2012 HYUNDAI SONATA Exterior Lighting Problems

My car has a problem whith the break lamps, the sockets that hold the bulbs are melting and they have deformed making it hard to replace the fused bulbs. Also the brake light stay on even after the engine is off draining the Battery and causing a short circuit.

I’ve been having issues with my Gas Gauge not recognizing how much gas I have in my car. I can fill my tank up, and the gas light constantly stays on. I’ve been looking online and came across other Hyundai owners having the same problem. I also have been having what seems to be an electrical issue where my passenger door, does not open and it’s intermittent which also seems to be connected to why my car ceiling light won’t turn on all the time. Lastly, I have to constantly change the head light bulbs and the break light bulb. I’ve owned my car for 3 1/2 years now, and I shouldn’t have to keep having to put money into it when it seems to be a known issue.

My brake lights are constantly needing replaced. Sometimes they stay on even when I'm not braking, other times they won't come on at all when I brake. I've gotten them replaced many times but it doesn't seem to fix the problem. I've almost gotten rear ended 3 times now bc my lights have failed to come on when hitting the brakes.

The driver side seat belt wont click and stay in almost half the time i drive my car… after reading other complaints its looking like this is a common thing. Within the past year ive noticed lots of times that when im going to lock my car with my fob, it wont lock and its because the passenger side lock button on the inside of door is in a stuck between lock/unlock position… resulting in me having to lean over to manually unlock the door even when I’ve unlocked my car with both the fob and inside button… all the sudden i noticed too that my speed control will not work at all and be completely unresponsive most times. It will RANDOMLY work when i try checking it on highway. ive had SO many issues with my taillights going/burning out constantly and now my headlights have gotten really dim. Im...

The starter has been replaced 3 times in the last 2 years. I know this is a hyundai problem because talking to other Hyundai owners have the same issue.

See attached document for complaint.

The rear tail lights repeatedly "burn out" and have to be replaced. This endangers me and other drivers when the tail lights are not working. The police have told me to fix it. I took it to the dealer who said it will cost $900 to replace wiring. Hyundai has issued an extended warranty (no recall) for this problem but will only fix it if the wires have melted. I believe this is manufacturer defect that they should repair.

Taillight not working. I purchased a bulb for taillight and it’s still out. I got a recall letter in the mail about the lights on sonata but I misplaced it.

Air bag light will not go off and has not been inspected by dealership. I was out here checking for any recall. I am in Texas and can not get inspection/registration with this light on. Also I have front light out on driver side front and back, I have had to change bulbs several times have even replaced brake light assembly back in 2022 and light is burned out again as of right not 4/2024 dealership says that extended warranty will not be covered for burnt out brake lights because of aftermarket part. I have also a case with BBB auto and at this date 4/10/2024 no response.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the passenger's side headlight was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the headlight bulb socket had failed, and the mechanic determined that the passenger's side headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for a goodwill repair. The dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

I have a 2012 Hyundai Sonta. The brake lights are not working properly. I have been changing the tail light for some time now but it doesn't seem to be working. At first all lights came on and they wouldn't go off until I took the battery cable wire off. Then on another day the brake light in the back window, got stuck and the turn signal wasn't lighting up(no brake , nor turn signal lights but it showed in the car like it was working.when hitting the blinkers. I have taken it to several car shops even the dealership to have it checked out. I was told that it wasn't nothing wrong, but got stopped by police on numerous occasions cs the car didn't have Bck lights. The last shop i took it to said that it was the cars electrical system. I've checked to see if there was...

