Reliable Auto DB

2021 Hyundai Sonata reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata has 133 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 16 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Sonata years here — under the median of the other years, which is 24. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Fuel system, gasoline, Automatic transmission, and Windshield.

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

133

Per year

16

Recalls

4

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (34 of 133), then Powertrain (24) and Fuel and propulsion system (21). Those filings include 7 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Sonata has 178 complaints, 19 per year, and the 2022 has 93 complaints, 18 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2022.

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 2021 Hyundai Sonata. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

Recall Fuel system, gasoline 2025-11-18 · NHTSA campaign 25V796000
Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Sonata vehicles. A damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, melting the tank.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the check valve. The fuel tank assembly will be inspected for damage and replaced if necessary. Additionally, dealers will inspect and update the engine control unit software. All repairs will be performed as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning March 13, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 286. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 19, 2025.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2022-10-06 · NHTSA campaign 22V746000
Summary Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Sonata, Veloster N, 2022 Santa Cruz, Elantra N, and Kona N vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 236.
Recall visibility, windshield 2021-12-28 · NHTSA campaign 21V00M000
Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Remedy Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.
Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2021-07-09 · NHTSA campaign 21V524000
Summary Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe and Sonata vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 207.

Complaints by component (133 total)

Engine
34
Powertrain
24
Fuel and propulsion system
21
Electrical system
17
Fuel system, gasoline
13
Forward collision avoidance
9
Visibility and wipers
8
Air bags
4
Structure
4
Visibility
4
Lane departure
3
Service brakes
3
Seat belts
2
Seats
2
Speed control
2
Steering
2
Engine and engine cooling
1
Parking brake
1
Suspension
1
Show 11 more Show less
Crash-flagged

7

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

92021182022222023152024292025402026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "DESCRIPTION OF SAFETY DEFECT & IMMEDIATE HAZARD:My 2021 Hyundai Sonata SEL is currently exhibiting the most severe, catastrophic symptoms of the fuel tank expansion defect covered under NHTSA Campaign 25V796000. The…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-23
  • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign: 25V796000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, parts were on back order. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed…"
    Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2026-09-17
  • "Transmission replaced twice and all of them continue to fail. Several Hyundai service centers are unable to determine the cause and are only able to update/relearn and replace whenever they are able to replicate the…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-15
  • "Massive loss of coolant in closed loop cooling system Heat soak. Fail safe mode"
    Powertrain, Unknown or other, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-08-26
  • "The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V796000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated…"
    Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2026-08-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Hyundai Sonata 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid 4 DR FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars
2021 Hyundai Sonata N 4 DR FWD Not rated Not rated 5 stars 5 stars

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 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 27 37 31 MPG $2100
Sonata 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 27 37 30 MPG $2150
Sonata 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S8) Front-wheel drive 23 33 27 MPG $2400
Sonata 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 28 38 32 MPG $2050
Sonata hybrid 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 45 51 47 MPG $1400
Sonata hybrid Blue 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 50 54 52 MPG $1250

Specs and fitment

8th generation (DN8), 2020–present
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (2.5L Smartstream and 1.6L turbo where equipped) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 215/55R17 to 245/40R19 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Safety recall 25V-796 covers certain 2020-2023 Sonatas: a damaged check valve can let air into the fuel tank so the tank expands, contacts hot exhaust parts, and melts; dealers inspect and replace the check valve and tank as needed and update engine-control software. Safety recall 21V-524 covers certain 2021-2022 Sonata and Santa Fe vehicles with 2.5L turbo engines: fuel may leak at the pipe between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail; dealers inspect and tighten or replace that pipe. Those turbo-only units are a subset of DN8, not the gasoline majority.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Hyundai Sonata Next year 2022 Hyundai Sonata See every Hyundai Sonata model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Hyundai Sonata reliable?

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata has 133 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 16 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Sonata years here — under the median of the other years, which is 24. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Fuel system, gasoline, Automatic transmission, and Windshield.

What are common problems with a 2021 Hyundai Sonata?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (34 of 133), then Powertrain (24) and Fuel and propulsion system (21). Those filings include 7 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Hyundai Sonata more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Sonata has 178 complaints, 19 per year, and the 2022 has 93 complaints, 18 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2022.

Has the 2021 Hyundai Sonata been recalled?

The 2021 Hyundai Sonata has 4 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 2021 Hyundai Sonata?

Owners have filed 133 complaints about the 2021 Hyundai Sonata with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Hyundai Sonata get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Hyundai Sonata is 36.5 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.