Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Hyundai Sonata, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine34
- Unknown or other32
- Power train25
- Fuel/propulsion system21
- Electrical system17
- Fuel system, gasoline13
- Forward collision avoidance9
- Visibility/wiper8
- Visibility4
- Structure4
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 13 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 54 2021 Sonata vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 36 people died inside them, and 7 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2021 Hyundai Sonata failed the safety check 0.91% of the time — 4% less often than the average 2021 passenger car (0.95%). Median odometer at inspection: 20,691 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; 1 of 1 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Hyundai Sonata 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 9.7 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 7.7–8.8 L/100 km (about 27–31 mpg US), CO₂ 182–208 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonata · Full-size · Regular gasoline | 8.8 | 6.4 | 7.7 |
| Sonata · Full-size · Regular gasoline | 8.8 | 6.4 | 7.7 |
| Sonata · Full-size · Regular gasoline | 10.1 | 7.2 | 8.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2021 Hyundai Sonata.
| 2025637 18 Nov 2025 | Fuel System Issue: On certain vehicles, the check valve for the purge control system could wear and cause the fuel tank to expand. As a result, the fuel tank could contac… |
| 2022568 6 Oct 2022 | Powertrain Issue: On certain vehicles, a fault in the transmission oil pump can cause the vehicle to enter "fail-safe mode". When this happens, a programming error can c… |
| 2021791 27 Dec 2021 | Structure Issue: On certain vehicles, the windshield may not be properly attached. As a result, the glass can become loose and could separate from the vehicle in a cras… |
| 2021426 9 Jul 2021 | Fuel System Issue: On certain vehicles, the connection between the high-pressure fuel pipe and fuel pump may not be properly sealed. As a result, a fuel leak could occur.… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Sonata vehicles. A damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, melting the tank.
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Sonata, Veloster N, 2022 Santa Cruz, Elantra N, and Kona N vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe and Sonata vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Hyundai told its dealers about the 2021 Hyundai Sonata: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011830 | The subject vehicles may have Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P0451 stored in the ECU, which could cause the Check Engine Lamp to come on. |
| 11010975 | Certain 2021-2023MY Sonata (DN8) and 2020-2022MY Sonata (DN8A) vehicles may have Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P0451 stored in the Electronic Control Unit (ECU). The California Air Resources Board has determined that these vehicles may be releasing air pollutants which exceed Federal and California standards. |
| 11010974 | Certain 2021-2023MY Sonata (DN8) and 2020-2022MY Sonata (DN8A) vehicles may have DTC P0451 stored in the ECU. Follow this bulletin to inspect the check valve, fuel pump cover and fuel tank, and update the ECU. If necessary, replace the check valve and/or fuel tank based on inspection results. |
| 11006112 | Certain 20-22MY Sonata (DN8a), 21-23MY Santa Fe (TMa), and 22-23MY Tucson (NX4a) vehicles may experience a warning lamp illumination for a diagnostic trouble code P2181 that is related to the Integrated Thermal Management Module (ITM). Follow the service procedure outlined in this bulletin to replace the ITM. |
| 11006111 | Some vehicles equipped with the AVN 5th Gen Wide system may exhibit a condition where the radio app crashes frequently when entering radio mode and/or displays a message that reads Uneven Road Ahead, Drive carefully on the cluster along with a warning sound. Follow the procedure outlined in this bulletin to update the AVN software to resolve this condition. |
| 10253275 | This TSB provides a procedure to diagnose and replace, if necessary, an automatic transmission with Incorrect Ratio DTC (transmission clutch slip in gear above limit) listed on Page 2. |
| 10251294 | This bulletin provides the procedure to update the Engine Control Module (ECM) and/or the Transmission Control Module (TCM) for 2020-2023MY Sonata (DN8/DN8a) vehicles to improve operation of the Idle Stop and Go (ISG) system. Under certain circumstances the vehicle may not restart after the ISG system has engaged and requires a manual restart due to the lack of intake manifold pressure recovery. |
| 10251293 | This bulletin provides the procedure for updating the automatic transmission TCU and ECU software (Santa Fe ONLY) to improve shift quality, judder with ISG enabled and hesitation when accelerating. |
| 10251285 | This bulletin contains information about the proper removal of the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all models. If the protective cover is not removed correctly, there is a possibility of the rubber insert and rail spring becoming partially separated on the inner side of the wiper blade, which could lead to poor wiping performance and/or possible scratching of the windshield glass. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to properly remove the windshield wiper blade protective cover on all new wiper blades. |
