2012 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH RESIDENTIAL AREA MY ENGINE MADE LOUD CLICKING SOUNDS AND LOST COMPLETE POWER. I COASTED TO A SIDE STREET AND PARKED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS OR PRIOR ISSUES TO ALERT ME THAT MY ENGINE WAS TROUBLED. TRIED TO RESTART AND THE ENGINE WAS SHAKING AND MAKING NOISE SO I CUT IT OFF AND CALLED FOR A TOW. AFTER RETURNING HOME I BEGIN TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUE ON THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR CAR. THIS TOLD ME THAT MY ENGINE PROBLEMS WERE JUST A COINCIDENCE BUT MORE OF A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. I HAD A MECHANIC VERIFY THAT MY ENGINE WAS GONE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. LUCKILY I WAS NOT DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHICH SOME DRIVERS REPORTED. HYUNDAI, OF COURSE, REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE. I SEE TWO LAW FIRMS THAT IN PROCESS OF FILING CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS. WILL IT TAKE PEOPLE TO LOSE THEIR LIVES BEFORE THIS ISSUE IS INVESTIGATED AND HYUNDAI IS MAKE TO CORRECT ANY WRONGDOING? I AM IN THE PROCESS NOW OF HAVING A DEALERSHIP DO A DIAGNOSTIC SO THAT I CAN FILE A CLAIM WITH HYUNDAI. I AM NOT SURE IF HYUNDAI WILL COVER THE COST OF REPAIR OR NOT. HOWEVER, I THINK YOUR AGENCY OWES IT TO THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND THE CLAIMS OF HUNDREDS OF OWNERS ABOUT THEY PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE USED.

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE 2ND TO LEFT LANE ABOUT 65 MPH, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN SHE LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. SHE SAY'S SHE PUSHED IT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR SEVERAL TIMES, NO PRESSURE, NO CONTROL AND OBVIOUSLY SLOWED DOWN. SHE MOVED OVER TO GET TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER TO STOP AND SEE WHAT IS THE ISSUE, LUCKILY THE BRAKES WORKED (HARD PEDAL), BUT MANY CARS WERE DODGING HER TRYING NOT TO HIT HER. SHE DIDN'T GET IN AN ACCIDENT, BUT SURE CLOSE TO BEING IN ONE AND HIGH SPEEDS. FRIGHTENING TO SAY THE LEAST. I HAS ABOUT 87,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I AM STILL CONCERNED IF I PUT ANOTHER ENGINE SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN? IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN UNLESS IT'S RECALLED AND THE PROBLEM FIXED! I AM JUST GLAD SHE DIDN'T GET SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. I AM VERY CONCERNED KNOWING THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE WITH THE 2011-2015 2.4L ENGINE. I TRIED TO BE PROACTIVE THEREFORE I'M POSTING THIS COMPLAINT FOR OTHERS. I GUESS IT TAKES COLLATERAL DAMAGE OF PEOPLE LOSING LIFE FOR CAR COMPANIES AND THE WONDERFUL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TAKE NOTICE. BEWARE MOST 2011-2015 HYUNDAE SONATA CARS HAVE THIS PROBLEM FROM WHAT I AM TOLD.

WHEN DRIVING IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST, I WENT OVER A BUMP AND THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO RATTLE (MAKE A RATTLING SOUND) AND SHAKING. I NOTICED FROM THEN ON THAT THE SOUND AND SHAKE WOULD START WHENEVER I WENT OVER A BUMP AND/OR DROVE BETWEEN SPEEDS OF 60-70MPH. I TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO MY LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER AND AS SOON AS I STARTED DESCRIBING THE INCIDENT TO THE TECHNICIAN, HE IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFIED IT AS A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING COUPLING AND TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2011 AND SOME OF THE 2012 SONATAS. I CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER SERVICE AND EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND ASKED IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS (THERE ARE NONE). THEY ALSO TOLD ME TO SCHEDULE AN APPT WITH THE DEALER TO HAVE THE ISSUE INSPECTED IN ORDER TO SEE IF IT WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY. AFTER MY SECOND APPT. WITH THE DEALER - IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE STEEING COUPLING AND OF COURSE, THAT PART IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY . CONSIDERING THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, WHICH AFFECTS THOUSANDS OF HYUNDAI OWNERS, A RECALL NEEDS TO BE INITIATED.

