2012 Hyundai Sonata Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 235 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2012 Hyundai Sonata, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 80,000 miles.
- 235electrical system complaints
- 80,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 46%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 126 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 235 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 32 a fire, 6 an injury.
Hyundai Sonata electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Sonata | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2024 Sonata | 18 | 39% | 9,000 |
| 2023 Sonata | 12 | 14% | — |
| 2022 Sonata | 17 | 18% | 70,000 |
| 2021 Sonata | 17 | 13% | — |
| 2020 Sonata | 40 | 22% | 10,000 |
| 2019 Sonata | 12 | 7% | 32,000 |
| 2018 Sonata | 60 | 16% | 21,250 |
| 2017 Sonata | 65 | 8% | 24,598 |
| 2016 Sonata | 89 | 12% | 85,200 |
| 2015 Sonata | 167 | 14% | 57,321 |
| 2014 Sonata | 135 | 18% | 78,000 |
| 2013 Sonata | 261 | 14% | 84,000 |
| 2012 Sonata | 235 | 15% | 80,000 |
| 2011 Sonata | 443 | 13% | 58,000 |
| 2010 Sonata | 16 | 5% | 55,122 |
| 2009 Sonata | 61 | 13% | 80,248 |
| 2008 Sonata | 32 | 8% | 79,500 |
| 2007 Sonata | 51 | 7% | 98,000 |
| 2006 Sonata | 86 | 8% | 78,000 |
| 2005 Sonata | 19 | 12% | 69,000 |
| 2004 Sonata | 17 | 8% | 98,000 |
| 2003 Sonata | 19 | 10% | 45,000 |
| 2002 Sonata | 23 | 7% | 75,500 |
| 2001 Sonata | 9 | 4% | 44,001 |
| 2000 Sonata | 37 | 13% | 90,000 |
| 1999 Sonata | 11 | 9% | 70,000 |
| 1998 Sonata | 4 | 8% | 62,500 |
| 1997 Sonata | 5 | 10% | 108,000 |
| 1996 Sonata | 5 | 22% | — |
| 1995 Sonata | 8 | 12% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2012 Hyundai Sonata. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I am reporting a total manufacturer parts shortage. My 2012 Hyundai Sonata GLS is part of the Hyundai Anti-Theft Customer Satisfaction Campaign P33 (Ignition Cylinder Protector). Hyundai launched this program to fix a massive vehicle theft vulnerability, but they have failed to release or…
Vehicle: 2012 Hyundai Sonata Incident Date: August 14, 2024 Location: [XXX] Description of the Problem: The vehicle experienced a sudden and catastrophic fire without warning while in normal use. There were no prior warning lights, messages, or symptoms before the incident. The failure appears to…
While I was driving my car wouldnât go no higher than 60mph and kept dropping speed but I came to a stop and when I stopped the car was smoking. I heard knocking noise and rumbling noise on the passenger side. It wouldnât start again

Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Hyundai Sonatas have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 235 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2012 Hyundai Sonata (15% of the 1,558 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Hyundai Sonata electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 80,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
Other 2012 Hyundai Sonata problems
- Engine problems (567)
- Steering problems (301)
- Air Bags problems (170)
- Service Brakes problems (151)
- Exterior Lighting problems (141)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (99)
- Power Train problems (97)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (84)
See all 2012 Hyundai Sonata problems or electrical system problems across all Sonata years.