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2012 Hyundai Sonata Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 1,558 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Hyundai Sonata, most often about the engine (37% of complaints, typically around 92,000 miles). It is the 3rd most complained-about Sonata model year since 2000 and has 8 recalls.
Most common 2012 Hyundai Sonata problems
Engine
577 complaints · 37%Half of these problems showed up before 92,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine.
My husband purchased the car in feb 2015. We took a trip in the car to ny in sept 2015. Only 7months of ownership. While driving on a city street, all the lights blinked on. The car started to slow down, we heard a loud knocking noise. We turned the car off, turned it back on again. The car just stalled. Luckily we…
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. While driving at 15 MPH, there was an abnormal noise coming from the engine compartment of the vehicle. In addition, the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to multiple dealers who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced.…
Steering
301 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 72,000 miles. Parts named most often: column, rack and pinion.
While in transit vehicle power steering went out, this immediately caused a difficult operating experience and could have caused an accident.
My 2012 Sonata steering making a clicking noise and at slow speeds feels like there is a gap turn right to left and visa versa. The vehicle is stopped I turn steering wheel left to right and right to left there is a clunking noise?
Electrical
235 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: wiring, instrument panel, ignition.
The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) has displayed erroneous tire pressure readings during cold weather climates numerous different times despite having the correct psi or adding air to reach an ultimate psi reading. This has been an issue with other models of Hyundai vehicles with the TPMS feature according to…
Car will not shift out of park- was parked and went to shift into reverse and it would not shift, called mechanic used shift release button to get out of park, brake lights do not work, cruise control doesnt work, ecs light stays on. Took car in for recall, they sold US the brake padal switch that I thought was the…
Air bags
170 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 83,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal.
Vehicle type: 2012 Hyundai Sonata se on thursday april 14, 2016 at approximately 6p in the evening the air bag check light was illuminated in my vehicle for no apparent reason. The following day, I took the car to the dealer, and was told to make an appointment to have the issue addressed. On sat april 23rd, I was…
Last week, my power steering suddenly stopped working while driving on a city street making it very difficult to maneuver. The eps dashboard trouble light as well as the airbag and ESC lamps all illuminated at the same time. Thankfully, there was light traffic at the time so was able to pull off to the side to regain…
Brakes
158 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 71,000 miles.
While driving down the street I came to a slowing to make a left hand turn, my car filled with smoke. I pull over to find smoke coming from trunk are and behind the back seats. Open the trunk to find flames near drivers side tail light. Car went into flames and was a total loss.
My break light was stayin on even after I removed my foot off the break pad.I noticed a small. Rubber break stopper fall off the break pad.I took my car to the Hyundai dealer to see if there was a recall on my car which they stated 'no',and I ended up paying 152.31 for the fix which has a guarantee for as long as I…
Lights
141 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 100,000 miles. Parts named most often: brake lights, tail lights, headlights.
Tail light keeps overheating and melting the plastic casing, I have replaced the casing already and the bulbs keep blowing, the plastic from the new casing looks burned already within a month and within two weeks of the second bulb replacement it is burnt out again. These bulbs are all being replaced by a reputable…
While driving with high beams on when I signal a turn the headlights go out for a few seconds before turning back on. Very dangerous when initiating a turn on country roads with no street lights and deep ditches on all four corners. This is a recurring problem and not a one time incident.
Other or unspecified
122 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 79,000 miles.
My car is not starting up. When I push key start and press the brakes the lights on the dash comes on but the car wont start. If I wait a fews hours then it will start. I have waited as long as 5 hours in a parking garage. The car reads "key not in vehicle". I have gotten new batteries for both key fobs. The first…
"hybrid system warning safely stop and do not drive" message come up on the display. This has happened three time. The first time at a stop light, and the motor kept revving and would the car would jump forward while pressing the brake. After getting off the road, parked, killed the car and cranked it back up. The…
Fuel system
114 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 94,500 miles. Parts named most often: delivery, fuel injection system.
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the fuel gauge was not responding when the vehicle had fuel. Also, the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a local dealer (antwerpen Hyundai, 6440 baltimore national pike, catonsville, md 21228) where…
The car suddenly turned 'off', lost propulsion and came to a stop in the middle of the road. The dashboard gas gauge showed approximately one quarter of a tank of gas but it turns out the tank was empty. The likely cause is a defective gauge in the gas tank.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2012 Hyundai Sonata recalls
Engine
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began march 1, 2019. Owners may contact hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's recall number for this recall is 180.
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor america (hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 sonata and 2013-2014 santa fe sport vehicles previously repaired under recall numbers 15v-568 and 17v-226. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned, or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, allowing fuel to leak from the pipe.
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seat belts: pretensioner
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seat belts: anchorage
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Lights: switch
Risk: If the brake light switch plunger does not retract as it should when the brake pedal is not being pressed, the brake lights may stay illuminated preventing accurate communication to rearward following vehicles that the vehicle is slowing or stopping. Additionally, if the brake switch plunger is not retracted, then the transmission can be shifted out of park without depressing the brake pedal. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake pedal stopper pad with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on january 6, 2016. Owners may contact hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 136.
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor america (hyundai) is recalling certain model 2011-2012 sonata vehicles. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released.
