Hey all, I’m looking at buying a 2017 Hyundai Sonata SE with the 2.4L L4 engine and about 77,000 miles on it. The carfax looks clean and everything seems fine with the car. But I’m worried about the engine problems people have been talking about, especially the engine blowing up. I heard changing the oil every 2k miles could help prevent that. Anyone have any advice on this?
A lot of these cars end up on the used market because of engine problems. That doesn’t mean this one will have issues, but a lot of Hyundais and Kias from the 2010s have engine problems. I’d personally look for a slightly older, more reliable car.
As long as you check the oil levels weekly and top it up if needed, you should be fine. The problems happen when people don’t check the oil between changes and run the engine dry.
StellarisSeeker said:
As long as you check the oil levels weekly and top it up if needed, you should be fine. The problems happen when people don’t check the oil between changes and run the engine dry.
Same thing with a guy at work, burns about a quart every 1,000 miles. We drive like 3,000 miles a month for work…
Non-GDI engines are preferred. Is this a certified pre-owned (CPO) car? If it is, you’d get the warranty until 100k miles, which would be the only way I’d buy it.
madisonwilson said:
Non-GDI engines are preferred. Is this a certified pre-owned (CPO) car? If it is, you’d get the warranty until 100k miles, which would be the only way I’d buy it.
I’m buying it from a dealer. It only had two owners, with the second owner losing it because of a lease repossession. I haven’t asked if the warranty still applies, but I will check. Thanks for the advice!
@Masitsa
You’ll only get the 100k warranty if the dealer is a Hyundai dealer.
madisonwilson said:
@Masitsa
You’ll only get the 100k warranty if the dealer is a Hyundai dealer.
Oh, I see. It’s not a Hyundai dealer. So if the engine fails, I’d have to cover the repairs myself?
@Masitsa
Yep, don’t buy it! Used Hyundais and Kias should only be bought from their dealerships so the 100k warranty transfers to you. You could consider CarMax as they offer a good MaxCare warranty.
madisonwilson said:
@Masitsa
Yep, don’t buy it! Used Hyundais and Kias should only be bought from their dealerships so the 100k warranty transfers to you. You could consider CarMax as they offer a good MaxCare warranty.
Thanks a lot for the help 
I just sold my 2017 Sonata Sport with 68,000 miles. Last oil change it burned 4 quarts. I sold it and got a Honda…
WilliamMia said:
I just sold my 2017 Sonata Sport with 68,000 miles. Last oil change it burned 4 quarts. I sold it and got a Honda…
Got it, thanks for sharing .
I own a 2011 Sonata Hybrid with the Theta 2 engine. My engine blew up at 112,000 miles this summer. Hyundai replaced it with a new motor. There’s a class action lawsuit, so if anything happens to your engine, they’re likely to cover it. My car was 13 years old and had over 100,000 miles when the engine failed.
Stay away.
No way! It’s not a matter of if the engine will fail…
I have a 2017 that needed a new engine at 70,000 miles.
If you can, do a pre-purchase inspection at a trusted shop to get the car checked out. Then, you can decide if it’s worth buying.
Don’t buy a used Hyundai without a warranty.
I got a 2020 Kona new, and after about 120k km, it started burning oil. It still burns oil, but not as much. Stay away from any GDI engines from any brand.