general problems of the 2016 Hyundai Sonata - part 2

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.

The vehicle is burning oil, so I had a Hyundai dealer (brandfon Hyundai new haven, CT) start an oil consumption test. At 1,000 miles the vehicle has no oil. Therefore, the engine can seize and shutdown without warning, which could cause serious injury or accident. Hyundai declined an engine cleaning, which the dealership indicated doesn't work anyway. The next step is engine replacement. However, the dealership won't return my calls. This is a common engine problem with older Hyundai's.

Hello this is my second time filing for a complaint because the first time I did not receive an email confirmation. On Thursday night (April 4th) I was driving back home, I had just existed the highway and was now on a regular big busy street. I was driving approximately no more than 25 mph. At the traffic light when it turned red I obviously had my foot on the break. When it had turned green and I tried to accelerate the car would just not simply move. As I said I was on a busy street there was many cars, my partner and I had to safety move the car by foot out of the road to let other cars pass, it was very dangerous for us since it was at night. I'd like to add prior to this the only time I ever had a problem was when I would turned on the car and later try to drive it would start shaking for a minute and then suddenly stop when I parked it and turned it off. Also there was never any engine light or any warning lights on the dashboard, to continue I had to call my dad late at night to help me find what was wrong with the car, obviously since it was at night there was not much to do, but to park the car and leave it there overnight. Next morning he goes and try to see if it turned on, it didn't the car was not running anymore, he called a tow truck for them to take it to a mechanic, in where they said it was an engine problem. The mechanic told my dad it would need a new engine which that can cost a lot. I called in the dealership in where I am financing it and told me if it was a motor problem I would have to pay $7500 to $8000 for a new engine replacement. This is do draining knowing I've had this car for less than two months and already having to pay for a new engine? this was also very dangerous knowing the car never showed a warning light on the dashboard !! I could've been driving on the highway and the car could've stopped in the middle this could've been super dangerous putting my life at risk not knowing the the car had an engine problem.

Driving back home [about a 20 min ride] car has been driving fine, with no lights on dashboard ever showing , obviously on a red light I had the break, then when it turn green the car would not accelerate at all. Car was still on with light and radio working the car would just not accelerate. I was on a busy street so I had to push the vehicle by foot with my partner to get it out of the way. Oil and battery seemed fine, I had to call my dad for help he as well did not find anything. We had no other choice but to leave the car on that street parked. Next morning my dad went to check it out and the car would not turn on at all. He called a towing truck and took it to a mechanic in where he said that it was in fact the engine. When driving and prior to other cars I've driven the car there was never a warning sign what so ever this came out unexpectedly, putting my partner and I at risk in a busy street having to move the vehicle by foot.

Extremely well maintained car began burning excessive amounts of oil. Called Hyundai corporate and they said that there is an extended 150,000 mile warranty on the engine and set me up with the metrowest Hyundai dealership in framingham, MA to begin oil consumption test procedure. Dealership performed test and I burned almost 2 out of 5. 1 quarts in 1,000 miles. There is no reason a well maintained engine, with regular oil changes well within the manufacturer recommended interval and using full synthetic oil, coupled with regular engine maintenance and techron, plus at least 80% highway miles, should be doing this. Dealership then performed combustion chamber clean as step 2 of process and the entire timing system began failing after that (p0010 and p0011). The car is now at the point of almost catastrophic engine failure and it will cost $6,200 to repair (the value of the car itself). Hyundai corporate then told me I'm actually not covered and that the warranty only covers rod bearing failure. So both they and/or the dealership strung me along, and the car is clearly not made well and Hyundai is not addressing these concerns. I know many people have had these issues with these cars. In my case, trying to get them addressed then destroyed my car.

The engine violently vibrates and no matter how much I get an oil change it burns so fast and I have to keep adding. It's not leaking, just burning. I plugged in a diagnostic tester and it said that the 3rd cylinder was misfiring. I haven't had the car for very long, and this is not normal. I take good care of it.

After having the car for about a week the engine light came on at that time I took the car back to carmax service department in canoga park. They scanned the car and they told me that it was misfiring. Carmax fixed the car. They had the car for the ten days. The day I received the car back, the engine light came on again. Took the car to my mechanic and he ran the codes again and he told me it was misfiring, again. He cleared the code and I again returned the car to carmax, and explained to them what happened. I checked on the car couple days later and I was told that they drove the car for 30 miles and the engine light didn't come on. I picked up the car the next day on [xxx], the engine light came on, again. I returned the car back to carmax, April 1st and talked to the service manager. I explained to him everything that happened. In each case, before returning the car or having the inspected, I did notice a difference in the way the car responded. Also, when I filled up with gas, the gas didn't fill up all the way and there was a clicking sound when driving. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact smelled burning engine oil coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact stated that a friend arrived at the residence to inspect the vehicle. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the friend became aware that oil was leaking from the head gasket. The contact stated that the friend used an odb scanner and retrieved dtc: p1326. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 20v746000 (engine); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,558.

