2000 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

THIS COMPLAINT INVOLVES A 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA. I WAS HAVING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE DONE ON THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOTIFIED DURING SERVICE THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT END SUSPENSION AND FRAME ON MY CAR IS RUSTED OUT. WHEN I LOOKED AT IT, THERE WERE LARGE RUST HOLES APPARENT IN THE CROSSMEMBERS AND EVERY WELD I COULD SEE IS COMPLETELY COVERED IN RUST. MY MECHANIC ADVISED ME THAT THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR AN EIGHT YEAR OLD CAR AND THAT IT MAY BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE IT MUCH LONGER FOR FEAR THAT THE SUSPENSION OR FRAME WILL COLLAPSE. *TR

WENT FOR OIL CHANGE AND TECHNICIAN NOTICED EXTREME ROT ON THE FRONT SUB FRAME WHICH HOLDS UP THE ENGINE AND HOLDS THE TIRES AND STRUTS. IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AWAITING PARTS WHICH I WAS TOLD WERE ON BACKORDER SINCE MAY 19, 2008. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THE DEFECT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2000 HYUNDAI SONATAS. *TR

MY SON WAS GETTING ON THE ON RAMP TO I-35 TURNING TO THE RIGHT. HE WAS GOING ABOUT 20 MPH AND THE CAR MADE A NOISE AND STARTED GRINDING. HE PULLED IT OFF TO THE SIDE AND CALLED ME. I CALLED MY OTHER SON WHO IS A MECHANIC TO GO AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT, HE SAID THAT IT LOOKED LIKE A BEARING HAD WORN OUT AND CAME APART AND IT NEEDED TOWED. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A TRUSTED SERVICE STATION THAT PUT IT ON THE LIFT AND SAID THE FRONT SUBFRAME/CROSSMEMBER HAD RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING THE CONTROL ARM AND CV AXLE TO COME APART. I CALLED HYUNDAI AND THEY SAID THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. WELL OUR CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE SERVICE STATION FOR EIGHT MONTHS WAITING FOR A USED SUBFRAME THAT ISN'T RUSTED THROUGH. THEY THE SERVICE STATION HAS ORDERED 4 USED SUBFRAMES AND ALL HAVE BEEN RUSTED THROUGH. MY BROTHER RUNS A BODY SHOP IN N.C. AND HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR ONE FOR US AND CANT FIND ANY THAT AREN'T RUSTED. SUPPOSEDLY AS SOON AS THERE IS ONE THAT ISN'T RUSTED ITS SENT TO "THE SALT BELT" FOR A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPAIR A CAR THAT SHOULD NOT NEED IT. OUR FAMILY HAS 2 CARS ONE 13 YEARS OLDER THAN THIS SONATA AND ONE 16 YEARS OLDER THAN THIS SONATA. THEIR FRAMES AREN'T RUSTED THROUGH BOTH HAVE BEEN OUTSIDE IN THE SALT AND SNOW MORE THAN THIS SONATA. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM THIS PART SHOULD BE THE LAST THING TO RUST THROUGH ON A CAR. FROM THE COMPLAINTS I'VE READ ON THIS SITE AND OTHERS HYUNDAI IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. HYUNDAI WANTS 13 HUNDRED DOLLARS JUST FOR THE SUBFRAME AND ITS ABOUT THE SAME FOR LABOR. IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT BECAUSE OF THIS. *TR

THE SUBFRAME ON MY 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA HAS RUSTED AND BROKE IN HALF CAUSING MY HALF SHAFT TO BRAKE APART AND CAUSING THE RIGHT SIDE FRONT TIRE TO COME DETACHED AND MY CAR WAS STUCK AND NOT DRIVABLE! *TR

