2006 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A NEW 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF HEADLIGHT ISSUES. VEHICLE FROM FACTORY WAS BLINDING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. DEALER ADJUSTED HEADLIGHTS SO LOW THAT THEY DID NOT ILLUMINATE THE ROAD FOR ANY REASONABLE DISTANCE. RETURN TRIP TO DEALER RESULTED IN HEADLIGHTS THAT DID AN EFFECTIVE JOB OF LIGHTING THE TREES ABOVE. THIRD TRIP TO DEALER HAS RESULTED IN HEADLIGHTS THAT DO NOT PROPERLY LIGHT THE ROAD FOR ANY DISTANCE. I HAVE ADJUSTED THEM ACCORDING TO THE PROCEDURE IN THE SERVICE MANUAL, AND THEY PERFORM SIMILARLY TO WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME FROM THE FACTORY. THEY AGAIN BLIND ONCOMING TRAFFIC TO THE POINT THAT I AM AGAIN BEING "FLASHED" BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAVE VERIFIED THAT THE LIGHTS ARE VERY BRIGHT TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC BY DRIVING TOWARDS THE SONATA IN ANOTHER VEHICLE ON A TWO LANE ROAD WHILE ANOTHER PERSON IS DRIVING THE SONATA. I HAVE RECEIVED CONCURRENCE THAT OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS CONDITION VIA AN INTERNET NEWSGROUP. THE DEALER ALSO STATES THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED COMPLAINTS FROM OTHERS ON THIS ISSUE, AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE, AS THEY ARE "THE NEW EUROPEAN STYLE HEADLIGHTS, AND THEY ARE JUST BRIGHTER". *NM

THE CARS ELECTRIC WINDOWS DO NOT ROLL DOWN DURING DAMP WEATHER BELOW FREEZING. WITH HEATER ON HIGH AND 25 MIN. LATER WORKED AFTER DOOR WAS CLOSED. THIS HAPPEN TWICE, NO ICE OR FROST ON ANY WINDOW. SEEMED TO BE INTERNAL. IF THIS WAS THE LAST ESCAPE ROUTE REMANDING, I WOULD BE TRAPPED IN THE CAR.*JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATES THAT THE VEHICLE OVER STEERS VERY BADLY. HE STATES THAT IF ONE BARELY TURNS THE STEERING WHEEL IT WILL LUNGE INTO THAT DIRECTION. HAS TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE IN THE DIRECTION CONSUMER WANTS IT TO GO. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE, AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND HE WANTED THEM TO BUY THE VEHICLE BACK BECAUSE HE DID NOT FEEL THAT HIS WIFE WAS SAFE WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS GOING TO CONSIDER A BUY BACK OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR PRESSURE TO THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE 30, BUT IT WAS 45. THIS WAS TO HAVE BEEN DONE AT PRIOR TO DELIVERY INSPECTION. THIS PROBLEM GETS WORSE WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN.*AK *NM

PAGGENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT STAYED LIGHTED WHEN SEAT WAS OCCUPIED BY AN ADULT INDICATING THAT IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT AIR BAG WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR USE. CONCACT WITH DEALER GOT A REQUEST THAT CAR BE BROUGHT TO DEALER FOR SOLUTION TO PROBLEM.

THE SEAT-BELT WARNING CHIME ON THIS VEHICLE ACTIVATES THE MOMENT THE DRIVER'S BELT IS UNBUCKLED EVEN IF THE CAR IS AT REST, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE IS IN PARK, AND THE PARKING BRAKE IS SET. THIS LOUD, GRATING CHIME REPEATS EVERY 6 SECS. ALTHOUGH I ASSUME THE SYSTEM MEETS CURRENT NHTSA RULES PER SE, THERE IS A SAFETY THREAT BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN MANY POSTS ON INTERNET FORUMS FROM PEOPLE WANTING TO KNOW HOW TO DEACTIVATE THE SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY, LIKE MOST DRIVERS, HAVE OCCASION TO BE IN THE VEHICLE NOT IN TRAFFIC WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. EXAMPLES INCLUDE DRIVE-UP BANK TELLER AND ATM'S, DRIVE-THRU FOOD SERVICE LANES, AND IN PARKING LOTS WITH THE VEHICLE IDLING TO MAKE CELL PHONE SALES CALLS. SAFETY IS THREATENED BECAUSE IF THE CHIME IS DISCONNECTED THEN IT CAN'T WARN IF THE DRIVER TRULY FORGETS ONCE THE VEHICLE IS MOVED FROM REST OR IF THE DRIVER FORGETS THE KEY, WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE RISK OF JOY-RIDERS STEALING THE VEHICLE. ALSO, SHADE-TREE MECHANICS COULD DAMAGE THE SEAT-BELT PRETENSIONER SYSTEM WIRING TRYING TO "HOT-WIRE" THE BUCKLE SWITCH. I CALL ON THE NHTSA TO CALL ON HYUNDAI TO MODIFY THE SYSTEM AND THE PROMULGATE NEW RULES THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT ADDITIONAL WARNING CHIMES AFTER THE FIRST TIMED CYCLE BE ALLOWED ONLY AFTER THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THE VEHICLE IS MOVING, SUCH AS SPEEDOMETER INPUT, THE VEHICLE'S BEING REMOVED FROM PARK OR SHIFTED INTO GEAR, OR THE PARKING BRAKE BEING RELEASED (FOR EXAMPLE, SIMILAR TO THE SYSTEM FOR THE WARNING LIGHT ON THE 1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER THAT I DRIVE AT WORK). *NM

WE BOUGHT OUR 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA ON TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2005. WE WERE DRIVING ON A WINDY ROAD ON SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2005. WE WERE UNSURE AFTER JUST TURNING RIGHT FROM A STOP SIGN OF THE CORRECT DIRECTION SO WE WERE TRAVELING RELATIVELY SLOWLY FOR THIS ROAD AS WE WERE LOOKING AT THE MAILBOXES TO SEE IF THEY WERE INCREASING IN NUMBER. WE WERE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND IN A LEFT CURVE IN THE ROAD. THE BRAKES/WHEELS LOCKED , THERE WAS SOME RUBBER SCREECHING, AND THE BACK END OF THE CAR FISH TAILED. MY HUSBAND THOUGHT TO TURN THE ESC BUTTON OFF ON THE CAR FOR THE REMAINDER OF THAT TRIP. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP THAT EVENING. WE WENT CAMPING THE NEXT DAY (SUNDAY) USING OUR TOW VEHICLE AND WE CALLED TO SET UP A TIME TO GET THE CAR IN. AT THE TIME MY HUSBAND ASKED IF THEY HAD ANY KNOWLEDGE OF ANY PROBLEMS OCCURRING LIKE THIS AND THE PERSON IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DID A QUICK SEARCH AND STATED THE HE FOUND NONE. WHEN WE RETURNED HOME ON WENESDAY, JULY 27,2005 MY HUSBAND DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE COMPUTER AND FOUND SOME PROBLEMS ALREADY LINKED TO THIS CAR AND THIS PROBLEM. I PHONED YOUR ORGANIZATION THIS MORNING AND TALKED WITH THEM. I WAS ADVISED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER OF 05V316000. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ALONG WITH MY FRUSTRATION AND COMPLAINTS OF THIS CAR EVEN MAKING IT OFF THE LOT. IN A 10 - 15 MINUTE CONVERSATION I HAD WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER THE CHIP WAS REPLACED , SUPPOSEDLY FIXING THE PROBLEM. *JB