2012 Hyundai Sonata Body & Structure Problems
21 owner-reported body & structure complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Owner Complaints (21)
The passenger rear door will not open from the inside OR the outside. The door lock on the inside of the car will not open. Door is in locked position. Problems like this are all over the internet regarding Hyundai cars. This is a safety issue because someone in the back seat can NOT open the door and are potentially locked inside the car with no way out. This could be life and death if there was a fire, accident, etc. Independent repair center has inspected and confirms. No warning lights. Just happened in September 2024.
The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that there was a large crack on the dashboard. The contact was unaware of what caused the crack on the dashboard. The dealer was informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
B pillar separated from the frame during collision causing catastrophic intrusion into the cabin upon impact leading to death of the driver. No other occupants in the vehicle. Multiple investigators noted the B pillar failure upon inspection. Independent, certified crash reconstruction expert also noticed immediately that the B pillar had failed which caused cabin intrusion to an extraordinary degree considering the 2 vehicles involved were going less than 40mph. Vehicle is available for inspection. In addition, edr data reveals that although throttle was engaged, rpm's remained at idle up to the time of impact. Driver pushing on the gas and vehicle not responding.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE DASHBOARD NEAR THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG HOUSING. VIN TOOL SHOWED NO RECALLS ON THE ISSUE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,573.
THE EXTERIOR PAINT IS PEELING
THE DASH BOARD BROKEN IN SEVERALLPARTS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD WAS CRACKED NEAR THE AIR BAGS. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HYUNDAI DE FAJARDO (LOCATED AT KM 51., PR-3, FAJARDO, 00738, PUERTO RICO), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.
DRIVER DOOR, UNABLE TO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE. ABSOLUTELY NO DAMAGE TO CAR, EVER, ORIGINAL OWNER, CAR IN MINT CONDITION.
ON JULY 15TH 2018 AT 10:30 AM WHILE DRIVING AT 35+ MPH THE CAR STARTED SMOKING FROM THE HOOD AREA, AFTER PULLING OVER I NOTICED IT WAS SMOKING QUITE HEAVY, I RAISED THE HOOD AND THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE... HYUNDAI OF CANADA REFUSES TO RESPOND TO MY REQUESTS FOR COMPENSATION...*DT *TR *JB *JS*JB
THE PAINT IS CHIPPING AWAY IN THE EXTERIOR BY THE DOOR HANDLES AND THE STEERING WHEEL. ALSO THE DRIVER SEAT MATERIAL IS STARTING TO FALL APART AS WELL AS THE DOOR TRIM ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE.
I JUST ARRIVED TO MY DESTINATION PARKED THE CAR AND WAS SITITING IN THE DRIVER SEAT, WITHIN MINUTES I HEARD THIS REALLY LOUD NOISE, I FROZE, I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD RAN INTO THE BACK OF ME THE BANG WAS EXTREMELY LOUD. I SAW GLASS PARTICLES COMING DOWN MY WINSHEILD GOT OUT THE CAR TO LOOK AROUND THE VEHICLE WHEN I OBSERVED THE BROKEN GLASS HAD COME FROM THE SUNROOF - IT SHATTERED AND CREATED A LARGE HOLE.
OUR CAR ACCELERATED WITH OUT CONTACT OF THE GASPEDAL CAUSING COLLISION WITH 3 PARKED VEHICLES. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO OUR SONATA.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH, THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF ON THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED WITH A LOUD SOUND, AND GLASS CAME SHOWERING INTO THE CABIN. THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME WITNESSED THE EVENT AND SOME OF THE GLASS HIT HIS VEHICLE AT HIGH SPEED. WE BOTH PULLED TO THE SHOULDER AND EXCHANGED CONTACT INFORMATION. HE WITNESSED THAT NO OBJECT HIT MY SUNROOF, IT SIMPLY SHATTERED.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE GOING AROUND 60-65MPH. I HEARD A LOUD BOOM THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT, AS SOON AS I HAD A SAFE MOMENT TO PULL OVER I THEN REALIZED IT WAS MY SUNROOF THAT HAS BUSTED. I THEN WAS ABLE TO STEP OUT OF MY CAR AND REALIZED MY SUNROOF HAD BUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT I WAS ABLE TO STAY CALM, COOL, AND COLLECTIVE. I COULDN'T IMAGINE IF THE PULL OF MY SUNROOF FROM INSIDE THE CALL HAD BEEN OPENED. IT WOULD HAVE DEFIANTLY CAUSED A HAZARD NOT ONLY TO MYSELF BUT TO OTHER PASSENGERS AND DRIVERS ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR
I GUESS I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WITH MELTING DASHBOARD AND BOTH SIDE MIRROR HOUSING UNITS. TODAY 9-16-14, DEALER IS REPLACING MY DASH N HOUSING FOR THE SECOND TIME!!! I WAS SO FED UP WITH DEALER AND GOT CORPORATE INVOLVED, SO THEY CALLED TODAY 9-16-14 AND TOLD ME JUST ENJOY YOUR MELTING CAR. THEY SAID THEY CANT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I AM SURE ITS GOING MELT AGAIN AND HOPING SO. I WILL HAVE TO GET A LEMON LAWYER AND SETTLE IT. IT IS NOT DEFECTIVE PARTS. ITS THE CAR ITSELF!!!! THIS HYUNDAI WILL BE MY FIRST AND WILL BE THE LAST. *TR
