What breaks most · 2016 to 2019 model years
Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid problems by year
Owners have filed 63 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid across model years 2016 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2017 for engine complaints, 2016 for engine complaints and 2019 for fuel system complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2017, 2016, 2019
- Complaints on file
- 632016 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 201732 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 00 fires · 0 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 25kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 4Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 0 | 2 | Engine (18) | |
| 32 | 0 | 2 | Engine (17) | |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (3) |
What fails on the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 53% |
17 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 34% |
11 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid |
| Unknown or other | 22% |
7 | 0 | — |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 19% |
6 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 13% |
4 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 6% |
2 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid |
| Forward collision systemRadar and camera sensors | 3% |
1 | 0 | Shop forward collision system parts for the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid |
| Stability controlABS and wheel speed sensors | 3% |
1 | 0 | Shop stability control parts for the 2017 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Vehicle lost power in freeway. Complete power failure. Early crashed into. Vehicle coasted to off ramp and towed away.
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Car in motion on highway in the mountains lost power and had to be towed to a dealer who indicated they had seen similar problems. Engine repairs needed and will take at least 2 weeks when they identify problem. Car has 11,700 miles on it. I was able to safely pull off road so no injuries or accident.
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The message "hybrid system failure" suddenly displayed and the vehicle lost power and stalled. This occured on hyw (65mph) and nearly caused wreck from behind
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2017, 2016, 2019 carry the most filings on the Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid. The 2017 alone has 32 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid problem?
On the 2017 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 17 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid complaints that include mileage is about 25,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.