2021 Hyundai Sonata: Whistling wind noise
Common wear/failure (not a recall)
Symptoms
Owners of the 2021 Sonata report: whistling wind noise. CarComplaints.com lists 1 owner complaints, average mileage 50 miles.
NHTSA has 12 owner complaints for the 2021 Sonata in this area. Examples:
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11727380 (filed 03/26/2026): “The internal core of the exhaust heat recovery system (ehrs), part of the center muffler/front pipe assembly (#28600-l5210), suffered a catastrophic failure. this allowed approximately 9 gallons of engine coolant to leak directly into the hot exhaust stream. s…”
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11719316 (filed 02/20/2026): “The ehrs coolant system failed and had a leak causing the coolant to be excessively burned off as thick white smoke. this caused me to not be able to see anything behind me and forced others to stop or slow down dramatically to avoid colliding with me. i had m…”
Likely causes
Sources do not establish a single root cause; diagnosis is needed. Owner-reported fixes are listed below.
Fix, in plain English
Most common owner-reported solutions on CarComplaints.com: none clearly reported. Check for open recalls and extended warranty coverage with a dealer before paying out of pocket.
DIY difficulty: Moderate
Leaks can often be traced with a water test and resealed; glass replacement is a pro job. (Our assessment.)
Cost
No sourced cost range: get a written quote after diagnosis.
Typical parts (search links, no affiliate codes)
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Sources
Page last updated .