My 2016 Hyundai Sonata (sport) with the 2.4 GDI theta II seized on me WHILE DRIVING down the interstate on April 14, 2022, no engine light, no warnings, nothing. It was extremely dangerous & also very scary. The car did this at 135,000 miles. I had my Sonata towed to a Hyundai service center after this happened. They did a diagnosis, confirming it needs an engine replacement due to connecting rod bearing failure. They sent in a Prior Approval request to Hyundai and Hyundai DENIED the engine replacement, due to not having Campaign 953 (knock sensor detection software) completed prior to bearing failure. (EVEN WITH having this sensor update done, it would NOT prevent the motor from failing, just tell you when it happened.) That software update wasn't going to save my engine, it was only designed so Hyundai had a LOOPHOLE to deny as many engine replacements as possible and not process these warranties the right and ethical way. They put a faulty engine in my car and it seized and failed at NO fault of my own. But the fault of Hyundai for allowing these vehicles with bad engines to be sold to innocent people who had no idea these engines were made to fail. Hyundai knew the Theta 2 engines were going to fail and STILL allowed these vehicles to be sold and NOT RECALLED knowing the dangers. That is wrong and unethical. It is crucial that these vehicles be RECALLED. Any engine liable to seize while driving 70+ mph on the interstate warrants a RECALL. They needed to be recalled long ago, but instead Hyundai created a loophole by issuing Campaign 953 (knock sensor detection software). It never fixed these dangerous, faulty engines. It's only put more people at risk by not issuing a RECALL on all THETA 2 engines.
2016 Hyundai Sonata engine complaints
Page 10 of 17: complaints 251 to 280 of 463, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Burning oil at an alarming rate. No oil leaks. Had oil changed and 3 weeks later checked and it had about 2 quarts in it.
While driving home on my way from work, the car started to stall on the highway and slow down. A knocking sound began to come from under the hood and would speed up when I stepped on the gas. From the sound of it, it seemed like the engine was malfunctioning and yes it is available for inspection. My safety was put at risk because if the car was to stop in the middle of the highway, not only am I at risk of being in an accident but other people as well as we are all driving at high speeds. This problem has not yet been confirmed by a dealer but when I took it to a mechanic, I was told that it was a rod that's what's causing this, and though there are no recalls on this specific model (2016 Sonata Limited) there are other recalls on the hybrid model for a rod in the engine wearing out prematurely which is very similar to what is happening with my car. A check engine light turned on a few minutes prior to the incident but then turned off.
Pulled in driveway and putted out and wouldn't start. It is an internal engine issue. Possibly a rod issue
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated four days after purchasing the vehicle, he needed to add oil to the engine. The contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing an oil consumption test performed. The contact stated after 1,000 miles the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that oil needed to be added to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,156.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact was constantly topping off the engine oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an oil consumption test was performed, and the dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,156. The VIN was unavailable.
My car idles very rough at times, and sometimes when idling, it dies out. At times it is difficult to even start as if it's not getting the electrical signal to the engine. Hyundai replaced the fuel pump, but that did not fix the problem, but cost $1,200. No warning messages. Two other automotive companies also did a diagnostic tests, but couldn't find the problem as it seems it has to be tested WHEN IT IS ACTING UP. It died on me far from home a week ago, but eventually restarted. I'm afraid to drive it especially at night as it died when idling at a light and almost didn't restart.
While driving the vehicle within the city the engine turned off in the middle of the intersection causing near miss in the middle of the intersection as other vehicle were trying to pass me because my vehicle stalled. After having to towed the vehicle it was found that the engine has seized which is why the vehicle stopped.
While driving on the highway my vehicle started making a very loud ticking noise and all of a suddenly my car stopped working. Due to being on the highway everybody was going high speeds which almost caused a serious accident. There were cars swerving everywhere. I truly thought I was going to be involved in a high-speed accident which would most likely cost me my life. The check engine light came on and smoke was coming out and the dash started throwing errors. One of the drivers came to my car and started yelling to get out because these cars have been catching on fire. I had to call a tow truck to tow my car over an hour back home which cost me quite a bit of money. After I got home I researched my vehicle and placed to VIN to find out there were 3 safety recalls, one that could cost my family their lives and I was never ever notified. When I called the customer care they didnt even have my information and had to input it all to create a case. They also could not give me a reason as to why I was not notified. They then made an appointment with the Hyundai nearest to me which by the way is an hour and twenty minutes. After disconnecting the call I received an email from that dealership stating my appointment was canceled. I called the dealership to figure out what was going on I've spoken to two different people before finally speaking with the manager of the department. Finally when I spoke with the manager he tried to inform me that my car was not under the recall and that they wouldnt be fixing my car. They also tried to tell me that customer service placed the wrong appointment that they put it in for an oil change when clearly the email stated three recalls and one being my engine needed to be replaced. I was informed that the earliest that they could Even put their eyes on my vehicle would be the end of March and if I wanted to pay out of pocket for the engine it wouldn't be completed until the end of June. One person after another has lied to me.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH downhill, the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road and had the vehicle towed by AAA. The dealer diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired with a rebuilt engine. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
Burns oil at an extraordinary rate. Takes about 1-2 quarts every week. No leaks, I’m unsure what the cause is for the oil burning so fast but it’s not leaking because I’ve gotten it checked for leaks and there is not oil stains or puddles when the vehicle is parked.
