Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Hyundai Sonata owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle drove sluggish and unresponsive and would not properly accelerate. Upon inspection it was discovered that engine oil from the valve cover gasket had leaked onto the alternator. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the alternator was damaged due to the presence of oil inside and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously serviced by the manufacturer to prevent the failure from occurring but the failure had occurred on two separate occasions. No further information was available. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 151,000.
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while performing a daily check on the vehicle, the contact became aware that oil was leaking onto the alternator. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the mechanic replaced the driver's side valve cover gasket. The dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that the vehicle was not under recall and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was contacted, and the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not under recall. The failure mileage was 114,000.
2007 Hyundai Sonata- Consumers son is emailing on behalf of his elderly mother. He is requesting any kind of help in reference to a catastrophic engine failure. Complaint has been filed with the MA Attorney Generals Office and the email mentions a current NHTSA investigation into the 2007 Sonata.
I have a 2007 Hyundai Sonata SE v6 3.3L and on January 9th, 2026 I had an incident where on the road my charging system light on signifying alternator failure. I made it home, but the battery was dead which was recently purchased. After recharging the battery I conducted tests with a multimeter and have determined the alternator has failed. The alternator has accrued a coating of oil overtime that was unknown until my research into the matter of root cause. Hyundai manufactures a V6 engine family called Lamba in which a version called Lambda MPi G6DB was introduced in 2007-2009 Hyundai Santa Fe (CM) and 2005-2009 Hyundai Sonata (NF) models. In 2023 Hyundai issued a recall for the 2007-2009 Santa Fe for a Cylinder Head Cover Oil Leak Repair where oil drips from the valve cover directly onto the alternator causing it to fail. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. While stationary, the vehicle caught fire and the contact noticed smoke underneath the dashboard. After exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed flames under the hood of the vehicle. A police report was filed. The contact called the fire department, but the fire extinguished on its own. There were no injuries. White water motors in west harrison, indiana was made aware of the fire and stated that there was no recall on the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the fire. The failure mileage was approximately 207,000.
This is totally dangerous I could've lost my life period I'm on freeway and my wheels just started sticking and my car was smelling like electricity or electrical fire so I go google of course and youtube low and behold recall on bad fuse boxes on theses particular cars
Oil leak from valve cover gasket dropped on alternator. Damage to alternator caused vehicle to shut off while going 60mph on an interstate. Multiple lights on the dash illuminated (including the engine and battery lights, the seat belt light started flashing), I lost power to the radio and the lights inside the car stopped working, quickly after these two issues started I lost the ability to accelerate (again, while going 60mph on an interstate). Verbatim text from complaint 14V415000 for the Hyundai veracruz (including the model year 2007)- "an unexpected failure of motive power while driving increases the risk of a crash." I believe that this recall should be expanded to other Hyundai vehicles as there are a number of other complaints online for sonatas for multiple years, including 2007. …
On October 18, 2019 my fuel pump broke it happened at a plaza parked and then on February 10, 2019 was involved in a car crash due to a ball joint from the front end passenger side. My ball joint broke and everything else detached it happened on the highway I was with my kids and thank god I didn't crash into a car but it was a very scary traumatic moment for all of us. I keep replacing the inner and outer tie rod, also the ball joint and now it makes sense why, it has to do with the control arm. I'm reporting this now because I looked into the safety recalls today and found so many my vehicle falls under these listings and I never received a letter stating the safety recalls to bring my car to the dealership. I have pictures taken when my car broke down, but don't have it available right now I can provide it afterwards and I had my car towed.
The car was making a noise when I started it. The noises got worse as I drove to work. Then the car died twice while in route on the interstate. The oil light came on. The heat gauge was normal. I notices smoke in the rear view mirror. I turned on the hazard flashers and began to get to the shoulder of the road. When I stopped the smoke got worse. I called work. The dotd roadside assistance showed up. I got out of the car and walked back toward him. He asked where my purse was. I turned back to the car and noticed flames coming from under the hood. He got my valuables out of the car, called the fire department and police. The flames were several feet high by the time they got the fire out. I called a tow truck. A fellow worker came and took me to work.
The engine started making metallic clicking and knocking noises about a week ago. I took it to my mechanic and by then it started squeaking and squealing. He said it was catastrophic engine failure and asked if I had ever let it run out of oil, which I never did. When driving to my mechanic, lost a lot of power on an entrance ramp to highway and almost got in an accident. My mechanic never seen in an engine with < 200,000 miles unless an oil event, so he believes this was due to a manufacturing defect. It is interesting that the 2011 and 2012 Sonata was recalled for exactly this type of issue as well. I wonder if the problems were also existing on previous year models, such as the 2007 model.
NHTSA investigations
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
Engine complaints in other Sonata years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2007 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA has 49 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2007 Hyundai Sonata, 7% of the model year's 696 complaints. The component named most often is engine (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Hyundai Sonata engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2007 Hyundai Sonata, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2007 Hyundai Sonata engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 109,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.