The Lemon Index

All cars · Hyundai Sonata

2007 Hyundai Sonata.

The 2007 Hyundai Sonata is worse than average by owner complaints: 215 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 167, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about airbags, it has 7 recalls, and it gets 21 to 25 mpg combined. The best Hyundai Sonata year is 2004.

167Lemon Index · 100 = average car

Worse than average. 1.7× the average car's complaints.

Best year 2004 · Worst year 2011

Hyundai Sonata
Photo shows a Hyundai Sonata. Benespit, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Before you buy. What matters most for this car.

Owner complaints215first 3 years
Fuel economy21–25 mpgcombined, EPA
Front crash★★★★★NHTSA, driver

How serious. Out of 696 owner complaints, owners reported:

30crashes
15injuries
6fires
10tows

Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.

What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.

airbags29%
visibility26%
brakes25%
lights8%
seats3%

Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.

Transmission problems in every Hyundai Sonata year →

When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.

half by 64K
0K50K100K150K200K

Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 34K to 98K miles on the car (568 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.

  • airbags complaints mostly came at 32K–106K miles
  • visibility complaints mostly came at 40K–72K miles
  • brakes complaints mostly came at 18K–36K miles

Recalls 7

  • suspension 2013

    Road salt and water can enter portions of the rear crossmember, leading to corrosion o.

  • lights 2013

    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…

  • lights 2009

    HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 3,011 MODEL YEAR 2005-2007 ELANTRA, TUCSON, SONATA, AZERA AND ACCENT VEHICLES.

Show all 7 recalls
  • lights 2009

    HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 532,633 MY 2006-2007 ACCENT, ENTOURAGE, SONATA, MY 2007 AZERA, ELANTRA AND SANTA FE, MY 2005-2007 TUCSON AND MY 2007-2008 VERACRUZ VEHICLES.

  • lights 2009

    SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES.

  • airbags 2008

    HYUNDAI IS RECALLING 393,308 MY 2006-2008 SONATA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ADVANCED AIR BAG SYSTEM WHICH FEATURES AN OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS) IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT.

  • lights 2008

    HYUNDAI-KIA IS RECALLING 4,085 REPLACEMENT HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD FOR USE ON 2006-2008 SONATA AND AZERA VEHICLES.

Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.

Check a VIN for open recalls

Problems Hyundai told dealers about

Hyundai sent dealers 61 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:

  • Check engine light p2135 dtc diagnosis -- some 2006-2007 vehicles equipped with 2.7l, 3.3l, or…
  • Check engine light p2135 dtc diagnosis - vehicles equipped with 2.7l, 3.3l, or 3.8l engines

Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.

Government investigations

  • ClosedLoss of motive power2022–2023
  • ClosedThrottle control system vulnerabilities2021–2023
  • ClosedSeat belt buckle electrical malfunction2014
  • ClosedRear control arm failure2013

NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.

Safety

Stability controlStandard
Collision warningNot offered
Lane departure warningNot offered

Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★★ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★★☆

NHTSA front crash test of the 2007 Hyundai Sonata
Front crash test · NHTSA
Fuel cost and engines

About $2550–3050 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.4L 4-cyl, 3.3L 6-cyl.

In owners' words

Both sun visors fail, you hear a pop and then they will not stay up any longer. I have already paid $100 to have one replaced now the drivers side has broken. This is a 2007 Hyundai Sonata.

2007 Hyundai Sonata owner · NHTSA complaint 10342118
More owner reports

2007 Hyundai Sonata has an air bag and back light problem with recall notice.

NHTSA complaint 10299148

2007 Sonata,v^, both sunvisor broke at a cost of $100ea to replace. Claimed it was due to cold weather. Sun visor would not stay up. Hindrance when driving.

NHTSA complaint 10310278

Quick answers

Is the 2007 Hyundai Sonata reliable?

No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 1.7× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 167; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Hyundai Sonata year by this measure since 2010 is 2010.

What are the most common 2007 Hyundai Sonata problems?

In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are airbags (29%), visibility (26%) and brakes (25%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.

How many recalls does the 2007 Hyundai Sonata have?

7 safety recalls (latest: suspension). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2007 Hyundai Sonata get?

21 to 25 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).

At what mileage do 2007 Hyundai Sonata problems start?

Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 34,000 and 98,000 miles. The middle report was at 64,000 miles, from 568 complaints.

Does the 2007 Hyundai Sonata have transmission problems?

Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.

How much does the 2007 Hyundai Sonata cost in fuel a year?

About $2550 to $3050 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.

What engines does the 2007 Hyundai Sonata have?

2.4L 4-cyl, 3.3L 6-cyl.

What Hyundai Sonata year is better than the 2007?

By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2010, 2019 and 2014.

Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data