general problems of the 2012 Hyundai Sonata - part 1

I own a 2012 Hyundai Sonata with 114000 miles on it. I have had it since 62000 miles and have replaced a lot of parts to keep it running well. My current issue is the hybrid charging system warning light comes on and the hybrid system will stop working when it does this. It has already left me stuck on the side of the road once. When it did this the car stoped running at a stop sign. Luckily I was able to get car off the road. It shows the pull over hybrid charging system error. So I have tried replacing the battery , replacing the main battery fuse on the 12 volt battery and replacing the orange hybrid battery main fuse. The car still does not function properly and have had it diagnosed with a professional shop and they could not resolve the problem.

There is a widespread issue with the 2012 Hyundai Sonata hybrid transmissions failing as driver's are driving resulting in extremely dangerous and life threatening situations. It is hazardous for drivers, passengers, and other vehicles on the road. I was driving my 2012 Hyundai Sonata hybrid on an expressway when with zero warning the car stopped driving. I easily could have had a car slam into me from behind at a high rate of speed. This was when the car had 79,672 miles on it. The transmission was replaced by Hyundai under warranty. The second transmission on the vehicle has now failed with only 84,984 miles on that transmission. This time, once again, no warning. No engine lights came on or anything. My car began to stop driving on a main highway with a large line of cars behind me. Once again causing a hazardous dangerous condition for me and others. This time, I was able to get to the side of the road. So not only was I in danger while driving and the car failed with zero warning, I was stranded on the side of the road with my very young child in the car. A transmission failing with zero warning with a mother and young child stranded on the side of the road is a secondary hazard to the possibility of us having been hit by a driver behind us as the transmission failed. There are many forums and reports of people having transmission failures with this make and model. Others specifically shared how dangerous of a position it also put them in with no warning. One other gentleman in a forum detailed how he was on an expressway when it happened and how dangerous it was for him. The quantity of not just first transmissions, but second and third transmission replacements failing in the 2012 Hyundai Sonata hybrid and in some cases close model years is alarming. Hyundai needs to take accountability for their poor craftmanship and protect their consumers. This car is a death trap and will get people severely injured or killed.

I was driving. The tailpipes started smoking I checked engine oil and it was almost empty. No check engine light came on. The engine could have locked up on me on a state hwy that has a 60mph limit! no warning light. No low oil light. No lights came on at all ever. The car still doesn't have any light on but has oil consumption like I've never experienced. The engine was replaced in 2019 and only has about 63,000 miles on it.

Check engine lights on and says “warning do not drive the hybrid brakes may fail do not drive “.

This is a 2012 Sonata hybrid. The vehicle popped under the hood when my wife was driving to visit her father. My son opened the hood and fire started shooting out from next to the exhaust manifold. The car was just into gurnee Hyundai for service. They had the car for a month and a half. I still don't think that they did anything when they had it. Anyway, the car burnt completely to the ground in the front engine area. I already contacted Hyundai America, and, even Hyundai and south korea. This happened on September 8th. I have pictures, I also have the warranty individual who inspected the car before the dealer worked on it, or I have the warranty information. They have the documentation.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, when the contact attempted to shift the gear, the transmission would not shift, and no warning light illuminated. The contact had to press the release button and the transmission was able to shift, but the vehicle was driving abnormal. An independent mechanic was contacted that stated that the vehicle maybe experiencing similar failure as NHTSA campaign number: 14v434000 (power train) and advised to contact the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was contacted that stated that the vehicle was not included NHTSA campaign number: 14v434000 (power train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 170,000.

Car completely shut down suddenly and spontaneously without any warning while my husband and I were driving on a very busy major highway at night. We were unable to do anything to control the car and could have died, been seriously injured, or caused death or injury to other drivers. We were then towed off of the highway after calling for help. We don’t know firsthand exactly what failed. We were aware of our engine burning oil and had been to huffines Hyundai multiple times previously for an oil consumption test at their recommendation. Upon completion of this test process no solutions for repair were offered, and we were never warned of any danger in driving it. We have found out via our own research that our car has a defective engine. This specific engine has been the subject of at least one class action lawsuit and Hyundai is well aware of its dangers. We have been denied an engine replacement by Hyundai as they are claiming negligence on our part as the reason for failure after we presented a substantial stack of oil change receipts. Not 100% complete, so they make this claim. These cars are death traps and people are dying because this company won’t honor their warranty. Please do something.

I was driving my car at approximately 45 mph when my car began smoking and overheating and making a knocking sound from the engine. I pulled over and checked but had coolant in the vehicle as I had just got my car serviced 3 weeks prior. I was about to get onto the highway when my car decelerated and the oil lamp and engine light started flickering as my car lost power and started smoking profusely.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the vehicle downshifted unexpectedly and decelerated significantly. The contact stated that she shifted into neutral (n). The contact then pulled to the side of the road and remained there for some time. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the failure recurred while driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure recurred while the vehicle was being test-driven; however, the dealer informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The dealer also informed the contact that they would need to disassemble the steering wheel to inspect the paddle shifters. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,300.

I came to a stoplight and then tried to go forward and it got to about 20 miles an hour and this horrible knock happened and when I pushed on the gas it just whines I haven't had the money to get it somewhere to be looked at but I'm thinking it's the transmission but when it made that knocking sound it sounded like the whole engine fell out of it and I was in heavy traffic at the time. . You can drive it no problem up until you get 20 miles an hour and then it makes that horrible knocking sound.

My car is burning oil very fast it has a engine campaign running but Hyundai refuses to fix it . . It cuts while driving it at high speeds.

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 of the vehicle. After opening the front passenger side door and the vehicle erroneously rolled backwards down the driveway and crashed into a tree. During the incident the husband was knocked to the ground and dragged 20 feet down the driveway. During the incident the husband sustained a head bruise and laceration, and a injured legs and arm. The front passenger also sustained bruised ribs, a head and left knee injury from the vehicle crashing into a tree. Both persons required medical treatment. The cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA campaign number: 14v434000(power train). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 112,000.

Hybrid system malfunction. The "hybrid system warning! safely stop and do not drive" appeared on the vehicle dashboard. While traveling on the highway or in town the vehicle will want to slow down then stop. The dealership's (wyatt johnson Hyundai) clarksville, TN, maintenance tech have troubleshot the vehicle. Since my daughter and I have owned the vehicle, it has been seen by the dealer a few times during this time a transmission replacement was completed for the hybrid system malfunction, which did not solve the problem and I had to pay out almost $6,000. Still, same issue arises and also, I was told by another tech that the transmission is sealed and should not have been opened. The only thing we heard from the dealer(wyatt johnson Hyundai) was to come and pick up the car. When my son-n-law went to pick up the vehicle, the engine was still torn apart. They said they would fix it and then let us know when it is ready to be picked up. We have not heard anything from the dealer (wyatt johnson Hyundai) at all, assuming they are still working on it. Until, we received a letter from express auto the the vehicle was towed and reported abandoned. So, I drove to clarksville, TN and trailered the vehicle back to las vegas, nv to have the Hyundai techs here diagnose the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, and depressing the accelerator pedal the rpm inadvertently decreased. The contact stated that the traction control warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that while exiting the vehicle he noticed that the brake lights were still illuminated. The contact called cochran Hyundai of monroeville (4520 william penn hwy, monroeville, PA 15146:(412) 245-4380) and bowser Hyundai (1001 clairton blvd, pleasant hills, PA 15236: (412) 469-2100) and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with TSB: 15-01-056; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,500.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata hybrid. The contact stated that once car has warmed up, while driving at low speed or starting to move after a stop, she vehicle hesitated and stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. This is a serious risk hazard as the car barely moves at intersections where it is a risk of getting hit by incoming cars. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to multiple independent mechanics as well as Hyundai dealerships who were all unable to diagnose the failure due to no warning lights illuminating on the instrument panel and no codes getting registered in the ecu. The contact then got the car evaluated by another Hyundai dealership in order to exchange it for a new vehicle and mentioned this problem. This time the dealership mechanics claimed to have seen this same problem at several occasion and that the cause was failing electric motor (when warming up) which needs to be replaced along with transmission. They also said this failure would eventually lead to the car no longer being usable at all (catastrophic failure of drivetrain) the car was no longer under warranty and total repair cost around $11 000 can. This far exceeded the value of the car so the car could not be repaired nor re-sold. The failure pattern started to happen when mileage was approximately 110,000 miles.

