general problems of the 2012 Hyundai Sonata - part 1

The starter has been replaced 3 times in the last 2 years. I know this is a Hyundai problem because talking to other Hyundai owners have the same issue.

The driver side seat belt wont click and stay in almost half the time I drive my car… after reading other complaints its looking like this is a common thing. Within the past year ive noticed lots of times that when im going to lock my car with my fob, it wont lock and its because the passenger side lock button on the inside of door is in a stuck between lock/unlock position… resulting in me having to lean over to manually unlock the door even when I’ve unlocked my car with both the fob and inside button… all the sudden I noticed too that my speed control will not work at all and be completely unresponsive most times. It will randomly work when I try checking it on highway. Ive had so many issues with my taillights going/burning out constantly and now my headlights have gotten really dim. Im scared to drive at night now. They are much more dimmer than a cars should look like usually. Within the past week I just noticed a random big crack in the dashboard on the passenger side as well… noticed that seems to be a common thing and concern of safety with lots of others who own and drive this same vehicle… my first thought was “what if this crack will effect the airbag and make it deploy?” the crack is literally right over and above where the airbag is… plan on trying to take my car to place on okc that did the anti-theft system software update on my car… but my car has gotten so bad when driving ill be lucky if it makes it there in one piece. My car has started to shake so bad when im driving!!! almost “jumping” at times it feels like. This car has been a pretty good car but when there are multiple complaints of the same issues that continuously keep costing us money and its not because of our doing and in fact the manufacturers faulty equipment and parts that they used to make these cars… they should most definitely be doing recalls and fixing these problems at no cost!.

The rear tail lights repeatedly "burn out" and have to be replaced. This endangers me and other drivers when the tail lights are not working. The police have told me to fix it. I took it to the dealer who said it will cost $900 to replace wiring. Hyundai has issued an extended warranty (no recall) for this problem but will only fix it if the wires have melted. I believe this is manufacturer defect that they should repair.

I’ve been having issues with my gas gauge not recognizing how much gas I have in my car. I can fill my tank up, and the gas light constantly stays on. I’ve been looking online and came across other Hyundai owners having the same problem. I also have been having what seems to be an electrical issue where my passenger door, does not open and it’s intermittent which also seems to be connected to why my car ceiling light won’t turn on all the time. Lastly, I have to constantly change the head light bulbs and the break light bulb. I’ve owned my car for 3 1/2 years now, and I shouldn’t have to keep having to put money into it when it seems to be a known issue.

See attached document for complaint.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he noticed that the passenger's side headlight was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the headlight bulb socket had failed, and the mechanic determined that the passenger's side headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for a goodwill repair. The dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

My brake lights are constantly needing replaced. Sometimes they stay on even when I'm not braking, other times they won't come on at all when I brake. I've gotten them replaced many times but it doesn't seem to fix the problem. I've almost gotten rear ended 3 times now bc my lights have failed to come on when hitting the brakes.

Air bag light will not go off and has not been inspected by dealership. I was out here checking for any recall. I am in texas and can not get inspection/registration with this light on. Also I have front light out on driver side front and back, I have had to change bulbs several times have even replaced brake light assembly back in 2022 and light is burned out again as of right not 4/2024 dealership says that extended warranty will not be covered for burnt out brake lights because of aftermarket part. I have also a case with bbb auto and at this date 4/10/2024 no response.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the brake lights remained illuminated without the brake pedal being depressed. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that an appointment could be scheduled in August. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 15v759000 (exterior lighting). The contact stated that the brake light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Came home saw that the break lights were on in my Sonata. Tapped the brake pedal, they went off. Came home the next day same thing. I found a re call (google) for stuck brake lights. 2011 - 2012 Sonatas. I purchased the car used, and was informed that everything is working and in order. I'm just curios if there were any other reports concerning this matter?.

Approximately a month ago I notice that my passenger side low beam head light was not working on my 2012 Hyundai Sonata so I purchased a replacement h7 halogen bulb thinking it was simply a burned out bulb. I replace the bulb with the new bulb only to find the low beam was still not working. I tried the new bulb in the drivers side to rule out a bad new bulb. The bulb worked fine in the drivers side. I also inspected the connector found no obvious problem. So far I have not been able to get the passenger side working so I did some on line research and found that this is not an uncommon problem on Hyundai vehicles and particularly with the Sonata. It appears that this is a wiring or computer issue not easily resolved. I believe this is a significant safety issue that Hyundai should repair at no cost.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had remained illuminated. The contact stated while driving at 40 mph, the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vn. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the timing chain had fractured and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that the headlight and taillight bulbs would burn out and required frequent replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after turning the vehicle off, the rear brake lights remained illuminated. The contact had to disconnect the battery to turn off the lights. The contact stated that eventually the brake lights became inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15v759000 (exterior lighting). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 111,000.

