2000 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE ASSEMBLY WAS FALLING OFF THE VEHICLE DUE TO A RUSTED ENGINE CRADLE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE STATION AND THEY REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE DRIVESHAFT ASSEMBLY. AFTER THE REPAIR WAS MADE, THE CONTACT STILL HEARD NOISES. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE SHOP AND, UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE ENGINE CRADLE WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND TO BE OUT OF PLACE DUE TO RUST. THE ENTIRE WHEEL ROTATED WHILE THE DRIVER SIDE REMAINED STATIONARY. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE ENGINE CRADLE TO RUST. THERE IS A CURRENT INVESTIGATION (PE08029) FOR THIS FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 129,358.

MY SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS TRAVELING 10-15 M/HR RETURNING HOME FROM WORK AND HAS SHE TURNED ONTO OUR STREET OUR 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA HAD A COMPLETED RIGHT FRONT WHEEL COLLAPSE/SEPARATION FROM THE CAR. UPON INSPECTION AT OUR LOCAL GARAGE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS A RESULT OF COMPLETE SUBFRAME RUSTING OF MY SONATA. THIS WAS A VERY EXPENSE REPAIR (MAT'L COSTS ALONE WERE $1,600.00) AND MORE IMPORTANT I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY HYUNDAI. I'M NOT SURE WHAT ACTION I CAN TAKE ON THIS (LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE) BECAUSE OF THE HIGH MILEAGE (117,049 MILES), BUT A CAR SUBFRAME SHOULD NOT RUST OUT LIKE THIS IN 8 YEARS. *TR

I WAS CALLED BY MY LOCAL MECHANIC THIS EVENING TO COME LOOK AT MY 2000 SONATA WHILE IT WAS ON THE RACK TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR AND BELTS. HE TOLD ME I HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND NEEDED TO COME SEE IT FOR MYSELF. THERE IS A RUSTED OUT SECTION OF THE UNIBODY SUBFRAME ON THE RIGHT FRONT JUST UNDER WHERE THE SWAYBAR ATTACHES. YOU CAN PUSH THE METAL AND IT FALLS APART. IT GOES AROUND, ALMOST LIKE A SEAM, BUT HAS NOT MADE IT ALL THE WAY, YET. THE LEFT FRONT IS ALSO SHOWING SIGNS OF SPOT RUSTING. I WAS GOING TO CONTACT A BODY SHOP TO SEE IF IT COULD BE REPAIRED AND WAS SEARCHING ONLINE FOR ADVISE WHEN I BEGAN NOTICING THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS PROBLEM. I WAS LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON REPAIRING THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GOT HURT. WHILE RESEARCHING ONLINE I NOTICED THAT THERE IS AN NHTSA ODI PRELIMINARY EVALUATION THAT HAS JUST BEGUN CONCERNING REPORTS SIMILAR TO MINE. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THEY ADVISED ME TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO MY LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER FOR EVALUATION AND NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT HAS BEEN SEEN BY A HYUNDAI DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE REGIONAL DEPARTMENT OF HYUNDAI WOULD CONTACT ME AFTER THAT. I AM TAKING IT TO THEM ON MAY 2. MY HYUNDAI CASE # IS 3282801. *TR