I gave my son this car b/c I thought it was safe and reliable. My son was driving down the road and all of a sudden the lights started blinking and he pulled over. He had to have it towed and repair shop says the engine is locking up and would cost more to replace. This is a paid for car and now we are totally screwed. I really want the manufacturer to honor and fix their issues. I ensured I had this car serviced timely and took care of the car. Now, I am $12k in the whole and will probably go ahead and trade in my other 2017 Hyundai Sonata to avoid anymore of these issues that no one can honor to fix. This car has about 80k miles on it so not too bad, either!.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle was jerking abnormally. The passenger's side front tire was extremely hot. The contact stated that the rpm increased to high, and the vehicle lost motive power while driving. The contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle was slow to respond. There was an abnormal electrical burning odor detected. The vehicle was hard to start. The contact stated that the check engine and abs warning lights were illuminated. On several occasions, the vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to retrieve any dtc trouble codes. The bearing was fine but was replaced at the owner's request. The mechanic test drove the vehicle for five hundred miles but was unable to duplicate the failure. The mechanic informed the contact that the ecm was fried. The ecm was replaced, but no update was provided. Additionally, the mechanic informed the contact that the wiring harness had a short circuit and that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.

The car transmission breaks down prematurely. And dashboard show hybrid system warning safely stop do not drive. Hyundai is asking for $5000 to replace the transmission.

On 05/26/21 this vehicle was taken to crown Hyundai for an engine recall and was not running. In fact, since purchased at the auction it has never ran more than 30 feet then suts off. Tech said, computer responded with a faulty wheel sensor, a dead battery, and fault abs sensor. I picked up the car and put new battery in it, and a left rear wheel sensor and reported by Hyundai. Our mechanic said take back to Hyundai to reset the abs sensor, so on06/24/21 we did return the vehicle to crown Hyundai and was tolk now they could not set the sensor as the battery was the wrong type, now a code for a flap door and an allegation of the vehicle being wrecked in the front end causing door damage. My right headlight has always been loose but no damage. Now the computer says the door plap and front bumper damage is causing 30 more defaults to pop up my wrecker driver will tell you the car was not driving but would start and move until sensor shut down. Now it will not start or move and more sensors are being shown. . Service manager said ,, I cannot tell you not to fix it, but there are more codes poping up now. . . There is something wrong with this picture. . . He said he has several more hydrid's sitting in the back that also show many codes.

I have provided this information already, case number 11424760. I am now submitting further documentation on this safety issue. There was a recall notice from Hyundai, for whatever reason, this was changed to not include our vehicle. We never heard back about the solution & they no longer will replace the engine.

Entered a freeway on-ramp, the engine started to make a slapping noise. I thought it was the fan belt slipping. We began to lose acceleration, had a burning smell we pulled off and had the vehicle towed. Subsequently we discovered that the issue was exactly that which appeared in a published recall notice: symptoms of the problem can include abnormal knocking noises from the engine; reduced power or hesitation; illumination of the “check engine” light or the engine oil-pressure warning light; or a burning smell, oil leaks, or smoke. In discussing with Hyundai, it was stated that my VIN does not meet a full reimbursement due to the VIN not being included. How is that possible, when the symptoms match the year, make, model. Https://driving. Ca/auto-news/news/Hyundai-recalls-almost-129000-cars-in-u-s-for-possible-premature-engine-wear.

