Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Hyundai Sonata owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond or exceed 30 MPH. The contact stated that the speedometer reading was lagging. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal with more force. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the camshaft position sensor was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that the starter was previously replaced due to the engine's failure to turn over while starting the vehicle. The contact stated that upon switching to Sport Mode and driving 40 MPH, the vehicle jerked and lost motive power. The contact shifted to neutral(N) and was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle was undrivable. …
The contact owns a 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, he became aware of smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact veered to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. The TPMS, oil pressure, power train, and battery warning lights along with an unknown warning light were illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. Upon opening the hood to inspect the vehicle, the contact noticed that oil was leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced, the transmission needed to be flushed, and the drivebelt needed to be replaced. The dealer also diagnosed that the failure was associated NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V749000 (Exterior Lighting, Electrical System). The vehicle was not repaired. …
I purchased a 2016 Hyundai Sonata 2.4L with the Theta II engine back in December 2016. I purchased it as a Hyundai Certified Pre-owned (CPO) vehicle, with the 10 year, 100,000 mi powertrain warranty. The car had approximately 36,000 mi on the odometer. Starting at about 60,000 mi on the odometer, I began to notice excessive engine oil consumption. The factory has made attempts to remedy the issue under the 10 year, 100,000 powertrain warranty coverage, but none have lasted more than 1,000 mi. After 1,000 mi of a "repair" service, the engine is back to consuming lots of engine oil. As a result, I have resorted to checking the dip every time I fuel up, and top off engine oil as it gets consumed. To my estimate, my oil consumption is between 200 to 300 mi per qt of oil consumed, which is well in excess of the factory acceptable levels of 400-500 mi per qt of oil consumed. …
Subject: Excessive Engine Oil Consumption - 2016 Hyundai Sonata I am reporting an ongoing and excessive engine oil consumption issue with my 2016 Hyundai Sonata that I believe may represent a safety defect or other significant reliability concern. The engine is burning oil at a rate far beyond normal expectations (requiring frequent top-off well below recommended mileage intervals), resulting in dangerously low oil levels while driving. I have maintained the vehicle per manufacturer recommendations and documented oil add-ins and dealer visits, but the problem has worsened over time. Despite presenting this problem to my Hyundai dealership, they have declined to authorize engine cleaning or further corrective action due to the mileage. I am struggling with high oil consumption and potential risk of engine failure while driving. …
The following mandatory software update was performed on my vehicle: ECU SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR THETA II EMISSIONS IMPROVEMENT (SERVICE CAMPAIGN 9C2). After this update my vehicle drivetrain is quite erratic. In particular when the engine is cold it appears to jerk even when in Parking gear position. When cold the drivetrain experiences erratic gear shifts. This provides little confidence when driving and could result in safety issues when merging into traffic. Once the engine has reached its normal operating temperature it still makes occasional gear shift that are jerky and probably not good for the transmission. This vehicle had a very smooth transmission prior to the ECU software update, now I am hesitant when I need to merge into traffic, since I am not sure it will select the correct gear when accelerating. …
Car unexpectedly stopped working and became disabled while trveling 40 - 50 mph on the freeway. Complete loss of power. Danger of a collision on the freeway. All dash lights and warning lights came on. Car would not shift and would not accelerate. It was unsafe to drive and could hardly move off the road. The first year I had the car the engine light came on and loss of power. I took it to the dealership immediately. Whenever I took the car to the dealer they said there were no codes and the car was was fine. The entire time I owned the car I would lose power on inclined roads and engine light would come on and off. Last week November 18 the car stalled and could not drive uphill again risk of a collision from the rear. I took the car to the dealer they said the car was fine. The dealership has never tried to fix the problem and claimed they could not duplicate the problem. …
My 2016 Hyundai Sonata is experiencing severe oil consumption due to a known Hyundai engine defect. The engine burns oil rapidly and loses more than a quart between oil changes. This creates a safety hazard because the engine can stall, seize, or fail while driving. The Hyundai dealership did NOT perform the official Hyundai oil-consumption test. They only checked the dipstick, noted the oil was low, and submitted a request for a paid combustion cleaning. Hyundai declined to pay for the cleaning, and the dealership is refusing to perform the required oil-consumption test unless I pay $750.00. Hyundai Corporate also refused to authorize the test, stating the vehicle is out of warranty, even though this is a known engine defect affecting many Hyundai vehicles. Without the official test, Hyundai will not review the engine defect or consider a goodwill engine replacement. …
My vehicle had the following symptoms: 1. Alternating between sluggish acceleration/handling AND rough acceleration with the vehicle lurching forward at times 2. Check engine light with error code P00010 3. Occurred frequently over a one month period (5+ times) This was unsafe as the car could not properly accelerate and would lurch forward at intersections. This could easily have led to a crash. We limited driving. This issue was observed at the dealer where I repaired issue. The issue is exactly the same as the issue described in the recall for Hyundai Sonata 2015 under SB-10058136-4434 and was resolved by replacement of the E-CVVT seal as described. This issue is ridiculous for me to deal with and put my family as risk given it a KNOWN issue for Hyundai in their other vehicles.
My 2016 Hyundai Sonata (2.0T/2.4L engine) has been experiencing loss of motive power and severe engine stumbling at stoplights, creating an unreasonable risk of a crash in traffic. The Check Engine light is on with DTC P0010. Upon inspection, the internal oil seal plug at the intake camshaft E-CVVT has become unseated, causing an active oil leak. This matches the exact defect and symptoms (elevated idle of 1,200-1,400 RPM and power reduction) described in Hyundai Service Campaign TX3 (TSB 15-01-022-1). While that campaign only applied to 2015 models, my 2016 vehicle has suffered the identical failure. I am requesting that this safety-related defect be investigated for 2016 models to prevent potential engine fires from oil leaks or accidents from sudden power loss
This complaint is NOT related to the existing recall associated with this vehicle. The vehicle is experiencing a serious loss of power and acceleration issue. The car is unable to accelerate past approximately 60 mph. When pressing the accelerator fully, the vehicle does not respond or increase speed. While attempting to accelerate, the engine RPM increases and then suddenly drops repeatedly, causing the vehicle to struggle to maintain speed. This behavior is consistent and occurs during normal driving conditions. This creates a dangerous situation, especially when merging onto highways or attempting to accelerate in traffic, as the vehicle cannot respond when needed. The issue has occurred multiple times and makes the vehicle unsafe and unreliable to operate.
Transmission complaints in other Sonata years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2016 Hyundai Sonata?
NHTSA has 59 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2016 Hyundai Sonata, 8% of the model year's 727 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Hyundai Sonata transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2016 Hyundai Sonata, though it has 6 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 2016 Hyundai Sonata transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.