FRAME HAS RUSTED OUT CAN NO LONGER DRIVE MY CAR AND I NEED IT TO GET TO WORK. *TR

I TOOK MY CAR TO MY PERSONAL MECHANIC ON 3/19/2008 BECAUSE THE CAR WAS MAKING A SQUEAKING NOISE ON AN IRREGULAR BASIS AND IT WAS NOT STEERING PROPERLY. HE TOOK IT FOR A DRIVE W/ MYSELF IN THE CAR. IT MADE NO NOISE AND IT DID NOT "PULL". HE REASSURED THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK AT THAT TIME, HOWEVER, IF IT BECAME A PROBLEM TO LET HIM KNOW. THE SQUEAKING RETURNED INTERMITTENTLY. A LITTLE OVER A WEEK LATER ON 3/28/2008, I WAS DRIVING FROM MY HOME IN SCRANTON, PA TO MY SON'S DR'S APPOINTMENT IN PHILADELPHIA, PA. I WAS ON THE PA TURNPIKE FOR A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR, DURING WHICH TIME I NOTED TO MY MOTHER (DRIVING WITH ME) THAT THE CAR WAS GOING STRAIGHT, HOWEVER THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED LEFT. UPON GETTING ONTO THE SCHUYLKILL EXPRESSWAY I HEARD A SQUEAL ON THE TIGHT LEFT TURN (A VERY DANGEROUS, HIGH TRAFFIC HIGHWAY) AND STAYED ON THAT FOR APPROX ANOTHER 10MILES. I TURNED ONTO ANOTHER HIGHWAY. IMMEDIATELY AFTER GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY I STOPPED AT THE FIRST INTERSECTION. AFTER STOPPING I TRIED TO PULL OUT AND THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE, SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. WHILE I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A DANGEROUS INTERSECTION (THE COPS EVEN DROVE RIGHT ON BY), I WAS FRANTIC CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT IF HAD HAPPENED SECONDS SOONER, IT WOULD NO DOUBT HAVE BEEN TRAGIC ACCIDENT INVOLVING NOT ONLY MYSELF, MY MOTHER AND MY EIGHT YEAR OLD SON BUT ALSO OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY. THE MECHANIC, WHO EVALUATED THE CAR THE PREVIOUS WEEK, STATED THAT THE SUB-FRAME WAS "ROTTED AND RUSTED OUT" WHICH RESULTED IN THE AXLE DROPPING OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION. HE COULDN'T FIND USED PARTS. THE JUNK YARDS SAID ALL OF THE '99 AND '00 SONATAS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE PUT MY FAMILY'S SAFETY IN GRAVE DANGER. NO THERE WAS NO CRASH AND NO THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE. THAT WAS ONLY DUE TO THE FORTUNATE TIMING OF THIS INCIDENT. PLEASE CONTACT HYUNDAI TO RECALL THIS PART NO ONE SHOULD BE PUT IN THIS LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. *TR

VEHICLE BEGAN KNOCKING AS IF SOMETHING HIT IT FROM UNDERNEATH. ALSO, STEERING SUDDENLY WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND FRONT END FELT VERY LOOSE. MECHANIC DISCOVERED A HOLE IN SUBFRAME APPROX. ONE FOOT IN SIZE DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST/CORROSION ON PASSENGER SIDE. AS A RESULT MOTOR IS LOOSE AND VEHICLE IS VERY OUT OF ALIGNMENT. MECHANIC SAID HE HAS SEEN THIS THREE TIMES ON THIS MODEL ONLY; ALSO SAID THAT FRAME DESIGN IS SUCH THAT WATER COLLECTS ON TOP AND CANNOT DRAIN. VEHICLE IS 2000 AND ONLY HAS 66,000 MILES. APPARENTLY THIS IS HAPPENING TO THIS MAKE/MODEL OF CERTAIN YEARS, YET NO TSB'S OR RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED. *TR

