What are the most common problems with the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?

Owners name the engine group most often, with 229 complaints. Electrical trouble is next with 62. The problems section above has the full list.

Does the 2018 Hyundai Sonata have recalls?

Yes, 2 recalls are on file for this year. They are listed in the recalls section on this page.

What is the gas mileage of the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?

The fuel section on this page shows the EPA figures and the yearly fuel cost.

Is the 2018 Hyundai Sonata reliable?

There are 383 owner complaints on file, and the engine group is the largest. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so read them as a guide and not a verdict.

Which Sonata year is best?

The by-year comparison section on this page lines up the model years so you can judge for yourself.

2018 Hyundai Sonata Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 383 owner complaints on file for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata^[1]. The engine group is the biggest, with 229 of them^[2].

383owner complaints^[1]

2recalls^[3]

26–42MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

5★NHTSA overall rating^[5]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Owners filed complaints across several parts of the car, and these are the groups, biggest first.

Engine. 229 complaints^[2]. In the stories we read, owners describe a flashing check engine light, the car dropping into a weak, reduced power state, and the engine cutting out while driving, sometimes with little warning.
Electrical System. 62 complaints^[6]. Owners describe a car that would not start in freezing weather, charging warnings on the dash, and a flashing engine light with sluggish response.
Unknown Or Other. 59 complaints^[7]. These reports do not point to one clear part, so we cannot sort them further.
Power Train. 41 complaints^[8]. Owners describe hard downshifts when slowing to a stop, hesitation when pressing the pedal, and warnings telling them to shut the car off.
Fuel/Propulsion System. 32 complaints^[9]. Owners describe a delay before the car picks up speed, trouble starting in the cold, and the engine shutting off on the highway.
Exterior Lighting. 24 complaints^[10]. We did not read these closely, so we list the group without a story.
Speed Control. 19 complaints^[11]. We list this group without a story too.
Structure. 17 complaints^[12]. Same here, listed for completeness.

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2018 Sonata is necessarily included.

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Trunk Lid › Latch (21V619), August 2021. About 348,158 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: injury. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]
Hybrid Propulsion System (18V166), March 2018. About 2,840 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, loss of power.^[14]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
Sonata, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[15]	25 / 35 / 28	$2,400
Sonata SE, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[16]	25 / 36 / 29	$2,300
Sonata, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[17]	23 / 32 / 26	$2,600
Sonata, 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (AM7), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[18]	28 / 37 / 31	$2,150
Sonata Hybrid, 2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (AM6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[19]	39 / 44 / 41	$1,650
Sonata Hybrid SE, 2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (AM6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[4]	40 / 46 / 42	$1,600
Sonata Plug-in Hybrid, 2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (AM6), Regular Gas and Electricity^[20]	37 / 42 / 39	n/a

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD^[5]	5	5	5	4	10.5%
4 DR FWD^[21]	5	5	5	4	10.5%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2018 Hyundai Sonata with 1.6L 4-cylinder^[22]	178 hp
2018 Hyundai Sonata with 2.0L 4-cylinder^[23]	154 to 248 hp
2018 Hyundai Sonata with 2.4L 4-cylinder^[24]	185 hp

How 2018 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Sonata model year. The 2018 is highlighted^[3].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
1995	66	2
1996	23	1
1997	49	2
1998	49	1
1999	170	4
2000	276	4
2001	205	3
2002	320	7
2003	199	6
2004	202	1
2005	165	1
2006	1,047	9
2007	696	5
2008	425	3
2009	460	2
2010	345	2
2011	3,474	17
2012	1,712	11
2013	2,024	11
2014	778	8
2015	1,207	12
2016	886	9
2017	879	5
2018	383	2
2019	172	0
2020	197	4
2021	189	4
2022	113	3
2023	103	2
2024	55	1
2025	28	0
2026	6	1

NHTSA's counts for the Sonata show 383 complaints and 2 recalls for 2018^[3]. Among the 33 model years listed, 21 have fewer complaints than 2018 and 11 have more^[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2027 (0) and the most are for 2011 (3,474)^[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2018 Sonata?