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. The tpms warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving around a corner, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact continued depressing the accelerator to the floorboard; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and the engine seized. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with bearing failure. The contact then towed the vehicle to the residence. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,336.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? engine how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I was driving 60 mph down a busy highway when I lost the ability to accelerate—putting myself and others at risk while trying to get off the road to a safe location. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? yes. A mechanic that has been in our area for decades. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem before the failure, and when did they first appear? no.

My car burns through approximately 1qt of oil every 500 miles or less. There is a known oil consumption issue and I have left multiple messages with key Hyundai of milford CT and do not receive a call back. Additionally today I was driving 25mph and my car was reading 4000rpm and then completely locked and shut down I was stuck in the middle of the road.

My vehicle had the following symptoms: 1. Alternating between sluggish acceleration/handling and rough acceleration with the vehicle lurching forward at times 2. Check engine light with error code p00010 3. Occurred frequently over a one month period (5+ times) this was unsafe as the car could not properly accelerate and would lurch forward at intersections. This could easily have led to a crash. We limited driving. This issue was observed at the dealer where I repaired issue. The issue is exactly the same as the issue described in the recall for Hyundai Sonata 2015 under sb-10058136-4434 and was resolved by replacement of the e-cvvt seal as described. This issue is ridiculous for me to deal with and put my family as risk given it a known issue for Hyundai in their other vehicles.

Been fighting with Hyundai for quite sometime to have engine repaired due to excessive oil consumption and other issues no matter what you take it they state it’s normal for you to apparently run out of oil before oil change is due. These engine are pure junk and they go out with any warning whatsoever forcing customers to foot the bill for a new engine. They absolutely do not care. I highly recommend any does not purchase Hyundai or kia. Now that my engine finally went out they expect me to pay over 9000 for a new one when I repeatedly told them my concerns ahead of time trying to avoid this.

Oil consumption issues burning oil no leaks.

The car will randomly lose acceleration and jerk forward. It will make a beeping noise while the hev system warning flashes on the dash. It also says to turn off engine. While the warning is flashing and engine light is on it goes into a limp mode and you have limited acceleration. It has almost caused multiple wrecks when I go to acceleration from turning or at lights in traffic because I cant go over 20-30 mph. I have turned the car on and off and the hev system and engine light turns off and the car continues to work normal. It eventually comes back on and does the same loss of power/hev warning. It will be random and does not matter on how fast you are going to trigger the warning lights and loss of power.

The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while reversing, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, and engine oil was added to the engine. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA campaign number: 20v746000 (engine). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an oil consumption test was performed, and it was determined that additional testing was needed, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

The vehicle is consuming oil because it’s burning it. The mechanic changes my oil and the same day the oil turns black. I have to constantly check the oil gauge and top up the oil when low. Unsure of the damage this might be doing to the motor.

I was driving a 2016 Hyundai Sonata on a mountain highway and it started to run rough and lose power dramatically when accelerating. A dangerous situation on a steep curvy highway that has many one lane sections. Shortly thereafter a dash light came on. There was no warnings or dash lights or symptoms prior to this incident. I took the vehicle to a mechanic and ran the code. It said there was a misfire in cylinder 3. Replaced the ignition coil and spark plug for cylinder 3 and it did not fix the problem. The mechanic then pulled the motor to check the valves. Valve 3 was burnt, had a hole and stuck open. The car had approximately 75,180 miles. Well within the warranty time frame of 10yrs or 100,000 miles for an original purchaser. The mechanic had the valve machined, and replaced the head gasket and reassembled the the motor. I picked the car up and drove it home. Within 3 days I noticed an oil leak under neath the car where the engine bay is. I took the car back to the mechanic and he diagnosed a hairline crack in the oil pan. After some research I came across a letter from NHTSA on a defect investigation of Hyundai/kia oil drain pan assemblies. This is exactly what happened to my car! I have paid 3500. 00 to fix a car that has less than 76,000 miles. Hyundai needs to do better.

Hyundai motor America (hma) denied my engine replacement claim (PA# [xxx]) under their extended warranty program, specifically campaign txxi. This claim involves my 2016 Hyundai Sonata se 2. 4 , VIN # [xxx] , which exhibits all the symptoms and engine damage outlined in the campaign, yet my request for a free engine replacement has been unjustly denied. Campaign txxi, as explained in the technical service bulletin issued by Hyundai, extends the engine warranty applicable to 2015-2019 model year Sonata (lf) vehicles equipped with theta ii 2. 0l turbo and 2. 4l gdi engines. This warranty covers engine long block repair or replacement due to engine damage or malfunction from connecting rod bearing wear and extends to a limited lifetime warranty, valid for both original and subsequent owners. O on or about [xxx], my vehicle exhibited a blinking check engine light on the dash, entered into limp mode, and a knocking noise was coming from the engine. O as I was driving the vehicle to the Hyundai of north miami service center on [xxx] (21400 NW 2nd av. , miami, FL 33169) for inspection, the engine locked up and stop, necessitating a call to a towing truck company to complete the trip. O upon inspection, the service center identified significant engine damage, including, engine mechanical failure unable to turn on, and recommended that the vehicle require a new engine replacement. O these findings align with the engine damage described under campaign txxi. O despite meeting the campaign criteria, hma denied my claim (PA#xxx) for an engine replacement on 11/22/2024. O hma based its denial to my claim on the review of engine pictures and my inability to provide evidence supporting oil maintenance intervals between 35k- 68k miles, 78k-99k miles, and 142k-163k miles. Hma cited these maintenance gaps as the basis for suspecting engine neglect, some indications of sludge found on the engine, as the reason for the engine failure and subsequent locking. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C.

