2003 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT'S WIFE OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE BATTERY EXPLODED. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MINOR HOOD DAMAGE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 67,000.

WHILE DRIVING, UNDER MANY DIFFERENT CONDITIONS, MY HYUNDAI SONATA STALLS. IT HAS HAPPENED OVER A DOZEN TIMES. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I LET THE CAR SIT FOR A WHILE AND IT STARTS RIGHT BACK UP AGAIN. OCCASIONALLY I HAVE TO HAVE IT TOWED. IT DOES NOT SEEM TO OCCUR WHILE THE CAR HAS CRUISE CONTROL ON, EVEN WITHOUT IT BEING ENGAGED, JUST POWERED ON. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA IN APRIL 2004. SINCE THEN I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE MY AIR BAG LIGHT TURNED OFF A TOTAL OF 6 TIMES. THE DEALER STATED THAT CONNECTORS PINS WERE NOT MAKING GOOD CONTACT, HE RE-POSITIONED IT AND STATED IT SHOULD BE FINE. IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED SOON. *TR

HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. HAD BOTH FRONT BRAKES REPLACED COSTING ABOUT $200. THEY STILL SQUEAK WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL , AND SOMETIMES WHEN DRIVING. ALSO, PANT HAS COMPLETELY COME OFF THE DOOR HANDLES, AND THERE WAS RUST ON DIFFERENT SPOTS OF THE CAR HOOD. I HAD THE DOOR HANDLES REPLACED INSIDE THE CAR BECAUSE THE SILVER WAS PEELING, CAUSING US TO CUT OUR HANDS, BUT THAT DIDN'T COST ME ANYTHING. *AK

MY AIR BAG LIGHTS CONTINUE TO COME ON. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE 2004. POOR CONTACT UNDER SEAT WAS THE FIRST EVENT. *NM

PURCHASED 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA BRAND NEW. DEFECTIVE RADIO REPLACED 1 MONTH AFTER PURCHASE. BATTERY DEAD AFTER 2 YEARS AND 8,500 MILES. NO REASON. BATTERY REPLACED BY MYSELF. BATTERY DEAD AGAIN IN AUGUST OF 2006. REPLACED AGAIN. BATTERY DEAD AGAIN ON DECEMBER 30TH 2006. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP STATED THE BATTERY WAS BAD. REPLACED AGAIN AT MY EXPENSE. I SAID THE CAR SHOULD NOT BE DRAINING 3 BATTERIES WITH LESS THAN 10,00 MILES. DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE RADIO!?! AND THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE RADIO AT MY EXPENSE BECAUSE THE RADIO RAN OUT OF WARRANTY 5 MONTHS PRIOR! I BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELECTRICAL WRONG WITH THE CAR AND I DO NOT THINK I CAN TRUST THE VEHICLE NOW.*JB

1.) DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS 2.) VALVE STEM CUT, LEADING TO DEFLATION OF TIRE. HAS NEARLY CAUSED ME TO HAVE A WRECK ON THE INTERSTATE. 3.) I HAD TO HAVE UPWARD TO 12 TIRES FIXED OR REPLACED ON THE FRONT END OF MY CAR DURING 1 YEAR. ABOUT A YEAR AGO THE TIRE COMPANY TOLD ME TO TAKE OFF MY HUB CAPS (ORIGINAL TO THE CAR) TO SEE IF IT HELPED. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE HAD NO MORE FLATS. *NM

RADIO DISPLAY GOES OUT FREQUENTLY. ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO READ RADIO STATION FREQUENCY. HAVE TO CONSTANTLY TAP ON THE RADIO NEAR THE DISPLAY TO GET IT TO FUNCTION FOR A SHORT TIME. NOTIFIED THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE RADIO WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED THE WEEK BEFORE. SERVICE TECH SAYS HIS SONATA DID THE SAME THING. *JB

CAR SEEMS TO LOSE POWER AND THEN JERKS BACK ON. ONLY LASTS ABOUT 1 SECOND. I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED WITH AROUND 13000 MILES. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 10 TIMES DURING THE 8 MONTHS I HAVE OWNED THE CAR. DEALER SAYS WITHOUT A TROUBLE LIGHT/ERROR CODE THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. *NM

DRIVER DOOR ALARM KEEPS ALARMING. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER ONCE ALREADY TO BE REPAIRED. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THIS TIME TOLD ME THAT ON THIS MODEL THE DOOR NEEDS TO BE TIGHTENED/ADJUSTED. NOW 2 MONTHS LATER THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING ONLY WORSE. NOW THE DOOR LIGHT IS COMING ON AND THE LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD IS COMING ON. MAYBE THE DOOR IS DEFECTIVE AND GOING TO FALL OFF. *NM