Are Hyundais Reliable? Hyundai Reliability by Model
Hyundai reliability varies significantly by model year. Among the 6 Hyundai models analyzed, the Sonata Hybrid has the fewest flagged years at 2, while the Sonata has the most at 7. The sharpest single-year spike belongs to the Sonata, whose worst year logged up to 9.3× its own median complaint rate. Because complaint totals are not adjusted for vehicle sales, this analysis identifies strong and weak years within each model — it does not rank Hyundai models against one another.
Analysis by CarWhere Research · Updated August 29, 2026 · Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of July 2026 · How we rate model years · Download the dataset (CSV)
31,939 NHTSA complaints
model years flagged on federal data
every model carries at least one
Hyundai problem areas by service-bulletin volume
The vehicle systems drawing the most federal service-bulletin (TSB) filings across the 6 Hyundai models we analyze — a volume signal of where the manufacturer issues the most fix guidance. These are TSB counts by NHTSA component category, not owner-complaint counts.
Hyundai reliability by model
| Model | Complaints | Years to avoid | Best years | Worst year vs. its avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Sonata | 12,410 | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 | 2019 | 9.3× |
| Hyundai Tucson | 5,688 | 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2025 | 2008, 2009 and 2010 | 6.3× |
| Hyundai Santa FE | 5,497 | 2008, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2024 | — | 4.6× |
| Hyundai Elantra | 6,323 | 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2020 | — | 4× |
| Hyundai Sonata Hybrid | 734 | 2012 and 2016 | 2022 | 2× |
| Hyundai Veloster | 1,287 | 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016 | 2017 and 2020 | 4× |
Counts are raw federal filings (NHTSA owner complaints), not adjusted for sales volume. A model year is flagged when its severity-weighted complaint rate is among the highest within that model's own history — never a comparison against other brands. Follow any model for its full year-by-year verdict. Full methodology.
Where Hyundai owners report the most trouble
Hyundai Sonata: 7 model years flagged to avoid (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017) — the worst logged up to 9.3× the model's own median severity-weighted complaint rate. See the year-by-year verdict →
Hyundai Tucson: 7 model years flagged to avoid (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2025) — the worst logged up to 6.3× the model's own median severity-weighted complaint rate. See the year-by-year verdict →
Hyundai Santa FE: 7 model years flagged to avoid (2008, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2024) — the worst logged up to 4.6× the model's own median severity-weighted complaint rate. See the year-by-year verdict →
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FAQ
Are Hyundais reliable?
Hyundai reliability varies sharply by model year, not by badge. Among the 6 most-documented Hyundai models, 6 carry at least one model year we flag to avoid on NHTSA complaint and recall data — the Sonata Hybrid has the fewest flagged years (2) and the Sonata the most (7). These are raw federal complaint counts, not adjusted for how many vehicles Hyundai sold, so they can't be read as a single cross-brand reliability score — use the per-model, per-year verdicts below.
Which Hyundai model years should I avoid?
The Hyundai models carrying the most flagged years are the Sonata (7 flagged years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017); the Tucson (7 flagged years: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2025); the Santa FE (7 flagged years: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2024). A flag means that model year's severity-weighted complaint rate is among the highest within that model's own history — it is not a comparison against other models or brands. See each model's page for the full year-by-year verdict.
Which Hyundai models have the fewest flagged years?
Among Hyundai models with enough federal complaint history to rate, the Sonata Hybrid carries the fewest flagged years (2). That is not a cross-model reliability ranking — complaint counts are not sales-adjusted — and a thin record is never counted as a clean one: model years with too little data rate "insufficient" instead.
How do I check a specific Hyundai before buying?
Start with the free Hyundai window sticker lookup at carwhere.com/window-sticker/hyundai to confirm the exact trim and factory options, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for that VIN — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for the exact model year plus a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — the public NHTSA owner-complaints data and safety recall campaigns — across the 6 most-documented Hyundai models and every model year on record for each. Retrieved July 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered, so they cannot be read as a single cross-brand reliability ranking; each model year's verdict compares it only against the rest of that model's own history. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Suggested citation
CarWhere Research. "Hyundai Reliability by Model & Year: NHTSA Complaint and Recall Analysis." Based on 31,939 NHTSA owner complaints across 6 Hyundai models, model years 2008–2025. Updated August 29, 2026. https://www.carwhere.com/research/reliability/hyundai
This dataset is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with attribution to CarWhere Research and a link to this page.
Download the dataset (CSV) — per-model complaint totals, flagged years and verdict counts for every brand we cover (version 2026-08-29).