2012 Hyundai Sonata: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
54%
693 of 1,274 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
54% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2012 Hyundai Sonata are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 71% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 282 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 45%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
ENGINE08/09/2019FIRE5 INJURED
VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT WARNING OR ANY COLLISION CAUGHT ON FIRE.
POWER TRAIN04/22/2024CRASH2 INJURED
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact stated that after parking in the driveway and turning the vehicle off, the husband exited the vehicle and walked around to the passenger side. After opening the front passenger-side door, the vehicle erroneously rolled backward down the driveway and crashed int…
ENGINE05/16/2022FIRE2 INJURED
The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the engine started smoking. The vehicle was overheated and the vehicle flap and cooling warning light message displayed. The contact was able to pull over safely and exit the family out. There were 4 passengers, the wife, a…
Three of 693 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (8)
ENGINE
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2013-2014 Santa Fe Sport vehicles previously repaired under recall numbers 15V-568 and 17V-226. …
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles previously repaired under recall campaign 17V-152. The seat be…
SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Sonata and 2011-2012 Sonata Hybrid vehicles.
On February 27, 2018, Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) notif…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2012 Hyundai Sonata
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
8 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