PULLING UP TO A LEFT TURN INTO THE DAYTONA SAM'S CLUB, THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AND LOWER WISHBONE ASSEMBLY COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE'S SUB-FRAME AND MY WHEEL CAME OFF THE CAR. MY MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE SUB-FRAME HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT FROM THE INSIDE. THERE IS NOT A SPECK OF RUST ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE CAR! IT WAS BY GOD'S GRACE THAT I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 15MPH FOR JUST MOMENTS EARLIER I WAS DOING 70MPH ON I95! MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHICALLY DEADLY! IT ONLY HAD ABOUT 58,500 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE SEPARATION. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SOMEONE WHO USED TO WORK FOR HYUNDAI THAT THIS IS A KNOW DEFECT BECAUSE HYUNDAI USED RECYCLED METAL TO MANUFACTURE THESE FRAMES WITHOUT USING RUST INHIBITORS. I HAVE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS IN STORAGE AND I HAVE CLEAR PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING THE RUST HOLES WHERE THE WISHBONE BOLTS PULLED OUT OF THE SUB-FRAME AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO YOU. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF THESE CARS ON THE ROAD WITH THIS POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC DEFECT AND HYUNDAI IS BURYING ITS HEAD IN THE SAND. I CONTACTED THEM AND THEIR ATTITUDE WAS THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM SINCE I WAS THE SECOND OWNER. I CONTACTED THEM TWICE, AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE, BUT THEY NEVER CALLED ME AGAIN. I HAVE OVER $2000 IN REPAIRS TO REPLACE THIS SUB-FRAME AND MAKE THE VEHICLE DRIVABLE; NOT INCLUDING THE BODY DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE WHEEL HITTING THE RIGHT FENDER. HYUNDAI IS CONDUCTING ITSELF IN A WHOLLY RECKLESS MANOR AS THIS DEFECT CAN, AND PROBABLY WILL, TAKE HUMAN LIVES AS THESE SUB-FRAMES RUST APART! THIS CAR HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE WITH OTHER PROBLEMS, BUT NONE I WOULD CONTACT NHTSA OVER THESE SINCE THEY ARE NOT-SAFETY RELATED, BUT HOWEVER, THIS ISSUE HAS A HUGE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF LIFE AND MUST BE ADDRESSED! *TR

THE CAR WAS NOT STEERING CORRECTLY AND WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE THE ALIGNMENT FIXED. THE MECHANIC SAID THE PROBLEM WAS NOT THE ALIGNMENT BUT THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE WAS RUSTED. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES ON IT, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNERS WE ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. IT WILL COST US AROUND $2000 TO HAVE FIXED, AND WE ARE NOT SURE IT WILL EVEN BE ABLE TO BE FIXED. THE MECHANIC SAID WE ARE LUCKY THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT FALL OUT, THE CRADLE WAS SO RUSTED. AT THIS POINT IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR AND, AGAIN WE ARE UNSURE IT CAN EVEN BE FIXED. *TR

I'VE HAD A 2000 HYUNDAI SONATA FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR, AND RECENTLY I HAD TO TAKE IT IN FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS JUST AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM BECAUSE THE INSIDE OF MY TIRES WHERE WEARING OUT TOO FAST. SO I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL SHOP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE/TRANS CRADLE(SUB-FRAME) WAS ALMOST TOTALLY RUST OUT AND THAT IT HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR A VERY LONG TIME(WHICH ALSO MEANT THAT THE DEALER I GOT THE LOAN FROM SOLD ME THE CAR KNOWING IT WAS IN BAD SHAPE). IT WAS RUSTED OUT SO BAD THAT THE CONTROL ARMS WHERE ABOUT TO FALL OFF AND THAT THE CAR WAS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE DEALER I GOT THE CAR FROM DOES NOT COVER THOSE PARTS UNDER THE SERVICE AGREEMENT(THE CAR IS OUT OF MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY WITH OVER 137000 MILES). SO I TOOK THE CAR TO A FRAME SHOP THAT WANTED OVER $1800 TO INSTALL THE CRADLE AND CONTROL ARMS. THE END OF THE STORY IS THAT I'M STILL DRIVE THE CAR, BECAUSE ITS MY ONLY WAY TO WORK, AND STILL TRYING TO SAVE MONEY TO GET THE THING FIXED. I'M JUST WANDERING WHICH POT HOLE I HIT IS GOING TO KNOCK THE CONTROL ARMS OFF THE REST OF THE WAY. *TR

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SUB FRAME TOTALLY RUSTED RESULTING IN SUSPENSION AND STEERING RACK COMING APART. *TR