MODELYEARINDEX

Hyundai Sonata

5,167 complaints across 12 scored model years and 40 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · Hyundai Sonata Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2011 vs model median 4.0×
Model median3× median
Steering 421
Engine 154
Electrical 147
Avoid

2011 · 2013

Best

2010 · 2019

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
0.48× 143 B
2011
4.03× 1,247 F
2012
2.04× 587 F
2013
2.52× 694 F
2014
1.03× 268 C
2015
2.20× 576 F
2016
0.96× 277 C
2017
1.07× 307 C
2018
0.72× 211 B
2019
0.27× 70 A
2020
0.45× 160 B
2021
0.59× 177 B
2022 P
0.65× 171 B
2023 P
0.61× 160 B
2024 P
0.29× 84 A
2025 P
0.12× 35 A

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What it costs to run

EPA figures for the most recent model year on record.

Combined MPG29
City / Highway25 / 36
Engine2.5L, 4 cyl
DriveFront-Wheel Drive
Annual fuel cost$2,100

Recalls

40 campaigns on record, 3 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
13V113000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH 2010, 2011 1,712,336
17V152000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE 2011–2014 977,778
14V434000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2011–2014 883,000
18V137000 SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER 2011–2013 580,058
17V226000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE 2013, 2014 572,000
15V568000 ENGINE 2011, 2012 470,000
21V749000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL 2015–2017 469,377
17V617000 SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER 2011–2014 443,545

+ 32 further campaigns

Others in Midsize Cars

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Model Years to avoid Grade
Acura TL
2012
C
Acura TLX
20152020
C
Acura TSX
2010
C
Alfa Romeo Giulia
2017
C
Audi A4
none flagged
B
Audi A4 Allroad
2013
C
Audi A5
none flagged
C
Audi S4
none flagged
B

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2011 Sonata
Complaints in window
1,247
Severity-weighted
1,764.5
Model median (weighted)
438
vs model median
4.03×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
14
Open investigations
1
Score 6.7 F