Hyundai Sonata Seat Belts Problems
Owners have filed 545 complaints with NHTSA about seat belts problems on the Hyundai Sonata across 25 model years. The 2011 model year has the most (106). The words owners use most often: “seat belt” (46% of reports).
- 545seat belts complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 57mention a crash
- 43mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- $620typical repair cost reported by owners
- 27%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Seat belt: mentioned in 251 of 545 complaints (46%)
- Air bag: mentioned in 152 of 545 complaints (28%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical seat belts repair on the Hyundai Sonata at $620, and half of them between $560 and $700.
Based on 14 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2010–2024), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do seat belts problems happen?
Based on 339 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 545 complaints, 57 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 43 an injury.
Hyundai Sonata seat belts complaints by model year
| Model year | Seat Belts complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Sonata | 1 | 2% | 2,000 |
| 2021 Sonata | 2 | 1% | 26,450 |
| 2020 Sonata | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2019 Sonata | 5 | 3% | 35,250 |
| 2018 Sonata | 8 | 2% | 46,046 |
| 2017 Sonata | 8 | 1% | 102,000 |
| 2016 Sonata | 9 | 1% | 31,000 |
| 2015 Sonata | 21 | 2% | 19,500 |
| 2014 Sonata | 25 | 3% | 75,000 |
| 2013 Sonata | 62 | 3% | 88,622 |
| 2012 Sonata | 75 | 5% | 85,000 |
| 2011 Sonata | 106 | 3% | 100,500 |
| 2009 Sonata | 8 | 2% | 95,000 |
| 2008 Sonata | 19 | 4% | 79,374 |
| 2007 Sonata | 60 | 9% | 83,000 |
| 2006 Sonata | 102 | 10% | 77,000 |
| 2005 Sonata | 3 | 2% | 135,237 |
| 2004 Sonata | 4 | 2% | 65,440 |
| 2003 Sonata | 7 | 4% | 60,000 |
| 2002 Sonata | 5 | 2% | 48,000 |
| 2001 Sonata | 1 | 0% | 66,667 |
| 2000 Sonata | 5 | 2% | — |
| 1999 Sonata | 6 | 5% | — |
| 1997 Sonata | 1 | 2% | — |
| 1995 Sonata | 1 | 2% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (4)
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module; seat belts:pretensioner; air bags:side/window
Model years: 2011, 2012, 2013
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. On February 27, 2018, Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) notified NHTSA that they were recalling 154,753 model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. On April 18, 2018, Hyundai expanded the recall to include an additional 425,305 model year 2012-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, the air bag control unit (ACU) may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying.
Risk: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install an external wire filter kit, free of charge. The recall began October 15, 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 174.
Seat belts:pretensioner; seat belts:front:anchorage
Model years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles previously repaired under recall campaign 17V-152. The seat belt linkages for both front seat belts may detach from the seat belt anchor pretensioners.
Risk: If the seat belt linkage detaches from the seat belt anchorage, it can not properly restrain the occupant in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will again verify the connection between the seat belt linkage and the pretensioner and additionally install a warning label to prevent future seat belt linkage detachment, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 169.
Seat belts:front:anchorage
Model years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the seat belt linkages for both front seat belts may detach from the seat belt anchor pretensioners.
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat belts detach from the anchor pretensioners, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners and dealers will inspect the connection between the seat belt linkages and the seat belt anchor pretensioners, repairing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 7, 2017. Owner's may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for the recall is 160.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Model years: 2015
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015 Sonata vehicles manufactured April 25, 2014, to December 4, 2014. The affected vehicles have a front passenger seat belt whose buckle latch assembly may prevent the front passenger from fastening the seat belt.
Risk: If the front passenger seat belt cannot be latched, an occupant sitting in the front passenger seat has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair or replace the front passenger seat belt buckle, free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 130.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My 2013 sonata caught fire from the engine I was barely able to get out safely
The passenger side curtain and front airbags popped with no crash or reason, yes Hyundai will be able to inspect upon pick up. My safety risk was fortunately at minimal during times of explosion because I had just parked the vehicle when curtain side air bags went off first then slowly reserving…
Driver's side seatbelt retraction mechanism failed without warning. Intentionally brought car to dealer ASAP since it was close to 100,000 miles pointed out. This was serious safety defect dealer refused to repair under warranty.
The seat belt latches do not latch or will spontaneously unlatch. This has been a problem for about 4 years. I have checked for recalls and not seen any for my car. I will check with the dealer but have tried vacuuming the latches without effect. I have never experienced anything like this in any…
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driverâs side seat belt unexpectedly detached. Several attempts were needed to secure the seat belt while driving. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the driverâs seat…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Hyundai Sonatas have seat belts problems?
No. NHTSA has 545 owner complaints about seat belts for the Hyundai Sonata. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Hyundai Sonata seat belts?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list seat belts. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix seat belts problems on the Hyundai Sonata?
Owners report a typical cost of $620 (half paid between $560 and $700), from 14 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about seat belts problems on the Hyundai Sonata?
The most frequent phrase is “seat belt”, in 251 of 545 complaints, followed by “air bag” (152).
Other Hyundai Sonata problems
- Engine problems (4,702)
- Steering problems (2,363)
- Air Bags problems (2,045)
- Electrical System problems (1,975)
- Structure problems (1,066)
- Power Train problems (1,050)
- Exterior Lighting problems (1,013)
- Service Brakes problems (901)
See all Hyundai Sonata problems.