The 2014 Sonata’s drivetrain is plagued by recalls that pose a serious risk for passengers. Complaints concerning steering and electrical issues that crop up after only 75,000 miles make some owners wary of driving their vehicles at all.
Key Points
- Hyundai was fined millions for failure to address an engine recall in a timely manner by the NHTSA in 2017.
- The Sonata’s drivetrain was hit with a total of four recalls that posed risks for seized engines, unexpected shifting, and fires in the engine compartment.
- Seatbelts in the 2014 Hyundai were recalled for detaching from their anchors in the event of a crash, posing further risk to the lives of drivers.
- Most consumer reviews state that major problems for the 2014 Sonata happen to appear well before the 100,000-mile mark and just after the manufacturer’s warranty expires.
- Chief complaints from drivers revolve around a faulty wiring harness and a steering wheel that becomes difficult or impossible to control.
Of the 2014 Sonata’s Six Recalls, Five are Potentially Life-threatening, and All Increase the Risk of a Crash
The 2014 Hyundai Sonata has, in its first eight years of production, had six recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); most are related to the drivetrain. To make matters worse, according to the NHTSA, Hyundai did not act quickly enough when the recalls were issued and was slapped with a $54 million fine.
In addition, Hyundai was also ordered to spend at least $40 million on improving its safety operations during vehicle production, and also faces another $46 million fine if the NHTSA feels that the company fails to meet all of the requirements in the agreed-upon consent order issued to the South-Korean automaker—not a good look for Hyundai.
The matter that sparked all of this was the NHTSA’s March 2017 recall concerning premature engine bearing wear caused by imperfections in the machining process of Sonata engines produced in Hyundai’s Montgomery, Alabama factory, in which metal shavings from production sat in the engine block. This led to intense friction on the engine’s bearings, which could ultimately lead to engine seizure or failure otherwise.
Within the engine compartment, the 2014 Sonata was hit with two subsequent recalls following the replacement of the engines in 2018 and 2020. Improper installation of fuel pumps on replacement engines and both the high-pressure fuel pipes and low-pressure fuel hoses were found to be prone to leaking, making the Sonata susceptible to life-threatening fire on the engine block whether the vehicle was parked or driving down the highway, let alone in the midst of a collision.
In the advent of a collision, the 2014 Hyundai Sonata’s seatbelts were found to be woefully inadequate. In two separate recalls in March and October of 2017, the NHTSA issued recalls on seat belt linkages. The Sonata’s front belts were likely to detach from the anchor pretensioners (where the seatbelt feeds out of the wall of the car), meaning it might not as well have been buckled at all, potentially sending occupants through the windshield in a collision.
Additionally, in 2014, a transmission recall was issued. The transmission’s shift cable was found susceptible to detachment, leading to added risk of a rollaway or unintended shift. When in Park, the cable may detach, allowing the vehicle to roll away and potentially cause harm.
Chief Complaints Among 2014 Sonata Drivers are Steering Problems and Electrical Issues on Low-mileage Vehicles
The 2014 Sonata has 459 complaints against it with the NHTSA. Aside from engine complaints related to the 2017 recall, the most common concerns are electronics-related.
The electrical system has 175 complaints filed with the NHTSA. Chiefly, drivers mention faulty exterior lighting, with headlights that burn out frequently, arc, and short-circuit almost inexplicably. These issues seem to crop up just after Hyundai’s 60,000-mile warranty expires, but whether taken to an independent shop or to the dealership, most mechanics and owners reach points of exasperation before giving up on any hope of fixing it.
Still an electrical issue, drivers frequently complained of problems with the Sonata turning off for no reason, then restarting. Or they mentioned that the car would refuse to restart after the driver turned it off. Vehicle History real owner reviews have mentioned replacing batteries and alternators to no avail, spending thousands of dollars to chase down the electrical gremlin only for the car to still refuse to function properly.
Another potentially life-threatening issue is the steering wheel will sometimes stop turning, aiming the car in a straight line, and refusing to budge. Other times, the wheel will get so loose that it leads a serpentine path down the road. Both issues are due to a coupling linkage on the steering column that is made of plastic, which rubs against metal components around it and eventually wears down and breaks, leading to steering difficulties.
Again, these problems seem to occur well before the 100,000-mile mark, giving consumers an idea of the quality of product Hyundai was putting out in 2014 with its Sonata model.
Severity of 2014 Hyundai Sonata’s Issues Range from Frustrating to Life-threatening
Reviews on the Sonata, as with any vehicle, range from very good to very poor. But, given the number of recalls and the overwhelmingly serious nature of the malfunctions in the manufacturing process, the 2014 Hyundai Sonata seems to be a car to avoid. While most Vehicle History reviews are rated four or five stars (out of five)—about 89%, the remaining 11% of owners describe issues with the Sonata that range from frustrating to life-threatening.
Hyundai has proven to be little help at all when it comes to correcting their mistakes, as evidenced by the fine levied against them for failure to comply in a timely manner with the 2017 engine recall. All things considered, consumers should approach the Sonata generation from 2011-2014 with caution and get it inspected by a mechanic prior to purchasing.
Photos: Hyundai