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had remained illuminated. The contact stated while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VN. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the timing chain had fractured and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that the headlight and taillight bulbs would burn out and require frequent replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that after turning the vehicle off, the rear brake lights remained illuminated. The contact had to disconnect the battery to turn off the lights. The contact stated that eventually the brake lights became inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V759000 (Exterior Lighting). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 111,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the brake lights remained illuminated without the brake pedal being depressed. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that an appointment could be scheduled in August. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V759000 (Exterior Lighting). The contact stated that the brake light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Approximately a month ago I notice that my passenger side low beam head light was not working on my 2012 Hyundai Sonata so I purchased a replacement H7 halogen bulb thinking it was simply a burned out bulb. I replace the bulb with the new bulb only to find the low beam was still not working. I tried the new bulb in the drivers side to rule out a bad new bulb. The bulb worked fine in the drivers side. I also inspected the connector found no obvious problem. So far I have not been able to get the passenger side working so I did some on line research and found that this is not an uncommon problem on Hyundai vehicles and particularly with the Sonata. It appears that this is a wiring or computer issue not easily resolved. I believe this is a significant safety issue that Hyundai should...

Came Home Saw that the break lights were on in my Sonata. Tapped the brake pedal, they went off. Came home the next day same thing. I found a re call (google) for stuck brake lights. 2011 - 2012 Sonatas. I purchased the car used, and was informed that everything is working and in order. I'm just curios if there were any other reports concerning this matter?

As stated by other owners the brake lights come on and off I have had the bulb replaced several times. I wiggle the blub it comes on and off. This is a danger to cars behind me as the brakes lights are not working properly I believe there should be a recall as many owners are having and have had the same issue with this problem. My sister has a Hyundai not a Sonata had the same issue but her type of Hyundai was recalled for fault wiring. The Sonatas should be recalled also.

We have had issues with the tail lights of the car not working properly. The lights have had issues with the daytime running lights not working or the brake lights not working. When we took it in they said that there was an issue with the wiring harness. I also noticed 4 separate hyundai sonata vehicles with they same body style in the last 2 days that appeared to be having the same issues. I think it is something to be checked out to see if there is an issue there because it is a major safety concern.

The lighting system on the front and back lights, tail lights and brake lights are shortaged and melts the housings thst the bulbs go in. I have had two of these cars with the same identical problems and my son has had two sonatas and I have more people that’s having the issue as well. It’s very dangerous because the tail lights work whenever and me as the driver can’t see behind me nor the person driving behind me will know that I’m stopping. I can’t drive my vehicles at all at this present time and has made s appointment with the company, Hyundai and filed a complaint as well. Something has to be done quickly to put this on the recall list because it’s very dangerous for myself and others on the national highways

My tail and brake lights sometimes work sometimes doesn't. Rear window brake light stays illuminated when car is turned off causing battery to drain. This problem has been on going for years. I can sometimes wiggle bulbs and make them work for a while but problem has been persistent for too many years. Tired of replacing bulbs.

Break lights don’t go off.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal failed to return to the normal upright position. The contact stated that the taillights remained illuminated as if the brake pedal was still depressed. The contact stated that the stabili-trak warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V759000 (Exterior Lighting). The failure mileage was approximately 147,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Brake lights stay on when the car is turned off. It is draining the battery and I cannot drive the car. No Hyundai dealers near me have availability until October or after.

The contact owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle suddenly began to lose power and stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. However, the failure reoccurred while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V759000 (Exterior Lighting). However, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,300.

Brake lights frequently to go out. When I am driving on the road it is a game to find a Sonata with all 3 taillights functioning correctly. Many of the other Sonatas I pass on the road has a taillight that is out. Bulbs burn out but I have replaced my bulbs at least 7 times in the past 6 years.

The brake pedal stopper pad deteriorated, allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal was released. This kept my break lights on even when the car was turned off, which lead to issues with my accelerator randomly giving out while I was on the road, and my traction control forced off.

The bulbs keep blowing out and now the wiring harness is burnt. I have replaced bulbs multiple times and I have an upcoming appointment at my local dealership on April 4th. My concern is I thought bulbs were supposed to be replaced every few years not 7-8 in one month. Now due to the fact that the lighting housing assembly is melted it will not hold any bulbs. I have a small child that sits and the back and has a medical condition and I am scared to drive (at night especially) if he needs to go to the emergency room/doctors appointments due to the fact someone may hit me from behind because I have no lights back there. Where I stay every time I see a Hyundai Sonata it never fails they are always missing a light in the back due to the light assembly has melted. This is...

The contact's son owns a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated when she arrived at her residence, she noticed that her son's rear brake lights illuminated while the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated her son placed a can on the brake pedal to turn off the brake lights. The contact stated she had to disconnect the battery and reconnect before using the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V759000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000.

My brake lights constantly burns out and I’m having to repair them every month. My brake lights also stay illuminated when I am pressing the brake which does not show that I am stopping or slowing down. This is a MAJOR safety issue that needs to be repaired

I am experiencing the exact same issues described in a previous recall of 2006 to 2007 model affecting the brake lamp switch. My brake lamps remain illuminated after release of the brake pedal, and the ESC light illuminates on the dash

3 of my light lamps where burning and front headlight could have start a fire

Exact same symptoms as NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 15V759000 (Hyundai recall 136 - described below). The car was previously repaired for this issue. The brake lights come on without any pressure applied to the brake petal, both when the car is off or running. Besides the critical issues stated below, it also causes the brake light bulbs to burn out prematurely, and drains the car battery. Hyundai Motor America "Hyundai" is recalling certain model 2011-2012 Sonata vehicles. The brake pedal stopper pad can deteriorate allowing the brake light switch plunger to remain extended when the brake pedal is released. Consequence: If the brake light switch plunger does not retract as it should when the brake pedal is not being pressed, the brake lights may stay illuminated preventing accurate communication to rearward following vehicles that the vehicle is slowing or stopping. Additionally, if the brake switch plunger is not retracted,...

The rear brake lights burned out can't replace the light because the wiring harness melted and y'all no longer sell replacement wiring harness at the store or dealership for my vehicle make and model I was told I would have to make a out of pocket costly repair to install a new model wiring harness. I keep getting pulled over by the cops cause I don't have break lights. Worse case someone could run into the back of me. This issue is a Hyundai issue. It's so many Hyundai sonata riding around without break lights. Please fix this issue.

Break lights repeatingly burn out on both sides. Replace it and a few weeks later, need replacing again. It is an ongoing problem and a known defect, but hasn't been recalled yet. This is a safety hazard as you are at risk of being rear ended.

My break lights and head lights are constantly blowing out, I've had multiple repair orders to prove this & can have records pulled from my pull overs. My back up camera now has an electrical issue and will no longer come on. Also when I'm driving the gas pedal just stops working while driving!!! Very very dangerous. My car is well kept and maintained there is NO reason for these issues to be happening aside from a manufacturer issue. I know plenty of people with the same year make and model as me and they all have the same issues. There really needs to be recalls put out on these issues as they are a safety concerns and they are putting me and my children in danger every day. I wish I had researched these issues before buying a Hyundai. I WILL NEVER BUY ONE AGAIN especially if these issues...

MY PASSENGER REAR LIGHT KEEPS BLOWING. I HAVE REPLACED THE BULB ONCE A WEEK SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR TWO YEARS AGO. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER MULTIPLE TIMES, THANKFULLY I WAS NOT TICKETED AND WAS GIVEN A WARNING ALL 3 TIMES. THE LIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN SO I WENT TO CHANGE THE BULB AND THE THE WHOLE HOUSING UNIT IS MELTED. NOW I AM UNABLE TO TAKE THE BULB OUT TO CHANGE IT.

ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO I NOTICE A LITTLE SCRATCH ON THE DASHBOARD, AFTER A WHILE I SEE THAT IT WAS A DANGER CRASH AFTER THIS TIME NOW ARE 3 BIG SCRATCHES THAT INTERFERE WITH THE DEPLOYMENT AIRBAGS OF BOTH FROM AIRBAGS IF SPLIT COULD COST BIG INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE .HYUNDAY SAID THEY ARE NOT RESPONSABLE FOR THAT DEFECTIVE PART.(PLASTIC) BUT THEY WANT ME TO PAY. ALSO THE LIGHTS NEVER ARE RIGHT TO CAUSE DIFFICULTY AT NIGHT DRIVING ALSO DANGEROUS, THE DEALER SAID THEY ARE OK, BUT THEY ARE NOT IN RIGHT POSITION.

