Hyundai Sonata 2020–2025 problems by year and mileage
8th generation (DN8)
NHTSA data through 24 September 2026678 complaints, 120 with mileageMethod
A DO NOT DRIVE recall covers part of this generation — check the VIN before driving it home.
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2020 Hyundai Sonata
Close- Median failure report
- 3,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 194
- Recalls naming this year
- 4
Most reported on the 2020
- Electrical system46 reports
- Fuel and propulsion system46 reports
- Engine39 reports
4 recall campaigns name the 2020: Fuel system, gasoline; Latches/locks/linkages — trunk lid; Electrical system — software. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2021 Hyundai Sonata
Close- Median failure report
- too few reports to time
- Complaints filed
- 188
- Recalls naming this year
- 4
Most reported on the 2021
- Engine55 reports
- Electrical system42 reports
- Problems owners could not categorise39 reports
4 recall campaigns name the 2021: Fuel system, gasoline; Power train — automatic transmission; Visibility — windshield. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2022 Hyundai Sonata
Close- Median failure report
- too few reports to time
- Complaints filed
- 112
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
Most reported on the 2022
- Electrical system27 reports
- Engine27 reports
- Fuel and propulsion system26 reports
3 recall campaigns name the 2022: Fuel system, gasoline; Power train — automatic transmission; Fuel system, gasoline — delivery. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2023 Hyundai Sonata
Close- Median failure report
- too few reports to time
- Complaints filed
- 102
- Recalls naming this year
- 2
Most reported on the 2023
- Fuel and propulsion system40 reports
- Engine35 reports
- Transmission and driveline19 reports
2 recall campaigns name the 2023: Fuel system, gasoline; Power train — automatic transmission. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2024 Hyundai Sonata
Close- Median failure report
- too few reports to time
- Complaints filed
- 55
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2024
- Electrical system19 reports
- Problems owners could not categorise10 reports
- Forward collision avoidance8 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2024: Exterior lighting — brake lights. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2025 Hyundai Sonata
Close- Median failure report
- too few reports to time
- Complaints filed
- 27
- Recalls naming this year
- 0
Most reported on the 2025
- Problems owners could not categorise6 reports
- Electrical system5 reports
- Brakes5 reports
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. 5 of these years carry fewer than 30 reports with an odometer reading and show no median at all, rather than one computed from a handful.
The short answer
“Is the 2020–2025 Hyundai Sonata reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 16,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 89,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 120
- Recalls
- 9
At least 40% of this generation’s complaints were filed after 2020, and most complaints filed since then carry no odometer reading, so the median likely understates the mileage these failures happen at.
Most reported
- Engine23.9% of complaints · median 15,000 mi
- Electrical system22.4% of complaints · median 17,000 mi
- Fuel and propulsion system20.8% of complaints
Owners filed 678 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020–2025 Hyundai Sonata; the engine leads with 23.9% of them, and half of the 120 that record an odometer reading came by 16,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
44% of complaints that record mileage fall within the first 12,000 miles, against 0.6 reports per 1,000 miles between 20,000 and 80,000. On a generation this new that is expected: few examples have been driven further yet, so the timing says little about design or wear so far.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2020–2025 Hyundai Sonata last?
The newest model years (2024–2025) are too young to have reached high mileage; most reports with an odometer reading come from the earlier years of the generation.
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 2020–2025 Hyundai Sonata, half of the 120 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 16,000 miles and 90% by 89,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Hyundai Sonata 2020–2025 · 120 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 20,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 65 complaints.
- First 12,000 miles — 44% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 10%
- 500
- 25%
- 1,600
- Median
- 16,000
- 75%
- 50,200
- 90%
- 89,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20,000 | 65 | 54.2% |
| 20,000–40,000 | 15 | 12.5% |
| 40,000–60,000 | 14 | 11.7% |
| 60,000–80,000 | 8 | 6.7% |
| 80,000–100,000 | 10 | 8.3% |
| 100,000–120,000 | 4 | 3.3% |
| 120,000–140,000 | 2 | 1.7% |
| 140,000–160,000 | 2 | 1.7% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Common Sonata problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Hyundai Sonata 2020–2025
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Body structure36 reports1,500520–47,000Body structure: 36 reports, median 1,500 miles, middle half 520 to 47,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline107 reports15,0002,000–21,000Transmission and driveline: 107 reports, median 15,000 miles, middle half 2,000 to 21,000 miles.
