The 2012 Hyundai Sonata is an efficient, comfortable mid-size with excellent crash test ratings. It’s also too old to be worth purchasing in 2022. If you can find one in mint condition, that’s a whole different story, but don’t hold your breath on that happening.
- Seatbelt and airbag failure resulting from software bugs is the 2012 Hyundai Sonata‘s most worrying issue.
- Engine stall has become more common in recent years, maybe owing to a faulty fuel pump, but often owing to simple wear and tear.
- 291 steering complaints suggest that the steering column coupler is the first major part to go bad.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the 2012 Sonata five stars overall, including five stars for rollover, while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the car a Top Safety Pick.
- A 2012 Hyundai Sonata would have been a great purchase five or six years ago, but the car’s age combined with the toll taken by multiple previous owners make it a poor choice of used car in 2022.
Seatbelt and Airbag Complaints Persist After Five Recalls
The 2012 Hyundai Sonata has had issues with the crash response system from the very start. In 2012, just under 30,000 Sonatas were recalled for curtain airbags deploying for no reason. In 2017, nearly one million Sonatas were recalled for detached seat belt linkages.
Another half million or so were recalled later that same year for the same issue, and, finally, there was recall for disabled airbags and seatbelts in another half million Sonatas in 2018. The issue in this final recall had to do with software bugs in the airbag control unit.
Despite all of these recalls, the car continues to generate its share of airbag and seatbelt complaints. To take one example from late 2022, a driver had a head-on crash with a deer at 63 miles per hour. The airbag sensor detached from the vehicle on impact and the airbags did not deploy.
There are also complaints for airbag warning lights staying on for no reason, and difficulties getting the replacement parts for the above-listed recalls. If you don’t want to get put on a waiting list, check the VIN before you buy, and make sure the repairs have already been taken care of.
Engine Stall May Owe to a Missed Fuel Pump Recall, or Simple Wear and Tear
Engines take a significant lead among the 2012 Hyundai Sonata’s 1,317 driver complaints, accounting for 452 reports in total. Complaints range from knocking noises to inexplicable limp mode and sudden failure, but engine stall stands as the most common cause for concern.
A recall was issued in 2018 for a high pressure fuel pump leak. The high pressure pump is the part tasked with administering fuel into the combustion system. If this part is damaged and leaking, you’re going to have a major fire hazard under the hood with fuel dripping all over the place, and you’re going to have engine stall.
Some of the complaints on file point in the direction of this recall, with drivers reporting that they’ve had trouble claiming the free repairs from their local dealers. There are also reports of drivers who never received a recall notification experiencing high pressure pump failure.
Given the car’s age, there are bound to be at least a few instances of engine and powertrain failure that come down to simple wear and tear. Many drivers are reporting breakdowns well past the 100,000 mile mark, and, while the Sonata can be reliable, it takes fastidious maintenance to hit that quarter million.
Worn Out Steering Gears May Leave You Wobbling All Over the Road
With 291 complaints on file, steering problems take second place behind engine issues, with drivers reporting loose steering mechanisms and clicking noises when turning. These issues typically point to worn out steering column couplers, and that’s usually what complainants discover when they take it into the shop.
The steering column coupler is one of the gears used in a rack-and-pinion steering system, and perhaps the most important one, as it’s the gear that transfers a turn from the steering wheel into the steering rack. Without it, your best bet at making a turn is to lean really hard in the direction you want to go.
There have been no steering-related recalls for the 2012 Sonata, and there have been no investigations into the matter. After a decade on the road you can expect some wear and tear to the steering system, but you probably don’t expect the whole system to go out at under 200,000 miles.
Be that as it may, a good majority of these complaints were registered in the last few years, suggesting that it may not be a manufacturing issue but a matter of multiple owners putting the steering gears through the ringer. All you can do as a buyer is feel it out on the test drive.
You Could do Worse Than a Used 2012 Hyundai Sonata, but Good Luck Finding One in Great Condition
The Hyundai Sonata is a daily-driver, an affordable, easy-to-maintain mid-size that sips gas like it’s saving some for later. It attracts drivers who might not be all that into cars in the first place, and just need something they can drive to work and not have to worry about.
That means that it attracts a type of driver who might be lax about maintenance, and who might not have the best driving habits. When you combine that with the car’s age and 1,317 complaints, you’ve got a good car that’s past its prime.
