Hyundai Motor America is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sonata

Sep 24, 2021 — Recall Campaign #21V749000

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sonata, 2016-2017 Sonata Hybrid, and Sonata Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.

The recall was influenced by the manufacturer with about 469,377 units affected.

See recall notice

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

21V749000

Manufacturer:	Hyundai Motor America
Recall date:	September 24, 2021
NHTSA Campaign #:	21V749000
Units affected:	469,377

Description:: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sonata, 2016-2017 Sonata Hybrid, and Sonata Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals received from the multifunction switch, which could cause the turn signal to activate in the opposite direction of what the driver intended.
Consequeces:: A turn signal that activates in the opposite direction of what was intended by the driver increases the risk of a crash.
Corrective action:: Dealers will update the SJB software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 210.
Notes:: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Affects the following:

2017 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints
The vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic internal mechanical engine failure out of nowhere without any warning lights or previous symptoms. An inspection of the engine cylinder revealed a physical hole blown through the top of the Cylinder 2 piston, causing immediate and complete loss of engine compression. This sudden structural failure caused the vehicle to completely lose all propulsion and stall unexpectedly while in operation, creating an immediate, severe safety hazard on the road.This vehicle features Hyundai's 2.4L Theta II Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine, a family with a well-documented history of manufacturing defects, severe oil consumption, and catastrophic internal structural failures. Because this failure occurred instantly and without a progressive warning, it put occupants at risk of a severe rear-end collision or stranding in an unsafe traffic pattern. I am filing this safety report because the catastrophic destruction of the internal engine components presents a persistent and dangerous hazard to public safety.;
2017 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID Complaints
The contact owns a 2017 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption with an abnormal burning odor. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and an oil consumption test was performed. The contact was informed that the vehicle passed the inspection. While driving later, the vehicle stalled and was taken back to the dealer, where it was determined that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil, and several DTC including the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) were found. The contact stated that while driving or reversing at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered, made abnormal rattling sounds, entered HEV Lock Mode, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle occasionally came to a complete stop in the middle of the road and had to be pushed out of the roadway. On other occasions, the driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed after stalling. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated before the vehicle entered HEV Lock Mode, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where several tests, including bearing clearance tests and unknown repairs, were performed; however, the failure persisted. During the final service visit, the dealer diagnosed the vehicle with engine wear and tear and fractured pistons. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the service manager informed the contact that there was no guarantee that replacing the engine or catalytic converter would resolve the failure due to severe engine damage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered loaner vehicle assistance on several occasions; however, coverage for the engine replacement was denied. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.;
2017 HYUNDAI SONATA PLUG-IN HYBRID Complaints
On 12/20/25, the car - a Sonata plug-in hybrid - failed to start. When I pushed the "start" button, the dashboard display lit up w many clearly irrelevant error messages. Each time I pressed start, somewhat fewer error messages blasted toward me, and finally, no response at all. On 12/21/2026, the tow driver said it was the 12-volt battery. He gave us a jump start and we drove a few blocks. However, it failed at the turn lane while waiting for the light to turn. We turned it back on, bought a new battery, had it installed. On 12/29/25, my husband was driving. He turned into the intersection with a traffic light. As he was making the turn, the car simply quit. No warning. The car was dead, and blocking traffic! He pressed the start button to turn off the car, then again to turn it on. He was able to complete the turn and parked on the side of the road. By this time it had a "check engine" light on. He then drove slowly the few blocks back to our house. On 12/30/2025, the car was towed to a local mechanic. He said it threw the code PODE7, "almost certainly for a failed High Voltage battery." It was still under warranty, and we had the car towed to the dealership. After keeping it for 2 or 3 weeks, they confirmed the code and that the control panel needed to be replaced. We finally picked up the car (w new control panel) on 2/20/2026. In the meanwhile, we looked up Hyundai control panel repairs on a reddit forum. We found lots of chatter about it. Turns out it's a recognized problem in Sonata and Ioniq EV and PHEV's! Clearly, a car failing in the middle of an intersection, highway, etc is a safety problem and needs to have repair/replacements made BEFORE THEY HAPPEN!;