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2012 Hyundai Sonata engine complaints

Page 6 of 20: complaints 131 to 160 of 578, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2012 Hyundai Sonata engine problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Aug 22, 2022 · Engine · WA

Engine failed while driving, causing vehicle to stall and forced to the side of the road while transporting children. I had vehicle towed to dealership and learned that this was a known manufacturing defect, one that I had previously had recall service to repair and eventually a class action lawsuit. I had previously taken the vehicle to the dealership to perform recall repair. They claimed this repair was completed, even though the defect still remained and caused engine to fail. The mechanic advised that a rod from engine was discharged, which "could have killed someone". The dealership initially approved an engine replacement due to known defect and class action lawsuit settlement, but then denied repair due to unrelated branded title. Hyundai corporate refuses to take responsibility for this defect, due to title status, that could have seriously injured or killed someone. One Hyundai agent advised during a phone call on 8/22/22 that Hyundai is not responsible for remedying any manufacturing defects if the vehicle has branded title, which is in contradiction to federal law. This is a grave safety concern and should be investigated by the federal safety agency. I would be glad to participate in such an investigation, providing call records, names of witnesses, statements and documents as needed.

Filed Aug 5, 2022 · Engine · 92,000 miles · SC

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while her daughter was driving 60 MPH, her daughter heard a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle then lost motive power and stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the oil was changed and the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where metal shavings were found in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V568000 (Engine). The manufacturer was contacted and stated they were waiting on the dealer for the diagnostic result to proceed. The failure mileage was 92,000.

Filed Jul 26, 2022 · Electrical, Engine · IL

I was on the expressway and car hesitated and jerked while speed began to increase followed by hybrid warning system alert. (Pull over and stop the vehicle) with a flashing ready light. Could have caused a major accident with loss of life as there was no place to safely pull over. Warning lights came in immediately after the cat jerked.

Filed Jul 20, 2022 · Engine · GA

I was on the highway during rush hour when the car was rattling during acceleration. I was going around 75mph. The car just died in the middle of traffic and I coasted to the berm. Once stopped, it smelled like something was burning and I had my 2 small children in the back in 5 point harnesses. They couldn't unbuckle themselves and I could not get the back door to unlock with the key fob to get into the back seat to help them. Once they were able to loosen their buckles, they had to crawl through the front seat to get out. Had the car actually caught on fire, I wouldn't have been able to get my children out in time. This was the absolute scariest ordeal I've ever been in. One shop has said the engine has seized. It's now sitting at Hyundai waiting for them to look at it. No warning lights came on until the car died.

Filed Jul 20, 2022 · Engine · IL

I was making a Right turn when suddenly after making the turn my car shook and started slowing down by itself. The engine light, the oil light and the EPS and battery light all turned on. I was able to pull into a parking lot and the car just stopped. After trying to restart it, I noticed smoke under the hood. No prior warning lights came on.

Filed Jul 20, 2022 · Engine · TX

When arriving at a stop and then making a turn on a street vehicle came to a halt. It would not turn on again. The vehicle was able to be pushed to the side, and started to have a knocking sound from the engine, after vehicle was started . Searching thru the internet found recall campaign 312, that has same issues I experienced. Vehicle is drivable but has loud knocking sound as the speed goes up. Also, vehicle was purchased with a rebuilt title and is road worthiness.

Filed Jul 15, 2022 · Engine · CO · fire

2012 hyundai sonata. Consumer writes in regard to defective engine. The consumer requested to be reimbursed for repairs performed at the dealership for engine stalling, knocking, failure, fire and other short block assembly repair.

Filed Jul 11, 2022 · Engine · 143,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while his daughter was driving at an unknown speed, she heard an abnormal sound before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not able to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic. The failure was diagnosed as a seized engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V568000 (Engine) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 143,000.

Filed Jul 9, 2022 · Engine · SC

I brought my engine in to be checked after the recall for engine failure. Hyundai told me it was fine/not affected. I brought my vehicle in twice after that because while driving, the engine suddenly stopped accelerating in the middle of driving. Both times, I was told that nothing was wrong with my car. They went so far as to accuse me of overfilling my gas tank (which I have never done). I trusted them instead of looking up this issue being part of the recall symptoms. Finally, while in the middle of driving, the engine locked up completely. I had it towed to Hyundai. They finally admitted it was covered under warranty, but I see no evidence of them recording it as a vehicle affected by recall. I am very concerned about this because there are probably thousands of other families at risk right now because of Hyundai's dishonesty and dodging responsibility and not including their VINs in the recall either. If their engines were to lock during a left turn for example, people are at risk of dying. In addition, Hyundai has still not reimbursed me for the towing and rental car costs of $2918.27 total which they are entitled to per the settlement. It has been over 3 months since I turned in the last of the paperwork. It has been over 7 months since the engine died. More importantly, they need to be fully investigated for withholding information, falsifying information, and putting people at risk of death and at a financial disadvantage.

Filed Jul 7, 2022 · Engine · 67,000 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the engine overheated. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was smoke coming from the engine, and the vehicle was unable to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

Filed Jul 7, 2022 · Driver assistance, Engine · TN

Motor seized , powered off while driving down the highway at speeds of 55 miles of hour on a hill and would not start back , without warning other than a loud noise right before it shut off.

Filed Jul 5, 2022 · Engine · GA

My 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA is experiencing knocking noises. I only have 125,674 miles on it. I have not received anything saying that the car has been recalled yet. I’m making monthly payments on this vehicle and needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

Filed Jun 30, 2022 · Engine · OR

My 2012 Hyundai Sonata is experiencing what caused Hyundai to recall 129k similar cars, but I never received a recall notice: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a34874678/hyundai-engine-bearings-recall/#:~:text=Hyundai%20has%20issued%20a%20recall,and%20the%202015%E2%80%932016%20Veloster. My car is experiencing abnormal knocking noises from the engine, reduced power or hesitation, illumination of the "check engine" light and error code is coming across as "knock sensor"

Filed Jun 29, 2022 · Engine · 118,000 miles · SC

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated upon pulling out of a parking space, the oil pressure warning light and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact parked the vehicle. The contact's husband test drove the vehicle and noticed that the vehicle went into limp mode and would only drive at slower speeds. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle in to their location. The vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine was blown and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that assistance might be provided for the engine replacement. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

Filed Jun 27, 2022 · Engine · CA

The knock sensor kept going off and check Engine light would be activated, we have taken to several auto places and check engine light and codes would be cleared, engine seized and no longer works we were stranded on side of road. Our understanding that this is part of the rod bearing inspection recall campaign. We purchased car for our daughter and it has a salvaged title, we were told by Hyundai dealer that due to it being a salvaged title they can't do anything. My understanding that any recall must be honored with or without salvaged title, is that correct?

Filed Jun 22, 2022 · Electrical, Engine · VA

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?: Vehicle went into LIMP mode on highway (June 7th 2022). The next day, the vehicle would not start, despite battery replacement. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? When in limp mode, car would not accelerate. My vehicle could have been hit by another vehicle due to the sudden, unexpected decline in speed; Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Vehicle was towed to the Hyundai dealership the evening of June 10, 2022. I was informed by Hyundai that it would take 2 to 3 weeks before they could even look at my vehicle. Vehicle has not been diagnosed yet. It is still at Hyundai as of today, June 22, 2022. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle is currently awaiting diagnosis by Hyundai. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The vehicle went into limp mode. The next day it would not start.

Filed Jun 21, 2022 · Engine, Transmission · FL

I gave my son this car b/c I thought it was safe and reliable. My son was driving down the road and all of a sudden the lights started blinking and he pulled over. He had to have it towed and repair shop says the engine is locking up and would cost more to replace. This is a paid for car and now we are totally screwed. I really want the manufacturer to honor and fix their issues. I ensured I had this car serviced timely and took care of the car. Now, I am $12K in the whole and will probably go ahead and trade in my other 2017 Hyundai Sonata to avoid anymore of these issues that no one can honor to fix. This car has about 80K miles on it so not too bad, either!

Filed Jun 21, 2022 · Engine · WI

Connecting rod broke and punctured engine. Vehicle is available for inspection. My son was driving vehicle and the vehicle shut off while driving which could have been very catostrophic. Service center is who advised what the problem was after the vehicle was towed to their facility. Not inspected by any others at this point. Vehicle was just in for maintenance a week prior. No warning lamps or symptoms until the moment it happened. Approaching stop sign heard knocking or clicking noise, proceeded to side street to pull over and before he could pull over, the vehicle completely shut down. He went to look under hood and oil was splattered on top of hood and leaking all under vehicle. Vehicle was then towed to service facility who advised the connecting rod broke off and blew hole in engine.

Filed May 26, 2022 · Engine · CA

My car started making knocking noise while I was driving. I put my VIN on a website and it said my car was affected for recall engine connecting rod bearing and qualified to get fixed under campaign. On 4/04/22 I had my 2012 Hyundai Sonata towed to the dealership where few days later they denied it because of salvage title. I contacted Better Business Bureau for help and almost two months later denied me and closed my case for the same reason it has salvage title. My car does not have 100,000 mileage and only is not operating because of this mistake the Hyundai manufacturer made. The BBB auto line sent me the car fax and none of the previous owners ever got this recall fixed and now that I have the car it stopped working because of the rod bearings and the dealership has confirmed it. It is a safety concern and is not performing as it should because of manufacturer. I have the proof where it says my car is affected. It having salvage title isn’t valid reason to refuse recall coverage. Consumer is trying to get the car fix under the engine connecting rod bearing campaign.

Filed May 26, 2022 · Engine · 71,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic however, the contact was referred to an authorized dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with a seized engine seize and oil drain plug failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 71,000.

Filed May 16, 2022 · Engine · 2,000 miles · CA · fire · 2 injuries

The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the engine started smoking. The vehicle was overheated and the vehicle flap and cooling warning light message displayed. The contact was able to pull over safely and exit the family out. There were 4 passengers, the wife, and 3 children. The entire vehicle was destroyed and engulfed in flame. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to the wrecking yard. There was a police report. There were minor injuries to the wife and 1 daughter. The contact related the fire to the federal safety agency Campaign Number 20V746000 (Engine). The approximate failure mileage was 2,000

Filed May 3, 2022 · Engine · 68,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine had seized. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.

Filed May 3, 2022 · Engine · NY

The vehicle had the engine replaced under Hyundai recall. What a fiasco. Within 6 months the fuel gauge starts intermittently work. Then the vehicle completely dies, diagnosis calls to have fuel pump replaced. Next 3 months the vehicle while driving losses power having to pull over to the side of the road. Thank God vehicle started and able to drive home, while the vehicle would loose power, then regaining it once took foot off gas pedal and applying pressure to again. That night find the rear brake light illuminated, went out stepped on brake pedal and went off. Another time console light would illuminate while driving no reasoning. The vehicle lastly killed the battery in the driveway. Had AAA tow to mechanic who now states the alternator needs to be replaced. After a few day not hearing back from mechanic, I call. He stating now the vehicle has electrical problems and it takes time. I will keep you posted. Hyundai has many major issues and should be held accountable, its a safety issue to the driver and general public.

Filed May 3, 2022 · Airbags, Brakes · TX · crash · 1 injury

On March 19th I was involved in wreck where the other driver was at fault. The lady t-boned me on my driver's side. Airbags never deployed so my head smashed Into the window leaving me with a concussionand spinal injury. My usually working horn failed as well. I would also like to mention that I have only had this car a year. I was also told it was never in a wreck and had 1 owner. Nope. A week after I got it, I was driving and my engine seized while I was doing 70mph. The steering stopped working, but somehow managed to pull off to the side. i had to stay in my car because of the busy highway. It was 100+ weather and my windows wouldn't work. I sat there for 2 hours. Took the car to a shop just to find out about the engine recall that I believe my car wasn't apart of, but should have been. Fought with Hyundai for them to fix it then lost my job because I was denied a loaner car while waiting. 2 months later they finally fix it. Now the breaks do a weird grinding thing a lot, my shifter slips out of place, the steering column wobbles, the engine is constantly making a disturbing noise and is sluggish, it has trouble shifting when accelerating. I have had the car rapidly accelerate instead of slow down when stopping at a stop sign or light. I only got it to stop after stomping the breaks repeatedly while throwing it in park and turning the car off all at the same time. Emergency break and traction control light come on a lot. It's throwing a high speed can bus code, but only sometimes. My gas mileage has went down to 16-18 mpg. Oil changes are necessary every month. AND my taillights burn out every 1 to 2 months. Now I have 4 traffic tickets. And that was all BEFORE the wreck. Hyundai refuses to call me back after they reluctantly fixed the first recall.

Filed May 1, 2022 · Engine · MA

While driving, the gas pedal was unresponsive to down pressure . The 2012 Sonata Hyndai moved slowly off the road till it stopped. I could start it again,the lights responded, it would not move. Towed to a garage and they said my engine failed! No warning lights observed . After restarting the engine warning light came on.

Filed Apr 27, 2022 · Engine · FL

My Hyundai Sonata has the failed engine that was recalled by Hyundai. But because we did not do a software update Hyundai will not replace the engine. We were not aware of either recall. We also didn't know about a class action settlement. My car is sitting at the dealership since December, 2021. I have notified your department once before and nothing was done. This vehicle has been deemed dangerous to drive but I will have no choice. Hyundai needs to step up and replace their horrible mistake. Please help me.

Filed Apr 12, 2022 · Engine · AL

There is a recall on my 2012 Hyundai Sonata motor. Which has caused the motor to lock up. Hyundai is refusing to fix the recall issue. Both dealership and customer care have stated that the motor locked up due to the recall but they are refusing to fix the issue, stating it is my fault. My car had 130k miles on it. The dealership has had my car for 2 months and they never contact me regarding the progress on my car, I have had to contact them.

Filed Apr 12, 2022 · Engine · AL

The motor just stopped running due to the ECM recall the motor locked up

Filed Apr 5, 2022 · Engine · TX

I was driving and DoorDashing for money when all of a sudden there was a weird knocking noise, causing all of the lights on my dash to turn on. I had just taken my car in for an oil change 2 days prior to an independent service center. This was the first time this situation occurred. I had never dealt with it before. I went to make a left to get out of the road and a burning smell started to occur and my entire car died in the turning lane. I was stuck in the lane for about an hour until a tow truck came and towed me to Huffines Hyundai Plano. While there they told me I had a lot of recalls and they would take care of them. About a week later they called me to tell me that my entire engine had seized up and failed and my recall was denied due to a software update campaign back in 2015 that I did not do. I have been to multiple Hyundai Dealerships since 2015 and was never informed of the severity of this recall, nor was I told if I didn't get such a software update that if my engine did indeed fail they would deny fixing their mistake to begin with. I had no idea of the important of this software update and really don't understand how it comes down on me that metal shards potentially were left in the engine, causing to dislodge and ruin my engine. It was incredibly sudden and I have only put 50,000 miles on the car in 7 years since owning it. The dealership also kept bringing up my warranty as if that had anything to do with this recall that is out for the engine.

Filed Mar 27, 2022 · Electrical, Engine · TX · fire

As I was driving on the highway, my car engine stalled and all the interior dashboard lights came on. I was unable to accelerate although all other features of my car worked (steering, brakes, radio, bluetooth, etc...). I was barely able to get off the highway safely as the highway I was on had no shoulder that was safely accessible. Luckily, I was in the far right lane already which allowed me to exit the highway. I was just barely able to exit the highway and move to the middle and far right lane of the service road before my car came to a complete stop. I attempted to turn my car off and back on without success. At this point, I could start to smell burning of something and knew I needed to exit the car immediately, however, I was unable to do so due to traffic on the driver side of my car. I noticed smoke coming from my engine which prompted to me to jump out of the car without continuing to pay attention to the traffic that was passing me. I called 911 to alert them of my car impeding traffic, potentially causing another wreck, and the potential that my car may be on fire. After making those statements to dispatch, flames shot forward from my hood and I was able to move away from my car. The fire department arrived on scene but not before the flames had reached 12+ feet as they were taller than the fire truck. The firefighters were able to put out the flames. My car engine was completely melted from the fire. At this point, the dealership, insurance agent or any other representative has determined a cause of the fire or has looked at my car. No warning lights to indicate a malfunction was visible prior to the incident. No noises or engine malfunctions were noted prior to the incident.

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