NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Hyundai Sonata. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Engine started making a weird knocking noise & was smoking from oil lid. Was driving & the noise got louder & then started to making a squealing noise. Started heading towards the dealership & it slowly started loosing power. Got to the turning lane to turn into the dealership parking lot, car immediately died in middle of road causing me to almost be hit by another vehicle . It started up long enough for me to make it into the parking lot. Car is now currently sitting at dealership waiting till Monday for Hyundai Service center to look at it. I originally had an appt scheduled for Tuesday to get it looked at but it didn’t last that long. speed limit was 35, I couldn’t even drive over 20 mph & had my emergency hazards on.
I was driving the car and suddenly it started showing ‘hybrid malfunction do not drive’ It doesn’t go over 40km/hr. The Hyundai dealership wants me to trade it in. It’s only been 2.5 years that I have this car. Mechanics couldn’t figure out the solution
The two struts that hold the engine hood in the upright position fail abruptly without warning causing the hood to randomly slam shut that can result in a traumatic brain injury, amputation, etc. that may result in an injury or death. Some other vehicles with engine hoods that are held up by two struts have a metal prop to ensure the hood is held in the upright position in the event the hood struts fail. This safety issue put me at risk as I narrowly avoided severe injury and potential amputation of my hand and/or fingers when the hood randomly slammed down. This problem has not yet been confirmed by a dealership or independent service. This vehicle component has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.
As I was driving on the interstate, 25 or so miles away from, my car started to shake and the service lights appeared on the dashboard. I pulled to the shoulder of the road, and shut it off, i turned it back on and it ran for maybe about 10 more miles until it happened again. This time, I turn it back on to get it to run and it doesn’t even begin to shift into drive. It started making a grinding/knocking noise from the engine & shaking, so I shut it off. I had to get it towed home and it has just been sitting in the drive way for a couple weeks now because it’s undrivable. I had no knowledge prior to this incident of an engine recall issued on the car, the dealer I bought it from didn’t inform me and neither did my lien holder. I contacted Hyundai of Slidell and they said since these open safety recalls have not been addressed that they will just reject them. There are about 2 from before I even bought the car that were issued in 2017 I believe that have not been completed. I bought the car in October of 2021 and was not informed of these safety recalls. Prior to this incident, no warning service lights had appeared and I was never told that I need to get my engine inspected as it ran fine.
Vehicle displaying "hybrid system warning! Safely stop and do not drive!" And "check brake" car will not drive over 15 mph. Also draining has And 12 volt battery. Took it to hyundai dealership and was told that the brake module was damaged and needed replacement. We are aware of the current ABS recall. And waiting for remedy
ABS module is damaged. Car is not operable. Dealership did diagnostic on vehicle. And stated there is an ABS recall. But no remedy as of yet. Car will not operate.
The car warning lights turn on and the car shuts down. The problem is with the Hybrid battery that is malfunctioning. This is a serious life and death problem. After the vehicle stops it goes in neutral and rolls .
With the 2014 Hyundai Sonata GLS off and onto a tow truck, it spontaneously burst into flames and the eventual total loss of the vehicle. The 2014 Hyundai Sonata GLS need to be added to the notice to Hyundai consumers in the Hyundai 251 recall.
My engine is burning through oil and also smoking while driving and has a burn smell coming through air vent. I scheduled to have it repaired and have a screenshot of the recall but when I took it to get repaired they stated there are no recalls on my vehicle and I would have to pay. I then called Hyundai customer service and was told they see the recall in one system but not the other and that they will give me a call back. I then never received a call back so I called again and was told that they cannot fix the engine recall and that I would need to get a diagnostic and pay for it myself.
when using the turn signals, either way, the headlights cut off. sometimes they flicker back on and sometimes they stay off.
When I am driving with my headlights on auto, every time I use my turn signal (and sometimes spontaneously) my headlights flicker. Sometimes it’s just for a second, but other times it has lasted more than 3 seconds which can be very dangerous while driving at night. It is also dangerous because other drivers may think I’m flashing my brights at them when im not. During this the dash will flicker as well. This has been happening since I got the car in 2018 so it’s not a battery issue.
