2016 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sonata years
- Far more complaints than other years 8th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 727 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Hyundai Sonata. That ranks 8th out of 32 Sonata model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (452 complaints, 62%), typically at around 82,500 miles. Complaints mention 19 crashes, 28 fires, 19 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
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- 727owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 19complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 Hyundai Sonata problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 452 | 62% | 82,500 | “oil consumption” (16%) | $4,750 |
| Unknown or Other | 91 | 13% | 46,580 | — | — |
| Electrical System problems | 89 | 12% | 85,200 | “exterior lighting electrical” (9%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 59 | 8% | 60,000 | “oil consumption” (12%) | — |
| Service Brakes | 42 | 6% | 12,548 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 38 | 5% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 33 | 5% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 33 | 5% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 31 | 4% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 30 | 4% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 21 | 3% | 58,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 2% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 1% | 31,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 7 | 1% | 73,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 1% | 42,549 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 1% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | 123,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 1% | 42,600 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 3 | 0% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 0% | 149,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 0% | 12,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 0% | 87,500 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 0% | 20,548 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 0% | 72,040 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 149,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 100 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 50,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Hyundai Sonata recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:software; exterior lighting:turn signal
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sonata, 2016-2017 Sonata Hybrid, and Sonata Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.
Risk: A turn signal that activates in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the SJB software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 210.
Parking brake:indicator light
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Sonata and Genesis vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the warning light to indicate that the parking brake is applied may intermittently not illuminate in the dash due to corrosion in the switch.
Risk: If the parking brake indicator is not illuminated when the parking brake is applied, the driver may operate the vehicle with the parking brake partially engaged, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the parking brake switch, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 164.
Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicles manufactured December 8, 2014, to August 18, 2015, and Hyundai Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to March 18, 2016, equipped with the panoramic sunroof option. Due to a bonding issue with the sunroof wind deflector, the sunroof panel on the affected vehicles may detach while driving.
Risk: If the sunroof detaches from the vehicle it could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair the wind deflector anchor plate, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 152.
Air bags
Problem: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 28, 2016 through April 12, 2016. The affected vehicles have a driver-side frontal air bag that may not adequately protect the driver's neck from injury in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: A frontal air bag that does not adequately protect the driver's neck may increase their risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 148.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 29, 2014 to February 11, 2016, 2017 Elantra vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016 to February 22, 2016, and one 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicle manufactured October 15, 2015. In these vehicles, the driver's frontal air bag may be missing a chemical enhancer required for the second stage air bag deployment, resulting in the second stage not deploying in certain crashes. The primary stage will deploy as intended.
Risk: An air bag that does not inflate increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on May 5,2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 144.
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to August 21, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with an Antilock Braking System (ABS) warning light intended to warn the driver if there is an ABS malfunction. In the event of an ABS malfunction, the Brake System warning light will illuminate, but the ABS warning light will not illuminate. Since the vehicles have ABS malfunction lights that do not illuminate, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: If the driver is alerted there is a brake system malfunction, but not specifically with the ABS system, the driver may operate the vehicle unaware that the vehicle's brakes may lock up during hard braking, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control unit software, free of charge. The recall is expected began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 134.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
- Engine Fires (EA21003) — opened Dec 22, 2021, closed Feb 5, 2024, led to recall 23V877.
- Electrical overstress (EA19001) — opened Apr 19, 2019, closed Sep 19, 2024, led to recall 20V024.
- Electronic Parking Brake (PE16010) — opened Sep 3, 2016, closed Feb 22, 2017.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. While the contact's daughter was driving 55 MPH, the engine seized. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while the contact's two minor grandchildren were inside the vehicle during the failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The…
While driving on the freeway, the check engine light started flashing and the gas pedal became useless. This put the driver and the passenger of the car in massive danger as they could no longer accelerate on the freeway. Luckily, they were able to get off the freeway without causing an accident…
Backup vision system failed. Couldn't see vision because screen was blank. Radio didn't work either. Went to dealership with the problem they said it was not covered by the warranty. Paid to have it fixed.
The vehicle experienced a Theta II engine failure at under 57,830 miles while driving on northbound [XXX] near the [XXX] Parkway U-turn in [XXX]. The engine made a loud noise and lost power. I was able to coast to the far right side of the U-turn under the bridge. I called HERO (Austin's emergency…
I am concerned that the engine may seize or stall without warning while driving, creating a risk of crash, injury, or death. The Theta II engine defect is known to cause engine seizure, stalling, and fire. Hyundai has denied warranty coverage based on mileage and second-owner status â both of…
Other Hyundai Sonata years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sonata | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 Sonata | 17 | 0 |
| 2024 Sonata | 46 | 1 |
| 2023 Sonata | 87 | 2 |
| 2022 Sonata | 94 | 3 |
| 2021 Sonata | 134 | 4 |
| 2020 Sonata | 179 | 4 |
| 2019 Sonata | 162 | 0 |
| 2018 Sonata | 374 | 1 |
| 2017 Sonata | 765 | 3 |
| 2016 | 727 | 6 |
| 2015 Sonata | 1,151 | 9 |
| 2014 Sonata | 749 | 7 |
| 2013 Sonata | 1,915 | 9 |
| 2012 Sonata | 1,557 | 8 |
| 2011 Sonata | 3,377 | 14 |
| 2010 Sonata | 345 | 2 |
| 2009 Sonata | 460 | 2 |
| 2008 Sonata | 425 | 3 |
| 2007 Sonata | 696 | 5 |
| 2006 Sonata | 1,047 | 9 |
| 2005 Sonata | 165 | 1 |
| 2004 Sonata | 202 | 1 |
| 2003 Sonata | 199 | 6 |
| 2002 Sonata | 319 | 7 |
| 2001 Sonata | 205 | 3 |
| 2000 Sonata | 276 | 4 |
| 1999 Sonata | 124 | 4 |
| 1998 Sonata | 49 | 1 |
| 1997 Sonata | 49 | 2 |
| 1996 Sonata | 23 | 1 |
| 1995 Sonata | 66 | 2 |
See all Hyundai Sonata problems by year, every Hyundai model, or the Hyundai VIN decoder.
Similar Hyundai models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Hyundai Sonata?
Owners most often report engine, unknown or other, electrical system problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 452 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Hyundai Sonata?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 Hyundai Sonata a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sonata model years, the 2016 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.