I'm sure all of you know that Hyundai discontinued their Sonata Plug-in, but I'm writing to say how impressed I am with the car. I bought a 2019 in January of 2021 (they obviously weren't selling well), but I got it for a song and I'm just amazed at how nice it is. It gets 27 miles on a full charge and since I seldom drive more than 20 miles in town, it's perfect. But--and this is the real surprise--it's a fantastic road car. I regularly drive four hours to see my daughters or six hours to see my Dad, and the car is just fabulous on the highway -- quiet, comfortable, and . . . 48 mpg. So, if your needs are like mine, you might keep your eyes open for a used one. (Oh, just one downside that I'll mention: teeny trunk. Great space in the cabin but teeny trunk).
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In Praise of 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in
- Thread starter Irissam
- Start date
- Replies 5
- Views 8K
Marshall, sorry to hear that. I have noticed from owner reports that the 2016 (first edition) models had their share of problems. The later models seem to be more reliable. Of course, the operative word is "seem." I'm only reporting from the compilation of my reading. No hard data to draw from.
Did you buy new? How many miles have you put on the car? Were the repairs covered?
One of the reasons I bought the car was the unlimited warranty on the battery (which Hyundai no longer offered after the 2019 models) plus the 10/5 year warranty on everything else.
I look forward to hearing more of your experience. Thanks.
Did you buy new? How many miles have you put on the car? Were the repairs covered?
One of the reasons I bought the car was the unlimited warranty on the battery (which Hyundai no longer offered after the 2019 models) plus the 10/5 year warranty on everything else.
I look forward to hearing more of your experience. Thanks.
All the repairs where done under warranty. In addition to the items I mentioned, there where two recalls done on the vehicle, one for the gas filler and one traction battery relay assembly.
When the crankcase sensor goes out you are given a warning not to drive the car. As such, this issue will leave you stranded at the roadside unless you have enough EV range to get home or to the dealership to continue driving on electric only. That's what has happened to us.
Frankly, I don't trust the car not to leave me stranded after two crankcase sensors going out.
I did buy it new. The car has less than 30,000 miles on it.
As far as the traction battery warranty, it's something, but think the battery will have to degrade my 30 percent before they will replace it. Note there is no mention of battery degradation in the Hyundai warranty, but I think 30 percent is reasonable and similar to other manufacture warranties. In addition, I question how readily available a replacement traction battery will be after 10 years. Again the warranty is something, but maybe not as important as some may think.
Anyhow, I don't see Hyundai replacing many traction batteries since I believe the original owner will probably move on to another vehicle before the 30 percent reduction is triggered.
Note that the former BlueKona bought a Kona in part due to the warranty, but then sold it for a Tesla Model Y for the charging network.
When the crankcase sensor goes out you are given a warning not to drive the car. As such, this issue will leave you stranded at the roadside unless you have enough EV range to get home or to the dealership to continue driving on electric only. That's what has happened to us.
Frankly, I don't trust the car not to leave me stranded after two crankcase sensors going out.
I did buy it new. The car has less than 30,000 miles on it.
As far as the traction battery warranty, it's something, but think the battery will have to degrade my 30 percent before they will replace it. Note there is no mention of battery degradation in the Hyundai warranty, but I think 30 percent is reasonable and similar to other manufacture warranties. In addition, I question how readily available a replacement traction battery will be after 10 years. Again the warranty is something, but maybe not as important as some may think.
Anyhow, I don't see Hyundai replacing many traction batteries since I believe the original owner will probably move on to another vehicle before the 30 percent reduction is triggered.
Note that the former BlueKona bought a Kona in part due to the warranty, but then sold it for a Tesla Model Y for the charging network.
First crankcase sensor at 9,751 miles. Second crankcase sensor at 15,943 miles. Coil Pack at 9,927 miles.
The coil pack was not that big of a deal since the issues only happen when the engine is cold. Once the gas engine warms up, the car runs fine. It's been suggested that using a premium gas would fix it. Since Hyundai had a service bulletin on the issue, I got them to replace all four coils under warranty. I'm been running a mid grade gas every since and haven't had this issue come back.
The crankcase sensor is a big deal since you are not to run the gas engine when there are issues. If you have enough electric range, then you can use that to get home or in a safer location while you wait for a tow truck.
The coil pack was not that big of a deal since the issues only happen when the engine is cold. Once the gas engine warms up, the car runs fine. It's been suggested that using a premium gas would fix it. Since Hyundai had a service bulletin on the issue, I got them to replace all four coils under warranty. I'm been running a mid grade gas every since and haven't had this issue come back.
The crankcase sensor is a big deal since you are not to run the gas engine when there are issues. If you have enough electric range, then you can use that to get home or in a safer location while you wait for a tow truck.