A well-equipped midsize sedan whose engine is at the centre of one of the most serious manufacturer recalls covered on this entire site — the recall checklist on the engine page is not optional reading.
The Sonata's midsize sedan body is an unremarkable load for this engine mechanically — the risk, detailed in full on the engine page, comes from a manufacturing defect rather than from how hard this specific application works the engine.
This generation falls squarely within the Theta II recall's affected production window, which makes the engine page's VIN-check guidance the single most important step before considering this car at all.
This is about the car itself — for engine-specific failure points, see the dedicated engine page below.
This generation of Sonata falls within the Theta II recall's affected production window. The VIN recall check on the dedicated engine page is essential, not optional, before considering this car.
FULL ENGINE BREAKDOWNHyundai Theta II 2.4L/2.0T — Reliable or Not →This is absolutely non-negotiable: check the vehicle's recall history by VIN before considering anything else about this car.
If the recall applies and shows as incomplete, do not proceed with the purchase until it is resolved.
Listen for a rod-knocking noise, particularly at idle, and treat any such noise as disqualifying regardless of price or seller claims.