2012 HYUNDAI SONATA ON MAY 8,2020 HYUNDAI REPLACED MY ENGINE DUE TO A RECALL .ON AUGUST 18,2020 I HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SMELL OF GAS THAT I SMELLED IN MY CAR . THEY INSPECTED MY VEHICLE AND SAID IT WAS FINE . BUT EVERY SO OFTEN I KEPT SMELLING GAS INSIDE MY CAR BUT NO ENGINE LIGHT OR ANY LIGHT TURNED ON AND PLUS I THOUGHT IT WAS FINE SINCE HYUNDAI INSPECTED MY CAR BUT FEBRUARY 4, 2021 I WAS PARKED WITH MY VEHICLE RUNNING AND THE FUEL SMELL STARTED GETTING WORSE , ENTERING MY VEHICLE THROUGH THE AIR VENT. MY VEHICLE WOULD SMELL LIKE GAS EVEN WHEN IT WAS TURNED OFF . SO I TURNED MY CAR OFF AND I HEARD LOUD BOILING BUBBLE NOISES INSIDE MY CAR WHICH IS STRANGE. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES TURNED MY CAR ON AND THEN MY THERMOSTAT MAXED OUT ALL THE WAY...

BRAKE AND TAIL LIGHTS GO OUT A LOT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED TO OFTEN. THE DRIVER SIDE BRAKE AND TAIL LIGHT ARE OUT NOW AND WHEN THE BULB BLEW, IT MELTED THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND CAN'T GET A NEW BULB IN IT. SO NOW THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED WITH ONLY THE PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE AND TAIL LIGHTS.

BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OUT AND WHEN I REPLACE THEN THEY BLOW OUT WITHIN TWO DAYS

HAD BACK LIGHT ISSUES FOR TWO YRS NOW LIGHTS GOING OUT HARNESS BURNING UP HAD ONE RECALL FOR WIRING HARNESS . LIGHTS STILL BURNING OUT DIFFERENT SIDE I BELIEVE I FIXED THE OTHER SIDE NOW HAVING TO REPLACE BULBS ON AND OFF NOW IT'S A MELTED BULB SOCKET THEY REPLACED THE BULBS WITH YOUR BULBS BEEN GOING ON FOR 2 YRS: WAS TOLD THAT MY MECHANIC CAN HEAR A ROD KNOCKING WHEN I WAS GETTING IT SERVICED WROTE IT SHOULD BE FIXED TOOK TO YOUR DEALERSHIP TOLD NOT LOUD ENOUGH AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NOT ON TO WAIT TILL IT GOES ON OR IT THROWS A ROD!!!!!! HMM THAT'S SAFE FOR 18 YR OLD,, THEN WHO WILL PAY FOR THE TOWING I LIVE OVER 60 MILES FROM DEALER HOPE IT DOESN'T CATCH ON FIRE WHILE I'M IN IT OR CAUSE A ACCIDENT AND REALLY HURT SOMEONE! CAN'T BELIEVE WE CAN'T...

MY WIRING HARNESS ON BOTH THE FRONT AND BACK HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS KEEPS BURNING. I HAVE REPLACED THE DRIVER HEADLIGHT, AND ALL BULBS ALL AROUND THE CAR. IVE EVEN CHANGED OUT THE CONNECTOR ON THE BULB OF THE HEADLIGHTS AND NO MATTER WHAT I DO THE WIRE ON THE WIRING HARNESS KEEPS BURNING AND WHEN I USE THE TURN SIGNAL SOMETIMES ALL THE LIGHTING IN MY CAR BLINKS

HEAD LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS CONSISTENTLY BURN OUT, REAR TAIL LAMPS CAUSED MELTING OF THE ASSEMBLY ON BOTH SIDES NEAR WHERE THE SOCKET GOES. RECTIFIED REAR LAMP ISSUE USING LOWER WATTAGE LEDS, NOT A SOLUTION FOR THIS BUT A BAND AID. CAR AUTOMATIC LOCKS HAVE CEASED WORKING, FAN ASSEMBLY CUT ON AND OFF CAUSING FAILURE OF RADIATOR. BUTTONS ON STEERING WHEEL ACTIVATE WRONG SETTINGS OFTEN WHEN USED. HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP STOPPED FUNCTIONING, ONLY LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM REMAINS. ALL PROBLEMS LISTED HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY EITHER MOVING OR STATIONARY.

WE ARE REPLACING BRAKE LIGHTS EVERY OTHER MONTH. THE MODULE THAT HOLDS THE BULB IS MELTING. SEEMS LIKE THIS WOULD BE A FIRE HAZARD AND SHOULD BE RECALLED.

AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING IF YOU USE THE TURN SIGNALS ALL LIGHTS GO OFF INSIDE AND OUT. WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE WHILE THERE. THIS IS A HAZARD AND CAN CAUSE A COLLISON AT NIGHT. THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY HYUNDAI. THERE SEEMS TO BE TOO MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THESE CARS AND IT SHULD BE LOOKED INTO.

HELLO. I AM REACHING OUT REGARDING CONCERN AS TO THE MALFUNCTION OF MY BRAKE LIGHTS. I CURRENTLY OWN TWO 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA VEHICLES. THE LIGHTBULBS IN BOTH VEHICLES GO OUT WITHIN DAYS OF BEING REPLACED. I WAS ADVISED BY A HYUNDAI TECHNICIAN THAT THE CASING OF WHERE THE LIGHT BULBS IS INSERTED WAS "MELTED" AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. IN MY RESEARCH OF THIS MALFUNCTION, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT A INDIVIDUALIZED ISSUE OR CONCERN THAT IS ISOLATED TO MY VEHICLES. IN ADDITION TO CAUSING A POTENTIAL RISK OF A ACCIDENT, I AM VERY CONCERNED REGARDING THE POTENTIAL OF A FIRE DUE TO THE "MELTING" OF THE CASING.

AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING IF YOU USE THE TURN SIGNALS OR TRY TO ADJUST YOUR LIGHTS FROM DIM TO BRIGHT AN ELECTRICAL FAULT IN THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH CAUSES ALL OF THE LIGHTS IN THE VEHICLE INSIDE AND OUT TO GO OUT LEAVING YOU DRIVING WITH NO LIGHTS AT ALL. THIS CONDITION HAPPENED TO ME ON A CITY STREET RULE ROAD THE INTERSTATE IT DOESN'T MATTER IT HAPPENS IF THE CAR IS MOVING OR SITTING STILL IT'S JUST AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED

BRAKE PEDDLE STICKING NOT RELEASING BRAKE LIGHTS TO TURN OF IN REAR.WHICH CAUSED A SHORTAGE..IN ELECTRICAL WIRING THAT SHORTED OUT WHOLE DASH SYSTEM AND SECURITY INCLUDING POWER WINDOWS GLOVE DEPARTMENT ETC. ISSUES WHEN BRAKE LIGHT WAS NOT RELEASING TRANSMISSION WAS JUMPING TO GEAR OF REVERSE AND DRIVE WITH OUT MY CONTROL

MULTIPLE PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ON MY FRONT END FROM WHAT MECHANICS THOUGHT WERE THE PROBLEM BUT MY WHEEL STILL STICKS/PULL TO THE LEFT WHILE DRIVING EVEN AFTER MULTIPLE FRONT END WORK AND ALIGNMENTS. ALSO, I'VE REPLACED HEAD LIGHTS, TAIL LIGHTS, BREAKS AND REVERSE LIGHTS NUMEROUS TIMES BECAUSE SOMETHING KEEPS BLOWING THEM. WHEN I PRESS THE VOLUME BUTTON ON THE STEERING IT CHANGES THE SCREEN ON THE RADIO. I'M ASSUMING IT'S SOMETHING WITH WIRING MALFUNCTIONING. THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE WHEEL DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK AS WELL

BULBS KEEP BLOWING RADIO COMPLETELY WENT BLACK AN NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW THE ISSUE