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Hyundai · NHTSA safety record

2023 Hyundai Sonata

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 87 safety complaints about the 2023 Hyundai Sonata with the US government. Of those, 5 describe a crash and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the gasoline fuel system and the power train.

The most complained-about system is the fuel and propulsion system, named in 37 complaints, 43% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 18,500 miles, the median across the 11 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers December 2022 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

87 complaints on file

87

Complaints

5

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

0

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 37 · 43%
ENGINE 28 · 32%
POWER TRAIN 16 · 18%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12 · 14%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 9 · 10%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 7 · 8%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 6 · 7%
SERVICE BRAKES 4 · 5%
STRUCTURE 4 · 5%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 · 5%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 3 · 3%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 2 · 2%
0 15 31

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 87.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2024 at 24.

28 21 14 7
22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2023 Hyundai SONATA, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test 4 DR FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 9.7%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

25V796000 · November 18, 2025

The defect
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Sonata vehicles. A damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, melting the tank.
The risk
A melted fuel tank can leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the check valve. The fuel tank assembly will be inspected for damage and replaced if necessary. Additionally, dealers will inspect and update the engine control unit software. All repairs will be performed as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning March 13, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 286. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 19, 2025.

Hyundai Motor America · up to 85,043 vehicles across all model years covered

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:PUMP

23V526000 · July 27, 2023

Park outside until repaired

The defect
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Palisade Tucson, 2023 Sonata, Elantra, and Kona vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump controller to overheat.
The risk
An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
The remedy
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed starting September 7, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 246.

Hyundai Motor America · up to 52,109 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

crash · towed

My concern is a potential unintended acceleration forward as. I was. parking vechicle. Sudden burst of speed, went thru shrubbery and off a 2 foot wall. Felt as if we were taking off a runway in a plane. Car went nose up over the wall and then dropped into a neighbor yard digging a divot, ripping rear left fender and bumper with some undercarriage problems. My spouse and I were seatbelted and not injured. I can not recall any safety warning until car stopped and then do recall a message being on dash but cannot presently recall what it said. Vehicle currently being worked on at collision center where Insurence Appraisor gave go ahead with estimate to repair damages

NHTSA complaint 11542119. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

crash

Instrument cluster lighting is too bright even on lowest setting. Combined with poor side visibility from headlamps it is easy to hit object or pedestrians when turning on unlit areas. Have run over a curb three times and damaged two wheels because they can't be seen from the overly bright instrument lighting at night.

NHTSA complaint 11569686. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

crash

Car was parked, full stop, doors shut, seatbelt on. Foot on brake. Car then seemed to lurch forward by itself forward hitting parking cement block. Put in reverse to back away and car stayed still...then I tapped the gas again to back up and insted vehicle plowed forward.instead.of reverse ...went over the parking block and hit concrete beam in front, when the car should have backed up in reverse. I'm a person who drives speeed limits, and ulta careful when i drive, and parked at this place/spot for years. This has never happened not sure why it did. No injuries or other people involved thank god, but scared the heck out of me. Wracking my brain, my recalls and software and service appts

NHTSA complaint 11718993, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

crash

Recall 286 my vehicle suffered from this causing heat module failure misfire in cylinder 2 and high pressure in gas tank. Sports Hyundai had previously done a 180 day repair under recall 9b1 for an expanded gas tank after the repair the car suffered from the updated recall 286 . I brang to the dealership 4 times with check engine and misfires and limp mode between 57k and 68k they refused to fix the car under recall 286 and cleared all the codes and continued to make me leave in a unsafe car. On February 14th it sport Hyundais negligence was the direct cause of an auto accident were the car was unable to move out the way because of lack of power /limp mode. I begged them in the final days

NHTSA complaint 11722063, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
While driving at highway speeds, the emergency brake system will apply and alert me. It’s happened twice now in the last 3 weeks. I’ve experienced a random loss of power while driving on the highway with no check engine light on the dashboard. Lastly, at lower speeds the car will randomly jerk while accelerating with no lights on the dashboard as well. I’ve gone to the dealership but they wanted to charge me a diagnostics fee to first look over the vehicle, which I don’t feel I should be on the hook for since the issue isn’t user caused.

NHTSA complaint 11766459. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
When left turn signal is selected blinker nor camera comes on and at times it does work. Constantly in and out never steady. This never happened with the right turn signal only the left

NHTSA complaint 11764561. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I own a 2023 Hyundai Sonata SEL. Over approximately three years, the vehicle experienced four separate incidents involving sudden loss of engine power and recurring fuel injector/powertrain problems. Three of these incidents occurred while the vehicle was being driven on interstate highways, creating serious safety concerns. The first incident occurred on XXX, on [XXX] [XXX]. My daughter was driving the vehicle at the time when it suddenly lost power while traveling on the interstate. She had to maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder under unsafe traffic conditions. The second incident occurred on XXX, on [XXX] near [XXX]. I was driving the vehicle when it again experienced sudden loss of

NHTSA complaint 11755422, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

86,500 miles

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15-40 MPH, the vehicle was sputtering and shaking abnormally. The failure was a recurring failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V796000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); but the VIN was not under recall. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,500.

NHTSA complaint 11753540. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

50 miles

The contact owns a 2023 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted into neutral(N) and failed to shift into park or drive on three occasions. The vehicle was restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle was shifted into drive, and the contact continued driving. The message that the vehicle could not be shifted into other gears was displayed. The vehicle was originally purchased in another state. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that the battery and fuel injector pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not

NHTSA complaint 11744098, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
This is an extremely common issue plaguing Hyundai & Kia vehicles with the Theta III 2.5L Turbo engine, Such as Kia K5 GT, Hyundai Sante Fe, Hyundai Santa Cruz, & Hyundai Sonata N-Line. Its a failing ITM (integrated thermal management) unit or otherwise known as an ITMS unit. There is a rod within the ITM that prevents proper control of the flow of cooling the oil and engine coolant of the engine. Results in Cooling issues, such as a cold lower radiator hose while the engine is hot, or 'limp mode' during acceleration, that causes a sudden loss of power while trying to merge on the expressway. There has been other Kia models and years that have had TSB's related to fixing this issue, but

NHTSA complaint 11737860, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Hyundai Sonata

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2024 46 1 —
2022 93 3 —
2021 134 3 —
2020 178 4 —
2019 161 0 —
2018 373 1 1
2017 764 3 1
2016 725 6 1
2015 1,144 9 2
2014 746 7 —
2013 1,911 9 1
2012 1,557 8 1
2011 3,376 14 3
2010 345 2 2

Other 2023 Hyundai models

Every Hyundai on this site — 205 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst