2001 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

THE CONSUME SMELLED GAS. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE IT WAS DISCOVERED THE FUEL REGULATOR WAS LEAKING FUEL INTO THE ENGINE. *NM

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD, 3RD OCCURRENCE. DEALER TROUBLESHOOTING INDICATED PASSENGER AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT (NOT RELATED TO PREVIOUS LIGHTS). OUT OF WARRANTY COVERAGE BY 2,269 MILES. I BELIEVE MANUFACTURER SHOULD COVER THIS DEFECT. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT IF NOT CORRECTED AIR BAG MIGHT DEPLOY INADVERTENTLY. DEALER WILL NOT DISABLE THE SYSTEM OR TELL ME HOW TO DO SO. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS SAFETY RELATED DEFECT.*AK

WE PURCHASED A 2001 SONATA. WE HAD IT THREE WEEKS AND THE COOLANT SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED. NOW,JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY RAN OUT(50000.) WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE SENSORS IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS CRAZY. THIS CAR GIVES US MORE TROUBLE THAN OUR OTHER CARS THAT HAVE DOUBLE THE MILES. I AM SURE THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD SUCH PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE THAT IS WHY YOU RAISED THE MILEAGE ALLOWANCE ON THE NEWER ONES. I WILL NEVER BUY ONE OF THESE CARS AGAIN!*AK

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT KEPT ILLUMINATING WHILE DRIVING. DEALER RESET BOTH SYSTEMS ON SIX SEPARATE OCCASIONS ,BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS V6. AS I WAS COASTING DOWN THE EXIT RAMP OF AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, APPROACH A STOP LIGHT, MY CAR SUDDENLY BEGAN TO ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY. I WAS ABLE TO STOP ONLY BY APPLYING THE BRAKE WITH CONSIDERABLE FORCE, BARELY AVOIDING A COLLISION WITH CARS STOPPED AT THE LIGHT. I THEN SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL. THE ENGINE BEGAN ALTERNATELY REVVING UP TO BEYOND 3,000 RPM AND BACK DOWN TO IDLE REPEATEDLY. THIS STOPPED AFTER TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTING. IT HAPPENED TWICE MORE AT SUCCEEDING STOP LIGHTS. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY REPAIRED IT BY REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION RANGE SWITCH-INHIBITOR (PART NO. 42700-39050). ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT COVERED BY SERVICE BULLETIN TSB 03-40-013. WHILE I MANAGED TO AVERT AN ACCIDENT, THIS WAS A VERY SERIOUS FAILURE THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY OR DEATH. I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THIS SHOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF A MANDATORY RECALL. *JB

I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW. LESS THAN 4000 MILES AGO, I WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP TO CORRECT A "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" CONDITION, WHICH WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD THAT AT THE MILEAGE THE CAR WAS AT I NEEDED ROUTINE SERVICE ON THE TRANSMISSION UNDER TERMS OF THE WARRANTY. THIS WAS DONE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT MY SERPENTINE BELT AND SPARK PLUGS WERE DUE TO BE REPLACED. I WAS NOT REMINDED THAT MY TIMING BELT HAD TO BE INSPECTED BEFORE 60000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD FAILED CAUSING CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND THAT SINCE I NOW HAD 60255 MILES ON THE CAR, AND HAD NOT HAD THE TIMING BELT REPLACED, THE 100000 MILE WARRANTY WAS VOID AND THEY WOULD NOT COVER ANY DAMAGE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE DAMAGE TO THE MOTOR WAS MORE THAN $5000 AND HYUNDAI WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OF THAT COST. HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS, AFTER ONE WEEK, STILL HAS NOT ANSWERED MY PHONE CALLS. *JB

LOWER OXYGEN SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT TO STAY ON. I HAVE BEEN RETURNING TO THE SUNTRUP DEALERSHIP IN MISSOURI EVERY SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR FOR THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. AND THE PROBLEM IS ALWAYS THE OXYGEN SENSORS. I HAVE A 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS OVER AND OVER. I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED WITH THE CAR FOR $1,300.00 AND I FIND OUT ON MY LAST VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE WARRANTY COMPANY FILED BANKRUPTCY. SO NOW I HAVE NO WARRANTY ON MY CAR AND I HAVE LOST MONEY FOR NO REASON.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT 30/35 MPH APPROACHING AND INTERSECTION WHERE THE LIGHT WAS RED I APPLIED THE BRAKES I DID NOT STOP AND WENT INTO THE INTERSECTION AND STRUCK A ONGOING VEHICLE. AIRBAG DEPLOYED, NO INJURIES IN OTHER CAR, I WAS INJURED, CAR IS TOTALED. WHY WON'T THE CAR STOP? HELP, I GOT A TICKET, THE CAR FAILED ME I DIDN'T FAIL. *JB

3 OF 4 WINDOW MECHANISMS HAVE FAILED IN THE DOWN POSITION DO NOT ALLOW THE WINDOWS TO BE ROLLED UP. FIRST THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW MECHANISM FAILED IN APRIL 2004 AND WAS REPAIRED. THE BACK PASSENGER WINDOW FAILED IN JULY AND FRONT PASSENGER WINDOWS FAILED IN OCTOBER. IT APPEARS THE WINDOW MECHANISM CORDING IS CAUSING THE MALFUNCTION. THE PASSENGER WINDOWS HAVE NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND ARE SECURED TEMPORARILY IN THE UP POSITION. THE OLD PARTS STILL IN TACT. *JB

RECEIVED RECALL FOR SONATA AIRBAG. AFTER REPAIRS, LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN, DEALER REFUSE TO REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. *BF THERE WERE CONTINUOUS AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION. RECALL#01V347000. *SC