| 10249699 | Some vehicles equipped with the AVN 5th Gen Wide system may exhibit a condition where the radio app crashes frequently when entering radio mode and/or displays a message that reads Uneven Road Ahead, Drive carefully on the cluster along with a warning sound. Follow the procedure outlined in this bulletin to update the AVN software to resolve this condition. |
| 10247189 | This bulletin provides important checkpoint guidelines when performing engine oil and filter change services. |
| 10245580 | This TSB provides information to diagnose the push button shifter operation. |
| 10243340 | This bulletin is issued to provide the extended battery diagnosis procedure using GDS-M. This battery diagnosis function displays the various battery-related faults such as: Internal short circuit Battery deterioration Malfunction of electronic parts Insufficient battery charge Normal battery Charging defect Battery diagnosis uses the battery sensor history saved for the last 30 days and ICU diagnostic communication to track battery state of charge (SOC) and current parasitic draw history. |
| 10243329 | If you are servicing an 8-speed front-wheel-drive vehicle equipped with automatic transaxle with one or more of the DTC or symptoms listed below, refer to the Service Procedure to diagnose the condition. DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES: P070500 - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P070512 - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P070514 - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P07051C - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P070600 - Transmission range sensor circuit range/performance P070661 - Transmission range sensor circuit range/performance P07069 |
| 10241891 | This bulletin outlines changes to the service procedure regarding the replacement of 8-speed wet dual clutch transmissions (8WDCT) and associated transmission control unit (TCU). These changes only apply to vehicles equipped with Theta 2.5T engines. Certain transmissions (indicated by a new part number) have received an improved clutch spring. The correct TCU software update must be matched with the correct corresponding 8WDCT hardware, otherwise drivability concerns may occur. |
| 10241890 | This bulletin provides information related to a Transmission Control Unit (TCU) software update for certain vehicles equipped with an 8-speed wet dual clutch transmissions (8WDCT) that improves the touch point learning variation. Certain 8WDCTs (indicated by a new part number) received an improved clutch spring. The correct TCU software update must be matched with the correct corresponding 8WDCT hardware, otherwise drivability concerns may occur. |
| 10241885 | If you are servicing an 8-speed vehicle with a Check Engine light on and one or more of the DTC listed, follow the service procedure and replace the related solenoid and harness. |
| 10241875 | This bulletin provides warranty procedure for EGR Valve replacement related to DTC P0401 EGR Flow Insufficient on 2020 and 2021MY Sonata (DN8a) equipped with 2.5 GDI Vehicles. |
| 10241796 | This TSB provides information to diagnose the push button shifter operation. If you are servicing a vehicle with any symptoms listed below or DTCs (listed on Page 2) , follow the Service Procedure on Page 3. SYMPTOMS: Shifter System Malfunction displayed in the cluster Wont shift into or out of gear or wont shift out of Park Incorrect gear display in cluster and/or wont start |
| 10240089 | If you are servicing an 8-speed DCT front-wheel-drive vehicle with the DTC or symptoms listed below, refer to the Service Procedure to diagnose the condition. DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES: P070500 - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P070512 - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P070514 - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P07051C - Transmission range sensor circuit malfunction P070600 - Transmission range sensor circuit range/performance P070661 - Transmission range sensor circuit range/performance P070696 - Transmission range sensor circuit range/p |
| 10240087 | This Service Information bulletin provides information on how to update the Apple Carplay software from Hyundais Navigation Updates page. The current version of Google Maps has 10 times the data transmission compared to the previous version. As a countermeasure, an update with a frame skip logic has been added to resolve the data congestion with Google Maps. |
| 10240084 | If you are servicing an 8-speed front-wheel-drive vehicle equipped with automatic transaxle with one or more of the DTC or symptoms listed below, refer to the Service Procedure to diagnose the condition. |
| 10238377 | This bulletin provides the diagnostic procedure for the GDI injector(s) in certain 21-23MY Sonata, 21-22MY Santa Fe, certain 22MY Santa Cruz, and certain 21-23MY Tucson equipped with 2.5L GDI engines with one or more misfire DTC(s) due to internally leaking GDI injector(s) |
| 10237183 | This bulletin provides service procedures to prevent possible moisture intrusion of the HP EOP (High Flow Electric Oil Pump) connector when servicing the 8-speed wet dual clutch transmission (8WDCT). If moisture enters the HF EOP connector, this can result in corrosion and insufficient connection of the terminals. |
| 10237182 | This TSB applies only if Recall 236 or Service Campaign T8N has been performed and the 8 speed wet dual clutch transmission (8WDCT) replacement is necessary related due to high pressure electric oil pump (HP EOP) DTCs P1C2D03 (HP EOP Motor Position Sensor), P193B79 - HP EOP Performance, P0868 - Transmission Fluid Pressure (TFP) Sensor Low. Replace the 8WDCT under this bulletin. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Loss of Motive Power
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation