2018 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sonata years
- More complaints than other years 12th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 374 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Sonata. That ranks 12th out of 32 Sonata model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (212 complaints, 57%), typically at around 19,750 miles. Complaints mention 18 crashes, 13 fires, 20 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 374owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 18complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 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 | 212 | 57% | 19,750 | “oil consumption” (20%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 60 | 16% | 21,250 | “knock sensor” (12%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 58 | 16% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 40 | 11% | 40,538 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 31 | 8% | 127,961 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 22 | 6% | 293 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 19 | 5% | 8,858 | — | — |
| Structure | 17 | 5% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 4% | 99,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 4% | 8,896 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 2% | 31,790 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 8 | 2% | 34,060 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 2% | 46,046 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 7 | 2% | 78,650 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 1% | 86,800 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 5 | 1% | 9,362 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 1% | 17,275 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 51,160 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 157,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Firerelated | 1 | 0% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | 125,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Hyundai Sonata recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Latches/locks/linkages:trunk lid:latch
Problem: 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."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
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.
- Electrical overstress (EA19001) — opened Apr 19, 2019, closed Sep 19, 2024, led to recall 20V024.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The paint is peeling off the car, when I went to the dealership they said this is a known problem for 2015-2018, but they can't fix it there is no recall. It is causing rust. The valve cover gasket…
Hyundai dealership confirms I am in need of a new engine due to large oil consumption which is a known issue on 2018 Hyundai Sonata engines. Hyundai will not approve repairs because I am the second owner and vehicle is out of the 5 year warranty period. I only have 52K miles on my vehicle.
One engine valve has lost pressure and is not repairable
Vehicle has been making a clunking noise (front passenger area). Brought to independent service center where they determined that the strut tower is failing. Current mileage 66000. Appt set for Checkered Flag Hyundai to evaluate on 9/11/2026.
My car stalls while driving and then I try to restart it but nothing happens. After reading online about the fuel pump issues and extended warranty related to the fuel pump I took the car in for repair. My car has 75,000 miles and the extended repair on this is for 150,000 miles/15 years. The…
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 | 374 | 1 |
| 2017 Sonata | 765 | 3 |
| 2016 Sonata | 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 2018 Hyundai Sonata?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, unknown or other problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 212 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 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 2018 has 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.