Engine
Risk: Engine failure would result in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace the engine assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Additionally, hyundai motor america will increase the warranty for the engine sub-assembly (short block) to 10 years/120,000 miles for both original and subsequent owners of 2011 and 2012 sonatas manufactured at hyundai motor manufacturing alabama equipped with 2.0 liter and 2.4 liter gasoline direct injection engines. Interim notifications were mailed to owners starting on october 8, 2015. A second notification will be mailed when parts are available. Owners may con
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor america (hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 sonata vehicles manufactured december 11, 2009, to april 12, 2012 at hyundai motor manufacturing alabama and equipped with either a 2.0 liter or 2.4 liter gasoline direct injection engine. In the affected vehicles, metallic debris may not have been fully removed during manufacturing of the engine crankshaft. If the debris was not completely removed, oil flow may be restricted through the connecting rod bearings, causing connecting rod damage. A worn connecting rod bearing will produce a metallic, cyclic knocking noise from the engine and possible engine failure.
Transmission: automatic transmission
Risk: If the transmission shift cable detaches, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver parks the vehicle, despite selecting the 'park' position, the transmission may not be in 'park.' if the vehicle is not in the 'park' position and the parking brake is not applied, there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, repair the connection between the shift cable and shift lever, free of charge. The recall began in september 2014. Owners may contact hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 123.
Full defect summary
Hyundai motor company (hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 sonata vehicles manufactured december 11, 2009, through may 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable may detach from from the shift lever pin.
Air bags: side/window
Risk: The curtain airbag may inflate without deployment command and increase the risk of injury to occupants of the vehicle. Additionally, an unexpected deployment would be a significant driver distraction and would limit the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Hyundai dealers will notify owners, and dealers will replace the curtain side airbags free of charge. This recall began on august 31, 2012. Owners may contact hyundai at 1-800-633-5151.
Full defect summary
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 hyundai sonata passenger cars, manufactured from january 24, 2012, through june 21, 2012. The curtain side airbags on these vehicles may inflate without deployment command due to an error during manufacturing.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Loss of motive power
Summary
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 back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are
Engine fires
Summary
On march 29, 2019, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened two preliminary evaluations (pe19-003 on hyundai and pe19-004 on kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year hyundai and kia vehicles.â during the pe investigations, hyundai and kia issued several recalls to address vehicle fires, including those due to engine failures involving various engine types.â the remedies for the engine failure recalls typically involve engine inspection (to detect existing damage), and if necessary, engine replacement.â additionally, both manufacturers have been installing an engine control software modif
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) of the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated october 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (etc) system on certain kia vehicles resulting in the opening of dp21-003. Accordingly, model year (my) 2005-2016 kia optima/k5, my 2006-2015 kia sorento, my 2007-2016 hyundai elantra, my 2007-2016 hyundai santa fe, my 2006-2015 hyundai sonatas are all part of the subject population. The petition was originally filed as a vehicle owner questionnaire that can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under reference (odi) number 11439675.on november 12, 2021, odi opened defec
Non-crash vehicle fires
Summary
During this preliminary evaluation (pe), the office of defects investigation (odi) assessed the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of non-crash vehicle fires caused by both engine failures and failures of other vehicle systems/components in model year (my) 2011-2014 hyundai sonata and santa fe vehicles equipped with theta II and lambda II engines (approximately 1.3 million vehicles). Odi also reviewed field data of other hyundai vehicles equipped with theta II, gamma, nu and lambda engines (approximately 4.8 million). As a result of this pe, hyundai has issued NHTSA recalls 20v-746 and 21v-727 to address potential engine failures and fires in certain hyundai vehicles
Non-crash vehicle fires
Summary
In a letter dated june 11, 2018, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) to initiate a safety defect investigation into non-collision related fires on model year (my) 2011-2014 kia optima and sorento, and hyundai sonata and santa fe vehicles. In a letter dated july 24, 2018, cas requested that my 2010-2015 kia soul vehicles be added to the petition. Cas stated that there is a higher number of complaints to NHTSA regarding non-crash fires on these vehicles compared to other similar vehicles. The office of defects investigation (odi) had already opened recall queries (rq17-003 and rq17-004) on all kia and hyundai vehicles equipped
Air bags may be disabled during crash
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe18-003 on 3/16/18 to investigate incidents involving crashes, resulting in significant collision related damage, where the frontal airbags failed to deploy. Odi reviewed complaint data, available design, test, and field data on the model year (my) 2011 hyundai sonata, my 2012-2013 kia forte and forte koup vehicles. Odi also evaluated data from the automotive air bag system supplier, zf-trw (zf), to review vehicles that may contain the same air bag control unit (acu) used in the subject vehicles. Hyundai motor america (hma) issued recall no. 18v-137 for my 2011-2013 sonata and my 2012 sonata hybrid vehicles. Kia motors america (kma) issued re
Scope and timeliness
Summary
Nhtsa opened recall query (rq) 17-004 to investigate the timeliness and scope of hyundai?s theta II gdi engine recalls (recall nos. 15v-568 and 17v-226), and hyundai?s compliance with reporting requirements. On november 23, 2020, the agency entered into a consent order with hyundai to administratively resolve NHTSA?s assertions of violations of law in connection with rq17-004. Nhtsa?s assertions included that hyundai may be liable for civil penalties on multiple grounds, including the untimeliness of recall nos. 15v-568 and 17v-226, inaccuracies in hyundai?s recall reports, and that a required report describing potential safety-related issues contained certain inaccuracies or omissions.under
Questions about the 2012 Hyundai Sonata
- What are the most common problems with the 2012 Hyundai Sonata?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (577 complaints, typically around 92,000 miles); steering (301 complaints, typically around 72,000 miles); electrical (235 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2012 Hyundai Sonata have?
- 8 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from December 28, 2018 (engine). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2012 a bad year for the Hyundai Sonata?
- It is the 3rd most complained-about Sonata model year since 2000, with 1,558 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.