264 complaints reported

2017 Hyundai Sonata Engine

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

Reports
264
Crashes
2
Fires
6
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Oct 2026

Manufacturer has refused engine replacement under federal KSDS recall settlement without providing causation proof. Owner has maintenance records. Request NHTSA compliance review.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2025
Aug 2026

My 2017 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid has a permanent and recurring DTC P1326 (Knock signal range/performance) from the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS), indicating potential connecting rod bearing wear in the Nu 2.0L engine. The vehicle enters limp mode (reduced power, limited acceleration/speed) on the highway under load, with hard engine vibration, tinkling/knocking noise from under hood, and significantly reduced MPG. These symptoms create a serious safety risk: sudden loss of power at highway speeds (e.g., 50+ mph) makes it difficult to maintain speed, merge, or avoid hazards, increasing crash risk or stranding in traffic. In rare cases, bearing wear can lead to engine seizure or failure. The problem first appeared summer 2024 at approximately 115,000 miles. The Check Engine Light illuminates (cristmass tree), and limp mode triggers during highway driving. I have an OBD scan showing confirmed, pending, and permanent P1326, plus related hybrid communication codes (U0293, U1004) likely secondary to the protection mode. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times (four visits) by a Hyundai dealer. Each time they scanned the code, performed basic checks, but stated “engine is working normal, no road vibration, nothing” and did not resolve the issue. The code returns immediately after clearing. I replaced the knock sensor, engine mounts, spark plugs, ignition coils myself—did not fix it. Dealers did not perform the full bearing clearance test or follow TSB 22-01-023H (Service Campaign T6G) procedure as required for this known issue (related to Recall 209 and Campaign 966). The component (engine/connecting rod bearings) is still in the vehicle and available for inspection. No police, insurance, or other parties have inspected it beyond the dealer. This matches a widespread known defect in 2011–2019 Sonata Hybrids (bearing wear triggering P1326/limp mode).

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2026
Aug 2026

Manufacturer is refusing recall engine replacement alleging neglect without proof of causation. Vehicle has documented maintenance. Denial appears improper under recall compliance law.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2025
Jun 2026

Car just sputtered and then the engine stopped working in cyclinder 2

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Nov 2024
Apr 2026

My car stayed with up to date oil changes and everything. One day I noticed it was leaking oil and had to stay on top of adding oil. When took to a mechanic they said my motor was blown and needed a new one. I took very good care of this car and it’s crazy that I need a new motor after babying the car.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Feb 2025
Feb 2026

I have a 2017 hyundai sonata sport,it started using a lot of oil,one day I was driving and it just lost speed and the car just started jerking. I checked the spark plugs and oil had gotten on them. I changed the spark plugs,drove it for about 2 weeks and it did it again. I was constantly having to put oil it and changing the spark plugs every 2 weeks. The check engine light would come on every time this happened. I took it to a hyundai dealership they first wanted to do a oil test which they realized would not work because it was using to much oil ,second they wanted to do some other test that would cost almost $300 dollars which would still not determine if I would be eligible for the recall. Can i get some help please,please

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Mar 2024
Feb 2026

Cylinders in the engine are misfiring causing car to shake. Pistons in the engine are having trouble keeping the air compressed so psi to continue to decrease causing the misfire.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2025
Jan 2026

My 2017 Hyundai Sonata is exhibiting a severe metallic knocking noise and metal debris in the engine oil—primary indicators of the Theta II engine defect (NHTSA Campaign 17V578). These symptoms indicate imminent engine failure, posing a significant stall and crash risk. On or around 8/20/25, I took the vehicle to Earnhardt Hyundai-San Tan. I informed the technician of the oil burning and metal shavings. They refused to perform the recall repair and charged a $200 diagnostic fee for an inspection related to a federally mandated safety recall. Under federal law (49 U.S.C. Chapter 301), recall remedies must be provided at no cost to the owner. Furthermore, components were not reassembled correctly during the inspection. The vehicle is now leaking oil onto my driveway and has been rendered inoperable. It has not been driven since I picked it up on August 25, 2025. I am requesting that Hyundai be compelled to perform the recall remedy and reimburse the unauthorized diagnostic fee.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2025
Jan 2026

Please see the attached paperwork and I have more if needed. I am not receiving any help from the local Hyundai dealership in which I purchased the car, and I have reached out to the main Headquarter. This is the 2nd Hyundai I purchased, and I was not made aware of the oil consumption issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2026
Jan 2026

The 2017 Hyundai Sonata has had an ongoing engine malfunction defect that is causing engine knocking, stalling, and smell and rapid depletion of oil. The continuous issues are concerning especially when the car is not driven on a regular basis as it is utilized as a second vehicle. This has been a noticeable issue for quite sometime now. I have taken the car to the Hyundai dealership on multiple occassions after notably heavy oil consumption in a short time period in between scheduled oil changes. I am told by the dealership that it is evident that the engine is rapidly processing and burning oil inappropriately from a possible manufacturing defect recall related to connecting-rod bearing failure that was issued by Hyundai for various Hyundai models. The damaged engine may stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, oil may leak onto hot exhaust components, increasing the risk of fire.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Sep 2026
Dec 2025 Fire

