2010 Hyundai Sonata Electrical Problems

Subject: Non-Collision Engine Compartment Fire - 2010 Hyundai Sonata (VIN: [XXX] ) ​"On dec 19 2025, my 2010 Hyundai Sonata suffered a sudden, non-collision fire that originated in the engine compartment. While there are currently no 'open' recalls on this VIN, I am formally reporting this incident as it matches the failure patterns documented in NHTSA Defect Petition DP18-003 regarding non-crash fires in Hyundai/Kia vehicles. ​Preliminary inspection of the damage shows characteristic signs of a manufacturer defect, specifically potentially related to a connecting rod bearing failure leading to an engine block puncture and oil ignition, or an electrical short in the ABS module—both of which have been subjects of major Hyundai fire investigations and class-action settlements (e.g., Engine II settlement) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11706241

Incident

Dec 19, 2025

The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that upon attempting to turn the ignition key in the ignition switch to start the vehicle, the ignition switch failed to turn, and the steering wheel locked. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the ignition switch was replaced; however, the vehicle failed to start. The mechanic determined that an unknown part needed to be replaced. The mechanic contacted the manufacturer for parts and was informed that the unknown part had been discontinued. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11591509

Incident

May 22, 2024

The plastic housing of the brake lights have turned black. I'm on my second set that I got at wrecking yard. The plastic doesn't hold up to the heat of the tail/brake light. I saw other cars like mine with same problem at the wrecking yard. And my ground wire to my radiator fan burned out as well during COVID. I think Hyundai used cheap plastic that can't hold up to the heat. My dash cracked really bad as well. All over. I saw the same cracked dashes of other car in wrecking yards. They know they had a plastic defect and they changed body styles the next year. My door handles brake off in my hands and the a/c vent broke twice. They have hazzard car because all of this happened early when I purchased the car. And my car has Hyundai and Kia parts old body style 2010 bought end of 2009. Theta 2 engine. All of the recalls but they leave my car out. And that stop brake switch light has broken so many times. Replaced free only 1 time by dealership. Other times I had to pay for. Cheap plastic. If I need repair by dealership , I have to leave car on their lot for 6weeks for them to look at. Not appointment. Leave my car on lot until it's my cars turn. And my car just quit running once while driving in my apartment complex. It also quit running driving down the highway.. everything shutting off and lights turned on dash. The battery light was on first, then the check engine , abs, and all lights coming on. I tried to turn on my hazards but everything was failing. I was lucky I wasn't hit by other highway traffic. My headlights went off or really dim. I was allowed to drive really slow to a roach hotel just there on interstate. I was told it was my alternator. But I think it was something else that caused failure. I did have my car professionally washed, that day. (Hardly do that). And the week before it was at Hyundai shop for retinting of windows which my battery was dead in their dusty lot when pickup. That brake light switch lamp stopper was broken and laying in floor l

NHTSA ID

11557588

Incident

Sep 28, 2023

the alternator failed and after being tested, had to be replaced.

NHTSA ID

11525889

Incident

Jun 5, 2023

I HAD TO REPLACE THE DRIVER & PASSENGER DOOR HANDLES. HAD TO GET SWITCH TO OPEN GAS TANK REPAIRED. WHEN FUELING CAR, PUMP CONTINUESLY STOPS WHEN TANK IS NOT FULL.

NHTSA ID

11202685

Incident

Jul 11, 2018

Mileage

89,000 mi

HAD TO GET 3 STARTERS AND 2 BATTERIES FOR THIS VEHICLE DO TO THE IGNITION BEING BAD. AND WE JUST FIGURED IT OUT. IT'S WOULD START AND GO. BUT OVER TIME IT WOULD GIVE OUT AND I'VE BEEN STRANDED A COUPLE OF TIME WITH THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11022204

Incident

Sep 2, 2017

WHEN YOU TURN THE KEY OVER EVERYTHING COMES ON AND EVERYTHING WORKS EXCEPT THE STARTER. I HAVE REPLACED 3 STARTERS AND THE CAR DOESN'T EVEN HAVE 103,000 MILES ON IT. I TURNED THE CAR OFF OUTSIDE OF THE STORE. I CAME BACK OUT TURNED THE KEY AND NOTHING. I WAS STRANDED AGAIN! I'M THINKING IT'S SOMETHING ELSE.

NHTSA ID

10925267

Incident

Oct 9, 2016

Mileage

103,000 mi

MY CAR WON'T START. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT TRIES TO START THEN ALL YOU HEAR IS THE STARTER SPINNING. I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED THAT THE STARTER LEVER ARM NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE PLASTIC PART IS KNOWN TO BE FAULTY, AND HYUNDAI REFUSES TO PERFORM A RECALL TO REPLACE THE PLASTIC PART WITH A METAL PART. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE-THE STARTER LEVER ARM COST ABOUT $8.15 TO REPLACE HOWEVER THE DEALERSHIP INSIST ON CHARGING $400 TO REPLACE THE BROKEN PLASTIC LEVER ARM. I AM A SECOND OWNER, AND HAVE 75K MILES ON MY VEHICLE; THEREFORE I DO NOT HAVE A WARRANTY ON THE PART.