ON MORE THAN A DOZEN OCCASIONS SINCE PURCHASE, THE VEHICLE HAS NEGLECTED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS DEPRESSED NEARLY CAUSING ME TO BE HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE HAS SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED WHEN THE DRIVER WAS BARELY APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE PEDAL; ALMOST CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE REAR ENDED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY TWO HYUNDAI DEALERSHIPS FOR THE ISSUES; OF WHICH THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE REPLICATED. BOTH DEALERSHIPS STATED THAT IT WAS NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR THE VEHICLE AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO MAKE THE ISSUES GO AWAY.

WHEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH THE CAR RUNNING, IF I MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH IT MAKES A CLANK NOISE. THIS HAPPENS WHILE IN PARK AND ALSO IN GEAR. I HAVE HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE STEERING COLUMN INTERMEDIATE SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINT CONNECTIONS. HE ALSO SAID HE KNEW THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SAME BODY STYLE AS MY CAR BUT A YEAR OLDER (2011). I FEEL THIS MAY BE PART OF THE SAME ISSUE THAT CAUSE THE RECALL FOR THE 2011 AND MAY HAVE BEEN OVER LOOKED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A TURN OR REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, A CLICKING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT AXLES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE AIR BAG DETACHED ITSELF FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AND NEEDED TO BE RE-ATTACHED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ONLY OFFERED TO PAY FOR A PORTION OF THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

MY WIFE AND LITTLE KIDS WERE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER STEERING AND ALL THE LIGHTS LIGHT UP ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL. LUCKILY, SHE WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR TO A SIDE OF THE ROAD AVOIDING REAR-ENDED COLLISION. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM UP UNTIL LAST SECOND. IT WAS TOWED AWAY AND LATER DECLARED AS ENGINE SEIZED. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS AND HAZARD ON A ROAD.

ON AUGUST 7, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 PM, I WAS COMING BACK FROM RUNNING AN ERRAND WITH MY 16-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR WITH ME. I MADE A RIGHT-HAND TURN WHEN SUDDENLY, ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. ADDITIONALLY, I LOST ALL POWER STEERING, ETC. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY, BUT ALMOST GOT REAR-ENDED BY A PICKUP TRUCK THAT WAS FOLLOWING ME. I TURNED OFF THE CAR, LET IT SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES, AND STARTED IT UP AGAIN. THE CAR SEEMED FINE AT THAT POINT, AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE MY SHORT DRIVE BACK TO MY HOME (APPROXIMATELY 1.25 MILES). WHEN I ARRIVED AT HOME AND PLACED THE CAR IN PARK, THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT WAS FLICKERING SLIGHTLY. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE FOR THE NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING (8/8/15), I CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL IN THE ENGINE, AND NOTED THAT IT WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE FILL LINE. I ADDED SOME SYNTHETIC OIL TO THE ENGINE, CHECKED THE LEVEL AND NOTED THAT IT WAS ADEQUATE. I STARTED THE ENGINE TO GO RUN SOME ERRANDS. THE CAR SEEMED FINE AT FIRST, BUT WHEN I WAS APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES FROM MY HOME, THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT BEGAN TO FLICKER AGAIN WHILE THE CAR WAS IDLING (AT A STOP LIGHT, ETC.) I CALLED MY HUSBAND RIGHT AWAY, WHO TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR HOME. I NOTED THAT THE ENGINE HAD SOMEWHAT OF A TICKING NOISE WHILE DRIVING IT. WHEN I WAS APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER-MILE FROM HOME, THE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING/BANGING VERY LOUDLY. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE CAR OFF, CALLED MY HUSBAND, AND CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC'S SHOP. ON TUESDAY, 8/11/15, MY MECHANIC REMOVED THE OIL PAN AND INFORMED ME THAT THE BEARINGS WERE FAILING, WHICH CAUSED METAL SHARDS TO CLOG THE OIL PUMP FILTER, AND HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE OIL PAN WAS FULL OF SHARDS. THIS CAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED!!!

WE WERE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH IN THE 2ND FROM RIGHT LANE IN HEAVY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN THE ENGINE ABRUPTLY STOPPED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. MY WIFE HAD DIFFICULTLY STEERING AND BRAKING TO MOVE TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE FROM THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. IT WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE NOT HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT GREAT EXPENSE.