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Home›Hyundai›2018 Hyundai Sonata› engine problems
Owner complaints · Engine

2018 Hyundai Sonata engine problems

230 of the 382 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Sonata name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 149 manufacturer bulletins, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.

230 complaints 60% of this model year’s 3 reports a crash 8 a fire typically at 24k miles

What owners filed about the engine

Source: NHTSA complaint database
230complaints name the engine

3 of the 230 reports a crash · 8 a fire · 2 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.

Filed per year: 2018: 1 · 2019: 36 · 2020: 7 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 21 · 2023: 35 · 2024: 37 · 2025: 59 · 2026: 27

24kmiles, typically

Half of the 70 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 10,000 and 75,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

60%of this model year’s complaints

382 complaints in all about the 2018 Hyundai Sonata, 27 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →

Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.

Across model years: Hyundai Sonata engine problems, every year on file →

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In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

Same problem with this 2018 Hyundai Sonata Limited Hybrid engine as the already recalled 2017 Sonata’s with the same 4 liter/direct fuel injection engines. At approximately 69,000 miles the problems and check engine light analyzed was done by Auto Zone and Brandon Hyundai (3 times each and finding additional problems each time).
Engine Apr 30, 2022 NHTSA owner report
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there were abnormal sounds coming from the vehicle. The malfunction lamp indicator warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with engine failure.
Engine at 75,000 miles Feb 18, 2022 NHTSA owner report
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle had to be jumpstarted in order to operate. The vehicle was taken to boucher Hyundai of waukesha (1583 e moreland blvd, waukesha, wi 53186) where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness on the engine needed to be…
Engine at 4,000 miles Mar 20, 2019 NHTSA owner report
My 2018 Sonata went to the dealer for the champaign 953 software update, for engine knock sensor enhancement . After the update was completed the car immediately went into to protection mode causing the car not to accelerate when pulling out of the dealer onto a 4 lane highway, nearly causing 4 people to injured.
Engine at 3,000 miles Mar 9, 2019 NHTSA owner report
The contact owns a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle shut off without warning. The vehicle restarted itself and would not exceed 20 MPH. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and ordered the dealer to perform more diagnostic tests. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 22,000
Engine at 22,000 miles Feb 28, 2019 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the engine

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

NHTSA investigation

149 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading

The 4 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.

Trouble codes named on this system

P1326 P2600 P0456 P1233 P0304 U0293 U1004

Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Hyundai Sonata names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.

Other systems with a record on the 2018 Hyundai Sonata

Source: the same files
From here
Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Are engine problems common on the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?

They are documented: NHTSA holds 230 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (60% of everything owners filed about it), and 149 manufacturer bulletins, 1 NHTSA investigation are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.

Is there a recall for the engine on the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?

No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 2 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.

When do engine problems show up on the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 23,944 miles; half of them between 10,000 and 75,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?

The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.