SUSPENSION SYSTEM SUDDENLY COLLAPSED ON RIGHT SIDE WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN PARKING LOT IN FAIRFAX, VA. CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. HAD TO BE TOWED TO HYUNDAI DEALER. DEALER STATED THAT TIE ROD AND ENGINE CRADLE DAMAGED. I HAD ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THAT I HAD HIT SOMETHING DURING A RECENT THUNDERSTORM WHEN TREE BRANCHES FELL, BUT NOW I KNOW OTHERWISE. HAVE READ REPORTS ON THE INTERNET OF NUMEROUS INCIDENCES LIKE THIS ONE. I WAS LUCKY I WAS NOT ON THE ROAD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE OWNS A 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH OUT OF A PARKING LOT, THE CONTACT HEARD A SNAP AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED MOVING. SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS LAYING INWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE SUBFRAME FAILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 110,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER VEHICLE RUSTED THROUGH THE A FRAME, WHICH SUPPORTS THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL. ON MAY 29, 2008, THE CV JOINTS FAILED. WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AT 10 MPH, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000.

MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE PULLED AWAY FROM THE FRAME. UPON EXAMINATION I FOUND THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED APART. IT WASN'T DRIVABLE, HAD A MECHANIC FRIEND LOOK AT IT AND HE SHOWED ME WHERE IT WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. LUCKILY HE WAS ABLE TO FIX IT HIMSELF BY TAKING OFF THE ARM AND COMPLETELY REDOING IT. NOT SURE OF DETAILS BUT HE WELDED IT BACK TOGETHER AND FIXED IT. *TR

GOT THE SONATA IN 2006. WAS DILIGENT WITH THE OIL CHANGING AND THE WORKS. IT GOT TO 127K MILES SO WE TOOK IT IN FOR THE 120MI SERVICE AS WE INTEND TO HAVE THE CAR IN ITS GOOD CONDITION .. SEEMED OK.. AFTER DRIVING IT FOR 2 WEEKS MY WIFE RESUMED TO USE IT TO GO TO WORK. SHE SAID ABOUT IT NEEDING ANOTHER ALIGNMENT CHECK COZ IT WAS DRIVING FUNNY. SAID WE'LL HAVE IT CHECK ON HER NEXT DAY OFF WORK. MY WIFE DRIVES 39 MILES TO WORK ON FREEWAY (I-70; 670. US-315), IT IS NO LAUGHING MATTER WHEN SOMEONE IS DRIVING 65 MPH MERGING AND CHANGING LANES DURING RUSH HOUR AND START LOSING CONTROL OF THE CAR. SHE WAS TRYING TO GET TO THE SHOULDER BUT SHE COULDN'T EVEN STEER IT AND ONE BIG CLUNK SOUND THE CAR STOPPED, THE FRONT RIGHT TEAR WAS OFF. LUCKILY SHE WASN'T INJURED, BUT SHE WAS SO SHAKEN UP, SHE DIDN'T EVEN REACH THE SIDE ROAD, AND SHE COULD EASILY B STRUCK BY OTHER CARS, POLICE HAD TO PUSH THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. AS WITH THE OTHER COMPLAINTS HERE, MY MECHANIC SAID ITS THE SUBFRAME AND WE CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND WAS TOLD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THEIR DEALERS WHILE THEY REVIEW THE INCIDENT. IM SO SHOCKED ABOUT THE COMPLAINTS ON HERE, THIS SHOULD B PUT OUT AND NOT LET PEOPLE GO THROUGH THIS. I WAS THINKING WHAT IF SHE HAS OUR CHILD WITH HER LIKE SHE USUALLY DOES... *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN I HAD TO SUDDENLY TURN MY STEERING WHEEL QUICKLY TO THE RIGHT. UPON DOING SO, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE, AND WAS UNABLE TO STEER MY CAR. IT WAS TAKEN TO A HYUNDAI SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE SUB FRAME HAD RUSTED OUT AND LET EVERYTHING COME DOWN ON MY SUSPENSION. THE COST OF THE REPAIRS WOULD BE $1,883.00. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT GAVE ME THE NUMBER OF HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS (1-800-633-5151). I CALLED THEM AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM, AND THEY WERE HANDLING THEM ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. THEY GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER AND FORWARDED MY CASE TO THE REGIONAL INVESTIGATOR. WITHIN 2 DAYS, I WAS CALLED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND TOLD THAT HYUNDAI AGREED THAT IT WAS A MAJOR RUST PROBLEM AND AGREED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS TO BE DONE ON MY CAR. *TR