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.

1 day after buying vehicle. It failed. 1st dealer replaced 12v battery. Then drove 17 miles and it failed again. Dealer determined hybrid battery bad. 7k for new one. 7 yr old vehicle needed new hybrid battery. Purchased hybrid battery. 1 year later vehicle started jerking on highway. Then it could not get over 40 and engine was revving high. Towef to dealer. They determined failed transmission and electric motor. Purchased used parts and had them installed for 4k. Nightmare vehicle. Awful support from Hyundai. No way I would ever buy another.

Sometimes when I press the gas, the car will basically take an extra second to speed up, and probably 70% of the times that I press the brakes to slow down or come to a stop, itll (also) take an extra second and itll stall/jerk 1 time, then finish slowing down or stopping. . . . Its gradually been getting worse as time passes. . . The engine needs some work definitely! (I'll feel much more safe after this engine recall is fixed!).

There dealer refused to change my transmission fluid even it's duo change time I was told if I want to do it go to any mechanic shop.

Hybrid system warning, shut off don't drive!!! light came on car shut down while in reverse, it was fine in drive! took it to the Hyundai in mesquite TX where I've had numerous issues in the past but had to go somewhere close! they couldn't find a diagnosis went through all the codes, said it wasn't shutting down for them and it was an oil pump and oil assembly $1,904. 49 minus the $150 diagnostic to not even tell me why it shuts down in reverse giving a whole other issue with the car that isn't a part of the reason I took it in! never again will I buy a Hyundai!.

My 2012 Hyundai Sonata received a replacement engine due to a recall for excessive oil consumption. My car did not have any other problems, everything else was running as it should. After my engine was replaced, the dealership did a test drive and said everything was running well. I drove my car home everything seemed ok. I only drove the car to my local supermarket twice and lastly, my son drove it out to a best buy, which was 40 minutes away. Everything was normal during the drive on the highway as well as the local street until he pulled into the parking lot. As soon as he made the turn in, the car started to rev in an extreme way-taking the rpm needle to 6 and a little over- with very little application to the gas pedal and very little motion from the car. He parked the car then turned it on again, the engine turned on ok, but the car would not go forward or backwards. The car was towed to the dealership and after 4 days was told I need a new transmission. There were no indications, whatsoever, of issues with the transmission, and the sudden stoppage is very disconcerting to say the least. Are there issues with this model's transmission, as there were no signs of deterioration? my car has 145,000 miles on it. I contacted Hyundai hq customer service and a case was made, only to get a call from the case mgr. Stating the transmission is out of warranty and there is nothing they can do. I understand I was given a replacement engine, but I fail to understand how it's even possible or even coincidental that my transmission would collapse after a major repair. The dealership told me that the diagnostics history shows there was an incorrect ratio in gear 3. Why were there no warnings or telltale signs? this could have turned out very badly for my son had it happened just a minute sooner while he was on the highway.

I purchased a 2012 Hyundai Sonata in January 2012. In 2014, a recall of the car was issued for a shift cable problem where the cable would detach from the shifter. I took the car to the local Hyundai dealer in September 2014 to have the recall repair completed. In 2018, I gave the car to my daughter so my grandson could participate in high school activities, sports and attend classes at the community college. After his graduation from high school, he is attending the univ. Of maryland in college park , MD, as a resident student and only uses the car on weekends when he comes home and during breaks from college semesters. The reason for this complaint occurred in late June 2020 and is the exact failure mechanism that caused the 2014 recall. Apparently the recall fix was either not a permanent solution or was not done correctly. The result is my daughter had to pay $974. 00 to fix something that should have been taken care of in 2014. The problem was a result either a poor original design or the recall fix was only temporary. I called Hyundai customer service and was told that the car was not covered under warranty because my daughter was a secondary owner.

My vehicle is not recognizing that it is in park so it is not completely shutting off.

