2010 Hyundai Sonata

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 345 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the structure › body. It has been recalled 2 times.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k
65,000 milesMedian miles at failure

279 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 60,00075,000 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Structure › Body132
110
Engine25
020
Unknown or Other24
101
Structure › Body › Door24
001
Service Brakes24
201
Air Bags17
8011
Steering14
000
Electrical System13
000
Power Train12
100
Electronic Stability Control (esc)11
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Suspension › Rear13V354000
Filed Aug 12, 2013364,502 vehiclesHyundai Motor Company

Defect. Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 1, 2005, through January 21, 2010; and model year 2006-2011 Azera vehicles manufactured September 27, 2005, through November 22, 2010 originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Road salt and water can enter portions of the rear crossmember, leading to corrosion of the crossmember steel. This may lead to detachment of one of the rear control arms.

Risk. Control arm separation may suddenly change the rear wheel alignment, affecting the handling of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair or replace the crossmember assembly. The recall began on October 8, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Care Center at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall number is 113.

Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights › Switch13V113000
Filed Apr 1, 20131,712,336 vehiclesHyundai Motor Company

Defect. Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

Risk. Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.

What owners reported

Newest filings
EngineFire
Filed Dec 20, 2025MS

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)

Structure › Body
Filed Nov 17, 2025MD

External Handles made of plastic continue to break and do not allow access to open car doors

Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 12, 2025IL

I have had 3 door handles fall off in the last couple months I think this is safety concern i do not see any recalls.I do see that there is a lot of people complaining about this matter door handles should not be fallen off

Steering
Filed Sep 11, 2025CO

Car has had check engine light on for 3 + years. Have taken it to several mechanics including a Hyundai dealership and none of them can figure out what is wrong. Have replaced water pump, belts x2 in a year (same belt) and thermostat x 3 again (all within 2 years). Dash fuel gage and Dash heating/cooling gage are completely erratic. Cruise control does not work. Due to chronic check engine light and mechanics unable to pin point the problem, car has become hazardous to drive. With that in mind, today (9/10/2025) while exiting the high way, car stalled and behaved like it was in neutral. Steering wheel also locked up at this time. Luckily was able to stop. Had to restart car and then it occurred again while driving on a side street at 35mph. The codes that are still popping up are ones that I have spent thousands trying to fix and find the root cause of the problem. What could the issue be if no mechanic can seem to diagnose and fix the issue?

Engine
Filed Jul 27, 2025CA

While driving 60–70 mph on [XXX] just north of Sylmar, I suddenly heard a loud, deep “pop” from the lower part of the car. Within seconds, the engine began steaming heavily and leaking oil everywhere. I immediately turned on my hazard lights and began maneuvering toward the right shoulder, crossing multiple lanes with semis and fast-moving traffic approaching behind me. I felt unsafe and feared the car could catch fire or explode, especially with smoke and oil present. After safely exiting the vehicle, a mechanic later told me the rod bearing blew and punched a hole through the bottom of the engine block, calling it a total engine failure. He said it would require a full replacement and matched known issues with this model. There was no warning before the failure. I’m having it inspected at Hyundai of Downtown Los Angeles on July 28. I believe this event posed a serious safety hazard to me and others on the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Electrical System
Filed May 30, 2024GA

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.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed May 29, 2024MD

Fuel pump failure, causing car to stop immediately on highway.

Steering
Filed Mar 13, 202470,000 milesIL

The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was constantly pulling to the right. The contact had to steer to the left to keep the vehicle centered. The failure persisted even after wheel adjustments had been made. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that an alignment was needed. The wheels were aligned. The manufacturer had been made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.

Electrical System
Filed Nov 30, 2023TX

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

Engine
Filed Aug 24, 2023NY

I purchased a 2010 Hyundai Sonata in February 2022 from the original owner. In July of this year, my engine failed due to the oil consumption defect found in many of Hyundai's engines produced at the Alabama factory. My oil and check engine light came on before it was time for my following oil change, despite making on-time synthetic oil changes during ownership. The vehicle hesitated and jerked on my commute to work, potentially causing harm to myself and other motorists. I went to take my vehicle to the mechanic on my lunch break. The car failed to turn over and has been inoperable ever since. I need my engine replaced at no charge. It's unconscionable that corporate would turn me away because the engine has 146k miles, which is nowhere near the industry standard 200k. Hyundai has inspected the vehicle and confirmed that an engine replacement is needed.

Electrical System
Filed Jun 7, 2023MN

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

Suspension
Filed May 30, 2023CA

I have several recalls on my vehicle and the dealership only scrub and they did not replace the crossmember and other parts. I need help to see if this is OK

Service Brakes
Filed May 19, 2023NY

I am contacting the NHTSA regarding a manufacturer's failure to comply with a NHTSA recall campaign. The campaign in question is #13V113000 for a 2010 Hyundai Sonata. The certified Hyundai service center claimed, verbally and on the customer invoice, to have replaced the stop lamp switch with a new OEM part, number 93810-4DR0A-QQH, per the recall's order. After supposedly replacing the defective part, the vehicle is still able to be shifted out of Park without first depressing the brake pedal. This happens with the key in the 'ON' position, 'Accessory' position, and even without the key in the ignition at all. No depression of the brake pedal is currently required to shift the vehicle, in any form, violating the recall's correction order. After contacting Hyundai Motor Company, they informed me via phone and email that because the car is "so old" and "out of warranty", I would remain financially liable for diagnosing and repair of any problems related to NHTSA Campaign #13V113000. Based on the fact my vehicle's current and ongoing issue is EXPLICITLY clarified in the details of Campaign #13V113000, I believe it remains Hyundai's responsibility to ensure the vehicle is safe to operate. Furthermore, Hyundai has seemingly, knowingly and willfully threatened my safety, safety of passengers, and that of the general public by refusing to thoroughly comply with a NHTSA Campaign. This subsequently places the person(s) listed above at risk of injury or even death due to Hyundai Motor

Engine
Filed Sep 3, 2022FL

Recently at the Hyundai Dealership in Plantation,Florida I had them repair 2 RECALLS which were the LAMPLIGHT SWITCH & CROSSMEMBER. These RECALLS were not done correctly and caused my ESC Light to come on and my car shakes while driving. I never had these items before until they worked on my RECALLS. Now the Hyundai Dealer service is refusing to fix the damage they caused. I need help right away. The RECALL repair appointment was on June 12, 2022 and had them check the RECALLS again on August 29, 2022. My car is still at the Hyundai Service in Plantation, Florida.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Jul 20, 2022VA

Junction box failure. No functioning marker lights.

Suspension
Filed May 8, 2022NY

Front subframe corrosion, cross member is rusted through at the weld line for the front sub frame. Discovered during annual safety inspection

Power Train
Filed Feb 26, 2022NY

Rough jerking downshift transmission when stopping or slow down.

Unknown or Other
Filed Oct 16, 2021OH

My car check engine light is on for a while.it’s yellow solid light seen on my car dashboard.I went repair center and he advice and changed my car vent valve and light goes out for some days and again appear. I change my car gas cap too but it didn’t work. I spent a lot of money to fix that.

Unknown or OtherCrash1 injured1 killed
Filed Jun 23, 2021NY

We were hit on the right front passenger side by a driver on a Suzuki motorcycle. The driver was ejected from the motorcycle, went thru the right passenger window, traveled across the passenger compartment. He came to rest head down on my lap. Accident was fatal for the motorcyclist who died at the site. My adult autistic son was seated in the rear seat behind the passenger seat. The side front passenger window was completely shattered and the rear right passenger window was shattered also. My son hit his head on the interior right side of the vehicle and had a TBI and serious cuts requiring surgery and ICU stay. No airbags in the car deployed including side airbags and no curtainwalls deployed on the right side or anywhere in the vehicle. Car was supposedly equipped with such. Police inspected vehicle, insurance people inspected vehicle; vehicle is available for inspection at salvage lot. Pictures have been taken by insurance company. Right side of vehicle was severely smashed. I had no previous warning of problems with safety features.

Engine
Filed Mar 2, 2021116,000 milesCO

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE ENGINE THREW A ROD AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE ENGINE THREW A ROD WHICH LED TO COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TOWED THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO HYUNDAI OF GREELEY (4533 W 29TH ST, GREELEY, CO 80634) AND HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN THE POSSESSION OF THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE ENGINE BLEW AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000. *DT *JB *DT

20 of 345 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2011
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20263100Routine
202516000Routine
202446100Routine
202386200Routine
202292300Routine
2021131400Routine
2020178410Routine
2019161060Routine
20183721131Fatalities reported
20177633111Fatalities reported
20167256281Fatalities reported
20151,1449482Do not drive
20147457400High concern
20131,9099971Fatalities reported
20121,5568951Fatalities reported
20113,376141123Fatalities reported
2010 — this page345232Fatalities reported
20094602110Above average
20084255110Above average
2007696760Above average
20061,0471191Fatalities reported
2005165120Routine
2004202120Above average
2003199620Routine
2002319740Above average
2001205300Above average
2000276490Above average
1999124430Routine
199849100Routine
199749211Fatalities reported
199623101Fatalities reported
199566210Routine
19943100Routine
199326100Routine
199222100Routine
199129160Routine
199016300Routine

Compare every Sonata year →

Reading this record

2 deaths reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Aug 12, 2013. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.