2003 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

I AM EXPERIENCING THE VALVE STEM/TIRE ISSUES IN MY 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED. I HAVE HAD 2 FLAT TIRES SINCE JULY AND BOTH TIMES I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE VALVE STEM. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A HYUNDAI ISSUE AND THAT WHEN YOU HIT A BUMP THE HUBCAP SPINS AND EVENTUALLY "SNAPS" OFF THE VALVE STEM. I HAVE CALLED 2 DIFFERENT HYUNDAI DEALERSHIPS AND THEY BOTH DENIED THAT IT WAS A HYUNDAI ISSUE. THEY BOTH CLAIMED THAT I PROBABLY HAVE THE WRONG SIZE TIRE ON THE CAR. I FELT LIKE MY ISSUE WAS DISMISSED BOTH TIMES. THE TIRES ON THE CAR ARE THE EXACT SIZE AS REFERENCED IN MY OWNERS MANUAL. I WAS TOLD THAT REPLACING THE TIRES TO A "SPECIFIC BRAND" WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. SO YESTERDAY, I BOUGHT 2 NEW TIRES AFTER I COULD NO LONGER KEEP AIR IN THE FRONT TIRES FOR MORE THAN 6 HOURS. WHEN THEY REMOVED THE HUBCAPS, THEY SAID THAT THE TIRES DEFLATED ON THEIR OWN, THROUGH THE VALVE STEMS. I CAME ONLINE TO RESEARCH THIS ISSUE AND SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THE ISSUE AND SAW AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION THAT HAS JUST BEGUN AND THOUGHT IT BEST TO LODGE A COMPLAINT. I HAVE RECEIPTS FOR ALL OF THE REPAIRS AND NEW TIRES IF THIS IS NEEDED. *JB

HUBCAPS ON 2003 SONATA SLIDE AROUND PINCHING VALVE STEMS. THIS WAS FIRST NOTICED WHEN I REPLACED TIRES FROM MICHELIN TO BF GOODRICH . TIRES ARE PROPER SIZE .THIS PROBLEM OF THE HUBCAPS SHIFTING HAPPENS DAILY AS I HAVE TO REMOVE HUBCAPS AND STRAIGHTEN. HAVE NOW REMOVED HUBCAPS PERMANENTLY FOR SAFETY REASONS. HAVE HAD ONE BLOW-OUT DUE TO STEM BEING TWISTED. NUMBER OF FAILURES BELOW ARE ESTIMATED BUT THE HUBCAPS UNTIL RECENTLY WERE OUT OF POSITION DAILY. DATE OF BLOW-OUT BELOW IS ESTIMATED SOMEONE AROUND THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST. *JB

WHILE DRIVING SOUTH ON US68, AN ONCOMING NORTHBOUND CONCRETE TRUCK TURNED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US. WHEN WE HIT, THE PASSENGER'S SHOULDER HARNESS OF MY 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA FAILED TO "LOCK". I WAS THROWN AGAINST THE DASH AND THEN THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED DIRECTLY AGAINST MY CHEST. MY WIFE'S AIRBAG (SHE WAS DRIVING) DEPLOYED SLIGHTLY FASTER, BUT LATE ENOUGH THAT IT OPENED UNDER HER CHIN AND POPPED HER HEAD BACK. SHE HAS THREE DAMAGED DISKS IN HER NECK (TWO HERNIATED AND ONE BULGING). MY SHOULDER HARNESS WAS NO HELP, AND MY AIRBAG ACTUALLY INJURED ME BY FIRING LATE AND IN CONTACT WITH MY CHEST. MY WIFE'S AIRBAG, ALTHOUGH SLIGHTLY FASTER, CAUSED HER INJURY BY DEPLOYING SLOWLY. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA IN JUNE 2003. AT 18,000 I HAD TO REPLACE MY FRONT TIRES DUE TO WEAR. I HAD THE CORRECT SIZE MOUNTED AND IT WENT FLAT APPROXIMATELY 5-6 TIMES. MY DEALER KEPT SAYING IT WAS THE TIRE DEALERS FAULT HOWEVER, IF THE CORRECT SIZE TIRE IS USED IT COULD NOT BE THEIR FAULT. CAR DEALER REFUSED TO LOOK AT UNTIL ABOUT THE FIFTH TIME. I BECAME IRATE AND THEY TOOK IT IN. I WAS TOLD MY CAR WILL ONLY USE THE EXACT SAME TIRE THAT CAME ON IT FROM FACTORY. THIS IS NOT IN ANY OF THE CAR INFORMATION OR OWNERS MANUAL. ANY OTHER TIRE USED CAUSES FRICTION ON THE WHEEL COVER CAUSING IT TO MOVE AND CUT THE TIRE VALVE. I FEEL THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. IF THE TIRE HAD GONE FLAT IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR AT HIGHER SPEEDS IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATAL ACCIDENT. LUCKILY, IT KEPT GOING FLAT AFTER IT WAS PARKED. I JUST HAD TWO MORE TIRES PUT ON, THE EXACT SAME ONES THAT CAME ON THE CAR STANDARD. WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. *JB

