The 2018 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 348,158 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor…
Consequence
A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the trunk latch base, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 208.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“I was driving on the freeway and my car lost all power. My indicator dash board flashed lights and a loud beeping sound. The warning lights flashed to check my hybrid system and turn engine off, hev. My car immediately lost power and turned off. I was on the freeway, I almost got into an accident,…”
“I was driving on the freeway and my car lost all power. My indicator dash board flashed lights and a loud beeping sound. The warning lights flashed to check my hybrid system and turn engine off, hev. My car immediately lost power and turned off. I was on the freeway, I almost got into an accident,…”
“I was driving on the freeway and my car lost all power. My indicator dash board flashed lights and a loud beeping sound. The warning lights flashed to check my hybrid system and turn engine off, hev. My car immediately lost power and turned off. I was on the freeway, I almost got into an accident,…”
“Driving on interstate 10 westbound at about 0700. Clear day. No adjacent vehicles. The frontal crash avoidance alert suddenly went off and automated emergency braking activated as I approached an underpass. There were some slightly harsh shadows, but not the worst I have seen and I drive this…”
“2018 sonata hybrid may 19 - "check hybrid system turn engine off" appeared on the dashboard. Vehicle brought to dealership. May 22 - I pay for a rental vehicle may 26 - dealer states vehicle is ready and they performed service campaign 966. May 27 - my rental car is returned. Dealer picks me up…”
“2018 sonata hybrid may 19 - "check hybrid system turn engine off" appeared on the dashboard. Vehicle brought to dealership. May 22 - I pay for a rental vehicle may 26 - dealer states vehicle is ready and they performed service campaign 966. May 27 - my rental car is returned. Dealer picks me up…”
“Same problem with this 2018 hyundai sonata limited hybrid engine as the already recalled 2017 sonata’s with the same 4 liter/direct fuel injection engines. At approximately 69,000 miles the problems and check engine light analyzed was done by auto zone and brandon hyundai (3 times each and…”
“Same problem with this 2018 hyundai sonata limited hybrid engine as the already recalled 2017 sonata’s with the same 4 liter/direct fuel injection engines. At approximately 69,000 miles the problems and check engine light analyzed was done by auto zone and brandon hyundai (3 times each and…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP22003 Opened 2022-09-12 · closed 2023-12-12
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles…
InvestigationDP22005 Opened 2023-01-27 · closed 2023-08-07
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for…
InvestigationEA19001 Opened 2019-04-19 · closed 2024-09-19
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.