2012 Hyundai Sonata transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 14V434000Jul 18, 2014883,000 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

  Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, through May 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable may detach from from the shift lever pin.

  Risk: If the transmission shift cable detaches, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver parks the vehicle, despite selecting the 'PARK' position, the transmission may not be in 'PARK.' If the vehicle is not in the 'PARK' position and the parking brake is not applied, there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

  Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, repair the connection between the shift cable and shift lever, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 123.

What owners say

1. Filed Jun 16, 2026VAAirbagsEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   Knock sensor needs to be replaced upon evaluation of an inspection on March 27, 2026. It failed a mission codes and upon my understanding the knock sensor one circuit range performance pink wonder single sensor is an engine failure as well as I did an ODB test myself on May 19 of 2026 for the Knox sensor as well and the check engine dominator reading at 2111 the the code indicated that bank one Knox and electrical circuit was out of it upper range or had it perform problem…

   NHTSA complaint #11744374 · source
2. Filed Aug 9, 2024HIFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11607636 · source
3. Filed Jul 19, 2024SCEngineAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11603406 · source
4. Filed Jun 13, 2024ILTransmission & Drivetrain

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11594132 · source
5. Filed May 3, 2024TNEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   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.

   NHTSA complaint #11586877 · source
6. Filed Apr 22, 2024112,000 miNHCrash2 injuredTransmission & Drivetrain

   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. After opening the front passenger-side door, the vehicle erroneously rolled backward 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…

   NHTSA complaint #11584511 · source
7. Filed Oct 12, 2023TXElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11549652 · source
8. Filed Sep 27, 2023ILFireElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11546769 · source
9. Filed Aug 28, 2023100,300 miNJSteeringTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle downshifted unintendedly and decelerated. The contact stated that she shifted into neutral(N). The contact pulled over to the side of the road and remained there for several minutes. 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…

   NHTSA complaint #11541266 · source
10. Filed Aug 15, 2023170,000 miTXTransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the contact attempted to shift into gear, but the transmission failed to shift as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pressed the release button and the transmission shifted; however, the vehicle was driving abnormally. An independent mechanic was contacted and stated that the vehicle might be experiencing the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number:…

    NHTSA complaint #11538738 · source
11. Filed Aug 4, 2023NVElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

    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…

    NHTSA complaint #11536479 · source
12. Filed Jun 20, 2023TNEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

    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

    NHTSA complaint #11527825 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology