2016 Hyundai Sonata air bags problems
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the air bags on the 2016 Hyundai Sonata — 3% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Dear Hyundai Customer Care, I am writing to report a safety concern with my 2016 Hyundai Sonata. The dashboard has developed significant cracking near the passenger-side airbag, which raises concerns about proper airbag deployment in the event of an accident. This level of deterioration seems…”
filed May 3, 2026
“I was involved in a low-speed collision at a residential intersection after stopping at a stop sign and beginning to proceed. Going under 5 mph, I braked immediately, but contact occurred. Despite relatively minor front-end damage, the driver steering wheel airbag and driver knee airbag deployed…”
filed Jan 23, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Affected vehicles have a driver-side frontal air bag that may not adequately protect the…Campaign 16V615000 · Aug 24, 2016
- In these vehicles, the driver's frontal air bag may be missing a chemical enhancer…Campaign 16V232000 · Apr 21, 2016
Related service bulletins
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co.…
DTN DL · Other · issued Apr 10, 2026
Air Bags problems in other Sonata years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Sonata | 1 | 1% |
| 2021 Sonata | 4 | 3% |
| 2020 Sonata | 7 | 4% |
| 2019 Sonata | 9 | 6% |
| 2018 Sonata | 4 | 1% |
| 2017 Sonata | 22 | 3% |
| 2015 Sonata | 25 | 2% |
| 2014 Sonata | 31 | 4% |
| 2013 Sonata | 102 | 5% |
| 2012 Sonata | 169 | 11% |
| 2011 Sonata | 418 | 12% |
| 2010 Sonata | 20 | 6% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2016 Hyundai Sonata
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.