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she smelled an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed a fuel leak near the high-pressure fuel pump. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the high-pressure fuel pump hose. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 125,000.
The contact owned a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while in an undisclosed store, she was notified by the store P.A. giving a description that her vehicle was on fire. The contact stated that after she exited the store, she noticed that her vehicle was inflamed from the front end of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. The fire department was notified, and the fire was extinguished. The contact stated that she was informed by the fire department that the origin of the fire was engine-related. A police and fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and deemed a total loss by the insurance company. Additionally, the contact stated that a year ago she had received the NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the engine was replaced, and the recall was completed. The dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
Right brake light assembly melting around lightbulb and right brake light not working due to the burn. I went to multiple used auto parts store to try and buy the right brake assembly and noted multiple cars from 2011-2014 had the same issue.
UNKNOWN: my wife took the car to go to the store by our apartment. She was going through a roundabout at 10 maybe 7 mph when the car just shut off. We took it to AAA. AAA told us that it was an engine failure, and that there was an engine recall on our vehicle. We still thought it was the Ater. We took it to a shop called Gulich. They saw the engine factory recall and informed Chapman Hyundai in Scottsdale to repair the vehicle. Spoke with a Nick who told us that he would give us a free loaner as they fix our vehicle, and that it was under the recall. Got a call two days later from Nick stating that there was sludge in the car and it was from the previous owner, that is why they’re not fixing it. The previous owner only had the car for two years as we receive the car in 2016 with 36,000 miles on it. Every oil change, tuneup, air conditioning, etc., we were told that the car was a queen puff, and that there should be nothing wrong with it. This is just an unfortunate misunderstanding, I would like to have my car fixed they are pressing me to return the loaner and my wife is in the hospital. Trying to leave me stranded. Please help .
There was the strong smell of gasoline so the vehicle was then parked outside of our garage. We had a scheduled appointment with our independent mechanic to have this looked at. Prior to the appointment, the Check Engine Light came on and was also flashing. The car was performing very poorly at this time. When the gas pedal was applied to accelerate the car sputtered and severely hesitated. We pulled off of the highway to a city street and then a parking lot to call for a tow to our mechanic. Upon inspection he found that a fuel line was leaking. He looked up to see if there were any Hyundai Technical Service Bulletins related to the issue. He found "Fuel Tube Replacement (Recall 227). Due to the recall we contacted the dealer Piazza Hyundai of Limerick (PA). The service representative (Jason) looked at the recall and stated our vehicle was not a part of the production line being recalled. All items in the recall were found on our car. We had our independent mechanic fix the fuel line. Prior to the repair the car was not in a drivable state.
Rear Driver Side door latch actuator assembly. Part failed and door cannot be opened even to change/repair the part. This is a major safety issue as the door cannot be opened by rear passengers.
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact heard a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. In addition, the instrument panel was lit up with unknown warning lights, and the exterior lights were blinking off and on. The contact stated that the failure began when the anti-theft software was installed. The dealer was informed of the failure; however, the contact was quoted a diagnostic test fee. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Lost power to vehicle while driving on the freeway, hybrid system warning was displayed as well as several lights to include engine, brake, and skid control. Had the dealer replace the knock sensor, 3 months later the exact same thing happened, in the same way. All the same obd2 codes were pulled both times.
Door will not open from inside or outside of the vehicle and it is a safety issue. There are forums of the same issue with this make and models
The trunk lid on my 2014 Hyundai Sonata will not open. This is a safety issue since there is no way to access the spare tire if needed and there is no emergency exit. The left rear passenger seat is able to be folded down but it is the narrow one and there is no way to reach the seat release for the right-hand side which would allow someone to climb into the trunk and try to release from inside. Even then, it may not release based on what has been reported online. It seems there is a recall for later Hyundai Sonata model years (NHTSA report 21V619000 recall #208 for the 2016/2017 model year) but the problem exists as well in the 2011-2017 Sonatas. NHTSA should expand the model years in the recall or issue a new recall that covers the 2011-2017 Sonatas.
The contact owned a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the contact noticed smoke coming from the front and the rear of the vehicle followed by flames. The contact was not able to stop the vehicle and had to jump out to exit. The vehicle drove off to the side of the road where it came to a complete stop and burned bushes that were on the side of the road. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was filed. The contact suffered a fractured left arm and bruising on the left rib which required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home and was deemed totally destroyed by the insurance company. The contact stated that the engine of the vehicle was replaced due to a recall under the VIN. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 119.000. The VIN was not available.
While driving normally on the highway I received the "Hybrid Safety Warning: Do Not Drive!" error. The engine began sputtering uncontrollably, the brakes weren't fully responsive and I lost power steering. Thankfully I was able to coast down the road and pull over. If this had happened in traffic I can't imagine an accident would not have happened. Not being able to brake safely or steering properly while your engine is sputtering out of control is terrifying and a MAJOR mistake in design and implementation.
While driving the vehicle the lights on the dash start to flash, stating that there is a Charging system warning. It says to pull over and not to drive. It becomes very difficult to brake, or steer, almost like the vehicle has lost power. It blew warm air and the check engine light also came on. This can be extremely dangerous if one was on the highway or at an intersection or any place where they needed to pull over to safety. My 12v battery was checked and found to be fine. I called multiple mechanics to come take a look at the vehicle and the codes that were read were P1B77, P1B96, P1B70, P0A0D. The 150 Amp fuse was said to be blown, and was replaced. Sometimes the car will start back up, and sometimes it won't. Currently, it's sitting in my yard. The engine and interior look pristine, but there is something going on with these vehicles that isn't being addressed. This car is dangerous and there are many, many, MANY people that I'm finding on Reddit, YouTube, and the Hyundai forums who are having the exact same issues. I unfortunately cannot afford to continue to keep hiring mechanics, nor to have it towed to the dealership, only for them to do what they are doing with countless other people. They do not seem to understand the issue either and are grasping at straws to replace expensive parts, only to have the issue reoccur. Something needs to be done about this before someone is killed.
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the trunk failed to open as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the trunk latch needed to be replaced, and that the failure was related to an unknown recall. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.
Incident date 07/04/2023 Incident place I-405 exit WA-522 Incident total engine, car system completely off, brakes won't work Traveling with whole family complete car system failure, had to drive to side road hitting bushes and trees in order to get the car stopped State patrol arrived at the scene, assisted getting towing Everything turned off while on freeway to direction to the two/three lane bridge had to quickly take any exit in order to avoid the freeway bridge I repeat again Total Engine & System failure, Brakes won't work at all while system is dead
The engine appears to have seized. No engine light, smell, sounds or warnings to indicate there was an issue. However, now my car will not start. The engine also will not turn over manually.
On the dashboard showing " Hybrid system warning. Safely park and do not drive" sign while the vehicle is being driven and slowly loose its power till completely stall. After I turn off the engine and try to turn on again ,the "Ready" sign keeps blinking. I was twice stall by the exit of a freeway. It's very dangerous. I also found a few recalls related to this issue in the past.
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the coolant temperature warning light illuminated, and the vehicle began to stall. The contact veered to the side of the road and noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The contact opened the hood and noticed a significant amount of smoke. The vehicle was towed to the Subaru dealer it was purchased from. The Subaru dealer diagnosed that the engine was blown and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the local Hyundai dealer and the diagnosis was confirmed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that she had received a class-action lawsuit settlement notice related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Wiring harness shorted causing vehicle to go into idle mode
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. Additionally, while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to accelerate, and then stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.
My vehicle stopped on the side of the road in oncoming traffic and caused a back up because of my power brake system failing when it should have still been in good condition because I had just purchased my vehicle 7 months ago. The brake light came on made my car slow all the way down doesn’t go over 15 mph and has a skidding sound when braking and it happened again in the street away from home. And this has been seen in multiple vehicles such as the one I have.
Over past 2 years, repeat alarm & message on dashboard, says, “Hybrid System Warning! Safety Stop and Do not Drive.” During attempts to back vehicle from garage, brakes grind. Seemed to be on auto-stop, trying to stop the vehicle from moving. On 01/03/22, brought car to Laguna Niguel Hyundai. Invoice notes “Caused by HISTORY CODES IN AHB C2112 C1102 C1237; NO CODES CURRENT CLEARED HISTORY CODES AND TEST DROVE VEHICLE NO CODES OR LIGHTS ON AT THIS TIME.” Was told history codes related to something about “voltage too high” and “Accelerator switch circuit [ABS switch]” and “wheel rear input signal.” On 11/28/22, brought car to Laguna Niguel Hyundai to address the ‘check engine light’ that was on. Service manager said “battery was not corresponding with the engine”, something about “HECU” and how it’s needed to “check brake reservoir for fluid – so I should pump it due to air bubble inside.” On 6/12/23, was driving more than 70mph; began losing speed, down to 0 mph. Stepping on gas did nothing. Drifted toward side of road & got alarm sound and message on dashboard, “Hybrid System Failure.” Terrified. No control of vehicle, 4 passengers, stranded. Towed to La Quinta. Notes on Hyundai La Quinta invoice: “VERIFIED CUSTOMER CONCERN SCANNED CODES P1B25 HIGH VOLTAGE PATH FAULT; P1B77 HIGH VOLTAGE PRECHARGE FAULT; POWER RELAY ASSEMBLY FALUTY SAFETY PLUG ASSEMBLY ARE FAULTY.” Notes also said BATTERY REPLACEMENT: BATTERY FAILED TEST Caused by BATTERY FAILED LOAD TEST. On 7/31, “HYBRID WARNING MESSAGE” returned. Alarm sound, grinding brakes – car undriveable. Towed for service. Invoice: “Caused by LOW BATTERY STATE OF HEALTH 53%. RECHARGE BATTERY TO 100% AND CLEAR DTC AND ROAD TEST.” While 7/31 work was covered under warranty, felt unsafe. Why battery health poor, when it was replaced 6 weeks before? Then came 8/30. Car disabled. Alarm sound & message says, “Hybrid System Warning! Safety Stop and Do not Drive.” Service manager said “hydraulic power unit failure”.
A week ago (June 5th) car had been running fine, then all of a sudden lost power. Wouldn’t pick up speed, several warning lights came on and then it just died. Did hear a knocking noise right before it died. It is currently at dealership and was given a time frame of approximately 3 weeks to fully diagnose. This is obviously frustrating as I just got this car at end of March and it is being financed, so paying for a broke down car at this point! I hope that Hyundai manufacturer fixes this issue because it seems to be happening to quite a few people upon doing some research!
Complete engine failure while driving. Car completely shut off and will not restart. It did not give any warnings prior to happening. Also cruise control stopped working months prior to this engine failure. Took to mechanic and he stated there is recalls on this vehicle and need to turn it in. I have also received mail stating the same about recalls.
Im not aware what is malfunctioning or failing but I get a warning to not drive the vehicle and I start hearing a beeping sound, when I try to break it makes a harsh screeching sound and tugs the car a bit. It’s putting my safety at risk bc I drive for work and I can’t keep having this problem happen on the freeway. I’m afraid my brakes will fail and not break. Idk what the cause to this is, I’ve had two different mechanics take a look at this and no codes pop up. No warnings pop up either. This has been going on for almost 3 months. I can’t drive this vehicle with this problem and it’s the only one I rely on for work and my everyday needs. If you guys can please help me out or look into it I will be waiting for a response. Thank you
5/25 Driving down the e-way step on the gas to pass a car engine just cut off while I'm doing 60 mph. I had to cross two lanes just to get to the emergency lane.
Unknown, my vehicle sounds like the valves are knocking. I've had my oil changed on time since I've own the vehicle. While driving, my car shuts off. I pulled over and started it again and 3 mins later it shuts back off. Now I cannot start my vehicle. It literally won't allow me to. And there's metal shavings all throughout my engine.
