2012 Hyundai Sonata Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption, which required the oil reservoir to be refilled after 3-4 weeks. Additionally, there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to Jiffy Lube for a top off, the mechanic would inform the contact that the oil reservoir was empty and needed to be refilled. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
The engine in my Hyundai Sonata (replacement engine VIN [XXX] ) experienced a complete internal failure. The component that failed is the 2.4L Theta II GDI engine, which is known for issues related to metal debris, oil restriction, rod bearing wear, and resulting piston and compression failure. The failed engine is currently at the dealership (Carolina Hyundai) and is available for inspection upon request. My safety was put at risk because the engine lost power unexpectedly, ran extremely rough, and became inoperable. A sudden loss of power while driving could have caused a crash, especially in traffic situations. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealership. They performed a compression test and found all cylinders at extremely low PSI (35–45 psi). The dealer stated the engine cannot perform the required bearing clearance test due to the level of internal damage. Hyundai Corporate initially declined assistance, calling it a piston failure, but the symptoms and damage are consistent with the known Theta II recall issues. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership, and all diagnostic information has been submitted to Hyundai under PA Reference #XXX. Hyundai Corporate has not yet responded to me with a case manager. Before the engine failure, the vehicle had rough running and loss of power, but no warning lights or messages illuminated on the dashboard. Symptoms appeared shortly before the engine became undriveable. Based on the dealer’s findings and the engine’s known defect history, it is my assessment that the failure is related to the same issues described in Hyundai’s Theta II engine recall (Campaign 132). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My 2012 Hyundai Sonata cut off and stopped working! The vehicle locked up in the middle of a main street and would not start back up causing a very unsafe situation. There were no check engine lights on or anything at the time of the incident I immediately had the vehicle towed and inspected it has been determined that the engine is failing! Upon research I found out that these engines have had recalls in the past. Carfax shows that the vehicle has been taken in for routine maintenance and oil changes when needed. I am looking to see if the engine replacement could be covered for this vehicle.
My engine seized on the highway on my way home from work. The service department has been horrid. They lied about who the manager is. They lied about the reason behind not wanting to honor the recall. They are rude - threatened to tow my car today after I waited 6 days to hear back from them about the issue with my car and determination. Was extremely rude. Stated that they were not honoring the recall because there was obvious signs of my engine being tampered with or certain parts on my engine, but could not provide a name of the part or a serial or model number so that this could be verified. I need this addressed immediately.
My 2012 Hyundai Sonata originally had its engine replaced under Hyundai’s recall (NHTSA Recall #17V226000) due to the Theta II GDI engine defect. The replacement engine was installed by the dealership as part of the recall. However, the replacement engine has now failed after only ~50,000 miles, exhibiting the same issues (engine knocking, stalling, and eventual failure). This occurred despite proper maintenance and care. The dealership contacted Hyundai, and I also contacted Hyundai Consumer Affairs directly. Both refused to replace or assist with the failed replacement engine. It is unacceptable that a recall replacement engine would fail so soon and that Hyundai will not stand behind the part they used to correct a safety defect. The issue remains a serious safety concern, especially since engine failure can lead to fire. I request that NHTSA investigate the durability and safety of replacement engines and Hyundai’s refusal to support affected owners when these replacement engines fail prematurely. I have case number with Hyundai 41436693
Vehicle loses power while driving making it unsafe to drive, it can cause an accident in certain conditions like when passing another vehicle or crossing a street. There is a recall for this issue.
Engine suddenly shut off middle of the road while driving and will not restart. No warning lights came on prior to the engine failure. My family safety was put at risk since engine shut off middle of the road and I had to push it to the corner lane. Just imagine if I was on the middle lane on a highway when this happened. Alternator, battery was checked by a mechanic...no issue.
This is the first time I have an engine failure. I drove my car 3 min before merging into the route 1 highway. In approximately 800 feet, my car went haywire, all lights in the dashboard went ON, the steering wheel got stiff, and the car speed dropped off, I almost got rear-ended. I made an effort to pull over to the break lane. The car shut off and I could not get it to start. I opened the hood, a light smoke was coming out of the engine. I left it open to make sure it doesn't get worse. After 10 min, a State trooper stopped by to check on my safety, I informed him that I called the insurance to report the incident and request a tow truck. After the tow truck dropped off my car in front of my house, I called a mechanic to check it, he informed me that the engine is seized.
