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2019 Hyundai Sonata: engine and transmission complaints

VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
75%
98 of 131 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

75% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2019 Hyundai Sonata are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.

Worse than 95% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 29 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 61%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
98
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
160
this model year
Fires reported
6
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
0
8 crashes · 6 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE85 · 53%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER23 · 14%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING18 · 11%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM12 · 8%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM12 · 8%
AIR BAGS9 · 6%

The years either side

2010
18%
57 of 345
2011
43%
1,197 of 3,376
2012
54%
693 of 1,556
2013
55%
894 of 1,908
2014
63%
374 of 745
2015
69%
738 of 1,143
2016
73%
479 of 720
2017
59%
425 of 762
2018
69%
237 of 371
2019
75%
98 of 160
2020
49%
91 of 194
2021
51%
63 of 130
2022
57%
52 of 91
2023
73%
72 of 100

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other midsize sedans with no elevated signal in 2019

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

ENGINE07/20/20201 INJURED
EXHAUST TIP UNDER RIGHT REAR BUMPER EXTENDS PAST END OF BUMPER. A FEW WEEKS AGO SOMEONE BURNED THEIR LEG WHILE ACCESSING THE TRUNK. YESTERDAY, A SEPARATE PERSON WAS ALSO BURNED FROM SAME EXHAUST TIP FROM STANDING CLOSE TO BUMPER TO ACCESS THE TRUNK. WE HAD 2016 SONATA FOR 4 YEARS AND NEVER EXPERIENCED BURNS FROM SIMILA…
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM09/05/2026
The low-pressure fuel pump module assembly, located directly beneath the rear passenger seat cushion, experienced a plastic housing failure. A stress fracture on the upper plastic fuel outlet nipple caused raw liquid gasoline to actively weep and pool on top of the module inside the passenger cabin. This component is r…
ENGINE08/18/2026
The oil is low, went to get looked at by another mechanic besides Dealer cause they want to hit you over the head with prices. Was told car burning oil. Took to dealer for Oil Consumption Test. Had to pay for oil change. Came back a little before 1,000 miles and car failed. They charging me 900.00 for next step becaus…

Three of 98 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Before you buy a 2019 Hyundai Sonata

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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.