Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit.
Owners have filed 696 complaints with NHTSA about the 2007 Hyundai Sonata, and it carries 7 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 176 | 25% |
| Visibility | 95 | 14% |
| Service brakes | 55 | 8% |
| Air bags | 38 | 5% |
| Visibility/wiper | 29 | 4% |
| Engine | 25 | 4% |
| Electronic stability control (esc) | 25 | 4% |
| Exterior lighting | 18 | 3% |
| Service brakes | 16 | 2% |
| Seat belts | 13 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was previously illuminated. Additionally, the seat belt warning light was activated for the passenger’s seat while the seat was un
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
I have a 2007 Hyundai Sonata SE v6 3.3L and on January 9th, 2026 I had an incident where on the road my charging system light on signifying alternator failure. I made it home, but the battery was dead which was recently
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The airbag warning light in my car is always ON, it won't go OFF. It was repaired by Hyundai service center under an extended warranty a few years back but now they said that they won't fix it again.
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
The contact's daughter owns a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that the front passenger's
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
While driving on expressway the red Air Bag light went on for no apparent reason and will not turn off. I tried to reset by disconnecting the car battery, but it's still on. This happened about 2 months ago. The car
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
Brake lights on and traction control light on, engine light on
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
The contact owns a 2007 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to N
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
Red “airbag” light on dash illuminated while driving. Code read as B1706: passenger buckle pretensioner. May have been covered under Hyundai’s 15yr/250k warranty but owners never notified since not official recall. Al
NHTSA complaint: Seat belts
NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2007 Hyundai Sonata. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
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. THE STOP LAMP SWITCH IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY MALFUNCTION. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO NOT ILLUM
Risk: ANY OF THESE MALFUNCTIONS, ALONE OR IN COMBINATION, MAY LEAD TO A CRASH.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 29, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE HYUNDAI CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-633-5151.
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. THE PURPOSE OF THE OCS IS TO DISABLE THE RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT FRONT AIR BAG WHEN IT DETECTS THE PRESENCE OF A CHILD REST
Risk: MISCLASSIFICATION OF A SMALL STATURE ADULT AS A CHILD IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT MAY CAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG TO NOT INFLATE IN AN ACCIDENT THAT MERITS AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND MAY RESULT IN
Fix: DEALERS WILL VERIFY THAT THE OCS DOES NOT PROPERLY RECOGNIZE A PROPERLY SEATED ADULT OCCUPANT. AFTER VERIFICATION, DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT CUSHION ASSEMBLY AND SHIP IT TO AN EVALUA
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. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES
Risk: DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburo
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the trans
Fix: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall
| Reliability raw | 59 | average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 69 | good |
| Maintenance | 84 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 69 | good |
| Performance | 49 | below average |
| Efficiency | 45 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 696 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 176 of them (25%). There are 7 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 59/100 (average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 69/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2007 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: be careful, because the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit. Its overall ownership score is 65/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.