2026 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

I was driving through a high school pick-up line where traffic was moving slowly. My vehicle was operating on adaptive cruise control, and I had my foot resting on the brake in case I needed to stop. A woman was about to cross the street, so I tapped the brakes. The vehicle did not slow down as it should have and instead began accelerating. I immediately pressed down on the brakes as hard as I could, but the vehicle continued accelerating and did not respond to my braking. There were vehicles stopped in front of me, so I attempted to steer around the vehicle directly in front of me to avoid a direct collision. The vehicle continued forward and collided with two other vehicles before coming to a stop after striking a wall. Based on what I experienced, both the adaptive/assistive cruise control and the vehicle’s braking response failed during this incident. Prior to the incident, the vehicle had been operating normally, with no warning lights, error messages, or other symptoms indicating a problem. Police and paramedics responded to the scene. I was not issued a citation. A police report was completed, and my insurance company, dealership, and lien holder have been notified. There were multiple witnesses to the incident. The vehicle remains available for inspection at the tow yard listed above.

NHTSA ID

11760790

Incident

Aug 18, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while the vehicle door was open, the vehicle shifted into reverse and accelerated in reverse at 30 MPH. The vehicle traveled into a wooded area and the rear of the vehicle struck a tree. The vehicle was towed to a certified collision center, where it was pending an official total loss determination by the insurance company. The contact, who was standing at the vehicle door at the time of the failure, sustained external injuries, including facial scratches, bruises, a headache, and back pain. The contact was transported by ambulance to a hospital for medical treatment. A police report was filed. The dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle should not have been able to change gears while the door was open. The failure mileage was approximately 80.

NHTSA ID

11760447

Incident

Aug 24, 2026

Mileage

80 mi

While driving on a backroad at about 9am on a sunday morning I heard a loud noise that sounded like a gunshot from inside the vehicle. When i pulled over to look what happened, the sunroof glass had spontaneously shatttered.

NHTSA ID

11756865

Incident

Aug 9, 2026

Certain 2026MY Sonata (DN8) and 2026MY Sonata Hybrid (DN8 HEV) vehicles may exhibit a fuel filler door that is difficult to open due to the push-type opener mechanism. Technical Bulletin (TSB) 26-01-057H provides instructions to inspect the fuel filler door push opener and, if necessary, replace the component to restore proper operation.

Certain Sonata (DN8) and Sonata Hybrid (DN8 HEV) vehicles may exhibit a fuel filler door that is difficult to open due to the push-type opener mechanism. This bulletin provides instructions to inspect the fuel filler door push opener and, if necessary, replace the component to restore proper operation.

Certain 2024-2026MY Sonata (DN8) and 2024-2026MY Sonata Hybrid (DN8 HEV) vehicles may exhibit intermittent battery discharge condition due to the air conditioning controller not fully powering down after the vehicle is turned off and parked. Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) 26-01-051H & 26-01-052H provide the procedure to update the ATCU (Air Temperature Control Unit) software; the revised logic improves controller shutdown to prevent battery drain and corrects a condition where the HVAC control display may appear blank when climate remote start is activated via Bluelink. Over-the-Air (OTA): This update can also be conducted via OTA. Customers can complete on their own if they have an active subscription to Hyundai Bluelink. A visit to the dealership is not required. Deployment of the OTA to Bluelink customers is planned to start the week of 07/13/26.

Certain Sonata Hybrid (DN8 HEV) vehicles may exhibit intermittent battery discharge conditions due to the air conditioning controller not fully powering down after the vehicle is turned off and parked. This bulletin provides the procedure to update the Air Temperature Control Unit (ATCU) software; the revised logic improves controller shutdown to prevent battery drain and corrects a condition where the HVAC control display may appear blank when climate remote start is activated via Bluelink.

Some Sonata Hybrid (DN8 HEV) vehicles may display a Check Engine light and store one or more of the DTCs listed below due to an abnormal air-fuel ratio in a specific cylinder. This bulletin provides instructions to update the Engine Control Module (ECM) to resolve the air-fuel ratio logic.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN). These inflators were not supplied, approved, or authorized by the vehicle manufacturers and have primarily been found in vehicles that previously experienced a crash and underwent airbag replacement using non-genuine parts. These dangerous inflators have ruptured during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death due to metal fragments entering the vehicle cabin. To date, Hyundai is aware of three people who have died while driving a Hyundai vehicle with one of these substandard replacement airbag inflators that deployed in what likely would have been a survivable crash. NHTSA has issued a public advisory urging vehicle owners and service professionals to have vehicles inspected if there is reason to believe that a non-genuine replacement airbag may have been installed. Vehicles with salvage or rebuilt titles, prior airbag deployments, or unknown repair histories may present a higher risk. NHTSA strongly cautions against self-inspection by vehicle owners and recommends inspection by trained technicians.