Issues found in early-2010s model Hyundai Sonatas have only been compounded by time. It’s not impossible to find a used Hyundai in good condition, but the newer the better.
Key Points
- A used Hyundai Sonata‘s worst problem is usually going to be its age, with drivers tending to put a lot of wear and tear on the engine before reselling.
- The 2011 Hyundai Sonata reports more than 3,000 complaints and 14 recalls, with the biggest issues pertaining to the engine.
- 2013 Hyundai Sonatas are marginally improved over the 2011 models, but suffer many of the same engine issues as well as the complications of advanced age.
- The 2019 Hyundai Sonata is almost certainly the best used Sonata on the market today, but it all comes down to mileage and condition.
- 2018 Sonatas are rated at a hair less fuel-efficient than 2019 Sonatas, but you’ll never notice the difference at the pump.
Worst Years: Existing Engine Issues in the 2011 Hyundai Sonata are Compounded by its Advanced Age
You expect a decade-old car to have a few issues, but if you look under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration pages for the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, the numbers are, well, alarming. 14 recalls, seven investigations, and over 3,000 complaints. That’s a lot for any make and model, but especially for a Hyundai.
The car sold 225,961 units in 2011, so 3,046 complaints means you have an incidence rate above one percent. There are 776 complaints total for the engine alone, with another 79 for vehicle speed control, and 155 for the power train. The most common complaints here point to engine stall and sudden loss of power.
The car was subject to a September, 2015 recall covering nearly half a million Hyundais, including 2011 and 2012 Sonatas, for a connecting rod which could wear down and result in engine stall. This doesn’t cover all complaints, as reports are still rolling in as of early 2022, but it did cover thousands of units.
When you combine the high number of complaints and recalls with the car’s age and open investigations for engine fires and throttle control system vulnerabilities, you might want to go ahead and cross the 2011 Sonata off your shopping list.
Worst Years: Marginal Improvements Over Previous Years Aside, the 2013 Hyundai Sonata is Still More Trouble Than its Worth
With 1,385 complaints, eight recalls, and eight investigations, you might say that the 2013 Sonata is an improvement on the 2011 Sonata, but only marginally. You may be spotting a pattern here: Hyundais, though reliable and easy to maintain, don’t always age well. They’re more likely to wind up scrap than they are to become collector’s pieces.
In the case of the 2011-2013 Sonatas, you had a whole range of existing engine issues compounded over the years. So, where something like a 2013 Honda Civic might be worth investing in as a project car, a 2013 Sonata is unlikely to justify the expense.
The big problem here is, again, in the engine: 485 engine complaints, 71 for power train, and 71 for vehicle speed control. Add to that, 309 complaints for steering, with several drivers reporting that the wheel “sticks” now and then, with no recall issued to take care of the problem.
Best Years: Excellent Fuel Economy and Top Safety Pick+ Award Make the 2019 Hyundai Sonata the Best Used Sonata Available Today
With zero recalls, a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and just 32 complaints on file with the NHTSA, the 2019 Sonata is holding up nicely three, four years in.
The leading cause for complaints: the headlights, with 14 complaints. The IIHS noted this, as well. The Insurance Institute awarded the Limited 2.0 and the Limited Ultimate package a perfect score, but the headlights in other trim levels earned a rating of P, for Poor, for being a bit dimmer than you’d hope.
This isn’t exactly a deal-breaker, of course. If it bothers you, you can keep an eye out for a Limited, or you can swap the stock lights out with some aftermarket lamps (if they haven’t already been replaced by the time you take the test-drive).
Best Years: 2018 Hyundai Sonata is Almost as Good, and Almost as Fuel Efficient, as the 2019 Hyundai Sonata
Sharing a Top Safety Pick+ award with the 2019 model, the 2018 Sonata has just 128 complaints and a single recall on file. That being an August, 2021 recall for trunk emergency release failure.
Newer cars have a release latch inside the trunk so that if you somehow get trapped in there, you can simply pull the release and hop out. The 2018 Sonata was included among nearly 350,000 Hyundai units with internal trunk release latches that didn’t always pop open as expected.
The car also suffers from the same headlight issues as the 2019 Sonata. But, it also delivers the same five-star safety rating, and the same low number of complaints as the 2019 Sonata.
On paper, the fuel economy takes the slightest hit, at 25/35 mpg, city/highway, compared to 26/35 for the 2019 Sonata. But, combined, that’s not even half an mpg’s difference. In practice, you’ll never notice the difference.
You Can Count On a Hyundai, as Long as it’s Not Too Old
The thing to keep in mind when buying something like a used Hyundai or a Kia is that most people who drive these cars aren’t exactly looking for something they’re going to pass on to the grandkids. A Toyota Corolla driver might change their oil early and keep the tires rotated. A Hyundai driver is more likely to simply drive it till the wheels fall off.
Pretty much anything from 2017 on, you’re going to have a fairly reliable mid-size that won’t have you making weekly trips to the auto shop. More important than model year is going to be mileage. The 2019 Sonata is marginally better than the 2018 Sonata, for instance, but a 2018 Sonata with 20,000 miles beats a 2019 Sonata with 60,000 every time.
Photos: Hyundai
