YearToAvoid

2009 Hyundai Sonata Electrical System Problems

NHTSA has 71 owner complaints about electrical problems in the 2009 Hyundai Sonata, 15% of all 460 complaints for this model year. That is #11 highest electrical complaint count among 21 Sonata model years. These complaints report 5 fires and 3 injuries. Median mileage at failure: 81,500 miles.

Electrical System complaints
71
15% of 460
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
5
Injuries reported
3
Median mileage
81,500 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2009 Hyundai Sonata electrical complaints were filed

First complaint Sep 13, 2009, latest Feb 3, 2026.

2009 Hyundai Sonata electrical system complaints: complaints filed per quarter62009 Q32012 Q42014 Q12015 Q22016 Q32017 Q42020 Q42023 Q3
71 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2009 Q3 to 2026 Q1; peak 2014 Q4 (6).

Electrical System recalls for the 2009 Hyundai Sonata

  1. NHTSA 13V113000Apr 1, 2013Electrical System1,712,336 vehicles

    Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

    Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

    Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.

Electrical System complaints by Sonata model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200531 (19%)
  2. 2006118 (11%)
  3. 200781 (12%)
  4. 200849 (12%)
  5. 200971 (15%)
  6. 201024 (7%)
  7. 2011616 (18%)
  8. 2012323 (21%)
  9. 2013389 (20%)
  10. 2014208 (28%)
  11. 2015190 (17%)
  12. 2016115 (16%)
  13. 201783 (11%)
  14. 201878 (21%)
  15. 201930 (19%)
  16. 202041 (23%)
  17. 202117 (13%)
  18. 202216 (17%)
  19. 202313 (15%)
  20. 202421 (46%)
  21. 20251 (6%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2009 Hyundai Sonata have electrical problems?
NHTSA has 71 owner complaints about the electrical in the 2009 Hyundai Sonata, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Median mileage at failure is 81,500 miles.
Which Hyundai Sonata year has the most electrical complaints?
The 2011 Hyundai Sonata has the most electrical complaints (616), compared with 71 for the 2009.
Is there a electrical recall for the 2009 Hyundai Sonata?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2009 Hyundai Sonata concerns the electrical: 13V113000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.