RoadVitals

2024 Hyundai Sonata

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
43
+1 complaint in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Aug 7, 2024
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 43 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2024 Hyundai Sonata, most frequently naming the electrical, driver assistance and powertrain (other) categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 32 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical1729.3%
  • Powertrain (other)610.3%
  • Exterior lighting610.3%
  • Body & structure46.9%
  • Engine35.2%
  • Brakes23.4%
  • Steering23.4%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

Aug 7, 2024
38,331 units potentially affected
The defect: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Hyundai Sonata vehicles. The software for the brake lights may cause the brake lights to flash and not illuminate properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk: Flashing brake lights may cause confusion for other drivers on the road, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will update the rear brake light software, free of charge. Additionally, Hyundai will release the software update over-the-air (OTA). Owner notification letters were mailed September 12, 2024. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 267.
Hyundai Motor AmericaManufacturer number 267View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Exterior lighting
Filed Jul 31, 2026

I was traveling along [XXX]. This is a dangerous road it has hills and curves. I was driving my 2024 Hyundai Sonata, where all of a sudden headlights went off and the infotainment center went off I couldn’t see anything on the road. Luckily I was right by a gas station (Circle K). This isn’t the first time this has happened with this car. Three different times, I was on the express way and almost crashed because the exterior lights and headlights shut off while driving.I couldn’t see a thing and I drifted off the road. I thought I was dead I literally saw my life flash before my eyes. I’m honestly scared to drive this car at night. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11753913
Incident
Jul 30, 2026
Electrical
Filed Jul 11, 2026

May 23rd, 2026, vehicle dash and navigation screens went black while driving on freeway. May 26th, 2026, vehicle battery completely drained. Purchased new battery and the same thing happened. Took the vehcile 3x to Hyundai dealership, switched out battery for a brand new OEM one. June 10th, vehicle died again, battery was completely drained. Dealership said its not the alternator but only jumped the vehcile since they couldn't figure out the issue. July 11th, 2026, vehcile died for 4th time and had to jumped again. Tested battery by tow truck driver, battery was DRAINED but alternator fine.

NHTSA ID
11749769
Incident
May 23, 2026
Electrical
Filed Jun 30, 2026
1 injury reported

Intermittent issue. On startup, the hvac system cycles through the modes and gets stuck blowing on mixed mode (face and feet) regardless of what mode is selected. The problem is temporarily fixed by manually tapping the mode button until the desired mode is selected.

NHTSA ID
11747323
Incident
Mar 20, 2026
ElectricalVisibility
Filed Jun 1, 2026

Bluelink remote start with climate control is defective. When initiated, the vehicle starts but the climate control system comes on in the OFF state and does not apply the saved preset, including front and rear defroster settings. This defeats the intended pre-conditioning function in winter conditions, where a remote-activated defroster is a meaningful visibility/safety feature. The defect has persisted since early December 2025 and is documented widely on Hyundai's owner forums and on Reddit across multiple model lines. A recent Hyundai-issued app update removed the standalone remote stop button that owners had been using as a workaround, making the defect materially worse. Hyundai Consumer Affairs Case #[XXX] has been opened. As of this filing, no resolution or response timeline has been provided by Hyundai. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11741415
Incident
Dec 1, 2025
BrakesDriver assistanceElectrical
Filed May 26, 2026

We were backing up and leaving a parking space when the emergency braking system overrode our driving and forced a stop. This has happened many times, once while turning at a red light (which we had the right-of-way) and our car stopped on the middle of the intersection. Another time was during a turn in a non-traffic light turn lane where timing is important. Our car was again completely stopped in the middle of the road in oncoming traffic.

NHTSA ID
11739988
Incident
May 10, 2026
Electrical
Filed May 8, 2026

Driver side window switch that controls all the windows intermittently fails to operate at times which causes the window to not open or not close back again randomly. When wanting to close any window from the drivers seat the switches don’t work causing a safety hazard in a situation where the windows would require to be rolled up or opened immediately. Issue not brought up with Hyundai or any dealer because warranty doesn’t apply to 2nd owner. No warning lamps or errors. First incident happened August 2025 and has kept on happening intermittently.

NHTSA ID
11736629
Incident
Aug 21, 2025
Filed Apr 29, 2026

The horn on my vehicle completely stop working. There were no alert messages and I found out that it wasn't working when I needed to use it. I was driving 55 miles per hr in a highway and another vehicle was about to switch lane to merge into my lane and driver did not see me and almost got into an accident. When I try to use the horn to alert tge other vehicle, horn did not work. It still doesn't work. Took my vehicle to Millenium Hyunday Dealership in Hempstead, NY and was told by service advisor that horn is only covered up to 60,000 Mike's because is an electronic feature. I disagree with that assessment and believe this is a safety feature that needs to be reevaluated.

NHTSA ID
11734589
Incident
Apr 19, 2026
Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 4, 2026

While driving on the highway on 4/4/26 at 10:40 pm the dashboard and the headlights went out. The outage lasted about 5 seconds and then they came back on. I drove another 40 minutes and did not have another problem. My safety was put at risk because I could not see the road and others could not see me! There were no warnings prior to the problem. This is the second time in a year that this incident has happened. The first time was in September 2025.

NHTSA ID
11729236
Incident
Apr 4, 2026

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

LA29-LA30 DCS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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.

7/13/2026 TSB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Certain Sonata (DN8) 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. This bulletin provides 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.

26-AT-005H TSB

POWER TRAIN

This bulletin provides information related to a Transmission Control Unit (TCU) software update for some vehicles equipped with an 8-speed wet dual clutch transmission (8WDCT). The software update revises the touch point learning variation, improving drivability and judder symptoms. Some 8WDCTs (indicated by a new part number) received an updated clutch spring. The correct TCU software update must be matched with the correct corresponding 8WDCT hardware, otherwise, drivability concerns may occur. This service procedure should be performed prior to any 8WDCT replacements done for drivability/judder concerns.

26-GI-002H TSB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This bulletin provides information related to the navigation and head unit software changes introduced in the 2026 1st Navigation Map and Software Update. The changes may vary depending on vehicle type, model, and navigation system. Refer to the 2026 1st Navigation Map and Software Update Key Improvements and Additional Improvements tables in this TSB for a list of specific changes. The software can be downloaded via Navigation Updater (NAU) and updated by USB.

DTN DL

AIR BAGS

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.

DTN DCS

AIR BAGS

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an urgent safety advisory regarding dangerous, counterfeit driver‑side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co., Ltd. (DTN), that have been identified in U.S. vehicles following prior crashes, theft, or non‑certified airbag replacements. These inflators are not approved for use, may rupture during deployment, and have caused serious injuries and fatalities. Please see attached announcement, provided by NHTSA, for more details.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Hyundai Sonata by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026210
2025150036.9
2024Viewing431047.2
2023852054.5
2022913058.3
20211274164.0
20201704160.0
20191560256.7
20183661257.9
20177613364.3
20167206468.1
20151,1379469.1
20147427768.1
20131,9029969.4
20121,5568766.6
20113,37214863.6
20103452356.5
20094602357.4
20084255459.3
20076967559.0
20061,04711559.2
20051651045.6
20042021152.1
20031996364.9
20023197465.7
20012053259.9
20002764259.4
19991244361.4
1998491040.2
1997492050.1
1996231036.9
1995662054.0
1994310
1993261036.4
1992221147.5
1991291257.2
1990163247.4
1989113263.4
1988001
1987101
1986001

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.