Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Hyundai Sonata owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The front driver side coil spring broke at the base. Was driving my car and heard what sounded like something hitting the underside of my car. Upon inspection we found the coil spring had broken. In researching online there was is a campaign recall for 2010-2011 Hyundai Sonata (#133). My vehicle does not fall in this category, but feel it should. Coil springs just don't break, unless you are going off road. There are many forums with similar incidents.
My car caught fire while being towed by my motorhome in south miami, fl on route to key west, fl. A south miami, fl Hyundai dealer repaired my car but did not replace all the parts paid for by my auto insurance company. The repair shop did not keep the burned parts as requested by me and my insurance company representative. Later, another Hyundai dealer completed the repairs as authorized by Hyundai USA after numerous communications with me, but the Hyundai dealer would not provide me with the burned parts as requested. Hyundai did not report that a fire had caused the damage. Not sure if Hyundai USA or its dealers have requirements to report fires in their vehicles. I have names of contacts with Hyundai USA in ca. I have the burned TPMS sensor not replaced by Hyundai, but paid for at my expense to a tire store in my home town. …
I was pulling into my neighborhood and heard a loud crack, so I pulled over and got out of the car and saw that my driver's side rear tire was slanting inward (see pictures). I had to have my car towed to the dealership. The tow truck driver looked under the car and said that the control arm was cracked and that there was rust/corrosion around that area on the subframe. Now it's at the dealership to be repaired...a very costly repair (rear crosslink/subframe). This is a serious safety issue. If I had been driving on a highway/major road and this happened I could have been seriously injured. Luckily it happened in my neighborhood! There should be a recall on this type of issue, especially since there's been a recall before on the rust/suspension problems Hyundai has had.
I was backing my vehicle up, which was parked in front of my house, and I noticed what sounded like a cv joint noise from the left front wheel area. The problem has recurred several times since but the latest and loudest was after I had the vehicle inspected at the dealership on 03/21/2015. The noise took on an even louder sound that was more of a clunk like a front control arm. Therefore, I contacted Hyundai USA for a detailed explanation of TSB 10055854 but they will not go into any specifics about what the component(s) are in this campaign. I feel that this is an intentional cover up so that the NHTSA will not investigate and require a safety recall. VIN [redacted]
Car has been good vehicle for 64000,miles.have been complaining of noise in right front suspension for some time,after coming in off highway from high speed driving,numerous curvy roads.went to pull into parking lot,right front spring broke and torn tire sidewall out,sent car crashing on ground.vehicle taken to dealer,where initially told out of warranty.(do have aftermarket that would have covered with deductible.told them they needed to talk to Hyundai,see if factory would covere.good news factory will take care of repair.vehicle now sets at dealership with no known date for parts.think they May have problem??????.second customers car sits next to mine.at highway speeds,this will get someone hurt.they need to recall these vehicles
So many issues my cars had...1 owner and several issues sadly could only pick 3: seat belt won't click on driver side sometimes it gets stuck, had the steering buttons fixed due to getting stuck, front passenger wheel has been checked several times due to the wheel vibrating when you hit a bump, hybrid battery went bad before 50,000, reading all the engine issues around 160, I'm thinking I need to back away from Hyundai forever!!! Most recent hybrid warning do not drive & after researching there's been several issues with this, I'm thinking we could start a small class action suit against Hyundai!!!! Car shut down and wouldn't go anywhere
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, a loud, abnormal bang was heard from the front passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle then lost braking and steering abilities as the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy and the contact was injured. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact stated that the loud bang was a result of either a tire blowing or a defective strut that caused the tire blow. The contact called the manufacturer regarding the crash. The manufacturer advised that they would investigate the crash. The failure mileage was 20,000.
I had taken my car in December 2018 and I was informed to check my steering for the coupling, but that we would. It fall under the warranty. Jan 31. 2019 while driving on freeway my car started to shake and then it staled. I took to a mechanic. Who called me and stated that my steering coupling was shaved down and cause my steering not to work which also caused damage to my tie rods. He told me this was a recall for campaign 132 but I informed him that in 2016 actual part. I also went back and looked to see if I had the coupling part on my receipts and there is nothing on it.
Car hesitates under acceleration while driving. Does it on road and freeway. Break lights are always going out have to replace every other week possibly have problems with wire harness. Shocks and struts started making noise right before the 60,000 mile mark wears off tire because of it. Car started having similar problems early on when I bought the car at around 12,000 miles for the acceleration. Break light problems around 60,000 miles suspension around the same time. Have had the engine replace twice on this car. And currently in the shop again.
I was driving down the highway going about 60 MPH and all the sudden it's like the car shuts off, slowing to about 45. As I push on gas it does nothing then about 3 seconds later jerks back up and then repeats. It does this now everytime I am traveling. Besides giving me whiplash, it is dangerous because it could definitely cause a crash. My brake lights have been replaced 5 times in two years. Also there is always a loud clicking noise when driving. It sounds awful.
Suspension complaints in other Sonata years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2012 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the suspension of the 2012 Hyundai Sonata, 2% of the model year's 1,558 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Hyundai Sonata suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2012 Hyundai Sonata, though it has 8 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 2012 Hyundai Sonata suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 20,000 miles, and 55% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 1 injury to suspension 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.