RoadVitals

2018 Hyundai Sonata Seat belts Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Seat belts reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Jan 21, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
2%
of 366 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
2

What this page shows

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2018 Hyundai Sonata submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming seat belt

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Seat belts
Filed Jan 21, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, the contact became aware that the driver’s side seat belt failed to latch securely into the buckle. The seat belt warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the seat belt buckle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 45,000.

NHTSA ID
11637409
Incident
Jan 21, 2025
Mileage
45,000 mi
EngineSeat belts
Filed Nov 12, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer performed a compression check. The failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was advised to drive the vehicle until it blew up. In addition, the contact stated that all four seat belts had failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the front driver's side and passenger's side seat belts failed to retract as intended. The contact stated that the seat belts failed to secure the passengers in place. Additionally, the contact stated that the rear seat belts completely failed to retract as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for a combustion check and an oil consumption test to be performed out-of-pocket expense. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ID
11624830
Incident
Nov 12, 2021
Mileage
100,000 mi
Seat beltsVisibility
Filed Oct 17, 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that all the rear row seat belts did not buckle as intended and water would leak from the front passenger side air conditioner. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

NHTSA ID
11620317
Incident
Mar 15, 2023
Mileage
125,000 mi
EngineSeat belts
Filed May 15, 2024
Crash reported1 injury reported

I was the owner of a 2018 Sonata until I was t-boned and the car was totaled. I started to make a left turn into a school parking lot when the engine kind of stalled or more like stuttered and did not go forward as usual. The oncoming car then struck me before I was completely in the driveway. My vehicle was totaled as was the other one. Fortunately no one was on the passenger's side where the other car hit me. However the seat belt did not engage which resulted in me slamming very hard into the steering column. This resulted in bruised on my right side which cleared up in several weeks, but, unfortunately, I received a heart contusion on my left side which is still causing shortness of breath. Hyundai will not acknowledge a problem with the engine or the seat belt.

NHTSA ID
11588897
Incident
Sep 15, 2023
Seat belts
Filed Aug 22, 2022

The passenger side seat belt locks up. It can lock up immediately when putting it on or it can lock up if I just lean a little bit forward. It will get tighter and tighter to the point where it is very uncomfortable. I have to unhook the seatbelt and re hook. Sometimes this takes many attempts. This is scary when you are going down the highway at 65mph. The dealership has replaced it twice. They were able to see the problem because my husband drove straight to the dealership once when it locked up on me. The last time they replaced it, no one was in the passenger side until we were leaving for vacation. We didn't even get out of the garage when it locked up again. The dealership was reluctant to replace it. They said all seat belts lock up! Because of Covid my husband and I haven't driven much. Once we started going out again we became aware of the problem.

NHTSA ID
11480468
Incident
Jul 22, 2022
Seat belts
Filed Mar 27, 2021
Crash reported1 injury reported

2018 HYUNDAI SONATA WAS IN MOTION, WITH A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES PER HOUR, WHEN A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF THE HYUNDAI SONATA STOPPED SUDDENLY AND THE 2018 HYUNDAI SONATA REAR ENDED THE OTHER VEHICLE. THE 2018 HYUNDAI SONATA'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DAYS PRIOR TO THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT, THE THE OWNER DISCOVERED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT WOULD NOT RETRACT TO CREATE TENSION AFTER INITIAL APPLICATION TO SECURE SEATBELT HOWEVER, TENSION OF THE SEATBELT WAS IDENTIFIED WITH APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES, WHILE LEANING FORWARD, AND WHILE 2018 HYUNDAI SONATA WAS IN MOTION. CONCERN IS THE FACT THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY APPROPRIATELY DURING A FRONT END COLLISION WHILE IN MOTION AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES PER HOUR; POSSIBLY RELATED TO NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EA19001, APRIL 19, 2019, REGARDING THE 'AIR BAG ACU ELECTRICAL OVERSTRESS' THAT IS CURRENTLY OPEN AND UNDER INVESTIGATION. SEE PICTURES ATTACHED.

NHTSA ID
11405161
Incident
Mar 25, 2021
Mileage
47,092 mi
EngineSeat beltsVisibility
Filed Apr 24, 2019

WHILE DRIVING 30MPH APPROACHING A RED LIGHT, MY 2018 SONATA CUT OFF ONCE I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT THE RED LIGHT. I WAS IN CITY LIMITS APPROACHING A HWY INTERSECTION. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR RESTARTED AFTER ONE ATTEMPT. ONCE THE VEHICLE RE STARTED IT WAS SLUGGISH,SPUTTERING AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 20MPH... I MADE IT HOME SAFELY NONETHELESS. I LEFT THE CAR PARKED FOR APPROX 10 MINS AND IT RESTARTED EASILY. I THEN DROVE IT DIRECTLY TO THE LOCAL DEALER WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. I WAS TOLD THE CAR STOPPED BECAUSE THE ENGINE SYSTEM REQUIRED AN UPDATE. THE UPDATE WAS COMPLETED AND I DROVE THE CAR HOME. THE NEXT DAY OR MAYBE TWO DAYS LATER I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE DEALERSHIP SAYING MY CAR REQUIRED A FREE RECALL AND TO SCHEDULE A DATE TO HAVE THE CAR SERVICED. OVER THE PHONE I WAS TOLD SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF THE ENGINE HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN THE CAR'S ENGINE CUT OFF IN TRAFFIC I WAS EN ROUTE TO PICKING UP MY TODDLER. I NO LONGER FELT SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND I TRADED THE CAR IN AND CUT MY LOSSES, WHICH WERE SUBSTANTIAL. OTHER PROBLEMS I NOTICED IN THE TIME I HAD THE VEHICLE WERE THAT THE BACK PASSENGER SEAT BELT LOCKED OR ANCHORED IF I LEANED FORWARD SLIGHTLY AND LOW VISIBILITY AT NIGHT THROUGH THE FRONT WINSHIELD.

NHTSA ID
11203298
Incident
Apr 19, 2019
Mileage
16,590 mi
Seat belts
Filed Apr 11, 2018

ORIGINALLY, THE SEAT BELT WOULD LOCK UP AND NOT RELEASE AS WE WERE DRIVING. NO SUDDEN STOPS, IT WOULD JUST TIGHTEN UP AND LOCK. SERVICE DEPT FINALLY REPLACED THE ENTIRE UNIT (SO THEY CLAIM). NOW WHEN PASSENGER PULLS BELT TO ATTACH WE HEAR A CLICKING SOUND AND BELT LOCKS AND WILL NOT RELEASE AND ALLOW PASSENGER TO LEAN FORWARD LIKE THE DRIVERS BELT DOES

NHTSA ID
11084528
Incident
Jan 15, 2018
Mileage
100 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .