2008 HYUNDAI SONATA — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 420 complaints · 5 recalls
Most-reported system: AIR BAGS (102 complaints · 24.3%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 19
  • Fires 11
  • Injuries 14
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2007 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution AIR BAGS appears in 102 of 420 owner complaints (24.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. AIR BAGS: 102 complaints, 24.3% of reports AIR BAGS 102 · 24.3% · 10 crash reports VISIBILITY: 90 complaints, 21.4% of reports VISIBILITY 90 · 21.4% SERVICE BRAKES: 48 complaints, 11.4% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 48 · 11.4% · 2 crash reports ENGINE: 38 complaints, 9.1% of reports ENGINE 38 · 9.1% · 4 fire reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 18 complaints, 4.3% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 18 · 4.3% ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 16 complaints, 3.8% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 16 · 3.8% · 1 crash reports 2 fire reports SEAT BELTS: 13 complaints, 3.1% of reports SEAT BELTS 13 · 3.1% VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 12 complaints, 2.9% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 12 · 2.9% · 4 crash reports POWER TRAIN: 11 complaints, 2.6% of reports POWER TRAIN 11 · 2.6% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 113 complaints, 26.9% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 113 · 26.9% · 2 crash reports 3 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
AIR BAGS 102 24.3% 10 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 90 21.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 48 11.4% 2 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 38 9.1% 0 crashes · 4 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 18 4.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 16 3.8% 1 crashes · 2 fires
SEAT BELTS 13 3.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 12 2.9% 4 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 11 2.6% 1 crashes · 1 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 113 26.9% 2 crashes · 3 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2007; the first recall shown was reported in Mar 2008. 2007-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2008-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2008-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2009-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2009-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2009-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2010-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2010-Q3: 21 owner reports 21 2010-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2011-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2011-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2011-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2011-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2012-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2012-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2012-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2012-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2013-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2013-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2013-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2013-Q4: 19 owner reports 19 2014-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2014-Q3: 25 owner reports 25 2014-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2015-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2015-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2015-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2016-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2016-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2017-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2017-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2018-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2019-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2019-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 2007 Jan 2026 Recall campaign 08E021000 ◆ Recall campaign 08E021000 Recall campaign 08V161000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V161000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Recall campaign 13V113000 ◆ Recall campaign 13V113000 Recall campaign 13V354000 ◆ Recall campaign 13V354000 Investigation PE13007 ● Investigation PE13007 Investigation PE14023 ● Investigation PE14023 Investigation DP21003 ● Investigation DP21003 Investigation DP22003 ● Investigation DP22003
  • Campaign 13V113000 was reported 1,113 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 13V354000 was reported 1,478 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2007-Q4 Owner reports 4
2008-Q1 Owner reports 2
2008-Q2 Owner reports 1
2008-Q3 Owner reports 8
2008-Q4 Owner reports 6
2009-Q1 Owner reports 2
2009-Q2 Owner reports 8
2009-Q3 Owner reports 11
2009-Q4 Owner reports 4
2010-Q1 Owner reports 12
2010-Q2 Owner reports 14
2010-Q3 Owner reports 21
2010-Q4 Owner reports 6
2011-Q1 Owner reports 8
2011-Q2 Owner reports 7
2011-Q3 Owner reports 13
2011-Q4 Owner reports 6
2012-Q1 Owner reports 9
2012-Q2 Owner reports 13
2012-Q3 Owner reports 11
2012-Q4 Owner reports 6
2013-Q1 Owner reports 7
2013-Q2 Owner reports 9
2013-Q3 Owner reports 9
2013-Q4 Owner reports 19
2014-Q1 Owner reports 7
2014-Q2 Owner reports 8
2014-Q3 Owner reports 25
2014-Q4 Owner reports 9
2015-Q1 Owner reports 7
2015-Q2 Owner reports 11
2015-Q3 Owner reports 5
2015-Q4 Owner reports 5
2016-Q1 Owner reports 5
2016-Q2 Owner reports 9
2016-Q3 Owner reports 7
2016-Q4 Owner reports 11
2017-Q1 Owner reports 4
2017-Q2 Owner reports 11
2017-Q3 Owner reports 6
2017-Q4 Owner reports 5
2018-Q1 Owner reports 7
2018-Q2 Owner reports 5
2018-Q3 Owner reports 4
2018-Q4 Owner reports 4
2019-Q1 Owner reports 5
2019-Q2 Owner reports 3
2019-Q3 Owner reports 8
2019-Q4 Owner reports 4
2020-Q1 Owner reports 3
2020-Q2 Owner reports 4
2020-Q3 Owner reports 3
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 2
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q3 Owner reports 2
2024-Q4 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 08E021000
Recall campaign 1 08V161000
Recall campaign 1 09E012000
Recall campaign 1 13V113000
Recall campaign 1 13V354000
Defect investigation 1 PE13007
Defect investigation 1 PE14023
Defect investigation 1 DP21003
Defect investigation 1 DP22003
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (5)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 08E021000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    IMPROPER AIMING OF THE HEADLAMP MAY RESULT IN POOR VISIBILITY POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    HYUNDAI-KIA DEALERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED AND INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR SUPPLY TO HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA. NONE OF THE HEADLAMPS WERE SOLD AS RETAIL. AS A RESULT, AN OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTER WILL NOT BE ISSUED.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 08V161000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    MISCLASSIFICATION OF A SMALL STATURE ADULT AS A CHILD IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT MAY CAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG TO NOT INFLATE IN AN ACCIDENT THAT MERITS AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND MAY RESULT IN INJURY TO THE RIGHT FRONT OCCUPANT.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL VERIFY THAT THE OCS DOES NOT PROPERLY RECOGNIZE A PROPERLY SEATED ADULT OCCUPANT. AFTER VERIFICATION, DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT CUSHION ASSEMBLY AND SHIP IT TO AN EVALUATION AND REPAIR FACILITY. THIS FACILITY WILL EVALUATE AND REPAIR OR REPROGRAM THE SEAT CUSHION AND OCS AS NECESSARY. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT MAY 26, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI AT 1-800-633-5151.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 09E012000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 13V113000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 13V354000

    Report date
    Component:
    SUSPENSION
    Consequence:
    Control arm separation may suddenly change the rear wheel alignment, affecting the handling of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair or replace the crossmember assembly. The recall began on October 8, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Care Center at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall number is 113.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 420 complaints · page 1 of 17

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources