I took care of the 3 active recalls on my 2013 Sonata, and shortly after, it seems like the engine gave out. I live on a pretty steep hill and barely made it home the other day. Every time I tried to speed up, it felt like I was out of gas but I wasn’t. I honestly thought I might have to get out and push. I’m not sure if these issues are connected or if my car is just failing. Has anyone else had a similar situation? I’m wondering if it’s even worth towing it to a mechanic. The car has almost 140k miles, but if the engine is failing, I don’t get why the dealership didn’t mention that.
Every Sonata from 2011 to 2019 can do that without warning. Your engine is likely failing and is probably in limp mode, especially if the check engine light is flashing. This happens when the knock sensor indicates imminent failure, which can lead to things like sudden seizing and loss of power on the highway.
One of the recalls might have updated the system to enable that reaction, which you need to get an engine covered under the warranty extension. The only way to know is to install the update and see what happens. Sometimes you see cars that look rough but keep running for a while, but I’ve also done an oil change in the morning and seen the same car on a tow truck by afternoon, because Sonata engines can fail without warning.
@Jules
Oh man! The check engine light is blinking at me. At least it’s paid off, so it might be time to let it go. It’s too bad, it has been a reliable car until now. Thanks for the info, that’s really helpful!
@Presley
Just a heads up, a blinking check engine light usually means serious issues in any car.
Crosby said:
@Presley
Just a heads up, a blinking check engine light usually means serious issues in any car.
Definitely! I was just curious if this was connected to the recalls or if it was a different problem.
@Presley
That’s fair. From 2010 to 2020, Kia and Hyundai have had significant oil burning problems that can lead to major engine failures. You could reach out to a dealer with your VIN to check if it qualifies for a warranty engine replacement. Just make sure to have all your service documents ready. You could get a new engine and either trade the car for something else or keep it.
@Crosby
Great idea! I’ll look into that and see my options.
I have a 2013 Sonata that broke down on me too, the engine limped home. Hyundai replaced the engine under warranty, so there may be a bigger issue with that model year.
Reese said:
I have a 2013 Sonata that broke down on me too, the engine limped home. Hyundai replaced the engine under warranty, so there may be a bigger issue with that model year.
Same here, but I have a 2012 model.
What recalls were taken care of and how was the car operating before the issues started?
My old Sonata had a similar situation because the engine was burning oil, which fell under a mass engine recall Hyundai issued. Be ready for that to be the issue, good luck to you!
You might qualify for a free engine. Call the dealership with your VIN to see if your car is part of the class action; I think it might be.