Model year 2018 · Large Cars, Midsize Cars

2018 Hyundai Sonata: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2018 Hyundai Sonata at 26–42 mpg combined across 7 versions. NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 384 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

26–42

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

NHTSA lists this vehicle as SONATA HYBRID, SONATA PLUG-IN HYBRID.

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Hyundai dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2018 Hyundai Sonata recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 2 safety recalls for the 2018 Hyundai Sonata, newest first.

Latches/locks/linkages: Trunk lid: Latch

NHTSA 21V619000 Reported Aug 6, 2021

Filed by: Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 208)
Units affected: 348,158 (estimate)
Problem: 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."
Risk: A person inside the trunk compartment may become trapped, increasing their risk of injury.
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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Hybrid propulsion system

NHTSA 18V166000 Reported Mar 12, 2018

Filed by: Hyundai Motor America (manufacturer recall no. 175)
Units affected: 2,840 (estimate)
Problem: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with a Voltage Protection Device (VPD), designed to protect the high voltage battery module, that may activate inadvertently.
Risk: If the VPD activates while the vehicle is being operated in Electric Vehicle (EV) mode, there may be a loss of power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will remove the VPD switch and install a new Battery Management System (BMS) that contains an Overvoltage Protection Device (OPD). The recall is expected to begin May 2018. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 175.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2018 Hyundai Sonata fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination; electric figures are in MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent). Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2018 Hyundai Sonata EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Electric range	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Sonata	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 7-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	28/37/31 mpg	—	$2,150	284
Sonata	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 8-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	23/32/26 mpg	—	$2,600	342
Sonata	2.4L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	25/35/28 mpg	—	$2,400	316
Sonata Hybrid	2.0L 4-cyl hybrid	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	39/44/41 mpg	—	$1,650	217
Sonata Hybrid SE	2.0L 4-cyl hybrid	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	40/46/42 mpg	—	$1,600	212
Sonata Plug-in Hybrid	2.0L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular Gas and Electricity / Electricity	37/42/39 mpg 99 MPGe on electricity	28 mi	$1,700	100
Sonata SE	2.4L 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	25/36/29 mpg	—	$2,300	308

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2018 Hyundai Sonata crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2018 Hyundai Sonata NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2018 Hyundai Sonata 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	10.5%	No
2018 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid 4 DR FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	10.5%	No
2018 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid 4 DR FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	—	No

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2018 Hyundai Sonata owner complaints

Owners have filed 384 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Hyundai Sonata, most recently on Oct 22, 2026. 18 mention a crash, 13 a fire, 21 injured people and 1 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2018 Hyundai Sonata complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Engine	217
Unknown or other	59
Electrical system	58
Power train	41
Fuel/propulsion system	33
Exterior lighting	23
Vehicle speed control	17
Service brakes	14
Structure: Body	14
Engine and engine cooling	11

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Hyundai Sonata model years

Hyundai Sonata by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2027 Sonata	26–51 mpg	—	—	5/5
2026 Sonata	27–51 mpg	1	6	5/5
2025 Sonata	27–47 mpg	0	28	5/5
2024 Sonata	27–47 mpg	1	56	5/5
2023 Sonata	27–52 mpg	2	103	5/5
2022 Sonata	27–52 mpg	3	114	5/5
2021 Sonata	27–52 mpg	4	190	5/5
2020 Sonata	31–52 mpg	4	198	5/5
2019 Sonata	26–42 mpg	0	172	5/5
2017 Sonata	24–42 mpg	5	880	5/5
2016 Sonata	24–41 mpg	9	887	5/5
2015 Sonata	24–37 mpg	12	1,207	5/5

All Hyundai Sonata years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2018 Hyundai models

2018 Hyundai Accent 2018 Hyundai Elantra 2018 Hyundai Ioniq 2018 Hyundai Kona 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe 2018 Hyundai Tucson

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Hyundai.