The engine seized while driving on the highway. The car is currently at the dealership. It started making gurgling noise and slowed down while driving. This happened in the middle of the road while driving, putting me and other drivers at safety. The dealership inspected the car and they said the engine seized. There is a recall and multiple complaints concerning this car. They have now said that they will not honor the recall and repair the car because I don't have all the oil change documents. I bought the car as a used car and have my documents since I have owned the car. They are taking care of the issue that is definitely manufacturing issues.
The engine locked up right as I pulled into my driveway. No warning lights or anything indicating there was a problem. I’m lucky to have made it home when it happened. I know other Hyundais are being recalled for the same thing. Not sure why my year isn’t being looked into
My car has been at the dealer since 5/3 which i had an appointment for the TXXI engine failure and fuel pump 227 recalls. I was driving my lights all came on and the car decelerated and wouldn't speed up anymore the steering wheel also got tight.i just got oil change at the end of March and haven't been any long distances. I was told 2 days later that my car was being diagnosed it is now 5/10 and I'm still being told my car is being diagnosed with absolutely no update, they also refuse to give me a rental car or provide a out of house rental... They are making me pay out of pocket for rentals then can only post for reimbursement which isn't guaranteed after the work is done but cannot give me any type of word on even when the diagnostic will be done. I asked if they have any order to diagnosing like is it in order he said no i said so someone can bring their car in after mine and get completed before for same thing just depending on which the technician decides to do the advisor said yes candidly. I've been calling for updates and have not received anything other than the diagnosis is still not done after 7 days. I'm paying for a car that i don't have access to and it's not being expedited in order. When i dropped the car off they said it would take 4 days tops with are they starting my car then not finishing.
While driving it suddenly showing error as “hybrid system warning, stop and do not drive” and “check brakes” then brakes are not working. I turn off the ignition and start car again, then no error.Went to a local mechanic to check codes he can not find anything. This is a serious issue to taken care off as if brakes fail on highway, we may cause an accident. Then I search in google and lot of discussions going around the same incident
o2 sensors
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for an oil change, the contact was informed that the engine oil level was low and there were metal shavings in the engine oil. The independent mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a second oil change was performed. The dealer also performed three oil consumption tests every 1,000 miles. In the first oil consumption test, the engine oil level was 2 1/2 quarts less. In the second oil consumption test, the engine oil level was 1 quart lower, and in the third oil consumption test, the engine oil level was 1 1/2 quart lower. The dealer informed the contact to return for the fourth oil consumption test after another 1,000 miles. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V226000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the failure recurred. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Check Charging system warning pops on and the car slowly loses power. Steering and braking are effected. So many people with this issue. It's scary. No highway driving for me!
HAD A WRECK ON I-40W BOUND HIT GUARD RAIL ON PASSAGER SIDE AND THE LEFT INTO THEMIDDLE MEDIAN MY AIRBAGS OR THE DRIVERS SIDE NOR DID THE DASH BOTH PASSENGER & DRIVERS DID NOT DEPLOY... THE ONLY AIRBAG THAT DEPOYED WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE OVER THE RIGHT SIDE FRONT & BACK DOOR WINDOW FRAME... I HAVE PICTURES A PROOF THAT THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPOLY
The car used up to 4 quarts of oil per week with just driving when necessary. It burned oil and blew it out under the hood.
The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated with a burning odor and a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer who discovered metal shavings inside the engine and engine oil and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The engine was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000. The mechanic stated in the engine evaluation notes rings in the engine bad, and the metal shavings would indicate the rings on the piston were not correctly installed or shimmed to tolerance, causing them to scrape the inner wall of the piston chamber. Further stating it is a mechanical issue and not the negligence of the owner.
Vehicle caught fire.
I was commuting home from work when suddenly there was smoke coming from under the hood and the vehicle completely stopped working in the middle of the road. It would not accelerate and I had to get help to move it into a parking lot. I had to get it towed to my home. The car will not start. If we turn the key to try to start it, the engine starts smoking.