NHTSA ID

10734618

Incident

Jul 14, 2015

Mileage

75,000 mi

THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) TURNS OFF RANDOMLY BY ITS SELF WHILE THE CAR ENGINE IS ON. PRESSING THE ESC BUTTON TO TURN ESC BACK ON DOES NOT WORK. TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND THEN TURNING IT BACK ON SOMETIMES TAKES CARE OF THE PROBLEM. WHEN THE ESC IS OFF, THE BREAKING SYSTEM IS SEVERELY AFFECTED WHERE EVEN WITH A RELATIVELY LIGHT PRESS ON THE BRAKES CAN RESULT IN THE LOCKING OF THE TIRES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10667204

Incident

Dec 7, 2012

Mileage

50,000 mi

WINDOWS STOPPED GOING UP AND DOWN..CAN;T GET MY WINDOWS UP AND DOWN AT ALL.THEY ARE PRESENTLY IN THE UP POSITION BUT WILL NOT MOVE ..ICAN HERE A CLICKING NOISE WHEN IPUSH THE BUTTON TO GO UP AND DOWN BUT THE WINDOW WILL NOT MOVE,NOT ANY WINDOW. SAFETY HAZARD. *JS

NHTSA ID

10592351

Incident

Jul 17, 2013

Mileage

5,800 mi

AS I WAS DRIVING TO MAKE A TURN THE CAR SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. IT HAS HAPPENED TWO OTHER TIMES SINE THIS FIRST INCIDENT. CAR SHUT DOWN AS I WAS GOING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CRANKING OF THE IGNITION IS ALSO A PROBLEM. I FIRST REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER IN 2011. IT CRANKS AS IF IT IS ABOUT TO DIE THEN IT HAS EVENTUALLY CAUGHT AND TURNED ON. THIS IS AN ONGOING ISSUE. SINCE IT DOESN'T SHOW A CODE OR ACT UP WHEN I AM IN FOR SERVICE THEY DO NOTHING FOR ME. *TR

NHTSA ID

10578017

Incident

Apr 1, 2013

Mileage

27,000 mi

I WAS SENT A SAFETY RECALL LETTER FROM HYUNDAI STATING THAT THE STOP LAMP SWITCH INTERMITTENTLY MALFUNCTIONS. THIS HAPPENS TO ME CONTINUOUSLY. I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP WHEN I WAS VACATIONING IN CHICAGO, AS I THOUGHT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR, AND THAT I MIGHT BE IN A DANGEROUS ROAD SITUATION. THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND COULD FIND NOTHING, BUT I STILL HAD TO PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS. I HAVE ASKED HYUNDAI TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS SINCE IT TURNS OUT TO BE A MALFUNCTION, THAT CAUSED ME TO SPEND MONEY TO TRY TO DIAGNOSE. THEY REFUSE TO REIMBURSE ME, EVEN THOUGH THEY ADMIT IT IS A MALFUNCTION ON THEIR PART...BUT I WASN'T NOTIFIED OF THIS UNTIL 4 MONTHS AFTER BEING CHARGED TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. *TR

NHTSA ID

10555444

Incident

Jul 8, 2013

Mileage

60,000 mi

MY 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN ON ME 2-TIMES IN LESS THAN 5-MINUTES TIMES WHILE I WAS DRIVING TODAY. I WAS ON MY WAY TO ENTER THE EXPRESSWAY. THE POWER STEERING AND EVERYTHING JUST SHUT DOWN. MY CAR JUST MADE A SUDDEN STOP. THANK GOD I HAD NOT ENTERED THE EXPRESSWAY AND TOOK THE SIDE STREETS HOME. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A REAL SAFETY HAZARD TO MYSELF, THE PASSENGERS RIDING WITH ME AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS, PASSENGERS AND FAMILIES ON THE ROAD. MY VEHICLE HAS 53,215 MILES, THERE IS NO WAY THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING. IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO MY VEHICLE, I KNOW IT'S OCCURRING IN OTHER SONATA'S AND OTHER HYUNDAI VEHICLES BASE ON WHAT I SEE IN ONLINE ENTRIES ON THE 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA AND HYUNDAI VEHICLES. MANUFACTURES MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DEFECTED PRODUCTS PLACE ON THE MARKET. I KNOW THAT I'M A SMALL VOICE AGAINST A LARGE CORPORATION, BUT IF YOU TAKE THE TIME TO INVESTIGATE I KNOW THAT MY CLAIM WILL BE VALIDATED. I HOPE AND PRAY THAT SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE WE ARE DEALING WITH INJURIES OR FATALITIES. I AM A FRUSTRATED AND UNHAPPY HYUNDAI SONATA OWNER, LOOKING FOR HYUNDAI TO PUT SAFETY FIRST! *TR

NHTSA ID

10552644

Incident

Nov 17, 2013

Mileage

53,215 mi

CAME OUT TO WORK PARKING LOT. CAR WOULD NOT START. BATTERY WAS FAILING, NOT DEAD. REPLACED BATTERY [WITH DURALAST BATTERY (AUTOZONE - 09/19/2013) - $115]; DID NOT RESOLVE ISSUE. STARTER WAS TESTED AND HAD FAILED. REPLACED THE STARTER [WITH DURALAST STARTER (AUTOZONE - 09/20/2013) - $267.11]; RESOLVED THE ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10544685

Incident

Sep 19, 2013

Mileage

55,122 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE STARTER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE STARTER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,500.

NHTSA ID

10511422

Incident

Apr 22, 2013

Mileage

68,000 mi

2010 HYUNDAI SONATA. 9 MONTHS OLD, HAS BEEN IN THE SERVICE CENTER 5 DIFFERENT TIMES. 2 TIMES FOR SENSOR REPLACEMENT. THE LAST 3 TIMES, DRIVING AT A NORMAL ACCELERATE PACE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, ESC LIGHT COMES ON AND VEHICLE LOSES POWER. ON ONE OF THOSE OCCASIONS, VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE GOING THROUGH INTERSECTION, AND ALMOST WAS REAR ENDED. SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS REPLACED MANY PARTS FROM THROTTLE POSITION ASSEMBLY TO THERMOSTAT TO ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS. IN MY OPINION, VEHICLE IS A LEMON. *TR

NHTSA ID

10366434

Incident

Oct 25, 2010

Mileage

22,000 mi