We have had issues with the tail lights of the car not working properly. The lights have had issues with the daytime running lights not working or the brake lights not working. When we took it in they said that there was an issue with the wiring harness. I also noticed 4 separate Hyundai Sonata vehicles with they same body style in the last 2 days that appeared to be having the same issues. I think it is something to be checked out to see if there is an issue there because it is a major safety concern.

Taillight not working. I purchased a bulb for taillight and it’s still out. I got a recall letter in the mail about the lights on Sonata but I misplaced it.

Break lights don’t go off.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal failed to return to the normal upright position. The contact stated that the taillights remained illuminated as if the brake pedal was still depressed. The contact stated that the stabili-trak warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 15v759000 (exterior lighting). The failure mileage was approximately 147,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Brake lights stay on when the car is turned off. It is draining the battery and I cannot drive the car. No Hyundai dealers near me have availability until October or after.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph when the vehicle suddenly began to reduce speed and stalled. The contact stated they would restart and continue to drive. The vehicle continued to reduce in speed and stall. The contact stated that the persons behind them remained on despite them being activated or the vehicle being on. The contact called the dealer however the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired as of yet. The contact found their failure related to NHTSA campaign number: 15v759000 (exterior lighting) however their VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,300.

The brake pedal stopper pad deteriorated, allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal was released. This kept my break lights on even when the car was turned off, which lead to issues with my accelerator randomly giving out while I was on the road, and my traction control forced off.

Brake lights frequently to go out. When I am driving on the road it is a game to find a Sonata with all 3 taillights functioning correctly. Many of the other Sonatas I pass on the road has a taillight that is out. Bulbs burn out but I have replaced my bulbs at least 7 times in the past 6 years.

The bulbs keep blowing out and now the wiring harness is burnt. I have replaced bulbs multiple times and I have an upcoming appointment at my local dealership on April 4th. My concern is I thought bulbs were supposed to be replaced every few years not 7-8 in one month. Now due to the fact that the lighting housing assembly is melted it will not hold any bulbs. I have a small child that sits and the back and has a medical condition and I am scared to drive (at night especially) if he needs to go to the emergency room/doctors appointments due to the fact someone may hit me from behind because I have no lights back there. Where I stay every time I see a Hyundai Sonata it never fails they are always missing a light in the back due to the light assembly has melted. This is a safety concern for not only my children but for me. I am also concerned that due to it being melted it could potentially catch something on fire.

I have a 2012 Hyundai sonta. The brake lights are not working properly. I have been changing the tail light for some time now but it doesn't seem to be working. At first all lights came on and they wouldn't go off until I took the battery cable wire off. Then on another day the brake light in the back window, got stuck and the turn signal wasn't lighting up(no brake , nor turn signal lights but it showed in the car like it was working. When hitting the blinkers. I have taken it to several car shops even the dealership to have it checked out. I was told that it wasn't nothing wrong, but got stopped by police on numerous occasions cs the car didn't have bck lights. The last shop I took it to said that it was the cars electrical system. I've checked to see if there was recalls. Doesn'tshow anything. It should be recalls on this, cause that's a safety hazard. Knowing you just changed out the lights and then boom u have no lights to show your turning or just on the road period at night. This is dangerous , I've almost got rear ended by a semi n other vehicles that was behind me and I had my granddaughter in the vehicle. Please check into this for the safety of ppl like me. Thanks in advance. .

The lighting system on the front and back lights, tail lights and brake lights are shortaged and melts the housings thst the bulbs go in. I have had two of these cars with the same identical problems and my son has had two Sonatas and I have more people that’s having the issue as well. It’s very dangerous because the tail lights work whenever and me as the driver can’t see behind me nor the person driving behind me will know that I’m stopping. I can’t drive my vehicles at all at this present time and has made s appointment with the company, Hyundai and filed a complaint as well. Something has to be done quickly to put this on the recall list because it’s very dangerous for myself and others on the national highways.

The contact's son owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated when she arrived at her residence, she noticed that her son's rear brake lights illuminated while the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated her son placed a can on the brake pedal to turn off the brake lights. The contact stated she had to disconnect the battery and reconnect before using the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 15v759000 (exterior lighting) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000.