- Engine162 reports15,0002,500–47,000Engine: 162 reports, median 15,000 miles, middle half 2,500 to 47,000 miles.
- Electrical system152 reports17,0002,000–27,000Electrical system: 152 reports, median 17,000 miles, middle half 2,000 to 27,000 miles.
- Fuel system38 reports75,00050,000–92,000Fuel system: 38 reports, median 75,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 92,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 162 | 23.9% | 15,000 | 2,500–47,000 |
| Electrical system | 152 | 22.4% | 17,000 | 2,000–27,000 |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 141 | 20.8% | — | — |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 109 | 16.1% | — | — |
| Transmission and driveline | 107 | 15.8% | 15,000 | 2,000–21,000 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 53 | 7.8% | — | — |
| Fuel system | 38 | 5.6% | 75,000 | 50,000–92,000 |
| Body structure | 36 | 5.3% | 1,500 | 520–47,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 36 | 5.3% | — | — |
| Brakes | 23 | 3.4% | — | — |
System by system, in words
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 16,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 23.9% of complaints (162 reports, 22 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 15,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,500 and 47,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 22.4% of complaints (152 reports, 12 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 17,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,000 and 27,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 15.8% of complaints (107 reports, 21 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 15,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,000 and 21,000 miles.
The fuel system accounts for 5.6% of complaints (38 reports, 31 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 75,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 50,000 and 92,000 miles.
Body structure accounts for 5.3% of complaints (36 reports, 11 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 1,500 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 520 and 47,000 miles.
Known problems with the 2020–2025 Sonata
Brakes / Electrical 2020–2021
ABS hydraulic control unit can short internally and ignite while parked; subject to recall with an interim instruction to park outdoors.
Anti-Theft 2020–2021
Trims without an engine immobilizer are trivially hot-wired, producing a large theft loss pattern and insurer refusals. Hyundai issued a software countermeasure rather than a recall.
Before you buy a 2020–2025 Sonata: the 3-minute check
Generated from 120 mileage-tagged complaints, 9 recall campaigns, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 9 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check brakes / electrical on 2020–2021 cars. ABS hydraulic control unit can short internally and ignite while parked; subject to recall with an interim instruction to park outdoors.
- Check anti-theft on 2020–2021 cars. Trims without an engine immobilizer are trivially hot-wired, producing a large theft loss pattern and insurer refusals. Hyundai issued a software countermeasure rather than a recall.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer of a newer example: 44% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, and many of these cars have not covered that yet. The early window may still be ahead, so check what the factory warranty still covers and whether any recall on the VIN is open.
On inspection, the engine and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The engine in particular shows a median failure mileage of 15,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Sonata problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi78% below | At 90k mi91% below | At 120k mi97% below | At 150k mi100% below | At 200k mi100% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2,500–47,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 2,000–27,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Transmission and driveline | 2,000–21,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Fuel system | 50,000–92,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Body structure | 520–47,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Hyundai Sonata 2020–2025 · 120 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 78% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 97% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 100% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
2020–2025 Hyundai Sonata recalls (9)
NHTSA records 9 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
1 of these carry a severe advisory — NHTSA's do not drive or park outside warnings, which the agency applies only when it considers the risk immediate. If you own one of these vehicles, that is the first thing to check by VIN.
The campaigns cluster around the fuel system (2), the transmission and driveline (2), the exterior lighting (1). Several campaigns against one area can mean a remedy that did not hold, or separate defects in parts filed under the same heading; the summaries below name each defect.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Nov 2025 · 2020–2023 · Fuel System, GasolineA melted fuel tank can leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Sonata vehicles. A damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, melting the tank.
What can happen. A melted fuel tank can leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
The free fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the check valve. The fuel tank assembly will be inspected for damage and replaced if necessary. Additionally, dealers will inspect and update the engine control unit…
Aug 2024 · 2024 · Exterior LightingFlashing brake lights may cause confusion for other drivers on the road, increasing the risk of a crash.