Engine started rattling while idling. Sounded like there was something lose in the engine. Looked up the VIN and discovered there was a recall for that problem with Hyundai. Havent used the car since. It had been parked. Fast forward to today 5/3/2020 and discovered that the recall was gone.

My car stalls, lags and shuts off while driving and has a strong scent of exhaust and uses an awful amount of oil but there are no visible oil leaks. There are no check engine lights on. I have taken it to the muffler shop who states no exhaust leaks are found. My local gateway and mike morgan hyuandi says it throws no codes when put on the diagnostic machine so I cant find out the issue. From research I see this is a common issue with this model cars and I feel this should be looked into because it is a hazard especially when it kills in the midst of traffic.

The brake lights are remaining on even if brake pads are not being depressed. While driving or in park. The car also will stall while driving down the road.

Car stop in the middle of the road when I tried to accelerate the was making a loud grinding noise. Prior to being on this road I was on the highway for about 35-40 miles before it stopped and wouldn't move. When I would put the car in reverse it would make a loud clicking noise. I called Hyundai they said that there was no open recall related to this issue.

In motion going 20 mph passenger side air bag deployed without accident. Air bag busted on my head, back, and right side of my face. With a powdery sharp film on me. Air bag recall was not fixed by the dealership. I reported it to Hyundai which lead to countless email with no repairs made. Seat and door panel is ruined with a crack in the windshield that has spread. Engine had been stalling and producing white smoke from the tailpipes. While in motion car completely shuts off and will not come back on. Dash board lights up goes off comes on displays key not in vehicle when the key is in the armrest plugged in. Brake pedal freezes up preventing the car to start. Radio does not work check engine light blinks on and off when car is in motion. Reach out to Hyundai webb on route 30 in merrillville, in. They had the vehicle for a month due to the engine recall and turbo recall. They forced me to pick the vehicle up after having it for a month. In motion from the dealership the car cuts off. I get it back on a big cloud of white smoke produces and cuts off again while in traffic. Prior to picking the car up the manager of the shop called informed me to come pick it up and bring a battery due to the battery in the car is dead. The car is at the dealership. . . They did not have the courtesy to charge to battery to test the work that was done. I take a battery up there they keep the car for another week or 2. When I pick it up the armrest is broken they put a screw in the positive cable post to hold the post in place; I guess. There are ashes on the floor as if someone was smoking in the car, put different color antifreeze in the antifreeze reservoir; meaning they mixed the fluids that would cause more problems. I called the manager again immediately and told him the car is doing the same things. Told me to drive the white smoke out, car is not safe to drive don't stay running.

My engine threw a rod at approx. 85000 miles (10/2019). Hyundai replaced the short block but since then I continue to have issues with my car. After they replaced the short block and I picked my car up, the car seemed to be running like it is not getting consistent fuel like it is supposed to. I have had it in the shop 4 times because the check engine light has come on. While I am driving, the car seems to lurch at random times and this issue has gotten so bad that this (what I call lurching) makes the cruise control shut off. One time I was using the cruise control to accelerate onto the freeway and the warning bells and whistles went off, the car stalled, then restarted itself with no check engine light on. The most recent time (10/26/20 - 11/10/20), they had my car for 6 weeks, they did not fix it. They put 337 miles on my car while they had it and I experienced the same issues I have been complaining about to them since the beginning, after I drove it 38 miles. They cannot seem to find what is wrong with my car or fix it. 10/2019 threw rod - replaced short block see attached 1/3/2020 replaced hsg belt - did not fix issue see attached date unknown - check engine light went off before they could run codes. Unable to find issues - did nothing no paperwork 7/3/2020 - unable to duplicate concerns, provided software updates. 8/20/2020 I called san tan Hyundai and told them I continued to have the same issues. I told them I needed a loaner car as I have no other means of transportation. I was advised they did not have one available but would call me when they did. They never called. The check engine light came on again on 10/25 while I was out of town so I took it to them 10/26. I have paid for 2 rental cars now while trying to get this issue resolved. 10/26/20 trans reset recycle cleared codes - did not fix issue see attached.