I am experiencing the exact same issues described in a previous recall of 2006 to 2007 model affecting the brake lamp switch. My brake lamps remain illuminated after release of the brake pedal, and the esc light illuminates on the dash.

3 of my light lamps where burning and front headlight could have start a fire.

Exact same symptoms as NHTSA campaign id number : 15v759000 (Hyundai recall 136 - described below). The car was previously repaired for this issue. The brake lights come on without any pressure applied to the brake petal, both when the car is off or running. Besides the critical issues stated below, it also causes the brake light bulbs to burn out prematurely, and drains the car battery. Hyundai motor America "Hyundai" is recalling certain model 2011-2012 Sonata vehicles. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released. Consequence: if the brake light switch plunger does not retract as it should when the brake pedal is not being pressed, the brake lights may stay illuminated preventing accurate communication to rearward following vehicles that the vehicle is slowing or stopping. Additionally, if the brake switch plunger is not retracted, then the transmission can be shifted out of park without depressing the brake pedal. Either condition increases the risk of a crash. Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake pedal stopper pad with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 6, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 136.

The rear brake lights burned out can't replace the light because the wiring harness melted and y'all no longer sell replacement wiring harness at the store or dealership for my vehicle make and model I was told I would have to make a out of pocket costly repair to install a new model wiring harness. I keep getting pulled over by the cops cause I don't have break lights. Worse case someone could run into the back of me. This issue is a Hyundai issue. It's so many Hyundai Sonata riding around without break lights. Please fix this issue.

My brake lights constantly burns out and I’m having to repair them every month. My brake lights also stay illuminated when I am pressing the brake which does not show that I am stopping or slowing down. This is a major safety issue that needs to be repaired.

Brake and tail light continues to burn out. I have replaced bulbs and entire assembly every couple weeks and it melts the units as well as my engine stalls out and will not accelerate and does this intermittently. This puts me at risk of one of my lights catching fire or a crash due to my engine losing power on the freeway when I turn my lights on.

Brake lights stay illuminated when car is off. Loses speed while in motion. Esc lights come on.

My break lights and head lights are constantly blowing out, I've had multiple repair orders to prove this & can have records pulled from my pull overs. My back up camera now has an electrical issue and will no longer come on. Also when I'm driving the gas pedal just stops working while driving!!! very very dangerous. My car is well kept and maintained there is no reason for these issues to be happening aside from a manufacturer issue. I know plenty of people with the same year make and model as me and they all have the same issues. There really needs to be recalls put out on these issues as they are a safety concerns and they are putting me and my children in danger every day. I wish I had researched these issues before buying a Hyundai. I will never buy one again especially if these issues do not get resolved.

When I learned my right brake light was out and upon further investigating I found that the socket for brake bulb was melted as well. I now need to replace the socket and wiring so the bulb will hopefully work properly. When I took my car in for an oil change recently, I was told the brake socket had melted the brake light assembly. Also which will now need to be replaced as well (quoted $150 plus labor). Next thing is a little hard to explain, but short time later I was driving on freeway and my car will suddenly stop accelerating and start slowing down. Then will kick back up again like nothing happened, car didn't lose power during this. All power was sill on radio, lights ect. . The first time this happened it was so quick I didn't know what to think. Not long after that my daughter was driving this time and it did it again repeatedly will stops accelerating (on off on off on off). To the point we were slowing down quite a bit and had to put the flashers on, as suddenly as it started it stopped. Again no loss of power or steering ect. The only light that came on was my traction control light and wouldn't go off even when pressing the button. Since there wasn't any check engine light showing on instrument panel I have no clue what could be the problem. Side note I have had issues with my cruise control not wanting to work or occasionally will work. Two days later after this incident my daughter told me that all my lights we're on and doors were unlock. Car wasn't dead at that point. Turned them all the way off just in case but another day or so later car is unlocked and completely dead took a very long time to get started back up. At this point I have to disconnect the battery so that the lights won't go on and kill the battery. Outside of these issues I've had no problems with the car absolutely love my car. But am very concerned.

My passenger rear light keeps blowing. I have replaced the bulb once a week since I bought the car two years ago. I have been pulled over multiple times, thankfully I was not ticketed and was given a warning all 3 times. The light went out again so I went to change the bulb and the the whole housing unit is melted. Now I am unable to take the bulb out to change it.