CAR ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED. I WAS IN A PARKING LOT AND BACKED UP TO LEAVE, ACCIDENTALLY HITTING A STORAGE CONTAINER WITH MY REAR BUMPER. I PUT CAR IN DRIVE TO MOVE FORWARD AND THE CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL BY ITSELF TRAVELING FAST ABOUT 30 FEET. I TRIED TO BRAKE BUT COULD NOT STOP THE CAR. WE HIT A FENCE, MOVING THE FENCE ABOUT 5 FEET AND HIT THE CAR PARKED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FENCE, SMASHING IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. WE HAD OUR SEAT BELTS ON AND WERE NOT INJURED BUT WITHOUT SEAT BELTS WE WOULD HAVE BEEN THROWN THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR ANYMORE. *TR
I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE WHERE I ALERTED THE SERVICE REP TO AN ISSUE WITH MY DASHBOARD. FOR OVER A YEAR I HAD NOTICED AN AREA OF 'SLICKNESS" ON MY DASH .AS THE SUMMER WENT ON, THIS AREA NOW APPEARS TO BE MELTING! I WAS TOLD THAT THE AREA WAS THERE BASED ON :SOMETHING " THAT I HAD DONE & HAD SUBSEQUENTLY TRIED TO FIX IT! NEEDLESS TO SAY , I WAS FIT TO BE TIED!! HOW DO YOU ACCUSE SOMEONE OF SOMETHING WHEN YOU DO NOT HAVE THE FACTS? I WAS TOLD BY NUMEROUS SERVICE PEOPLE AS WELL AS MANAGEMENT THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE! DOES NOT ONE NEED TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE MATTER AS OPPOSED TO IT IS YOUR PROBLEM -NOT OURS? IT IS CLEARLY A DEFECT & I WANT THE DASHBOARD REPLACED!! *TR
WHILE BACKING UP OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, I HEARD A CRASH AND REALIZED THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY REAR BUMPER COVER FELL OFF. THIS WAS COMPLETELY RANDOM, AS I HAVE NEVER BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND AND THERE WERE NO DENTS, SCRATCHES, CRACKS OR OTHER VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE BUMPER COVER WHEN IT FELL OFF. THE BUMPER AND BUMPER COVER SEEMED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION, BUT THE PLASTIC CLIPS HOLDING THE BUMPER COVER TO MY BUMPER APPEARED SEVERELY DEGRADED AND DAMAGED. WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT, THE MAN WHO TOWED MY TRUCK BROKE OFF THE REMAINING CLIPS THAT WERE ATTACHED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF MY BUMPER. THE NEXT DAY, I ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE, AND MY BUMPER AND BUMPER COVER NEEDED REPLACEMENT. I WAS SHOCKED, CONSIDERING THE BUMPER FELL OFF, AND BELIEVE THERE IS NO REASON WHY I SHOULD SPEND MONEY ON A COMPLETELY NEW BUMPER AND BUMPER COVER IF JUST THE CLIPS WERE BROKEN. THE SERVICE MANAGER SIMPLY TOLD ME THE CLIPS WERE DAMAGED AND THAT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. HE DID NOT HAVE AN ANSWER FOR WHEN I ASKED HOW THE CLIPS COULD POSSIBLY BECOME DAMAGED TO THE POINT OF BREAKING, WHEN THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF DAMAGE TO THE BUMPER COVER. HE BROUGHT UP THE POSSIBILITY THAT I HAD BEEN HIT IN A PARKING LOT AND DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. IN A WORST CASE SCENARIO, IF THIS WAS THE CASE, I WOULD LIKE AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THAT WOULD LEAD TO AN ENTIRE BUMPER FALLING OFF A VEHICLE. LITTLE FENDER BENDERS AND PARKING LOT ACCIDENTS ARE COMMON, BUMPERS FALLING OFF A CAR ARE NOT. HAVING A BACKGROUND IN POLYMER SCIENCE, I DO NOT BELIEVE THE GRADE OF PLASTIC USED TO MANUFACTURE THE CLIPS IS AN APPROPRIATE CHOICE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE AN IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE, AS I AM SURE MY VEHICLE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN JUST IN THE DRIVEWAY, BUT IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY, IT COULD HAVE EASILY FLOWN INTO A DRIVER'S WINDSHIELD CAUSING A FATALITY. *TR
WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE, THE DASHBOARD'S BACK UP CAMERA SCREEN REMAINED COMPLETELY UNIDENTIFIABLE THROUGHOUT THE RAINY WEATHER DAY, WITH ONLY DARK WAVEY JAGGED LINES STREAMING THROUGHOUT THE BACK-UP CAMERA'S LIVE VIDEO DISPLAY SCREEN MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO VIEW WHO OR WHAT WAS BEHIND THE VEHICLE WITHIN THE VEHICLE'S BLIND SPOTS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED A BUILD-UP OF A DEWY SUBSTANCE ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE DEWY RESIDUE WAS CAUSED BY THE SUN HEATING THE DASHBOARD AND VAPORS EMITTING FROM THE DASHBOARD AS A RESULT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 11,400.
BUMPER (REAR) FELL OFF HYUNDAI SONATA 2012 MY DAUGHTER WAS REVERSING IN MY FRONT YARD, WHEN THE REAR BUMPER FELL OFF THE CAR. SHE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING OR ANOTHER VEHICLE. SHE WAS NOT HIT EITHER. IT JUST FELL OFF! THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT BELIEVE US. THERE ARE OTHER STORIES OF THIS ON THE INTERNET. PLEASE DO SOMETHING, THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY WITH DEADLY RESULTS. WE CONTACTED HYUNDAI CONSUMER SERVICES, THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, OR ACKNOWLEDGE AN AWARENESS OF THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP. THIS IS A PRODUCT DEFECT. I AM WORRIED BY HYUNDAI'S CASUAL LACK OF CONCERN ABOUT THIS ISSUE. PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE THIS CAUSES ANY FATALITY. SINCERELY, A WORRIED MOM. *TR