The Lemon IndexThe variable valve timing for the intake camshaft on bank 1 isn't where the computer asked it to be. Full P0010 page
10 owner complaints · the #5 code Hyundai Sonata owners name · 3% of Hyundai Sonata complaints that name a code (every car: 0.4%)
2015–2016 Hyundai Sonata · most: 2015 (6), 2016 (4)
Hyundai Sonata owners named P0010 in 10 complaints to the U.S. government (NHTSA), most often on the 2015 and 2016 model years. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Hyundai Sonata model years that report P0010
Owner complaints naming P0010, by model year. Raw counts: years that sold more get more complaints, so this is each model year's record, not a failure rate.
Symptoms owners describe with P0010
50% of these complaints say the check engine light came on.
- Uses or leaks oil40%4 of 10 complaints
- Brakes or ABS act up30%3 of 10 complaints
- Loses power or goes into limp mode20%2 of 10 complaints
Share of the complaints naming P0010 whose text also describes each problem. A complaint can describe more than one.
Codes owners report with it
P0011 4
Other codes named in the same Hyundai Sonata complaints, and in how many.
Recalls on these Hyundai Sonata years
- Engine · 2016 · issued 2020
The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear prematurely, which over time can result in engine damage. NHTSA 20V746000 - Parking brake · 2015, 2016 · issued 2017
In the affected vehicles, the warning light to indicate that the parking brake is applied may intermittently not illuminate in the dash due to corrosion in the switch. NHTSA 17V359000 - Brakes · 2015 · issued 2014
Due to a manufacturing error, one or both of the front brake calipers may fracture. NHTSA 14V368000
3 recalls for the same systems (brakes and engine) on the Hyundai Sonata model years above. A recall for the same system isn't proof it's behind P0010. Recall work is free at any dealer: check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with our VIN check.
Keep going
- P0010: meaning, causes and every car that reports it
- Hyundai Sonata reliability by year
- 2015 Hyundai Sonata problems and recalls
Other codes Hyundai Sonata owners report
P0010 on other cars
Chevrolet Equinox (22)
The details
How we count
We read every owner complaint in the NHTSA file whose text names this trouble code, and count the ones filed about this model (matched by the make, model and model year on the complaint). Mileage is what the owner entered on the form.
Parts: a complaint counts for a part when one of the owner's own sentences names that part together with a cause word (failed, bad, diagnosed, caused by, leaking ...) or a repair word (replaced, repaired, new, reprogrammed ...). "Came back" means the same complaint also says the problem returned or the repair didn't fix it. These are counts of what owners wrote, not a diagnosis, and one complaint can name several parts.
Complaints are reports, not proof of a defect, and most owners never file one. Popular models get more complaints, so the counts are not a failure rate. The code meaning is the standard SAE J2012 definition in our own words, or the carmaker's meaning where we verified it for that make.
What P0010 means
The variable valve timing for the intake camshaft on bank 1 isn't where the computer asked it to be. The engine can idle rough, lose power or use more fuel. Low or dirty oil is a common trigger, because oil pressure moves the timing.
Get it fixed soon. A few more days of normal driving is usually OK, but waiting can turn a small repair into a bigger one or a breakdown.
- Low, old or wrong-grade engine oil
- Sticking oil control (VVT) solenoid
- Worn or stretched timing chain
- Faulty cam phaser
Check the complaints yourself
NHTSA complaint numbers (search them at nhtsa.gov): 11735056, 11720901, 11714812, 11654322, 11588550, 11509805, 11452564, 11452063, 11406799, 11119409.
Quick answers
What does P0010 mean on a Hyundai Sonata?
A Camshaft Position Actuator Circuit (Intake, Bank 1). The variable valve timing for the intake camshaft on bank 1 isn't where the computer asked it to be. The engine can idle rough, lose power or use more fuel. Low or dirty oil is a common trigger, because oil pressure moves the timing.
Which Hyundai Sonata years have the most P0010 complaints?
In complaints to NHTSA, owners of the 2015 (6), 2016 (4) Hyundai Sonata named P0010 most (10 complaints in all, 2015–2016). Raw counts, not a failure rate.
Can I drive my Hyundai Sonata with P0010?
Get it fixed soon. A few more days of normal driving is usually OK, but waiting can turn a small repair into a bigger one or a breakdown.
Sources: NHTSA owner complaints that name P0010 on the Hyundai Sonata, counted by The Lemon Index; NHTSA recalls; repair bills owners named. Meanings: SAE J2012 in our own words. Owner reports, not a diagnosis or repair advice for your car.