Selling a junk Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Any Sonata Hybrid sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
NHTSA has 1,130 owner complaints on file for the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, model years 2011 to 2022, the 262nd-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are engine (335, 30%), electrical system (200, 18%), other (111, 10%). 59 complaints involved a crash, 35 a fire, and 132 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 73,000 miles. The 2012 model year has the most complaints (217). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is engine, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a blown engine: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 145 | Engine | 11 | 6 | 6 | 86,000 |
| 2012 | 217 | Engine | 2 | 9 | 6 | 77,259 |
| 2013 | 173 | Engine | 18 | 5 | 4 | 61,000 |
| 2014 | 43 | Engine | 5 | 1 | 3 | 88,000 |
| 2015 | 87 | Electrical system | 9 | 4 | 4 | 50,500 |
| 2016 | 190 | Engine | 5 | 4 | 5 | 66,500 |
| 2017 | 124 | Engine | 3 | 6 | 3 | 64,000 |
| 2018 | 15 | Engine | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2019 | 11 | Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 21 | Engine | 2 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2021 | 74 | Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 30 | Electrical system | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid recalls
NHTSA lists 12 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for seat belts (3), engine (2), latches and locks (2). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2011 model year, brakes (campaign 23V651000, Sep 2023): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2015 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Sonata Hybrid, 2012-2015 Accent, Azera, Veloster, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, Santa Fe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2010-2012 Veracruz, 2010-2013 T…
- 2020 model year, latches and locks (campaign 22V196000, Mar 2022): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Sonata and Sonata Hybrid, and 2019 Genesis G70 vehicles. The trunk latch may become damaged, preventing the opening of the trunk from the inside. As such, these v…
- 2016 model year, lights (campaign 21V749000, Sep 2021): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Sonata, 2016-2017 Sonata Hybrid, and Sonata Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The Smart Junction Box (SJB) software logic may not properly interpret the signals recei…
- 2017 model year, engine (campaign 21V727000, Sep 2021): Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Tucson and Sonata Hybrid vehicles. The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which can result in engine damage.
- 2016 model year, latches and locks (campaign 21V619000, Aug 2021): 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…
What a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk Sonata Hybrid on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car with a blown engine 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Other Hyundai models
- Hyundai Sonata 21,920
- Hyundai Elantra 11,650
- Hyundai Santa Fe 9,714
- Hyundai Tucson 7,771
- Hyundai Accent 2,769
- Hyundai Veloster 1,784
- Hyundai Genesis 1,729
- Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 1,593
All Hyundai models · All makes · Cash for junk cars by state
Questions people ask
- What is a junk Hyundai Sonata Hybrid worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Sonata Hybrid gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Hyundai Sonata Hybrid numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.