Reliable Auto DB

2016 Hyundai Sonata reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 723 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Hyundai Sonata over 11 years — 23 per year. The other Sonata years sit at about the same rate: their median is 23 complaints per year. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Turn signal, Indicator light, and Sunroof.

2012 Hyundai Sonata
Photo by MercurySable99, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

723

Per year

23

Recalls

6

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (448 of 723), then Electrical system (88) and Powertrain (59). Those filings include 19 that report a crash, 28 that report a fire, 12 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Sonata has 1,144 complaints, 62 per year, and the 2017 has 764 complaints, 35 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Hyundai Sonata. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (6)

Recall exterior lighting, turn signal 2021-09-24 · NHTSA campaign 21V749000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall parking brake, indicator light 2017-06-05 · NHTSA campaign 17V359000
Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2016 Sonata and Genesis vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the warning light to indicate that the parking brake is applied may intermittently not illuminate in the dash due to corrosion in the switch.
Remedy Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the parking brake switch, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 164.
Recall visibility, sunroof 2016-10-11 · NHTSA campaign 16V726000
Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicles manufactured December 8, 2014, to August 18, 2015, and Hyundai Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to March 18, 2016, equipped with the panoramic sunroof option. Due to a bonding issue with the sunroof wind deflector, the sunroof panel on the affected vehicles may detach while driving.
Remedy Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair the wind deflector anchor plate, free of charge. The recall began December 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 152.
Recall Air bags 2016-08-24 · NHTSA campaign 16V615000
Summary Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 28, 2016 through April 12, 2016. The affected vehicles have a driver-side frontal air bag that may not adequately protect the driver's neck from injury in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's number for this recall is 148.
Recall air bags, frontal 2016-04-21 · NHTSA campaign 16V232000
Summary Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 29, 2014 to February 11, 2016, 2017 Elantra vehicles manufactured January 12, 2016 to February 22, 2016, and one 2016 Sonata Hybrid vehicle manufactured October 15, 2015. In these vehicles, the driver's frontal air bag may be missing a chemical enhancer required for the second stage air bag deployment, resulting in the second stage not deploying in certain crashes. The primary stage will deploy as intended.
Remedy Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on May 5,2016. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 144.
Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2015-10-20 · NHTSA campaign 15V678000
Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Sonata vehicles manufactured May 28, 2014, to August 21, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with an Antilock Braking System (ABS) warning light intended to warn the driver if there is an ABS malfunction. In the event of an ABS malfunction, the Brake System warning light will illuminate, but the ABS warning light will not illuminate. Since the vehicles have ABS malfunction lights that do not illuminate, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Remedy Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS control unit software, free of charge. The recall is expected began on November 30, 2015. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 134.

Complaints by component (723 total)

Engine
448
Electrical system
88
Powertrain
59
Service brakes
42
Exterior lighting
38
Fuel and propulsion system
33
Steering
33
Structure
31
Speed control
30
Air bags
21
Engine and engine cooling
16
Seat belts
9
Forward collision avoidance
7
Visibility
7
Electronic stability control (ESC)
5
Latches, locks, and linkages
4
Seats
4
Visibility and wipers
4
Hydraulic brakes
3
Lane departure
3
Suspension
3
Tires
3
Parking brake
2
Wheels
2
Air brakes
1
Back-over prevention
1
Equipment
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Hybrid propulsion
1
Interior lighting
1
Traction control
1
Show 23 more Show less
Crash-flagged

19

Fire-flagged

28

Injury reports

12

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

25201623201722201851201950202085202111120221522023632024922025492026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Backup vision system failed. Couldn't see vision because screen was blank. Radio didn't work either. Went to dealership with the problem they said it was not covered by the warranty. Paid to have it fixed."
    Electrical system · filed 2026-09-17
  • "I am concerned that the engine may seize or stall without warning while driving, creating a risk of crash, injury, or death. The Theta II engine defect is known to cause engine seizure, stalling, and fire. Hyundai has…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-15
  • "The vehicle experienced a Theta II engine failure at under 57,830 miles while driving on northbound [XXX] near the [XXX] Parkway U-turn in [XXX]. The engine made a loud noise and lost power. I was able to coast to the…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-15
  • "The car died while going 70 on a highway with no warning signs. The car completely shut off and will not turn over or move at all."
    Engine · filed 2026-09-03
  • "Component & Inspection: Vehicle engine suffered connecting rod bearing failure and entered restricted P1326 "Limp Home Mode" (max 2,000 RPM). The vehicle is grounded and available for inspection at Bud Clary Hyundai in…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-25

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Hyundai Sonata 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid 4 DR FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Sonata 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 25 36 29 MPG $2250
Sonata 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 31 26 MPG $2500
Sonata 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (7-speed) Front-wheel drive 28 36 31 MPG $2100
Sonata hybrid 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 38 41 40 MPG $1600
Sonata hybrid SE 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 39 42 41 MPG $1600
Sonata Limited 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 21 30 24 MPG $2700
Sonata Plug-in hybrid 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 38 41 40 MPG / 600 mi range $1600
Sonata Sport Limited 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 25 35 28 MPG $2300

Specs and fitment

7th generation (LF), 2012–2019
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-20 or 0W-20 (2.4L and 2.0L turbo per manual) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 205/65R16 to 245/45R18 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Owner complaints for early years in this span (especially 2013) concentrate on the engine. Safety recall 17V-226 covers certain 2013-2014 Sonata and Santa Fe Sport vehicles: machining errors during engine manufacturing may cause premature bearing wear that can seize the engine; dealers inspect and replace the short block as needed. Safety recall 22V-312 (replacing 20V-121) covers certain 2013-2014 Sonatas whose low-pressure fuel hose between the low-pressure and direct-injection pumps may crack from engine-bay heat and leak fuel; dealers replace that hose. Safety recall 18V-934 covers certain 2011-2014 Sonatas previously remedied under 15V-568 or 17V-226 whose high-pressure fuel pipe may have been damaged or mis-torqued during engine replacement and can leak; dealers inspect and replace the pipe as needed. Safety recall 16V-956 covers a small build of 2017 Sonatas (and Elantras) whose driver frontal air-bag inflator end seal may be missing; dealers replace the driver frontal air-bag module.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Hyundai Sonata Next year 2017 Hyundai Sonata See every Hyundai Sonata model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Hyundai Sonata reliable?

Owners have filed 723 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Hyundai Sonata over 11 years — 23 per year. The other Sonata years sit at about the same rate: their median is 23 complaints per year. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Turn signal, Indicator light, and Sunroof.

What are common problems with a 2016 Hyundai Sonata?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (448 of 723), then Electrical system (88) and Powertrain (59). Those filings include 19 that report a crash, 28 that report a fire, 12 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2016 Hyundai Sonata more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Sonata has 1,144 complaints, 62 per year, and the 2017 has 764 complaints, 35 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Hyundai Sonata been recalled?

The 2016 Hyundai Sonata has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Hyundai Sonata?

Owners have filed 723 complaints about the 2016 Hyundai Sonata with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Hyundai Sonata get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata is 32.4 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Sonata take?

Viscosity and capacity depend on engine and model year; use the generation specs here and confirm in the owner’s manual.

Which Sonata years had the engine bearing safety recall?

Safety recall 17V-226 covers certain 2013-2014 Sonatas (and Santa Fe Sport) for premature engine bearing wear; dealers inspect and replace the short block as needed.