2021 Hyundai SONATA HYBRID: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
53 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
28,274 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2021 model year. Data snapshot: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 25 of 53 complaints (47.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 29 | 54.7% |
| Braking behavior | 4 | 7.5% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 3.8% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 1.9% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 1.9% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 1.9% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 25 |
| Engine | 21 |
| Unknown Or Other | 7 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 3 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 3 |
| Power Train | 3 |
| Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
Electrical System: 25; Engine: 21; Unknown Or Other: 7; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 3; Fuel/Propulsion System: 3; Power Train: 3; Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 51 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2023 | 16 |
| 2024 | 22 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 | 4 |
2021: 1; 2023: 16; 2024: 22; 2025: 10; 2026: 4
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 29 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 4 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11436473 · 2021-10-12 (October 12, 2021)
On Wednesday, October 6th, I was driving full speed (65mph) on a major highway. Multiple lights on the dashboard came on. The LCD display screen for music, apps, etc. went black. More lights came on and others went off on the dash display. I let off the accelerator and steered the car. The fuel efficiency was wilding jumping back and forth. Soon enough, all the lights went back off, but the mileage gauge (fuel efficiency) continued to jump wildly. The brakes seemed to respond differently- almost as if there was a delay between me pressing the b…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11436473 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11503289 · 2023-01-23 (January 23, 2023)
Very loud car alarms sounded, e.g., it sounded like a something like a red alert in an old Star Trek episode. warning light indicated engine overheated, extreme exhaust/smoke bellowed out from rear of car while decelerating on highway exit ramp. My wife and I were inside the car during this event. This event happened on 5 pm EST December 9 at Hamilton Avenue exit on Ohio 126 Cross County Highway (Ronald Reagan Highway) in the Cincinnati metropolitan area. Had to park car within one mile. I had the car towed to the nearest dealer after it ha…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11503289 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11508517 · 2023-02-22 (February 22, 2023)
The forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control failed as the first 2 activated when there were no oncoming collisions in front of me and the nearest cars around me were 1/4 of a mile away. The cruise control failed as it turned back on after the vehicle veered off the highway and into the rest stop. My safety and the safety of a lot of other people in the rest stop were put at risk because the system malfunction and tripped when no other cars were present that would have led to a collision. The vehicle l…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11508517 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11509128 · 2023-02-25 (February 25, 2023)
Engine oil plug backed out while driving causing loss of all engine oil in the mountains. Drive time was one hour when oil lamp turned on as we reached our destination. Oil check stick had no oil on it and the whole undercarriage and rear of the car was covered in engine oil. Made an attempt to refill oil and plug fell all the way out and poured the new oil onto the ground. The oil plug is not visible or accessible due to a plastic cover on the underside of the car. The vehicle was towed to Elk Grove Hyundai dealership for service since they we…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11509128 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11515318 · 2023-04-03 (April 3, 2023)
The cabin heater started blowing cold air in February. One shop said the car was low on coolant and topped it off. I made an appointment to take the car to a dealer because it's still under warranty (<37k miles). I had to wait 3 weeks. A few days before my appointment, the cabin heater started blowing cold air, again. There is no indicator that the coolant is low. The engine temperature is one of a dozen gauges one can scroll thru, but the "engine overheating" warning started flashing before I thought to check the temperature guage. Smoke cam…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11515318 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11518105 · 2023-04-20 (April 20, 2023)
Incident sounds similar to those experienced with the dual clutch transmissions. November 2022, all of the vehicle warning lights were on and remained on. The vehicle would not move and the transmission selector/shifter was locked in place. Working with the local service/dealership, the vehicle was repaired after 3 weeks with a new transmission shift actuator (or possibly other part). Similarity in the experience and possibility of risk with little information about trends or others in similar situations or resolution. We've had another (Same…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11518105 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11518107 · 2023-04-20 (April 20, 2023)
When I arrived in the parking lot and selected the R (reverse), the vehicle stayed in the D (Drive) although that it was moving backwards and was able to park it. The shift selector was stuck in DRIVE (Drive) leaving the vehicle on but not operational. After several attempts to allow the vehicle to cool and the battery to reset, (30 minutes_ later), the car started and took the vehicle to be serviced. The vehicle technician said they had a difficult time diagnosing the vehicle because it was giving different codes. They said that while testin…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11518107 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11521686 · 2023-05-12 (May 12, 2023)
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he received an alert indicating that the engine was overheating and to pull over. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact then veered to the side of the road and waited approximately 15 minutes before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where the vehicle remained. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine coolant bypass valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not yet been repaire…
Owner-reported narrative. 32,547 miles reported. Look up ODI 11521686 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.