The 2018 Sonata has 383 complaints on file^[1]. Engine reports are the biggest share at 229^[2]. Some owners also describe a crash or a fire, so the safety side is worth reading in the sections above^[1]. These are unverified owner reports, and they are not adjusted for how many cars were sold. Two recalls are on file for this year, so read the recalls section before you decide^[3].

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?: Owners name the engine group most often, with 229 complaints^[2]. Electrical trouble is next with 62^[6]. The problems section above has the full list.
Does the 2018 Hyundai Sonata have recalls?: Yes, 2 recalls are on file for this year^[3]. They are listed in the recalls section on this page.
What is the gas mileage of the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?: The fuel section on this page shows the EPA figures and the yearly fuel cost.
Is the 2018 Hyundai Sonata reliable?: There are 383 owner complaints on file^[1], and the engine group is the largest^[2]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so read them as a guide and not a verdict.
Which Sonata year is best?: The by-year comparison section on this page lines up the model years so you can judge for yourself.

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Hyundai Sonata

2006 1,047 complaints, 9 recalls
2011 3,474 complaints, 17 recalls
2012 1,712 complaints, 11 recalls
2013 2,024 complaints, 11 recalls
2015 1,207 complaints, 12 recalls
2016 886 complaints, 9 recalls
2017 879 complaints, 5 recalls
2018 this page

Compare all model years of the Hyundai Sonata

Other Hyundai models from 2018

2018 Hyundai Elantra 335 complaints, 1 recall
2018 Hyundai Tucson 399 complaints, 1 recall

All Hyundai models

Similar cars from 2018: large cars

2018 Chrysler 300 153 complaints, 4 recalls
2018 Honda Accord 2,008 complaints, 6 recalls
2018 Kia Forte 136 complaints, 3 recalls
2018 Kia Optima 243 complaints, 3 recalls
2018 Tesla Model S 170 complaints, 11 recalls

All large cars we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 383 owner complaints on file for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata (18 mention a crash, 13 a fire, 21 injuries, 1 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
229 complaints name the engine component group (3 crashes, 8 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 23,944). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Hyundai Sonata model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Sonata Hybrid SE, 2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (AM6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 40 city / 46 highway / 42 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $1,600. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 10.5%. NHTSA vehicle records
62 complaints name the electrical system component group (3 crashes, 4 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 20,500). NHTSA vehicle records
59 complaints name the unknown or other component group (1 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 16,000). NHTSA vehicle records
41 complaints name the power train component group (2 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 40,537). NHTSA vehicle records
32 complaints name the fuel/propulsion system component group (0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 127,961). NHTSA vehicle records
24 complaints name the exterior lighting component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 293). NHTSA vehicle records
19 complaints name the speed control component group (6 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, median mileage at failure 8,858). NHTSA vehicle records
17 complaints name the structure component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 21V619, filed August 6, 2021: Latches / Locks / Linkages › Trunk Lid › Latch. NHTSA recall database
Recall 18V166, filed March 12, 2018: Hybrid Propulsion System. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Sonata, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 25 city / 35 highway / 28 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,400. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Sonata SE, 2.4L 4-cyl, Automatic (S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 25 city / 36 highway / 29 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,300. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Sonata, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (S8), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 23 city / 32 highway / 26 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,600. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Sonata, 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic (AM7), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 28 city / 37 highway / 31 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,150. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Sonata Hybrid, 2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (AM6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 39 city / 44 highway / 41 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $1,650. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Sonata Plug-in Hybrid, 2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic (AM6), Regular Gas and Electricity: 39 MPGe combined, 600 miles of range. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 10.5%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2018 Hyundai Sonata with 1.6L 4-cylinder: rated 178 hp. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2018 Hyundai Sonata with 2.0L 4-cylinder: rated 154 to 248 hp depending on version. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2018 Hyundai Sonata with 2.4L 4-cylinder: rated 185 hp. www.epa.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2018 Hyundai Sonata: problems, recalls and fuel economy