Vehicle has been repaired due to broken valve. Vehicle was unsafe to drive. Valve burnt at 70 mph. Car threw misfire code p0303 and started shaking. This issue could have caused an accident. Valves were replaced at young Hyundai in ogden utah. Valves were not covered under the lifetime rod bearing recall. Several people have had this failure on the engjne issue group page. I have a photo of the valve. It is missing a chunk of the valve head. That piece was not located during the valve rebuild. The vehicle had 116,000 miles at time of failure and is consuming 1 quart of oil every 500 miles.

Car has been meticulously maintained with the best oil and premium gasoline. The car is only used on the freeway at 60-70 mph. Husband was on his way home and engine light came on. Car started shaking horribly. He had put a fuel injector cleaner in his recent full tank the day before. Drove car to auto zone. Got the code for misfire on cylinder 3. Replaced all spark plugs. Still code. Replaced cylinder 3 coil. Still code. Swapped cylinder 2 coil with 3. Code still on 3. Took it to shop thinking fuel injectors. Car has no compression on cylinder 3. Needs engine. Hyundai has somehow gotten away with not having to replace engines unless they through a rod. This car has the knock update on it. A lot of others are in the same boat as me. Hyundai should be held accountable for faulty engines. It’s not safe to drive an engine with a bad cylinder that shakes violently.

My engine block or engine has a hole in it. All of my oil came out and my vehicle shut off. My brakes as well is not hard when pressed on, so I would have to pump it till it hardened. My safety and others safety was at risk while I was driving because my vehicle was not coming to a complete stop which could have resulted in a serious or fatal accident. As well as my engine block blowing making all the oil in my vehicle leak all on the road while driving on a busy road. Yes the problem has been confirmed but I was told that my car does not fall under the cars listed with the same issue on the recall list. No it has not been inspected by the manufacturer or police or insurance rep because I am being told I have to pay out of pocket and I am not able to afford the prices being told to me for an issue that I have not caused. There were no warning lamps or anything prior to this incident. I have went to many different mechanics for a diagnostic for my vehicle but they all say my vehicle is fine or they do not know what I am talking about.

Car keep stalling misfire just started muffler sound smoke lack of power when driving.

My car experiences issues around acceleration. It often feels like it gets “stuck” or hesitates when I try to accelerate from a stop (ex. A stoplight) or low speed or when I try to merge onto the highway. At times I have not been able to merge onto the highway at a safe speed because my acceleration gets stuck/lags at a low mph (ex. 35 mph onto a 70 mph highway). My car also excessively consumes oil. I started noticing the excessive oil consumption around 115k miles. My oil lamp does not illuminate when low on oil in nearly all cases I have been low on oil. It has only come on once (did not remain on) and oil was not present on the dipstick. I am 687 miles into my current 1,000-mile oil consumption test and have had to top off my oil twice. I started the test because my oil light flashed and oil was not present on the dipstick. The engine light came on 312 miles into the consumption test. I got a diagnostic code from autozone and relayed the diagnostic code to the dealership. The dealership said the code was related to low oil and to fill up with oil and bring the car to the dealership. I filled it with oil and drove the car to luke’s auto for an independent inspection. Their inspection found that the check engine light was from a failed e-cvvt and additional wear was present. I asked if this could be caused by oil consumption issues and they confirmed the possibility. Just over 300 miles from that incident, I checked my oil and it was once again low. I am deeply concerned about the safety of my vehicle due to it's stalling and indicators of potentially seizing. I have had near collisions on the highway due to my vehicle getting "stuck" while accelerating and unable to enter the highway at a safe speed. I am concerned about the consequences of lack of oil and failure of my oil lamp to illuminate to indicate no oil such as my engine seizing or catching fire. I have reported these concerns to the dealership since 1/2/23 and have reported my concerns to hma.

My car currently has 93000 miles. Since I’ve had 76000 miles, I cannot make it to an oil change without my engine almost running out of oil. My maintenance is always done on time, especially considering I can’t even drive 3000 miles (out of my 5000 mile synthetic oil change life) without my oil light coming on and oil below dipstick. I have taken the car in multiple times, performed multiple engine oil consumption tests and even though my engine is burning a whole quart of oil every 1000 miles, they refuse to replace my engine. I even have an extended warranty through Hyundai so I don’t understand why a defective engine under warranty that literally can’t even drive a whole oil change cycle without running out of oil wouldn’t be replaced by the factory. Please help I’m afraid to take long trips because what if the engine runs out of oil?.