I bought car octv230th little after month as driving engine failure occurred had towed to dealership and they sent to authorized hyndai dealership for the extended warranty campaign. That garage acknowledged problems with the cars engine stating rod bearing clearance and the engine had to be replaced then charged me denied the extended warranty they initially said would classify for. I couldn't keep up with traffic and was very busy almost cause a crash.
Engine oil level goes low very soon after an oil change less than 1000 miles driven and oil becomes black on dip stick when checking the oil level in between oil changes and there is no noticeable oil leaks. At one point the oil level was below the low level indicator on dip stick.
Engine seized due to extremely low oil despite more than regular oil changes.
While driving on the highway with my two minor children, my vehicle suddenly shut off without warning. I lost power in the middle of traffic, which was extremely dangerous — we were nearly rear-ended and had to coast to the shoulder. The check engine light had been on for some time prior to the incident, but there were no other warning messages. After being towed, the car would not start again, even after attempting to jump-start it. A mechanic inspected it and believes the engine is seized. I later discovered that my 2012 Sonata is equipped with the Theta II engine, which is known for sudden failure due to oil starvation or bearing wear. Although there are no current recalls on my VIN, the symptoms are consistent with the known Theta II engine defect. This situation put me and my children at serious risk, and I believe this failure needs to be addressed as a safety issue.
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle was leaking engine oil. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. Due to the oil leak, the vehicle was left with no oil in the engine, causing the engine to seize. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed the vehicle only had a 60-day warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,761.
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle briefly hesitated before starting. After starting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 137,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed, before the engine seized. The contact stated that unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and attempted to restart the vehicle several times; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed to dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 128,000.
The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving to her residence at unknown speeds, the vehicle suddenly caught fire while making a U-turn. The brakes and emergency brake were inoperable. The seatbelt was inoperable. The driver jumped out of the window. A pedestrian attempted to alert her of the fire. The vehicle exploded after exiting the vehicle. The contact sustained an injury to her leg, but no medical attention was provided. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. There was no report of a crash or airbag deployment. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000. The vehicle was auctioned off by the towing company.
I took the car to the dealer because the codes was reading engine assembly issues. I took it to the dealer and they stated it was the knock sensor and they got it approved to replace it now they saying it's the engine and it was denied. I just got the engine from the dealership in 2020
Oil consumption engine issues
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at 65 MPH, an abnormal knocking noise began to emit from the vehicle as the check engine light appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle began to lose power as the contact's daughter coasted the vehicle into a parking lot. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V568000 (Engine) which was linked to the failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 195,000.
Received Hyundai recall 251 the end of 2023. Car taken to Hyundai dealer in March 2024 and dealer could not make the repairs on the recall. The end of July, the car caught fire (engine fire) when the car was parked for 10 minutes. Car and adjacent structure was destroyed.
connecting rod bearing failed
The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed the low oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
My daughter had her car towed to the Hyundai dealership because of engine failure. Upon inspection we learned that there was a recall on the engine. We had to wait a few weeks so that the dealership could get approval and authorization to replace the engine. Finally after 3 or so weeks we got a courtesy car to drive. After about 4 weeks our car was finally ready to pick up so we took the courtesy car back and picked up our car. After about 4 months or so maybe my daughter went to her friends house one afternoon and her and her friend left in the friends car. They had been gone maybe 10 minutes or so and her friends neighbor called her friend and said that her car was on fire and they had already called the fire department but the car was engulfed in flames and before the fire department could get to it the whole car burnt to the ground. Nothing left but the shell of the car. The fire marshal said that the source of the fire was under the hood. Thats where the fire ignited he said. Luckily no one was injured or hurt. But this is after I had the recall motor put in. It was super scary and very upsetting because no one seems like they want to help us either.
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle shut off. The contact restarted the vehicle, and an abnormal knocking sound was coming from the engine compartment with the check engine warning light illuminated. Despite the vehicle repeated engine shut off failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle to an independent mechanic for service. The vehicle was diagnosed with a rod bearing failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.
Car engine light is flashing
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2012 Hyundai Sonata has 360 Engine complaints on file. 3 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.