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Hyundai Sonata vehicles. The software for the brake lights may cause the brake lights to flash and not illuminate properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor…
What can happen. Flashing brake lights may cause confusion for other drivers on the road, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will update the rear brake light software, free of charge. Additionally, Hyundai will release the software update over-the-air (OTA). Owner notification letters were mailed September 12…
Jul 2023 · 2023 · Power Train park outsideAn electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Palisade Tucson, 2023 Sonata, Elantra, and Kona vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump…
What can happen. An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
The free fix. Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner…
Oct 2022 · 2021–2022 · Power TrainLoss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
The defect. Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Sonata, Veloster N, 2022 Santa Cruz, Elantra N, and Kona N vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump…
What can happen. Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification…
Mar 2022 · 2020 · Latches/Locks/LinkagesA person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Sonata and Sonata Hybrid, and 2019 Genesis G70 vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the…
What can happen. A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
The free fix. Dealers will inspect the trunk latch and replace the trunk latch base, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service…
Dec 2021 · 2021 · VisibilityA windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
What can happen. A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The free fix. Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.…
Jul 2021 · 2021–2022 · Fuel System, GasolineA fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe and Sonata vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
What can happen. A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
The free fix. Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at…
Apr 2020 · 2020 · Electrical SystemUnintended vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Nexo and Sonata vehicles. The Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) software may fail to prevent vehicle movement upon detection of an RSPA system malfunction.
What can happen. Unintended vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the RSPA software, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2020. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's…
Feb 2020 · 2020 · EquipmentThe incorrect tire information may mislead the vehicle owner to install the wrong tire size, potentially…
The defect. Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Sonata vehicles produced between October 22, 2019 and February 13, 2020. The tire pressure label inside the driver's door and the owner's manual state an incorrect tire size. As such, these vehicles…
What can happen. The incorrect tire information may mislead the vehicle owner to install the wrong tire size, potentially affecting vehicle handling, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install new label stickers over the tire pressure label and in the owner's manual, free of charge. The recall began April 22, 2020. Owners may contact…
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 678 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 32 (4.7%)
- Fires
- 2
- Injury reports
- 14
- Fatality reports
- 0
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Sonata problems by model year
The 2020 drew the most complaints of this generation, 194, most of them about the electrical system, and the 2025 the fewest, 27. A typical year drew about 107.
The first year of the generation, 2020, drew more complaints than a typical year. A count like this follows how many cars of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as how often they failed, so it is not by itself evidence of a worse year; what each year's reports name, in its card and row, is the useful part.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 194 | 56 | 3,000 | Electrical system (46) | 4 |
| 2021 | 188 | 27 | under 30 reports | Engine (55) | 4 |
| 2022 | 112 | 17 | under 30 reports | Electrical system (27) | 3 |
| 2023 | 102 | 12 | under 30 reports | Fuel and propulsion system (40) | 2 |
| 2024 | 55 | 6 | under 30 reports | Electrical system (19) | 1 |
| 2025 | 27 | 2 | under 30 reports | Problems owners could not categorise (6) | 0 |
What Sonata owners reported
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign: 25V796000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, parts were on back order. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked with an abnormal gasoline odor inside the vehicle. An unknown warning…
2021 · 100,000 miles · Fuel system
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V796000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, while driving 70 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact…
2022 · 140,000 miles · Engine
The contact owns a 2025 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while the accelerator was depressed, the vehicle hesitated, jerked, and failed to accelerate as intended. The failure occurred while driving from a stop and while driving at various speeds, causing the vehicle to decelerate during the failure. While…
2025 · 38,000 miles · Transmission and driveline
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the fuel gauge indicated that the tank was half full. The contact stated that the gauge erroneously indicated that the tank was empty, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the…
2021 · 50,000 miles · Fuel system
Built from 120 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Sonata generations
- Sonata 1999–2005 1,081 reports with mileage, most about body structure
- Sonata 2006–2010 2,431 reports with mileage, most about the airbag system
- Sonata 2011–2014 5,306 reports with mileage, most about the engine
- Sonata 2015–2019 1,431 reports with mileage, most about the engine