My 2017 Hyundai Sonata Sport Limited 2.4 has a known engine defect causing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was at an authorized Hyundai dealership for the oil consumption test and had been approved for a new engine replacement. Prior to the repair, I completed $2,300 in maintenance, specifically an oil combustion cleaning and spark plug replacement, which the dealership said was required to perform the oil consumption test. While the vehicle was in the dealership’s custody, it caught fire on 12/19/2025 at World Hyundai Matteson. No one was injured, but the car was destroyed. This occurred while the vehicle was under warranty repair, creating a serious safety risk. I am submitting this complaint to document the fire and the associated safety issue with this engine defect.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2025
Dec 2025

Car consuming EXCESSIVE Oil. Oil changes went from lasting 6-7k miles, to less than 4k miles, to less than 2k miles within a year. Checked for leaks, nothing found. Here is the breakdown, I added more oil when the oil lights would flash on. : 12/06/24 FULL OIL CHANGE Mileage: 80,735 6/11/25 FULL OIL CHANGE 86,164 miles 10/6/25 1 qt  89,000 miles 10/10/25 FULL OIL CHANGE 90,121 miles 1 qt 11/30/25 91,550 miles 1 qt 12/11/25  92,700 miles Hyundai is AWARE that this is an ongoing issue - they should legally be required to fix this whether a car has a warranty or not. Bad for the engine and engine replacements aren't cheap

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2025
Dec 2025

I noticed my oil was pretty much empty at one point. I don't know how long it had been empty but I had been driving the car for a long time. But I usually do my oil changes every 5000 miles so the fact that the oil was empty is definitely not a good sign. I did an oil change and replaced the drain plug in case that was the issue. I checked for leaks and there weren't any. After probably a couple thousand miles, the oil was out again. I took it to a dealership and the guy at the service desk said "I shouldn't tell you this, but a lot of them have that problem. You should get rid of it before the engine fails." Hyundai knows that it's an issue but they refuse to fix it or do a recall. It consumes oil like crazy and there's even a Facebook group called Hyundai oil consumption recall with about 5000 people in it. If the oil in the engine drains to empty, the engine could seize up and put people in danger. No warning lights have come on when the oil has run out.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Mar 2025
Dec 2025

The 2017 hyundai sonata 2.4L excessively consumes oil. I constantly put oil in my car. My fear is that I will have a critical engine failure during commute and will be fully responsible for replacing the engine even though hyundai motors designed a poorly built engine. Every time I search Google about the make and model it is always hundreds of other hyundai sonata owners with the same problems and fears that their car will break down or have already had their engine replaced. I would like to see an investigation take place on the 2017 hyundai sonata 2.4L engine. It is poorly designed and consumes more than enough oil in a short amount of time to cause engine failure.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2025
Dec 2025 Fire

The contact owned a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while on travel, the contact stopped at a local gas station. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, the contact was informed by the store attendant that the vehicle was on fire. The contact noticed the fire came from under the hood compartment and the vehicle was engulfed with flames. The contact stated an off-duty police officer and the store owner attempted to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers, however, they were unsuccessful. The fire department was called, arrived on the scene, and extinguished the fire but the vehicle was already consumed by the fire. The vehicle and all properties in the vehicle were destroyed in the fire. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned to total loss by the insurance company. A police report was filed. In addition, the contact stated that 75 miles before the fire occurrence, the vehicle was started, and the contact noticed white smoke exiting from under the hood compartment. The contact interpreted it to be frost from the start of the engine being cold. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Dec 2024
Nov 2025

While driving my 2017 Hyundai Sonata, the engine suddenly began making a loud knocking noise and the vehicle entered "limp mode" The check engine light was blinking, I took the car to a very close autozone and the check engine light came on with code P1326 (pricture upload files), which is directly related to the known KSDS connecting rod bearing defect. This issue is part of Hyundai’s safety recalls and engine warranty extensions. After that, I called Hyundai directly (reference number for that call #XXX). A kind young woman informed me that my car had been through "Service Campaign 953" and successfully completed a "Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Software Update." Thanks to this, she explained that my car is under the "Hyundai TXXI warranty" and that, given the noise I was hearing along with the "P1326" code, it was very likely that my car qualified for a free engine replacement. She then scheduled an appointment for me at the nearest Hyundai dealership for the following morning. After more than two weeks of inspection, the dealer confirmed that the engine has internal damage and needs a complete replacement due to rod bearing failure. This is the exact defect addressed in Hyundai’s safety campaigns. However, Hyundai Corporate is refusing to cover the engine replacement because the vehicle exceeded its mileage limit, even though the engine failure is clearly caused by the known safety-related defect. The dealer acknowledged the problem and documented everything, but Hyundai is denying proper safety recall-related coverage. This puts my safety and the safety of others at risk, the vehicle is currently disabled and undrivable at the dealership due to the defect. Hyundai is only offering a buyback or a small cash settlement instead of performing the necessary safety repair. I am filing this complaint for many reasons but mainly because the refusal to replace the defective engine, despite the recall-related code P1326 and confirmed bearing failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: May 2025
Nov 2025

I am filing a complaint regarding Hyundai Motor America’s handling of my engine-related safety issue, buyback process, and rental reimbursement. My vehicle was towed to Elder Hyundai for a suspected engine failure. Elder Hyundai informed me that my car was covered under an engine recall campaign and that they would submit a request for free repair. Shortly afterward, Hyundai Motor America notified me that they would not perform the repair and that I was being forced into the buyback process under a Settlement Agreement Release (SAR). Elder Hyundai refused to provide me a loaner vehicle because I was not proceeding with repairs, despite the issue being part of an engine recall. They also refused to give me the repair order report for my records and refused to let me retrieve my personal items from my vehicle unless I paid a diagnostic fee. Hyundai Motor America told me I was covered under them for this fee, yet Elder Hyundai still refused. Regarding transportation, I was initially told Hyundai does not reimburse Turo rentals due to concerns about “fake receipts.” Because of my budget and age, Turo was the only rental option I could afford. After escalating, a supervisor approved reimbursement for my Turo rentals, but as of today I have not received any reimbursement. I am a school teacher with a two-hour commute each day and I have [XXX] twin toddlers. I had to use rent and bill money to pay for the rentals based on assurances that reimbursement would be processed within a week. I submitted all receipts, but my new case manager claims he has no record of them, further delaying reimbursement. I completed and returned all SAR buyback documents on November 15th, yet I have received no update on payment or processing. This entire ordeal has put me at financial risk, including potential job loss and housing instability. Hyundai’s delays and mishandling of this safety-related case have severely impacted my livelihood. I ask that you please review HMA’s action INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Nov 2025
Nov 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after receiving oil changes on four occasions, the oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic twice, and the contact was informed that the oil pressure sensor was leaking at the connector, and the oil pressure sender or the switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer after being driven for 1,000 miles, and the oil usage was documented. The contact stated that in 7 days, the engine had consumed one quart of engine oil in 167 miles driven. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where a combustion cleaning was performed; however, 4,000 miles later, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,379.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Aug 2025
Nov 2025

My car started using a lot of oil,one day it just started jerking and lost speed had to change the spark plugs after that I was constantly putting oil in it and changing the spark plugs every 2 weeks

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Apr 2025
Nov 2025

Engine is burning oil. Ticking sound when engine is idling.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2024
Nov 2025

MY 2017 Hyundai Sonata has excessive engine oil consumption. Despite multiple inspections and tests performed by Hyundai dealerships in 2023, as well as PCV replacement by a licensed independent mechanic, the vehicle continues to consume approximately 1 quart of oil every 60-100 miles. No warning lights appeared, but this persistent consumption created a safety risk ,as low oil levels can lead to engine damage or failure while driving, endangering myself and passengers, and others on the road. The issue has been confirmed through oil consumption tests at Hyundai dealerships, and it remains unresolved despite attempted repairs. The problem is verifiable and reproducible through oil level checks and documented service history.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jun 2023
Oct 2025

I have just purchased this vehicle from Jones Nissan in Savannah, TN September 27, 2025 for my daughter's 18th birthday. I was told the car passed all inspections etc and was sold the car same day. We checked the oil before leaving and oil was good. Within 45 miles we came home and my husband checked the car and the oil was down half quart. We didn't think anything of it and he did complete oil change. Last night my daughter comes in and my husband checks her oil almost 3 quarts low. There are no leaks nothing we can find. This is absolutely absurd this was a car for my 18-yr old daughter to go to college and back. There are no lights that come on to tell you it is low or nothing. This is completely uncalled for and Hyundai needs to replace or correct this issue. This could cause her to be stranded or hurt if this motor was to lock up.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2025
Oct 2025

Unknown... I recently got an oil change and not even a week later my oil light came on. There's no leaks, I've been to midas several times and no leak was found. Was told to check to see if it had any recalls, my vin doesn't produce a recall but I know there's something wrong with my car.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Sep 2025
Oct 2025

Every few months my car’s engine struggles. It doesn’t start, or I have to try a few times. For whatever reason I need to get an oil change a lot more frequently than normal and I’ve been to the shop before and the shop tells me that my engine is recalled but it doesn’t say that on the website when I put my vin number in. Whenever the engine stops working again sometimes the AC doesn’t work and it almost put my dog’s life at risk once.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Oct 2025
Sep 2025

We are the original owners of this vehicle. Over the past year we have been having to put quart(s) after quart(s) of full synthetic oil into this vehicle. There are no leaks anywhere that the mechanic can find and no burning of oil from the exhaust. We don't drive the vehicle many miles but have to put oil in at least every few weeks. The mechanic stated the last few times we have taken the car in to get looked at that it is a known issue with this make/model. He stated there was nothing he could do and we needed to contact the manufacture. We have tried on numerous occasions to make contact as well as the dealership has as well with no resolve.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2017 HYUNDAI SONATA, Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Incident: Jan 2025

Trend Over Time

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Quick Summary

The 2017 Hyundai Sonata has 264 Engine complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.