Before You Buy Compare

Hyundai Sonata / Kia Optima vs Tesla Model 3 / Model Y

Two curated safety records, lined up. Bar lengths share one scale, so they read across the gutter. Every recall figure below is a documented public record; NCAP and complaint fields name the live NHTSA source they join from.

Head to head
  • Larger recall Tesla Model 3 / Model Y 1.60M vs 2M vehicles
  • Higher confirmed U.S. death toll even neither campaign has confirmed deaths
  • Active Do Not Drive order even neither vehicle
  • Recall still ongoing even both closed
Recall - remedy available

Hyundai Sonata / Kia Optima

Hyundai / Kia·MY 2011-2019·Sedan
No confirmed deaths Status: closed
Recall campaign
Hyundai / Kia Theta II engines
Component
Engine (Theta II)
Recalled
2015, expanded 2017
Units affected
1.60M 1.6M+ vehicles
U.S. deaths
not asserted - Non-crash engine fires; owners were told to 'park outside.' $210M NHTSA penalties (2020).
Live data slot

Not in the v1 snapshot. Fields below name the free NHTSA source they join from - no vehicle-specific number is guessed here.

NCAP crash rating SafetyRatings API
Frontal Crash – / 5★
Side Crash – / 5★
Rollover Resistance – / 5★
Overall Rating – / 5★
Owner complaints FLAT_CMPL
Volume by component pending
Full recall count FLAT_RCL
All recalls, this make/model/year 1 landmark on file
Recall - remedy available

Tesla Model 3 / Model Y

Tesla·MY 2012-2023·EV
No confirmed deaths Status: closed
Recall campaign
Tesla Autopilot (Autosteer)
Component
Advanced driver assistance
Recalled
2023
Units affected
2M 2M+ vehicles
U.S. deaths
not asserted - A driver-monitoring defect; NHTSA has investigated Autopilot crashes separately.
Live data slot

Not in the v1 snapshot. Fields below name the free NHTSA source they join from - no vehicle-specific number is guessed here.

NCAP crash rating SafetyRatings API
Frontal Crash – / 5★
Side Crash – / 5★
Rollover Resistance – / 5★
Overall Rating – / 5★
Owner complaints FLAT_CMPL
Volume by component pending
Full recall count FLAT_RCL
All recalls, this make/model/year 1 landmark on file
Both records, in numbers
Field Hyundai Sonata / Kia Optima Tesla Model 3 / Model Y
Recall campaign Hyundai / Kia Theta II engines Tesla Autopilot (Autosteer)
Component Engine (Theta II) Advanced driver assistance
Model years 2011-2019 2012-2023
Units affected 1.6M+ vehicles 2M+ vehicles
U.S. deaths - -
Do Not Drive No No
Recalled 2015, expanded 2017 2023

⇆ Swap sides · All vehicles

Both cases are documented public records from the v1 curated snapshot; see the Methodology for what is verified versus illustrative. Check any specific VIN free at nhtsa.gov/recalls.