving the vehicle with 2 other occupants onboard on [XXX] towards US-101. The EPS warning light already came on after entering [XXX] from [XXX], but initially, I didn't think it was much of an issue. As I merged to the right lane in preparation of entering the highway, the steering began to feel very stiff, so I immediately made a right turn into a local street when there was a little bit of steering left. As soon as I pulled over, the steering locked up completely, and both the EPS warning light and the dash display's lane-departure system warning were activated. Luckily no other vehicle or humans were endangered at the time. I put the car into park and powered it off. When I power…
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driverâs-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and underwent airbag replacement using non-genuine parts. These dangerous inflators have ruptured during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death due to metal fragments entering the vehicle
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driverâside airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or nonâcertified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may rupture during deployment, and have caused serious injuries and fatalities. Please see attached announcement, provided by NHTSA, for more details.
This TSB references the Op codes to use for claim submission and the Parts required based on the vehicleâs inspection results from TSB 22-01-023H-2 (DTC P1326 â Engine Bearing Inspection/Engine Replacement) or the latest version.
This TSB references the Op codes to use for claim submission and the Parts required based on the vehicleâs inspection results from TSB 22-01-023H (DTC P1326 â Engine Bearing Inspection/Engine Replacement) or the latest version.
This bulletin provides information regarding condensation related to the accumulated moisture in the headlamp, rear combination lamp, daytime running lamp (DRL), or fog lamp. This TSB illustrates the various causes of condensation inside the lamp assembly. Lamp assembly replacement is NOT necessary in most cases. This condition can be eliminated by turning on the lamps with the engine running for several minutes or during normal driving operation.
Some vehicles may exhibit a loss of connectivity or interruptions in the middle of using Bluelink Service functions. This may be due to an irregular disconnection on Verizonâs communication network. Follow the procedure in this TSB to reestablish the connection via the AVN pinhole reset method.
This bulletin provides instructions to update the 4th generation AVN head unit software to ensure the SIM Over The Air function for the Bluelink service is operating properly.
This bulletin provides instructions to update the 4th generation AVN head unit software to ensure the SIM Over The Air function for the Bluelink service is operating properly.
This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and rail spring becoming partially separated on the inner side of the wiper blade, which could lead to poor wiping performance and/or possible scratching of the windshield glass. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to properly remove the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all new wiper blades.
This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services.
Hyundai applies a Paint Protection Film (PPF) on new vehicles before delivery to dealerships. It provides a barrier between the paint and contaminants, such as rail dust, acid rain, and industrial fallout. In rare cases, the paint can become clouded under the PPF. These spots are the result of moisture trapped between the PPF and the paint.
The warranty coverage for certain 2015-2017MY Sonata (LFa) and Sonata Hybrid/Plug-in (LF HEV/PHEV) vehicles exhibiting reduced power steering assist and/or motor driven power steering (MDPS) warning lamp has been extended to 15 years or 150,000 miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use, whichever occurs first. Refer to the TSB 23-ST-003H (or latest version) for warranty, service parts information, and diagnostic information outlined in the bulletin.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opens these when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Many end in a recall.
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-spe
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2016–2019, owners most often name: engine, electrical system, unknown or other. 63 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.
