2012 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

The warning light for the airbags is on on my dashboard with no airbags ever been deployed.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. The contact stated that the mileage on the title was discovered to be 98,000. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 99,000; however, a Carfax Report indicated that the mileage was 237,532.

My 2012 Hyundai Sonata recently had an engine replacement completed under a Hyundai recall. Immediately after the recall repair, the vehicle began shaking while driving, produced a burning smell, and the air conditioning stopped working, none of which occurred prior to the recall repair. These symptoms started immediately after the engine replacement, indicating a possible improper or unsafe installation. I believe the vehicle is unsafe to drive due to the burning smell and shaking. I contacted Hyundai Customer Service and was told the issue must be resolved with the dealership. However, the dealership has refused timely inspection, has dismissed my safety concerns, and has declined to provide a rental or loaner vehicle, leaving me without safe transportation. This is a post-recall safety issue, and I am concerned about the risk of fire or mechanical failure due to the burning smell and vehicle instability. I am requesting this issue be formally investigated.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check brake and "Hybrid System Warning Safely Stop - Do Not Drive" messages were displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and the contact replaced the hydraulic pressure units and hydraulic unit assemblies (HECU/ABS modules). The contact stated that after the repairs, the failure returned approximately 30,000 miles later. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided with an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption, which required the oil reservoir to be refilled after 3-4 weeks. Additionally, there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to Jiffy Lube for a top off, the mechanic would inform the contact that the oil reservoir was empty and needed to be refilled. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

The vehicle dashboard is severely cracked. It doesn’t appear to be from wear and tear.

The contact owned a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving to her residence at unknown speeds, the vehicle suddenly caught fire while making a U-turn. The brakes and emergency brake were inoperable. The seatbelt was inoperable. The driver jumped out of the window. A pedestrian attempted to alert her of the fire. The vehicle exploded after exiting the vehicle. The contact sustained an injury to her leg, but no medical attention was provided. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. There was no report of a crash or airbag deployment. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000. The vehicle was auctioned off by the towing company.

Based on what I experienced, the fire appears to have resulted from an internal mechanical or electrical failure that occurred without warning while the vehicle was in motion. No prior issues or dashboard alerts were present at the time, and there was no external impact or damage that could explain the fire.

Noticed there’s a crack on the passenger side dashboard of the car that’s about 12 inches long. From what I read this could cause issues with any possible airbag deployment.

The engine in my Hyundai Sonata (replacement engine VIN [XXX] ) experienced a complete internal failure. The component that failed is the 2.4L Theta II GDI engine, which is known for issues related to metal debris, oil restriction, rod bearing wear, and resulting piston and compression failure. The failed engine is currently at the dealership (Carolina Hyundai) and is available for inspection upon request. My safety was put at risk because the engine lost power unexpectedly, ran extremely rough, and became inoperable. A sudden loss of power while driving could have caused a crash, especially in traffic situations. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealership. They performed a compression test and found all cylinders at extremely low PSI (35–45 psi). The dealer stated the engine cannot perform the required bearing clearance test due to the level of internal damage. Hyundai Corporate initially declined assistance, calling it a piston failure, but the symptoms and damage are consistent with the known Theta II recall issues. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership, and all diagnostic information has been submitted to Hyundai under PA Reference #XXX. Hyundai Corporate has not yet responded to me with a case manager. Before the engine failure, the vehicle had rough running and loss of power, but no warning lights or messages illuminated on the dashboard. Symptoms appeared shortly before the engine became undriveable. Based on the dealer’s findings and the engine’s known defect history, it is my assessment that the failure is related to the same issues described in Hyundai’s Theta II engine recall (Campaign 132). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)