Engine burns off oil at an excessive rate. I was told there is a recall on the engine for my vehicle. Also, the transmission is acting up. I have a white pearl sonata and the paint has peeled off the roof and part of the hood. There is a recall on that as well, as I was told.
On April 12, 2022. I was driving with my grandson. I heard some loud engine noise in which I thought was coming from an old red truck next to me. I continued driving and continued to hear the noise after I was away from the truck. I realized the noise was coming from my vehicle (2016 Hyundai Sonata). The interior lights started flashing ( oil light, engine and battery lights) and the car started losing power. I was able to pull over to the right lane by the curb. The engine shutdown and wouldn't start back up. The car was towed to Jeff Wyler Superior Hyundai, 238 W. Mitchell Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45232. My vehicle is still there. In January of 2022 I had my car at the dealership for losing power. They repaired it, saying it was the cylinders and then in April 2022 the whole engine shuts completely down.
I have a 2016 Sonata with 81,000 miles, I was driving the car when I started hearing knocking noise under the hood and Suddenly the car cut off and wouldn’t start. No dash board lights came on. Prior to car shutdown. My safety was put at risk because the car cut off near the highway and I had to push the car to a safe location. The dealer confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced at $8,500.
I was driving the vehicle, it started making a weird noise, the console lights started flashing and then the engine shutdown and wouldn't start back up.
Purchased a 2016 Hyundai Sonata on 7/2/22. At the time, it had approximately 119,000 miles on it. About a month later, the car overheated. Thankfully, husband is a mechanic. Since the initial overheating, we had been diligently adding coolant every few days. However, as of last month, the overheating had gotten so bad, we took it to an independent mechanic who quoted us about $8,500.00 for repairs, including installing a new engine.
We purchased a 2016 Hyundai Sonata in December 2020 for our son who is in college. In early August of 2022, my son noticed his oil light was coming on before it was time for an oil change. He had the vehicle topped off and maintained regular oil change and service schedule. While in for service at Fitzgerald Hyundai in Rockville, MD, August 2022, they replaced the spark plugs (4 cylinder tune-up) at 108,127 miles. The car continued to burn a lot of oil, so another appointment was scheduled at the dealership in Rockville September, 2022 at 111,792 miles. An oil and filter change, complete 23 pt. Vehicle Maintenance Inspection was performed, and all fluids topped off. The vehicle continued to burn oil at an unacceptable rate well before an oil change was required. My son continued to get oil changes and top off before the standard mileage. Another appointment was scheduled with the same dealer in Rockville, MD December 2022 at 118,989 miles requesting a diagnosis for the excessive oil consumption. After inspection, we were told an oil consumption test needed to be performed in order to determine why we are having this issue. We were also told that the spark plugs needed replacing again, less than 5 months from the previous replacement. Our service advisor said oil was probably shooting out onto the plugs. Hyundai denied the request to pay for the oil consumption test. The service advisor said she sees this a lot when I asked about excessive oil consumption on a vehicle with less than 120,000 miles. Also, they kept the car for almost 2 weeks.We are looking to rid ourselves of this piece of junk and purchase a vehicle by a reputable manufacturer. In the meantime, we are topping off and getting frequent oil changes. There definitely appears to be a defect with this year and model vehicle and Hyundai should acknowledge there is an issue and resolve it. I will never purchase another Hyundai and will spread the word to everyone I know, not to buy a Hyundai.
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was confirmed that no cause for the failure was found. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as engine wear, due to a lack of proper lubrication The vehicle was not repaired. The contact then took the vehicle to another dealer, North Freeway Hyundai (20440 Interstate 45 N, Spring, TX 77373) where it was diagnosed as needing the engine to be flushed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 59,013.
Upon buying the vehicle the engine started to burn excessive amounts of oil.
My 2016 Hyundai Sonata is sitting at the Red Hoagland dealership in Winter Haven, FL after the engine started knocking. Rather than continue driving it and risk an accident with our 19-yr old child driving it, or risk worse damage to the engine, I had it towed to Red Hoagland service department. This occurred less than a week after we had it at the dealership for the third and final oil consumption test. These tests were being conducted as part of Hyundai’s process to identify the known engine issue with this model. Each 1,000 mile test revealed that the engine was consuming approximately 3.5 quarts of oil per 1,000 miles (approximately 1 month timeframe). Despite the results of the tests and now the engine failure, Hyundai has denied the claim on the lifetime warranty of the engine. Their stated reason is “out of warranty caused by time in service and mileage on the vehicle.” The mileage on the vehicle was 143,260 on 10/29. Apparently to Hyundai a “lifetime warranty” on an engine that is known to fail due to this oil consumption issue does not mean “lifetime” but only less than 145,000 miles. I will appeal this decision and if they do not honor their lifetime warranty on this known issue they will hear from my attorney and hopefully the federal safety agency will also help to enforce what Hyundai should have already done rather then making me go through this additional effort and trouble.
Huge amounts of oil consumption, have to refill all oil every 20-30 days. Car shut down on highway and went into limp mode, had to impede traffic to attempt to pull over safely. Potential known issue with Theta II engine, but dealership is declining a fix.
*On 10/9/22 I was traveling approximately 60 miles an hour on Hwy 25 in Hollister when I experienced Engine Failure in my 2016 Hyundai Sonata Sport 2.4 liter. Engine available for inspection. *This was the 2nd time the engine light has turned on and resulted in vehicle stalling while driving on the highway. Fortunately, there was no accident. *Hyundai Dealer, Hyundai Corporate, or independent service center have not reproduced or confirmed the problem. There is an extended warranty covering the rod bearing and associated parts, that was neither inspected nor granted by Hyundai. I also reported excessive oil consumption to Hyundai and was put through an "Oil Consumption test" at 120677 miles and was denied repair/replacement, even though the engine was burning more than a quart every 1000miles. This increased to me adding a quart every 500 miles and eventually the engine failed at 161147 miles. The vehicle is an independent mechanic awaiting an engine replacement. *The engine has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance representative or any other entity for the mechanism of engine failure. It is confirmed loss of compression and blown pistons/piston rings. Hyundai dealer did not conduct rod bearing test. *Engine light turned on and engine stalled. It was then towed to Hyundai Dealer. There is an extended lifetime warranty on the rod bearings in the engine, which was not inspected by Hyundai prior denial of engine repair/replacement under extended warranty. Excessive oil consumption problem was also an ongoing problem which Hyundai refused to resolve. In my opinion the engine failure is due to either excessive oil consumption, or the rod bearing failure. Hyundai is not taking responsibility and resolving these ongoing problems with the GDI Theta engines.
The vehicle has had mechanical problems since I purchased it. I have submitted a complaint with the dealership who sold it to me and at their recommendation I am moving it up the ladder. The engine had the knock sensor go bad and also failed the bearing test. As I was driving the check engine light, oil light, and battery light came on and the vehicle lost all power. I was going 60 miles an hour and was barely able to safely get it on the side of the road. It had to be towed to the dealership I bought it from, who determined it had no oil in the reservoir and had burned through it in less than 2000 miles. There was no warning lights. I have had mechanical issues since purchasing the vehicle and they failed to correctly diagnose it. It had an oil consumption test that it barely passed months before the engine needed to be replaced. I travel extensively for work and the vehicle malfunctions put me at risk. It has broken down several times and took months to diagnose the issue.
The engine light has come on and I have done extensive repairs on my vehicle since January 2022. No warning signs showed prior as I have kept up with maintenance on the car since the 60,000 mile marker. The valve gasket cover was replaced as the engine was smoking due to an oil leak. A pipe was repaired due to the leak. The engine camshaft position sensor was replaced. There is still issues with the engine after replacing the CVVT cover and plugs. The spark plugs have been replaced. If my car stalls or blows on the highway, this can cause a major accident putting myself and others at risk. I have done multiple tests with Hyundai dealerships and Firestone and AutoZone and no one can tell me what the ultimate issue is with the Sonata.
While driving at about 45MPH, the car lost and acceleration was limited as the car wouldn’t work properly. Engine make a ticking sound when trying to accelerate. At the time of lost power the check engine(flashing), abs and traction control all came on. It almost caused me to get into an accident. The car also indicated to shut off vehicle. The vehicle code read P1326, called dealer and they stated multiple vehicles has been having the same issues and that they are full with no openings. So I’m in the process of getting it to a dealer who has an opening for a better diagnostic. Dealer says it may be rod bearings.
2016 Hyundai Sonata (not part of any recall) driven short distance on expressway had "check engine light" come on. Pulled off of expressway and checked under hood...No visible issues. Chose to return home via side streets as car was riding rough and having problems with acceleration at that point. Short while later, heard loud noise and saw smoke coming from under hood. Pulled to the side of the road and exited car. Was told by bystander that car was on fire. Called Fire Dept, by the time of their arrival, entire front end ablaze, tires and body melted. Thankfully, fire extinguished before any explosion or damage to neighbor's property occurred. Vehicle was a total loss.
My vehicle lost power exiting the freeway. I went from 70 miles an hour to 10 miles per hour in a matter of seconds. The Check Hybrid system, Turn off engine HEV ! triangle showed up on the dash, then the car slowed to a halt. I had to get my vehicle towed home, then towed to the dealer the next day. The problem with this is, for the past year, the Check Hybrid System HEV light would come on. I took it to the World Car Hyundai North dealership in Live Oak, Texas and a few months later, it's doing the same thing. My vehicle was in the shop at World Car Hyundai from March 24, 2022 until 9/9/2022. I drove my vehicle one week, went out of the country for 2 weeks and upon return, coming from the airport almost home, the car does the same thing. You would think after having my vehicle for 6 months, the problem would be fixed. I started bringing my car in for this problem September of 2021. I was told, I needed an oil change, a new battery, ne plugs, codes checked, etc. None of this seemed to fix my vehicle, because a few weeks later, the car would slow to an almost stop and I would have it towed to the dealership again. There has been several mechanics working on my vehicle and they've all said something differently. My vehicle was never written up for the correct problem until recently, when the manager was able to drive my vehicle and it stopped on him. I don't feel safe driving this vehicle anymore. I have taken this car to the dealer ship for the same problem, actually once in 2018 and every other month since 2021. I've been inconvenienced, , put on hold, far to long, I need a new vehicle and I need a loaner car, while my they're trying to figure out what to do. I've been told I needed a new engine twice, but all of a sudden, it passes the engine test and there is something else that the dealership is trying to do to fix the problem. Well, since I've been taking my car back and forth to the dealership, it is now out of warranty. The car remains unsafe to drive .
Vehicle has excessive oil consumption. Has been an issue for some time now. Same engine is under recall for the rods/valves malfunction. vehicle has had regular maintenance done. there is no aftermarket work done to the engine. Vehicle has been to the dealer for this issue 3 separate times now and the issue is progressively getting worse.
For the past several months I have been experiencing extreme oil consumption. I drive my Hyundai Sonata 2016 an average of 120 miles per week and I am required to put in at least one quart of oil each week. This is not normal and there is a serious internal problem with my engine. I am not leaking any oil whatsoever, therefore, the engine is burning oil . The Planet Hyundai dealership in Golden, CO has told me that they have many cars with the same problem waiting to get their engines replaced under warranty. Planet Hyundai has told me there is nothing more to be done and I need a new engine and to contact Hyundai Headquarters, which I have. I have an extended warranty I purchased when I bought the car and it goes for $100,000 miles or July 2, 2023. My extended warranty has referred me to another Hyundai dealership in the Denver area and they are telling me I need to do a combustion cleaning for approximately $1000. Then I have to wait till I drive another 1000 miles and then they will let me know how my engine is doing? If one Hyundai dealership says there is nothing more they can do why would another Hyundai dealership (MacDonald . Please help and thank you so much for your time.
The engine failed. PIAZZA HYUNDAI in West Chester,Pa confirmed that the engine bearing in my THETA 2 ENGINE failed however HYUNDAI refused to honor their Expressed warranty of 10 year 100,000 mile. This engine is part f the Whistleblower's case which was reported to the federal safety agency however HYUNDAI refused to replace the engine even though they know they have a major problem with the design and manufacturing of their engine. We have been without our car since March of 2022. We want HYUNDAI to honor their warranty and compensate use for our loss of use of our vehicle during the last 6 months. HYUNDAI knew and knows they have a problem however they have failed to live up to their responsibility. Please contact me as soon as possible via phone and in writing. My cell # is [XXX]. My home # is [XXX]. My mailing address is [XXX]. I have additional documentation on this matter which I will provide to you once you contact m since I'm reporting this on my cell phone. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
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