general problems of the 2016 Hyundai Sonata - part 1

While driving, my 2016 Hyundai Sonata’s engine suddenly started knocking loudly. I stopped immediately and found the engine oil was very low without any prior warning. After adding oil, the engine still runs but with possible internal damage. This could have caused the engine to seize while driving. There were no warning lights or leaks before this happened.

High engine oil consumption 2 qts every 1k miles.

Sudden engine failure. Compression issue, car has only 63,000 miles.

Car had oil in the electrode of spark plug. Total engine failure.

The problem with my vehicle is a failure of internal engine components, specifically a known defect in the piston rings of the Hyundai theta ii engine. This failure causes excessive oil consumption, which is burned internally. The internal engine components have failed, leading to a widely documented defect in the Hyundai theta ii engine. The primary symptom, which began to get serious around 80,000 miles, is the constant need to add oil to the engine every two weeks. If I do not do this, the low oil warning light illuminates on the dashboard, serving as a continuous alert of the problem. This failure was officially confirmed by an authorized Hyundai dealership. About two weeks ago, they first documented that there were no external leaks on the vehicle. When I returned because the oil had been consumed again, they performed a new diagnostic, for which I paid over $300, that confirmed the engine is burning oil internally. The dealership, acting as the manufacturer's representative, is the only entity that has formally inspected the vehicle. The situation places my safety and the safety of others at serious risk. First, the oil consumption can lead to a sudden and catastrophic engine failure, resulting in a loss of power and control of the vehicle while in transit. More alarmingly, the guidance I received from Hyundai staff was to simply "wait for the engine to stop working or start making a lot of noise. " as someone who depends on the car for a daily commute, following this dangerous recommendation is an unacceptable risk.

Was driving on the interstate, and took the exit I needed. Upon exiting before coming up to stop light, noticed check engine light flashing, and couldn't accelerate. Rpms were bouncing when I tried to accelerate. Pulled off onto side of road, called mechanically inclined friend who came with an obd2 sensor, and it was showing a p132600 code for knock signal range performance, with an audible knocking sound, and engine vibration while on in idle. Got the code cleared so we could drive the car the 3 miles I needed to go to get to where I was going, 2 miles in, the engine light came back on and vehicle went back into limp mode. Called aaa and got the car to an in network mechanic shop for carvana, whom I bought the car through a month prior. Proceeded to do an oil sample test and found it to be full of metal shavings. Said engine would need to be fully replaced. Vehicle is currently still at mechanic until silverrock gets the claim and will see if the engine replacement is covered under warranty. Certified automotive inc. [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

At 70712 miles cylinder 4 suffered a catastrophic internal failure. The vehicle also had excessive oil consumption and the dealer just told us to keep adding oil as there was nothing they could do. The vehicle must have had a manufacturing defect.

Engine failure and car burning oil very fast causing other things to go wrong like piston ring and spark plugs.

I bought this vehicle on 07/21/2025,I didnt recieve any information about recalls,I was driving on 80 east at 60 mph and noticed the dash lights came on, somehow I was able to coast far enough and merge 2 lanes and was sitting between the offramp and the freeway ,the seemed like a dead battery or wouldnt turn over, soon a California state tow truck pulled up he tried to jump it ,nothing, he towed me to a safe place, then I called triple a same thing, I was towed home after I assumr the crankshaft cooled it started with a knock, there was no knock when it siezed, I got home and seen they gave me gwc warranty, im paying for they didnt even mention that when I bought it, ,the story is worse this was the second car from this dealer,the first one I had 1 day and heard rods knocking on cold starts I took it right back, thats how they got me in this I was kinda cornered, I called gwc they said send it to a dealer so I sent it to Hyundai ,at first they told me the engine siezed and said its covered by Hyundai, then said the next day they denied it becouse the knock sensor update was never completed from 2020,I only had the car 1 month it siezed on 08/25/25,so now there trying my gwc coverage who tells Hyundai they will cover a used engine,I said ok, I have been communicating with the Hyundai service manager, he did tell me over the phone he doesnt believe it was even legal for them to sell me that car,also yes the blinkers did constantly go the wrong way,I didnt know about that recall either I know it was upsetting me,every time I look my blinker was going the other way,,I see lots of recalls and problems with the Hyundai engines,how do I realy know if that was or wasnt taken care of for this car or was there a knock sensor recall in 2020, the car has 144,000 miles I bought it with 141,051, Hyundai warranty becouse engine siezure is 150,000, its still sitting at Hyundai waiting for gwc to say go ahead ,he keeps telling me they will let me know tomarow,I have no car,.

Pushed acceleration at traffic light to cross and turn into neighborhood, car started beeping frantically, 'check hev system' flashed on dash as well as 'turn off engine' while car decelerated to 1-3 mph. Battery meter bar on left side of dash completely depleted showing no battery power supply at all. Turned vehicle off for a few minutes then restarted. Put the vehicle in drive gear and same warnings appear, car doesn't even accelerate when gas pedal is pressed fully, stays at 1-3 mph crawl. Vehicle stalls out after 30 seconds, vehicle turns on but cannot start.

I was going down the highway and noticed a weird sound and when off the highway it just shut down on me thank god I was able to pull in a median and I could not drive or start it. No other warning signs. I had it towed to a mechanic and they told me the engine was blown and he wouldn’t touch it.

On [xxx] as I was driving out my garage my car started to drive with hesitation. As I turn the corner from home my car started to shake vigorously so I turned into the alley which leads back to my home the check engine light came on. I was able to drive into the garage. So I went to a mechanic who has serviced all my previous cars and he showed me that the car is burning too much oil that was effecting the performance of the engine making it drive sluggish I was also told at the oil changing company in numerous occasions that the Sonatas burn oil. I’m trying to get it resolved but having no luck . It’s a real hassle with servicing this car. I need assistance on what I need to do information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My check engine light came on and my car went into “limp mode” and wouldn’t go above 30 mph. It also kept blowing hot air through the vents and the coolant level thermometer kept raising.

Engine failure. Happened in the middle of the beltway in DC. Was left in the middle of traffic had to get car towed. No lights were on prior to this happening. Seems everyone I have talked to with a senata has had engine failure and has ultimately got a new one replaced by the delorship. The 2016 isn't on the recall list only models 2011-2014. But I have heard of numerous 2015-2016 models having the same issue. This car barley had 110k miles on it before the engine failure. These vehicles are not safe and there needs to be something done. It is currently being looked at by delorship. Im hoping for the best.

The engine began knocking on us, towed to dealership. Safety concern was dying on the highway with other cars around. The dealer said it needs a new engine. Not sure there were any indications of failure or not. Some records indicate in order for Hyundai to warranty, this car needed to have had campaign 953 ksds installed prior. Some records such as the tg3 txxi warranty state that in April 2022, the ksds campaign update was no longer required for the Hyundai theta ii engine warranty. Owner did not perform ksds 953, based on not receiving the information. Hyundai is currently denying warranty, but if tg3 txxi is correct, the dealer has yet to fully inspect, and the fact remains that in April 2022 the campaign 953 is no longer a prerequisite. I dont feel like I should be denied assistance. Please help.

Driving and engine began to tick, for a couple minutes, then died. Would not restart.

While driving on the highway, experienced loss of power and flashing check engine light, subsequently causing engine knock and engine failure. This situation could have caused an accident and put myself and others at risk. It is understood the manufacturer has recalled more than one million vehicles due to engine failure and is working with NHTSA to address the issue. In communication with the manufacturer to inspect the damage and resolve the issue.

This vehicle has a faulty engine design which results in extreme over-consumption of oil. After an oil change, the engine will typically empty in less than a month, which is beyond a reasonable level of oil consumption. Side effects of this include other parts of the engine wearing down quicker, including the spark plugs, which cause engine misfires. Ultimately, this vehicle's engine design causes financial hardship to it's owners and poses a potential safety risk to those who drive in it. I believe Hyundai should do a recall to fix this faulty engine (with an engine replacement if necessary).

Engine consumes excessive amount of oil, approximately 5 quarts every 1,000 miles. No leaks found when taken for inspection.

There is an oil problem with this car - my engine light keeps going on, then it backfires, I brought to the dealership and $2,800 later, I still have the same problem. There is no leak that I can see, the oil just disappears. My mechanic said this is a known problem but hyandai will not get back to me, I have tried several times with no interaction back.

Rod bearing failed at highway speeds, loss of power and flashing check engine light only after engine failure. This could have caused an accident putting myself and others at risk of bodily damage had I not been able to pull off of the freeway. Engine knock/rattle, eventually leading to catastrophic engine failure. This has been confirmed by a third party trusted and certified technician at an independent shop. Currently in the process of having the damage inspected by the manufacturer.

The engine stopped as I was driving on the road.

I had knocking in the engine from the auto body shop and my extend warranty told me this is the problem that I have.

My car has 123,000 miles on it, it started with just aircon compressor not working then a week after the engine light started blinking and doesn’t accelerate more than 60 in the interstate then there is a rod knocking in my engine after that.

I had engine issues back in 2021. I had to pay $600 for a part to be installed to fix the problem . The engine failed, the idle was violently lurching forward and would randomly shut down. Recently the car shut down without warning again. Its scary.

Engine failure.

