Exterior Lighting Problems of Hyundai Sonata - part 1

. Car is using or burning alot of oil. After oil change. It went 2800 miles on the oil change and the cars oil light come on. Checked oil and nothing on the dip stick. Headlights randomly shut off at night. Had the wiring checked and didnt find any issues.

See all problems of the 2017 Hyundai Sonata 🔎.

Back up lights. The lights constantly burn out causing the harness light holder to burn out. The lights will not come on even after replacing fuse and lights there are not back lights to warn patrons on the road for turning or stopping yes it was taken to a dealership no it has not been inspected my either , but there is a recall on models of the same car but years 2011-2014 no there were no warnings , someone told me they were out.

See all problems of the 2018 Hyundai Sonata 🔎.

Check engine light keeps coming on got it looked at , certain parts replaced & it’s still on something to do with the air filter.

Engine light is blinking and put safety of my family in danger. I called the close huyndai dealer also I have a case number. However, it takes forever for them to answer. I only have this car. I am driver and this how I make living. I have no choice in driving this recall vehicle and kill my self and my family. No body care!.

See all problems of the 2014 Hyundai Sonata 🔎.

My lights come on when the car is parked and the engine is off,mostly during the night its happened twice in 2months.

See all problems of the 2015 Hyundai Sonata 🔎.

I keep having both my low beam headlight bulbs burning out and one of them started catching on fire. The driver side caught some type of electrical issue causing it to start smoking and eventually melted the connector and lightbulb housing.

The automatic high beams feature seems to work through the camera by the rearview mirror. But the issue is when this camera is blocked, all of the safety systems that use the camera will be disabled as they normally will be since the camera cannot see, but the automatic high beams function will still stay on, the indicator light for it will be green meaning that the system is operating normally. As a result of this, the automatic high beam system keeps the high beams on at all times because it thinks that it is dark enough because it doesn’t see any light through the camera. This could potentially increase the risk of a crash because the driver may not realize that the high beams are not turning off when approaching another vehicle or when a vehicle is coming the opposite direction, which can blind other drivers on the road. This needs a recall to resolve this problem.

See all problems of the 2024 Hyundai Sonata 🔎.

The tail lights won’t stay on even with new bulbs in it. This was a recall and the recall disappeared. This is not safe for my car to be missing a tail light every night. Please help.

See all problems of the 2013 Hyundai Sonata 🔎.

When driving early in the morning while it was still dark outside, the car had what seemed to have been a sudden loss of electrical power. The audio for the radio cut off, then the screen for the radio and speedometer went blank, and the headlights also went out. This all lasted for a couple seconds when this happened and then everything came back on fine. I normally would think that this is a defective alternator which it probably is and would be covered under warranty, but after researching this problem I found out that it is a common issue with the 2024 Sonata. I feel that this warrants a safety recall which I seriously doubt will happen but it needs to. If it causes problems with headlights shutting off at night then this is a safety issue. Who knows what will happen if the headlights shut off on you at night and you couldn’t see where you were going because of it?.

Brake lights become hot enough to melt through housing, hanging loose in the trunk where they can damage wiring and further burn through taillight housing. There was no warning, uncertain how long issue has been ongoing as I only noticed when a light went entirely out. Vehicle has not been inspected since engine replacement under previous recall. Will be available for any inspection on request. This problem has occurred on both the left and right taillight assemblies.

The turn signal stem assembly randomly begins failing after several years (approx 5 years). Issues will be noticed while driving in the dark. When turn signal is applied in both directions, occasionally headlights will turn off or flash causing interior lighting to change to brighter daylight settings at the same time. This can be disorienting for the driver as well as others on the road. To remedy the incorrect lighting situation, the driver needs to jiggle the turn signal stem assembly and normal lighting will resume. At subsequent turns, the entire situation repeats itself. Other drivers may believe they are being alerted to something or potentially angered, causing misunderstandings or altercations on the road. My original turn signal stem assembly was replaced after about 5 years due to this series of events. Now, after approximately 5 more years, the exact same symptoms have begun again with the authentic Hyundai oem replacement parts.

When headlights are on auto they can spontaneously turn off. This is accompanied by the headlight selector display in the middle of the instrument panel changing to the parking light symbol. The lights typically switch back to auto and come back on within a few seconds but it can be longer. Most often, but not always this seems to be associated with using the turn signal and being in the middle of a 90 turn. However it has happened at other times as well. Losing headlights and visibility while driving at night, particularly while turning is a hazard. Two dealerships have said they cannot reproduce the problem. It has been going on for multiple years. However is primarily a problem when it starts getting dark early. The issue can be avoided by leaving the lights in the on position all the time.

There is no lights at all on the brake lights but the brake light in the back window stays on all the time the dim head light only lets one side work.

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.

See all problems of the 2012 Hyundai Sonata 🔎.

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 steering wheel makes clicking and grinding noise. Steering wheel coupling may be broken. And sometimes head and interior lights turn on and off when I make turns.

I have been driving at night about 3 times now and my headlights have gone off on their own and come back on after about 10 seconds. This has happened on countless other Hyundai drivers vehicles and needs to be investigated.

Electrical system going out only at night because headlights and inside lights are turning off for a few seconds only while driving at night this has happened multiple times since August and is becoming a safety concern while driving at night it's a safety concern because this has happened incoming traffic on roads and highways. The vehicle hasn't been inspected by dealership I tried calling to get an appointment but was told there is a fee and if something electrical a may have a cost per hour to inspect. No warning lights are turning on prior to headlights and inside lights going out. During the day no issues with vehicle. I've read a few online posts from other owners with same issue.

The wrong turn signal lights up. I know there is a recall for this but my vehicle does not come up when I search for affected vehicles.

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 purchased a new 2024 Hyundai Sonata hybrid limited in may 2024. At about 3500 miles I noticed the low-beam headlights did not adequately illuminate the road. When driving at night, the low-beams don't illuminate the road signs nor do they adequately have any vertical illumination. When pedestrians are walking on the roadway, the low-beams barley light the calf of a person's leg, but there's no indication of the persons body being illuminated. Using the hi-beams, these problems are somewhat resolved. The roadways are better lit, the road signs are better lit and pedestrians are a little more illuminated. I've addressed this with Hyundai, and while there's screw(s) to vertically align the headlamps higher, it seems they are adjusted all the way to the top position. Even if the headlamps could be adjusted vertically, because the headlamps are so recessed under the hood, the hood cuts off any possibility for lights to vertically illuminate people. In my opinion, this is a serious safety issue that's caused by a design flaw and the nthsa should seriously considering deeming this vehicle unfit for road use at night.

The brake lights fail with no warning. Bulb replacement used to work. Since ownership at +70,000 miles, I have had to replace one or both of the tail light sections as they melted. The lighting harness has been changed multiple times. In January 2024 Hyundai issued a warranty extension to 15years/200,000miles. There is no date on the letter. When I tried to get my car serviced there were charges for testing to ensure that this was the problem and it was difficult to find someone to service the car in a timely manner. The police continue to issue me tickets for no rear brake lights. The dealer who finally serviced the car indicated that the warranty was void as the replacement parts were not Hyundai parts. Servicing the car was well after the original warranty was already over, so why would you worry about warranty claims for original parts. They claim that they cannot diagnosis the problem without original parts. Hyundai corporate customer service was no help in this matter, but they did apologize for the problem. Can't drive a car without tail lights and paying 850 for the repair is one month of my disability check.

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.

My vehicle is missing it's third brake light. We have confirmed that it was forgotten during manufacturing. The dealer won't cover it. They say call corporate. Corporate says dealer has to fix it. In the mean time I'm pulled over for improper equipment, and brake light being out. It's a serious safety issue, covered by federal law. They quoted over $1000 to have it fixed at my expense.

See all problems of the 2020 Hyundai Sonata 🔎.

The electrical has been an issue for this vehicle. The head and tail lights continuously go out. Sometimes they work, and other times they do not. Since the lights have been an issue, the electrical issue is also now inside the vehicle. The radio and other controls in the vehicle do not work any longer, as well as the lights in the radio, air conditioning, and other controls inside the vehicle. The steering wheel is also loose now and jiggles when driving the vehicle. There have been no warning lamps about these issues, and I had an auto shop confirm that there are electrical and steering issues. I did receive a letter about a recall for electrical for the year, type, and model of my car, however, the dealership said that my VIN number is not associated with the recall and will not fix the issues.

The contact owns a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. The contact had been pulled over by authorities on three separate occasions due to inoperable rear taillights. The contact stated that the interior housing unit for both the left and right rear taillights had begun to melt which caused the defect. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was initially informed that the vehicle would be serviced under warranty; however, the contact was recently informed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The vehicle had yet to be serviced. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

The headlights are stating headlight low and triangle with a exclamation ?? appears.

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.

Instrument cluster lighting is too bright even on lowest setting. Combined with poor side visibility from headlamps it is easy to hit object or pedestrians when turning on unlit areas. Have run over a curb three times and damaged two wheels because they can't be seen from the overly bright instrument lighting at night.

See all problems of the 2023 Hyundai Sonata 🔎.

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.

I was gifted the car for graduation and immediately my brakes weren’t working right my interior electrical stopped working and my window switches stopped working as well as my lights for my car all went out including the brake lights changing the bulbs didn’t help and my check engine light stays on at all times.

See all problems of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata 🔎.

To whom it may concern, subject: formal complaint – 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS tail light meltdown / fire hazard date: August 3, 2025 I am writing to formally report a serious safety issue with my 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS, specifically concerning the tail light assembly, which has melted and poses a potential fire hazard and traffic safety risk. Approximately a year and a half ago, I noticed melting in the tail light housing and took the vehicle to a Hyundai dealership to address the issue. At that time, the car had approximately 208,000 miles. Despite the obvious manufacturing defect and safety implications, the dealership refused to repair or inspect the issue without charging a $275 inspection fee, stating the vehicle was out of warranty. I believe this to be an unfair and irresponsible business practice. Tail light assemblies should not melt under normal use, and such a defect could lead electrical fires brake light failure (increasing the risk of rear-end collisions) potential traffic citations for inoperative brake lights damage to other vehicles or individuals I have already notified Hyundai motor corporation about this issue, placing them on notice that should any damages or incidents occur as a result of this defect, they may be held liable. This is not a minor cosmetic issue but a major safety defect, and I strongly urge the NHTSA to investigate whether this is an isolated issue or part of a wider trend affecting Hyundai and kia vehicles. If so, a safety recall may be warranted. I also intend to report this situation to the indiana attorney general's office as a matter of consumer protection and product safety. I have been backwards and forwards with the Hyundai corporation via and emails. . . . . . I look forward to a prompt response. Please!.

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that both headlights would shine dim while driving at night without warning. The dealer was called and the contact was given a diagnostic fee to have the vehicle inspected. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the defect was a manufacturer defect that only the manufacturer could resolve. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

When using the turn signals, either way, the headlights cut off. Sometimes they flicker back on and sometimes they stay off.