The 2018 Hyundai Sonata is associated with 378 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Engine, accounting for 118 reports (31% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 7 certified vehicle configurations spanning 2L 4-Cyl hybrid, 2L 4-Cyl plug-in hybrid, 1.6l 4-cyl, 2.4l 4-cyl, and 2l 4-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 26 to 42 MPG combined. Plug-in hybrid variants are rated up to 99 MPGe (39 MPG on gasoline) with up to 28 miles of electric driving range.

Key Data Findings
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 378 reports
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 1 campaign
  • • Top Reported Defect Area: Engine (118 / 31%)
  • • Safety Incident Signals: 18 crash / 13 fire / 10 injury reports
  • • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
  • • EPA Efficiency: 26–42 MPG (7 variants • PHEV up to 99 MPGe)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
26–42MPG
7 EPA certified variants (2L 4-Cyl hybrid, 2L 4-Cyl plug-in hybrid, 1.6l 4-cyl, 2.4l 4-cyl, and 2l 4-cyl configurations)
Reported Complaints
378
378 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
1
1 official NHTSA recall
NCAP Safety Rating
5 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Sonata Hybrid SE Hybrid 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (AM6) 40 MPG 46 MPG 42 MPG — $1,450 / yr
Sonata Hybrid Hybrid 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (AM6) 39 MPG 44 MPG 41 MPG — $1,500 / yr
Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Plug-in Hybrid 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (AM6) 99 MPGe (37 MPG) 100 MPGe (42 MPG) 99 MPGe (39 MPG) 28 mi EV (600 mi total) $1,600 / yr
Sonata 1.6L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (AM7) 28 MPG 37 MPG 31 MPG — $2,000 / yr
Sonata SE 2.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 25 MPG 36 MPG 29 MPG — $2,100 / yr
Sonata 2.4L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 25 MPG 35 MPG 28 MPG — $2,200 / yr
Sonata 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S8) 23 MPG 32 MPG 26 MPG — $2,350 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.
Electric Range & Charging: The 2018 Hyundai Sonata provides an official EPA-rated driving range of up to 28 miles on a single battery charge.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
4 DR FWD 10.5%
Hybrid 4 DR FWD 10.5%
Plug-in Hybrid 4 DR FWD —
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as No and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2018 Hyundai Sonata models.
View complete 2018 Hyundai Sonata crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?

Summary of 378 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
378
Crash Reports
18
Fire Reports
13
Complaints w/ Injury
10
Total Injuries
21

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Engine 118 complaints (1 crash)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 17 complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 16 complaints
Engine & Cooling 11 complaints
Structure & Body 11 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2018 Hyundai Sonata problems & component breakdown (77 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2018 Hyundai Sonata?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #21V619000 Active Recall
Affected Component: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH

Defect Summary: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Sonata, 2016-2018 Sonata Hybrid, 2018-2020 Accent, and 2016-2017 Azera vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 401, "Internal Trunk Release."

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will replace the trunk latch base, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 208.
View all 2018 Hyundai Sonata recalls & campaign history (1 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.