My car on the freeway started knocking. The check engine light came on. The car immediately caught fire. It is at the tow yard now. We just went through the oil consumption testing and the cleaning. I filed a report in November it failed for misfire and we paid to have the top rebuild. The car failed the oil consumption 1000 miles after the cleaning. We were told to continue to drive. We had 4 people in the car. I have the dash cam with the rod knock. The car has a check engine code. Hyundai needs to be held accountable.

While driving my 2016 Hyundai Sonata hybrid se (89,000 miles), a “check hybrid system” warning appeared on the dashboard, followed by a sudden loss of power. Shortly after, the engine began knocking loudly. A local mechanic scanned the codes and saw engine misfire and hybrid system faults. After clearing the codes, the engine ran worse and the knocking increased significantly. I had to tow the car over 700 miles from whitehorse, yukon, to the anchorage Hyundai dealership in alaska, which cost me over $5,000. The dealership said they hear engine knocking but refuse further diagnosis unless Hyundai initiates a goodwill assistance case. My car has a rebuilt title, but this issue appears to be similar to other known failures and recalls, such as campaign 198 / NHTSA 20v746000. It is a serious safety issue — I was stranded in the middle of a remote highway. This appears to be a major defect, and Hyundai needs to investigate and support affected customers.

While accelerating from a red light, the engine suddenly lost power and the car stalled in the left turn lane in the middle of traffic. We had to have the vehicle towed to a repair shop, where I was informed that the engine had seized or locked up. The mechanic mentioned this type of failure can happen if the engine loses oil pressure, but we received no warning lights (oil, check engine, or otherwise) prior to the failure. The vehicle has always been properly maintained, including an oil change just a few months prior, and it had not been driven much since. This vehicle was purchased for my daughter to travel to and from college safely and reliably. We have taken great care of it, so the sudden and catastrophic failure of the engine (without any prior warning) is both unacceptable and devastating to our family and we have no way to get her back to her college. I’ve now learned that this year, make, and model: 2016 Hyundai Sonata has had numerous complaints and issues related to sudden engine failure and oil system issues. To my knowledge, this issue has not been officially recalled, despite a pattern of numerous similar reports. This kind of failure puts drivers and passengers at serious risk, particularly when it occurs during active driving conditions like what happened to us as we were stranded in the road and it almost caused a vehicle to hit us. As a parent, I entrusted Hyundai with my family’s safety. I am extremely disappointed by what appears to be a systemic issue and . I urge the agency to reconsider investigating these failures and pressure the manufacturer to do the right thing, stand behind their product and support affected customers like us.

Unknown.

I just recently purchased about a month and a half ago. I was on my way to work and it was a thudded knocking noise before my car slowed down and shut off on the highway. I had to get it towed to a nearby restaurant I had a mobile mechanic come by he put it on a scanner code p0014 came up with the engine light on. . When he cut the car on and heard the noise he said my engine has failed. . I haven’t had any prior issues with my car before this date. . He mentioned it’s recalls on the engine I have my VIN doesn’t show it’s a recall but it’s the same issues described happened.

Sometimes I see the engine ligth when I drive to long.

In April 2025, my 2016 Hyundai Sonata 2. 4l began making a knocking noise while driving. There were no warning lights or error messages on the dashboard, so I was confused about what was wrong and assumed it might be a minor issue related to the axle, which I had repaired in the past. I brought it to a local mechanic, who informed me the engine noise was concerning and mentioned this model was known to have engine-related recalls. Upon researching, I discovered my vehicle had an outstanding recall for the exact issue (connecting rod bearing wear leading to potential engine seizure), but it had expired due to the age of the vehicle. The car was brought into the dealership on April 30, 2025, and has remained there ever since with a completely failed engine. I was told by Hyundai corporate that they would not offer goodwill assistance due to the recall technically expiring. However, I never received any notification about this recall and had no idea it existed. The engine failure has left me without a vehicle for over three months. I cannot afford the $10,000 replacement cost quoted to me. My Sonata only has approximately 145,000 miles, and this engine failure puts my safety and financial situation at risk. I believe this is directly connected to the original recall defect and should have been addressed regardless of the expiration date, especially since the failure occurred from the same root cause. It has been inspected by the jacksonville key Hyundai dealership (where it is located now) as well as two other local auto shops.

See attached document for complaint.

My vehicles engine gave out on highway 95 . I towed it to the Hyundai dealership after a mechanic friend informed me of the recall with the Sonata engines. Hyundai is refusing to assist with my engine failure under the recall or my lifetime warranty. They are stating that the recall is voided due to my dipstick size and that my lifetime warranty on the engine is voided due to another safety software recall not being updated before the engine recall; I was not informed by Hyundai of either recall. I am now without a vehicle.