AFTER DRIVING MY CAR AND SHUTTING ENGINE OFF FOR AS LITTLE AS FIVE MINUTES THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIR ELEVEN TIMES. ON ONE OCCASION MY CAR LOST POWER, ENGINE DIED AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. CAR WOULD HAVE TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH THREE ALTERNATORS AND ONE BATTERY. THEY IS A MAJOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. HYUNDAI WILL NOT REPLACE THIS LEMON. CAR IS IN THE SHOP NOW. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT'S WIFE OWNS A 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. SHE HEARD NOISES, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS NOISES COMING FROM THE ROADWAY. THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED BRAKE PROBLEMS WAS AT 13,873 MILE. , THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THAT THE ROTORS WERE GLAZED AND HAD HOT SPOTS ON THEM. THE SERVICE DEALER TURNED THE ROTORS WITHOUT THE CONTACT'S KNOWLEDGE. THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. AT 28,000 MILES, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE, SUCH AS AN AIRPLANE GOING OVER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THEY STATED THAT IT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $25.00 PER WHEEL TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER, WHO HAD LUBRICATED THE FRONT BRAKE SLIDES AND REPLACED THE REAR BRAKE PADS. THIS DID SEEM TO HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT WAS GOING TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO DEALER TO HAVE THE 30,000 MILE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS NO LONGER A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY HAVE AGREED TO REIMBURSE THE CONTACT FOR THE REPAIRS.*AK

CAR STOPPED IN FRONT OF US TO TURN LEFT WITH NO BRAKE LIGHTS AND NO BLINKER. WHEN WE REALIZED HE WAS STOPPED WE IMMEDIATELY HIT THE BRAKES. THE SURFACE (CONCRETE) ON THE BRIDGE WAS SLICK AND DID NOT ALLOW US TO HAVE TRACTION. WE SKIDDED APPROX 65 FEET AND REAR-ENDED THE CAR AT APPROX. 40-45 MPH. PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAD FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVERS SIDE DEPLOYED. *NM

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE WIRING PROBLEMS, AND FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO DEALER TWO OF WHICH CAR DIED WHILE IDLING AND WAITING FOR GREEN LIGHTS. *NM

DT: THE VEHICLE IS A 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT HOLD. CONSUMER WILL SET IT FOR 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, AND IT ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO GO UP TO 85 MPH BEFORE THE CONSUMER NOTICED IT. THE SPEED INCREASED GRADUALLY, WHICH WAS WHY THE CONSUMER DID NOT NOTICE IT AT FIRST. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED AT LEAST 6 TIMES, AND ALWAYS ON A LEVEL ROAD. IT HAPPENED IN VARIOUS CONDITIONS, AND AT A VARIETY OF SPEEDS. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, WHO TOLD HIM HE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO REPLACE IT. WHEN CONTACTING THE MANUFACTURER, THEY TOLD HIM THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE IT. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT IT WAS NORMAL FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL TO BE OFF BY 5 MPH +/-. THE CONSUMER MECHANIC TO HIM THAT HIS VEHICLE'S CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF BY 7 MPH BELOW THE SET SPEED. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THEREFORE THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIX IT. THIS WAS THE ONLY SAFETY ISSUE THE CONSUME HAS WITH THIS VEHICLE. *AK THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHT. THE DEALER REPAIRED BOTH PROBLEMS. *NM

I HAVE A 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. A PROBLEM HAS DEVELOPED RECENTLY IN WHICH MY HUBCAPS ARE ROTATING ON THE WHEEL AND CUTTING THE TIRE STEMS THUS RESULTING IN BOTH OF MY FRONT TIRE GOING FLAT AT ONCE. I REPORTED THIS THRU THE HYUNDAI COMPLAINT HOTLINE. THEY THOUGHT I WAS NUTS. I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND FOUND OTHER SONATA OWNERS WITH SIMILIAR PROBLEM. THEY ALSO REPORTED THIS TO THE HYUNDAI COMPLAINT HOTLINE WITH SIMILAR UNSATISFACTORY RESULTS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. THE LAST OCCUARANCE THAT THIS HAPPENED WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE 75 IN OHIO. AFTER A "HARD BRAKE" BOTH FRONT HUBCAPS ROTATED AND CUT BOTH HUBCAPS AT ONCE RESULTING IN A DUAL FLATS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC.