Total Complaints
415 filings
HYUNDAI SONATA · model year
415 NHTSA complaints, 23 crash reports, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2010HYUNDAISONATA carries 415 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 23 crashes, 5 fires, 20 injuries, and 2 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2010 SONATA is structure:body with 135 filings, followed by unknown or other (36) and engine (29). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2010 SONATA, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
415 filings
Crashes Reported
23 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 135 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 36 |
| ENGINE | 29 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 28 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 28 |
| POWER TRAIN | 18 |
| AIR BAGS | 18 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 16 |
| STEERING | 15 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 13 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 11 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 11 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 9 |
| SUSPENSION | 8 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 6 |
SUSPENSION:REAR
Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 1, 2005, through January 21, 2010; and model year 2006-2011 Azera vehicles manufactured September 27, 2005, through November 22, 2010 originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois,
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburo
Subject: Non-Collision Engine Compartment Fire - 2010 Hyundai Sonata (VIN: [XXX] ) â"On dec 19 2025, my 2010 Hyundai Sonata suffered a sudden, non-collision fire that originated in the engine compartment. While there are currently no 'open' recalls on this VIN, I am formally reporting this incident as it matches the failure patterns documented in NHTSA Defect Petition DP18-003 regarding non-crash fires in Hyundai/Kia vehicles. âPreliminary inspection of the damage shows characteristic signs of a manufacturer defect, specifically potentially related to a connecting rod bearing failure leading to an engine block puncture and oil ignition, or an electrical short in the ABS moduleâboth of which have been subjects of major Hyundai fire investigations and class-action settlements (e.g., Engine II settlement) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Subject: Non-Collision Engine Compartment Fire - 2010 Hyundai Sonata (VIN: [XXX] ) â"On dec 19 2025, my 2010 Hyundai Sonata suffered a sudden, non-collision fire that originated in the engine compartment. While there are currently no 'open' recalls on this VIN, I am formally reporting this incident as it matches the failure patterns documented in NHTSA Defect Petition DP18-003 regarding non-crash fires in Hyundai/Kia vehicles. âPreliminary inspection of the damage shows characteristic signs of a manufacturer defect, specifically potentially related to a connecting rod bearing failure leading to an engine block puncture and oil ignition, or an electrical short in the ABS moduleâboth of which have been subjects of major Hyundai fire investigations and class-action settlements (e.g., Engine II settlement) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Subject: Non-Collision Engine Compartment Fire - 2010 Hyundai Sonata (VIN: [XXX] ) â"On dec 19 2025, my 2010 Hyundai Sonata suffered a sudden, non-collision fire that originated in the engine compartment. While there are currently no 'open' recalls on this VIN, I am formally reporting this incident as it matches the failure patterns documented in NHTSA Defect Petition DP18-003 regarding non-crash fires in Hyundai/Kia vehicles. âPreliminary inspection of the damage shows characteristic signs of a manufacturer defect, specifically potentially related to a connecting rod bearing failure leading to an engine block puncture and oil ignition, or an electrical short in the ABS moduleâboth of which have been subjects of major Hyundai fire investigations and class-action settlements (e.g., Engine II settlement) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
External Handles made of plastic continue to break and do not allow access to open car doors
I have had 3 door handles fall off in the last couple months I think this is safety concern i do not see any recalls.I do see that there is a lot of people complaining about this matter door handles should not be fallen off
Car has had check engine light on for 3 + years. Have taken it to several mechanics including a Hyundai dealership and none of them can figure out what is wrong. Have replaced water pump, belts x2 in a year (same belt) and thermostat x 3 again (all within 2 years). Dash fuel gage and Dash heating/cooling gage are completely erratic. Cruise control does not work. Due to chronic check engine light and mechanics unable to pin point the problem, car has become hazardous to drive. With that in mind, today (9/10/2025) while exiting the high way, car stalled and behaved like it was in neutral. Steering wheel also locked up at this time. Luckily was able to stop. Had to restart car and then it occurred again while driving on a side street at 35mph. The codes that are still popping up are ones that I have spent thousands trying to fix and find the root cause of the problem. What could the issue be if no mechanic can seem to diagnose and fix the issue?
Car has had check engine light on for 3 + years. Have taken it to several mechanics including a Hyundai dealership and none of them can figure out what is wrong. Have replaced water pump, belts x2 in a year (same belt) and thermostat x 3 again (all within 2 years). Dash fuel gage and Dash heating/cooling gage are completely erratic. Cruise control does not work. Due to chronic check engine light and mechanics unable to pin point the problem, car has become hazardous to drive. With that in mind, today (9/10/2025) while exiting the high way, car stalled and behaved like it was in neutral. Steering wheel also locked up at this time. Luckily was able to stop. Had to restart car and then it occurred again while driving on a side street at 35mph. The codes that are still popping up are ones that I have spent thousands trying to fix and find the root cause of the problem. What could the issue be if no mechanic can seem to diagnose and fix the issue?
Car has had check engine light on for 3 + years. Have taken it to several mechanics including a Hyundai dealership and none of them can figure out what is wrong. Have replaced water pump, belts x2 in a year (same belt) and thermostat x 3 again (all within 2 years). Dash fuel gage and Dash heating/cooling gage are completely erratic. Cruise control does not work. Due to chronic check engine light and mechanics unable to pin point the problem, car has become hazardous to drive. With that in mind, today (9/10/2025) while exiting the high way, car stalled and behaved like it was in neutral. Steering wheel also locked up at this time. Luckily was able to stop. Had to restart car and then it occurred again while driving on a side street at 35mph. The codes that are still popping up are ones that I have spent thousands trying to fix and find the root cause of the problem. What could the issue be if no mechanic can seem to diagnose and fix the issue?
While driving 60â70 mph on [XXX] just north of Sylmar, I suddenly heard a loud, deep âpopâ from the lower part of the car. Within seconds, the engine began steaming heavily and leaking oil everywhere. I immediately turned on my hazard lights and began maneuvering toward the right shoulder, crossing multiple lanes with semis and fast-moving traffic approaching behind me. I felt unsafe and feared the car could catch fire or explode, especially with smoke and oil present. After safely exiting the vehicle, a mechanic later told me the rod bearing blew and punched a hole through the bottom of the engine block, calling it a total engine failure. He said it would require a full replacement and matched known issues with this model. There was no warning before the failure. Iâm having it inspected at Hyundai of Downtown Los Angeles on July 28. I believe this event posed a serious safety hazard to me and others on the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that upon attempting to turn the ignition key in the ignition switch to start the vehicle, the ignition switch failed to turn, and the steering wheel locked. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the ignition switch was replaced; however, the vehicle failed to start. The mechanic determined that an unknown part needed to be replaced. The mechanic contacted the manufacturer for parts and was informed that the unknown part had been discontinued. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Fuel pump failure, causing car to stop immediately on highway.
The contact owns a 2010 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was constantly pulling to the right. The contact had to steer to the left to keep the vehicle centered. The failure persisted even after wheel adjustments had been made. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that an alignment was needed. The wheels were aligned. The manufacturer had been made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Mileage: 70,000
The plastic housing of the brake lights have turned black. I'm on my second set that I got at wrecking yard. The plastic doesn't hold up to the heat of the tail/brake light. I saw other cars like mine with same problem at the wrecking yard. And my ground wire to my radiator fan burned out as well during COVID. I think Hyundai used cheap plastic that can't hold up to the heat. My dash cracked really bad as well. All over. I saw the same cracked dashes of other car in wrecking yards. They know they had a plastic defect and they changed body styles the next year. My door handles brake off in my hands and the a/c vent broke twice. They have hazzard car because all of this happened early when I purchased the car. And my car has Hyundai and Kia parts old body style 2010 bought end of 2009. Theta 2 engine. All of the recalls but they leave my car out. And that stop brake switch light has broken so many times. Replaced free only 1 time by dealership. Other times I had to pay for. Cheap plastic
The plastic housing of the brake lights have turned black. I'm on my second set that I got at wrecking yard. The plastic doesn't hold up to the heat of the tail/brake light. I saw other cars like mine with same problem at the wrecking yard. And my ground wire to my radiator fan burned out as well during COVID. I think Hyundai used cheap plastic that can't hold up to the heat. My dash cracked really bad as well. All over. I saw the same cracked dashes of other car in wrecking yards. They know they had a plastic defect and they changed body styles the next year. My door handles brake off in my hands and the a/c vent broke twice. They have hazzard car because all of this happened early when I purchased the car. And my car has Hyundai and Kia parts old body style 2010 bought end of 2009. Theta 2 engine. All of the recalls but they leave my car out. And that stop brake switch light has broken so many times. Replaced free only 1 time by dealership. Other times I had to pay for. Cheap plastic
I purchased a 2010 Hyundai Sonata in February 2022 from the original owner. In July of this year, my engine failed due to the oil consumption defect found in many of Hyundai's engines produced at the Alabama factory. My oil and check engine light came on before it was time for my following oil change, despite making on-time synthetic oil changes during ownership. The vehicle hesitated and jerked on my commute to work, potentially causing harm to myself and other motorists. I went to take my vehicle to the mechanic on my lunch break. The car failed to turn over and has been inoperable ever since. I need my engine replaced at no charge. It's unconscionable that corporate would turn me away because the engine has 146k miles, which is nowhere near the industry standard 200k. Hyundai has inspected the vehicle and confirmed that an engine replacement is needed.
I purchased a 2010 Hyundai Sonata in February 2022 from the original owner. In July of this year, my engine failed due to the oil consumption defect found in many of Hyundai's engines produced at the Alabama factory. My oil and check engine light came on before it was time for my following oil change, despite making on-time synthetic oil changes during ownership. The vehicle hesitated and jerked on my commute to work, potentially causing harm to myself and other motorists. I went to take my vehicle to the mechanic on my lunch break. The car failed to turn over and has been inoperable ever since. I need my engine replaced at no charge. It's unconscionable that corporate would turn me away because the engine has 146k miles, which is nowhere near the industry standard 200k. Hyundai has inspected the vehicle and confirmed that an engine replacement is needed.
the alternator failed and after being tested, had to be replaced.
I have several recalls on my vehicle and the dealership only scrub and they did not replace the crossmember and other parts. I need help to see if this is OK
I have several recalls on my vehicle and the dealership only scrub and they did not replace the crossmember and other parts. I need help to see if this is OK
I have several recalls on my vehicle and the dealership only scrub and they did not replace the crossmember and other parts. I need help to see if this is OK
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.