2001 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

WHILE CHANGING THE OIL A LARGE HOLE IN THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FRAME WHERE THE FRONT SUSPENSION CONNECT TO WAS FOUND. IT IS ALL RUSTED THROUGH. I WAS TOLD NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR BY THE MECHANIC. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO GET A NEW PART FROM THE JUNK YARD AND THE THREE REPLACEMENTS THEY FOUND WERE RUSTED IN THE SAME PLACE. I CALLED THE HYUNDAI DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS AROUND $1500.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I CALLED THEIR CUSTOMER CARE TO FIND OUT IF THERE WAS A RECALL AND THEY SAID NOT AT THIS TIME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SENSOR THAT CONTROLS THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS CONSTANTLY FAILING. THE SENSOR WAS PART NUMBER 35HYZ. IF A LARGE PERSON IS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE SENSOR MISTAKENLY REGISTERS THAT A CRASH HAS OCCURRED AND DEPLOYS THE AIR BAG. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE AIR BAG LIGHT AUTOMATICALLY ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE WAS REPLACED TWICE BEFORE, AND CURRENTLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,862.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL COLLAPSED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND A BASEBALL SIZE HOLE IN THE SUBFRAME WAS DISCOVERED, WHICH CAUSED THE TIE ROD TO DISLODGE. THE MECHANIC ALSO DISCOVERED TWO MORE HOLES IN OTHER AREAS OF THE SUBFRAME. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 65,000.

PASSENGER SIDE SUBFRAME RUSTED THROUGH AND CREATED A SEVERE SAFETY PROBLEM. MY MECHANICS NOTICED IT DOING SOME WORK ON MY CAR. THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED AND SOMETHING DONE BEFORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED WHEN THESE FRAMES BREAK. I WAS LUCKY IT WAS DISCOVERED, BECAUSE THERE IS NO WARNING LIGHTS FOR THIS... AND CAN NOT BE SEEN EXCEPT IF CAR IS ON A LIFT. *TR

WHILE ROUNDING A GRADUAL CURVE AT APPROXIMATELY 50MPH SUDDENLY LOST STEERING CONTROL AND WENT OFF ROAD. EXAMINATION OF VEHICLE SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACCIDENT REVEALED LOSS OF CONTROL CAUSED BY SEVERELY RUSTED RIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE) FRONT SUBFRAME AND APPROXIMATELY 8 INCH HOLE AND BENDING/CRACKING OF SUCH DUE TO THE RUST, THIS ON A VEHICLE WHICH IS OTHERWISE PRISTINE (THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO RUST ELSEWHERE ON THE VEHICLE). I URGE NHTSA TO REQUIRE HYUNDAI TO ADDRESS WHAT I HAVE NOW LEARNED IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MODEL IN QUESTION, ESPECIALLY BEFORE ANY OTHER LIVES ARE PUT IN JEOPARDY OR LOST DUE TO WHAT IS CLEARLY AND OBVIOUSLY A GROSS MANUFACTURING AND/OR DESIGN DEFECT. NOTE THAT I CONSIDER THE SITUATION TO CONSTITUTE NO LESS THAN AN EMERGENCY AND THAT UNTIL CERTAIN MODEL YEARS OF THE HYUNDAI SONATA ARE UPDATED WITH A REVISED/NEW SUBFRAME THEY SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN AND INDEED ARE NOT SAFE TO BE DRIVEN. AT PRESENT MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER ROAD WORTHY DUE TO THE RUSTED SUBFRAME AND AS IT IS 4 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY (WARRANTY PERTAINING TO RUST THROUGH) I FORESEE THAT I WILL HAVE TO BEAR THE EXPENSE OF THE REPAIR (SUBFRAME REPLACEMENT) MYSELF. *TR

MY 2001 SONATA ENGINE CRADLE IS SERIOUSLY RUSTED OUT ON PASSENGER SIDE AFT, A HOLE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SOFTBALL. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE AND A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BE ISSUED. I FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINT ONLINE FOR THE SAME AUTO. *TR

FAMILY VEHICLE: 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA -MY WIFE HAD CALLED ME TUES. 15TH, JAN. 2008 AFTERNOON, THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. ASSUMING A MALFUNCTION IN THE AIRBAG SAFETY SYSTEM, I TOLD HER TO DRIVE CONSERVATIVE, UNTIL WE COULD HAVE THE AIRBAG SAFETY SYSTEM CHECKED OUT. APPROX. 90 MINUTES LATER, SHE'S CALLING ME BACK, QUITE A BIT SHOOK UP, EXPLAINING THAT SHE WAS LOADING SOME ITEMS IN THE TRUNK AND WHEN SHE SLAMMED THE TRUNK CLOSED, THE FRONT PASSENGER, SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG DEPLOYED! ACCORDING TO HER, QUITE AN EXPLOSION AND ODOR. WE'RE THANKFUL THAT THERE WERE NO FAMILY MEMBER SITTING IN THE SEAT AT THE TIME. I HAVE TAKEN DIGITAL PHOTOS AND NOTIFIED MY CAR INSURANCE COMPANY FOR DOCUMENTATION PURPOSES. I SPOKE WITH THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER AND I CONFIRMED, THROUGH THE VIN, THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR RECALL/DEFECT AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT SERVICE, 7-20-2002. RECALL ID 01V347000 STATES THAT AB WARNING LIGHT COULD ILLUMINATE DUE TO MOTION OF SIDE IMPACT AB WIRING HARNESS/CONNECTOR AND THAT THIS COULD PREVENT DEPLOYMENT OF SIDE IMPACT AB'S. WELL, IN THIS DIFFERENT CASE, THE AB WARNING LIGHT DID COME ON (AND IS STILL ON), AND SLAMMING OF THE TRUNK TRIGGERED THE SIDE IMPACT AB TO DEPLOY! SO EITHER THIS IS A NEW SAFETY ISSUE OR THE HYUNDAI DEALER IS NEGLIGENT AND DID NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE APPROPRIATELY. NOTHING YET HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. HYUNDAI DEALER IS TELLING ME RECALL REMEDY IS BEYOND WARRANTY WINDOW AND I HAVE TO BURDEN THE COST I FEEL, FROM A LIABILITY STANDPOINT, HYUNDAI NEEDS TO GET THIS RIGHT AT THEIR COST FOR THEIR ILL REPAIR OR POSSIBLY NEW SAFETY ISSUE TO VEHICLE AB SAFETY EQUIPMENT . THANK YOU *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED THREE TIMES AND THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD IT REPAIRED ONCE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 01V347000 OR 02V105000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,411.

2000 HYUNDAI SONATA WITH A DEFECTIVE SUB FRAME. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR EXPENSES ON THE REPAIR OF THE SUB-FRAME. HE ALSO BELIEVES THAT HYUNDAI NEEDS TO PUT OUT A RECALL ON THEM AND GET THEM FIXED DUE TO CONCERNS WITH THE SUB-FRAME.*KB THE CONSUMER STATED AS HE WAS DRIVING, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM OF THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL DISCONNECTED FROM THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED HIM TO SLIDE TO AN IMMEDIATE HALT. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A POORLY DESIGNED FRAME WHICH RUSTED AND ROTTED SO BADLY THAT THE CONTROL ARM HAD FALLEN OFF THE FRAME, THE AXLE RIPPED FROM THE TRANSMISSION AND THE WHEEL HAD SLAMMED INTO THE WHEEL HOUSING AND QUARTER PANEL. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DECLARED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE PRIOR TO THE FRAME DAMAGE, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A FLAT TIRE WHICH WAS DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE INSIDE OF TIRE. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE CHANGING THE OIL IN THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SUB FRAME NEAR THE ENGINE WAS CORRODED. HE TOUCHED THE SUB FRAME AND HIS HAND WENT STRAIGHT THROUGH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT HE LIVED IN A RUST BELT AND DISCOVERED THAT THE CONTROL ARM WAS HELD IN PLACE BY ONLY ONE BOLT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY TAKING A SUB FRAME FROM A SALVAGED VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,959 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,949. UPDATED 12/12/2007 *BF UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR