NHTSA has received 189 owner complaints about the 2021 Hyundai Sonata, or 32.7 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints (complaint index 0.81, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #56 of 85 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Hyundai models its rate is 39% lower; against other Midsize sedans it is 14% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2021-03-26 and 2026-09-28. Median delay from incident to filing: 11 days.
189Complaints
32.7Complaints per year on the road
0.81Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
4Recalls
4.2%Share involving a crash or fire
56Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 28.7 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 23.6 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 28 complaints, 54% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (31.2% of complaints), followed by Electrical (16.9%) and Fuel system (13.8%). 8 reports (4.2%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 15 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 43 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (42% of incidents). In the last 12 months 56 new complaints were filed, versus 35 in the 12 months before — up 60%.
NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls for this model year. 2 NHTSA investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (defect petition, opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.81
vs. other Hyundai models0.61
vs. other 2021 models0.84
vs. other Midsize sedans0.86
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (28)0.46
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Sonata. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign: 25V796000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, parts were on back order.
Fuel system · 2026-09-17 · ODI 11765048
During a front end collision the car did not auto brake and the air bags did not deploy. The car has been totaled and is currently at a dealership for insurance appraisal.
My 2021 Hyundai Sonata N Line suffered a catastrophic, sudden total loss of drive power while operating at speed on a public roadway, creating an immediate crash hazard.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-09-28 · ODI 11767539
DESCRIPTION OF SAFETY DEFECT & IMMEDIATE HAZARD:My 2021 Hyundai Sonata SEL is currently exhibiting the most severe, catastrophic symptoms of the fuel tank expansion defect covered under NHTSA Campaign 25V796000.
Fuel system · 2026-09-23 · ODI 11766388
My Lincoln Nautilus (9,180 miles) logged 6 "Powertrain Malfunction / Reduced Power" alerts in the [XXX] telematics system between XXX (XXX at 7:59 PM and 8:16 PM; XXX at 1:07 PM and 1:39 PM; XXX at 11:16 PM; and XXX at 10:56 AM).
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-09-18 · ODI 11765198
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Sonata vehicles. A damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, melting the tank.
Risk: A melted fuel tank can leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the check valve. The fuel tank assembly will be inspected for damage and replaced if necessary. Additionally, dealers will inspect and update the engine control unit software. All repairs will be performed as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning March 13, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 286. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 19, 2025.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Campaign 22V746000 · 2022-10-06
Summary: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Sonata, Veloster N, 2022 Santa Cruz, Elantra N, and Kona N vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Risk: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 236.
Summary: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Santa Fe, 2021 Sonata, and Elantra vehicles. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash.
Risk: A windshield that detaches from a vehicle during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will remove and reinstall the front windshield panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 20, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 216.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS Campaign 21V524000 · 2021-07-09
Summary: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Santa Fe and Sonata vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 207.
DP22005 · defect petition · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM · Opened 2023-01-27 · Closed 2023-08-07 · Campaign 22V063000 · Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…
Loss of Motive PowerClosed
DP22003 · defect petition · ENGINE · Opened 2022-09-12 · Closed 2023-12-12 · Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints i…
