52 complaints reported

2012 Hyundai Sonata UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
52
Crashes
2
Fires
3
Injuries
1

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Oct 2025

No incident to report. Vehicle not regularly driven in about 5 years, other than to keep battery charged. But charge not hold. Have to charge battery again the next day. This is to reporting a crack in the passenger side dashboard where airbag is located.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2025
Apr 2025

The vehicle dashboard is severely cracked. It doesn’t appear to be from wear and tear.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Mar 2025
Apr 2025

Car went complete stall after a warning light came off “Hybrid System Warning - Check Brakes” I am completely braked, but when I slowly releasing the brake pedal, there’s was a loud grinding noice and the wheels wouldn’t go forward at all, so I have to step on the brake again . I got stuck IN THE MIDDLE of the road and couldn’t park on the right curb since the car randomly got stalled completely. It took almost 40mins for the warning issue to go away and the car went back to normal. However, IT’S COMPLETELY A SAFETY ISSUE for the car to randomly stall in the middle of driving! I could be driving to fast traffic on a freeway or wide street where accidents can occur since I couldn’t even drive it a bit to park on the curb. On top of this - I occasionally get “hybrid system warning” whenever I am in the middle of driving and I always have to pull over and wait at least half an hour for it to go away, it’s been happening for few years now, and tonight was the most dangerous one so far!!! Please make Hyundai do a recall on the hybrid battery diagnose or replacement

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Mar 2025
Jan 2025

We received a recall letter for 198 and 251. We called and made the appointment for September 9, 2024. We took the car at Five Star Hyundai of Macon. 3010 Riverside DR. Macon, GA 31210. Phone: (478) 309-8308. We called in October to check on our vehicle status, so they are still working on it. We called back again because they didn't communicate well with customers and told us the car was ready. We went to the dealership to pick the car and when we got in the car to leave, without doing anything, the brake light came on and didn't move. We were never able to go because of this. The mechanic came and took the car and said let me check. He took the car for a short ride and said we need it to keep it. Then, they called tell us that the car needed a brake module and that would cost us 6700 dollars. I said that is unacceptable because the car worked fine when we took it to you for a free recall. They reduced the price to 3000 dollars and our car is still with them. We want our car fixed and running but this is not the way it should have to be. Our car is still in Macon at 5- star Hyundai. Few more days and we will 5 months without car. They never provide another vehicle. This has put us on a hardship because my husband goes to work early, then comeback and pick me up and take me to work then, he has to picked me up too. We have called the corporate office and have received a case number. The only communication that exists is between the corporate offices of Hyundai and us. The dealer will not return calls or texts. We haven't got any updates recently. They only thing we got told on Christmas time it was we must bring a check or a card to be able to pay. We have been paying insurance on that vehicle for what? If we haven't be able to drive. We are frustrated. We live about 95 miles away from the dealership and we can't check on our vehicle that easy. You don't know how much we regret this and how we really going to know if they are doing a good job or not.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Sep 2024
Nov 2024

Active air lap warning. Active air flap malfunction.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Nov 2024
Jun 2024

Vehicle’s dash panel just started cracking three years ago for no apparent reason. By the day the cracks continue. My concern is over time the cracks will become so bad the air bag will deploy prematurely causing injury. This is a known issue in Hyundai Sonata from 2011-2014. This is not due to extreme heat. This is a defect and should be addressed before someone gets seriously hurt.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Mar 2021
Jan 2024

When driving (at any speed) car error message comes up that says "Hybryd system warning safely stop and do not drive" then when that light goes out a new warning comes up that says "check brake" at this time the car will slow itself down until the car stops completely - even if you have your foot all the way on the gas pedal. There's no pattern to when it happens, it can happen on any drive at any time. When this happens all I can do is turn the car off and wait to restart car to keep driving. The front brakes have replaced, the back brakes and rotors have been replaced and the brake pump was replaced but, the problem persists. Primarily this is a safety issue if I'm on the highway, or anywhere I can't really pull over. A perfect example of this is on 8/31/2024 my son received a warning citation for "Improper Stopping" the remarks on the citation say " was parked on side of roadway due to car not wanting to accelerate but, could not move outside of the roadway". Basically the car slowed down but, completely shut down in an area that wasn't safe to be parked or sitting. It's dangerous for me and any other driver on the road that's behind me or on either side of me. After researching online it seems this is a common issue that Hyundai has not figured out yet. Other consumers have spent thousands on repairs thru Hyundai and still have not resolved the issue. Please help me figure this out.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2024
Sep 2023

My car was stolen it is Hyundai sonata 2012 although anti software has been upgraded . It is been 10 days since then my car was not recovered.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2023
Sep 2023

The vehicle have shift control problem, it jerks hard when put into drive or reverse, also when going up a small hill it feels like the vehicle hangs in between changing from electric to gas. Also there is always a warning that comes on saying " Hybrid System Warning Safety Stop and Do not Drive". The car stops when driving, which makes it dangerous. Took it to two dealership in MCkinney and Irving and they could not fix the problem but rather charge me for diagnosis. All they say is buy new transmission. I called Hyundai for help and all they tell me is that there is no recall on 2012 hybrid model. Its frustrating because thats the only vehicle that i used for work. Need help. Thanks

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2023
Dec 2022

Dash board has been completely cracked. I’m scared the airbags are effected by it or will deploy unexpectedly there are other people with the same issue. There has been no damage or accidents with this vehicle

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2022
Nov 2022

Loss of power, while trying to accelerate, troubleshot and it was caused by a worn brake stopper after replacing the brake stopper vehicle retained the loss of power and unable to drive past 37 mph. Possible ECM problem as vehicle is not throwing any DTC.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2021
Aug 2022

Received a warning message saying pull over safely do not drive this vehicle in the middle of the road as I'm driving all the warning lights on the dash came on . The car jerked Then the car died

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Sep 2022
Jun 2022 Fire Injury

There were no warnings or indicators of a problem. My husband was driving down the highway when he noticed smoke coming from under the hood. He pulled over, but the car was already on fire. The fire department put out the fire, and the car is likely to be totaled by insurance. The car is currently available for inspection but will be taken into possession by insurance soon.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jun 2022
May 2022

The car was running and just stopped working in the middle of the highway the warning lights came out and i couldn't be able to start the car since that day .

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: May 2022
Feb 2022

When driving at higher speeds 50+mph, hybrid battery warning flashes, alarm beeps, warning states to safely pull over and stop. Warning goes away after turning the car on and off a few times. Dealer states they can not duplicate problem and can not diagnose. Have visited Dealer twice now with she results

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2022
Jan 2022

About a year ago, my 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid had an error with an alarm that would pop up on the screen but was too fast to catch what it said. It would happen a couple of times a month. One day, I was driving about 60 mph and the alarm came on, the car stalled and it said to not drive the car. I was able to roll to a stop on the side of the road. I turned off the car and had it towed to my house. In looking at it, I turned it on and everything seemed fine. This happened another time about a month later. The second time, I just turned off the car, let it sit for a minute and turned it back on. I took it into a dealer and they said they couldn't figure it out and to bring it back if it kept happening. It hasn't had a problem since then until this morning. Here, nearly a year later, I was in the middle of a busy intersection and it gave the error and alarm and the car stalled. I turned it off, let it sit for a few seconds and then turned it back on and backed up. Fortunately, the cars coming at me noticed I couldn't move and stopped! I would pay to have this fixed if they knew what was going on! Everything I see online about this issue, no one knows what is causing it. I wouldn't feel comfortable selling it to someone else knowing this is such a safety issue. It's just a pile of metal at this point.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2022
Jan 2022

After recall repairs at Hyundai dealer in Danbury CT during the past few years, the engine light remains on or comes back on the next time the car is driven. Never had issue before these recall repairs. The car has been returned countless times to dealer to correct repairs and never successful. After multiple incidents of losing engine power and having to pull off highway i retuned to dealer again where they claimed fuel tank and fuel pump needed replacement for nearly $3,000 but never said if this was related to the ongoing recall repair issues or the engine coming on. I had another garage smoke test system and confirm gas tank didn’t need replacement. Error codes are related to recall parts in Hyundai TSBs for recall and other issues. Hyundai dealer and corporate HQ level consumer affairs remain unable or unwillingly ensure repairs are done correctly. All I want is the vehicle to be safe for family use.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2022
Dec 2021

It began in 2020; the 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid I've been driving started having issues with the hybrid system. At the time, the car was still under warranty. I took it in multiple times to AutoNation Hyundai in North Richland Hills, TX, because I kept getting the error message "Hybrid System Warning! Safely Stop and Do Not Drive", the car battery would become depleted, and the car would stop. My husband and I would take the vehicle multiple times to the service center at AutoNation Hyundai in North Richland Hills, TX, and nothing was done because, according to their staff, the error could not be duplicated. At one point, they kept it for almost a month, barely driven (we looked at the mileage on the car) before it was returned with no work done on the vehicle. Last June 2021, on a drive to Dallas to take my daughter to her volunteer program at the Dallas Zoo, the car stopped in the middle of the highway for the same problem. I called AutoNation Hyundai in North Richland Hills, and they could not see the vehicle in a timely manner and would not give me a loaner while they had the car in the shop. At that time, I wanted them to check the vehicle's issue and the recall issue that seemed like we were experiencing with the car; it was the only car I had to use to get to and from work and drive my daughter to her obligations, and they could not see it promptly and would not issue me a loaner vehicle. I ended up taking the car to Hiley Hyundai of Fort Worth; they supposedly found a faulty sensor and repaired it, checked it for a recall, and couldn't find the issue at that time. Last night, my car flashed the same error and lost all power. I was on I-35W North with my daughter at the time. I had the vehicle towed after hours to AutoNation Hyundai and called this morning to follow up. I spoke with someone at service, and they told me they could not look at the car until about mid-January and would not be able to give me a loaner in the interim. I tried to explain to the

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2021
Oct 2021

Bluetooth cuts out on vehicle and volume shuts off completely on stereo. Without the bluetooth and volume functioning on the vehicle, I no longer have handsfree capability. It endangers my safety (and others) and then becomes a legal violation for me to answer my phone while driving. I have taken it to a dealership and they have been able to reproduce the problem. The only solution they provided me was to replace the whole head unit for the exact same system that has this known bluetooth/volume issue. On forums that I've read it's stated that this is a software/firmware update that resolves this issue, but the dealership says they know nothing about it nor does Hyundai national. Other dealerships in the country have installed the software update to fix the issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Feb 2021
Oct 2021

UNKNOWN. I purchased this vehicle and found it had an open recall and would like it checked out.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jun 2021
Sep 2021

I am a 74-year-old widowed, retired Federal Government worker. I purchased a 2012 Hyundai Sonata in October 2011. This was supposed to be my retirement car. I bought it new from Torrance Hyundai. This car has been a problem from day one. I have a lengthy list of problems. It has only 54,000 miles and will be 10 years old next year. Some of the problems are the gas meter does not work (I don't how much gas I have in my car. For a senior citizen that is not good. My windows button does not work, and my voice control and Bluetooth does not work (it was replaced once) I have a ticking when I turn my car. (Dealer said it would cost $2000. to fix. (it was fixed once) I have an oil leak that a Mechanic told me to take it back to the dealer, it should be covered. (It is not) My dashboard is cracked. (not cover). I have had two Hyundais. The hatchback (one of the first in the USA) and worked fine, and another Sonata in the '90s. I loved them both. Before my favorite was the Toyota, now since this car has all these problems and is paid off. I will never buy a Hyundai again. I looking to buy a small SUV and it will not be a Hyundai. I am ready to tell the media and everyone that would listen about this car and the problems I have had from day one. I have a list of service orders on some of these problems. I was once a loyal Hyundai owner, but now I cannot give my praise to this car or this company. I have a limited income and now I must go back into debt because of your piece of junk. Thank you for making my senior years enjoyable. I like to put this out to the media for all to know of how you treat your customers that have been loyal. I complained about this with Hyundai customer service and received a case number and told to make appointment for them to check the car. But, they didn't tell me it would cost $169.00. It is unsafe to drive cracks in your dashboard where the airbags are located and for a senior to worry about the amount of gas she has.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Sep 2021
Jul 2021

Brake and tail light continues to burn out. I have replaced bulbs and entire assembly every couple weeks and t melts thei units as well as my engine stalls out and will not accelerate and does this intermittently. This puts me at risk of one of my lights catching fire or a crash due to my engine losing power on the freeway when I turn my lights on

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jul 2021
Jul 2021

Rear brake lights stay on even when the engine has been turned off

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jul 2021
Jun 2021

While driving on 285 @ 60 mph the car begins alarming with a hazard light indicating emergency braking system failure then the car looses complete braking capabilities and power to drive, all while I am in front of an 18 wheeler. I have practically no control over the stirring wheel as the car has completely lost all power all I could do is throw on my hazard lights and pray that the truck sees me then I begin to coast off to the side of the highway. In 2019 the engine seized up and did the exact same thing lost total power on the highway, the engine was replaced in 2019. In 2020 the transmission was causing problems and was replaced as well, this vehicle is a death trap and I truly fear for mines and my child’s life when driving it. I have never ever really feel safe in this car after my engine failure it left with in total paranoia with it loosing total power and leaving me without control to get out the way of on coming traffic thank goodness the trucker behind me noticed I was in distress and I was able to coast off to the side. I have googled and seen that there has been many others who have had this exact same problem with the braking system. Hyundai needs to recall these vehicles for this braking problems so no has to loose there lives behind it. Please please, please help me and the others that have these issues to get this matter resolved. Every since I have gotten this car it has had nothing but major issues in my eyes it should be deemed a lemon. Please advise

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jun 2021
May 2021

THE PARKING AND BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT TURN OFF WHEN I TURN OFF MY CAR. THIS IS RESULTING IN THE BATTERY DYING CONSTANTLY AND I AM NOT ABLE TO LOCK OR SECURE MY CAR.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: May 2021

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2012 Hyundai Sonata has 52 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.