2003 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

THE CONSUMER'S HYUNDAI SONATA DEVELOPED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS: THE PAINT WAS PEELING, THE SUN ROOF WAS BROKEN, THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WAS INOPERATIVE, THE BRAKES FAILED, THE SEATBELT BROKE, THE ENGINE BLEW UP AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *MR THE ENGINE SURGED. AS A RESULT OF THE ENGINE BLOWING, THE RIGHT SIDE DISINTEGRATED. *SC *JB

ON 03/26/05, I PURCHASED BF GOODRICH TOURING T/A PRO SERIES (SIZE P205/65R15) FOR MY 2003 SONATA AT SAM'S CLUB. IN A MONTH AND A HALF, I HAD 4 FLAT TIRES AND 10 VALVES REPLACED BECAUSE THE HUB CAPS SPIN AND SLICE THE VALVES. I LOST 7.5 HOURS OF WORK AND RECEIVED A BACK INJURY WHILE TRYING TO CHANGE ONE OF THE TIRES. I'VE SPOKEN TO HYUNDAI AND BF GOODRICH - BOTH OF WHICH SUGGESTED GETTING THE H RATED TIRES INSTEAD OF THE S RATED. I DID THAT, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK. I ALSO PAID $75 FOR A DIAGNOSTICIAN TO TELL ME THAT I HAD THE WRONG BEAD ON THE TIRES BUT WHOM COULDN'T SUGGEST A SOLUTION. MY OWNERS MANUAL SIMPLY STATES, ALWAYS REPLACE YOUR TIRES WITH THOSE OF THE RECOMMENDED SIZE LISTS THE TIRE SIZE SPECIFICATIONS AS P 205/65R15. THERE IS NO RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT BRAND NAMED AND NO MENTION ABOUT HAVING THE CORRECT SIZE BEADING. I TOOK MY CAR TO ANOTHER DEALER AND LEARNED THAT THE BF GOODRICH TIRES HAVE A BEAD PROTECTANT WHICH CAUSE THE HUB CAPS TO REST DIRECTLY AGAINST MY TIRES THUS CAUSING THEM TO SPIN. THERE SHOULD BE A GAP BETWEEN THE HUBCAP AND TIRE. I SWITCHED TO A GOODYEAR TIRE AND HAVE NOT HAD PROBLEMS SINCE. THE PROBLEM WITH SLICING VALVE STEMS ONLY OCCURS ON THE 15 INCHES TIRES WITH HUBCAPS (AS OPPOSED TO THE 16 INCHES TIRES ON ALUMINUM WHEELS.)

SOMETHING IS CUTTING THE STEM AND THE TIRE AROUND THE STEM AREA. TWICE THE DEALER REPLACED THE TIRE AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE. THE PROBLEM IS STILL RECURRING. THE DEALER HAS PASSED THIS INFORMATION OVER TO THE MANUFACTURER. *NM THE CONSUMER INDICATED THA THE HUB CAP CUT THE TIRE AND VALVE STEM. HERE HAS BEEN 3 STEMS CUT ALL ON THE FRONT TIRES. *BF *NM

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO A HOSPITAL BY THE PRENTS. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR INSPECTION. *AK.....THE WHOLE DASHBOARD CAME FORWARD AND EVERYTHING INSIDE VEHICLE BROKE, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER'S SON COMPLAINED OF BACK/LEG, AND ARM INJURIES, WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL. *AK

I WAS TRAVELING ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 31ST ON TO AN EVENT ALONG WITH MY GIRLFRIEND AND HER DAUGHTER. AS WE WERE TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON (MONTVALE AVE) THE MAIN THOROUGHFARE A MAN PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND TURNED INTO AND CRASHED INTO THE FRONT OF MY HYUNDAI SONATA (2003 LX V6) ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN MY CAR WERE OK SEEING AS WE ALL HAD SEAT BELTS ON. ONE OF THE FAILURES THAT I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED WAS THAT BOTH THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG AND THE PASENGER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN WE WERE HIT BY THE OTHER MANS 92' BUICK (SILVER). AT PRESENT I HAVE THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR AND I AM WAITING FOR THE AUTO SHOP TO COMPLETE ITS WORK THAT HAS BEEN IN PROGRESS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF NOV 2004. I AM HOPING THAT BY MAKING THIS COMPLAINT I CAN PERHAPS MAKE THE GOVERNMENT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM OF THE AIRBAG FAILURE IN HOPES THAT THE (HYUNDAI MOTORS) & THE AUTO INDUSTRY WILL BE ABLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM SO THAT NO ONE IN THE FUTURE GETS INJURED AND OR KILLED BECAUSE OF THE DISFUNCTION. THANK YOU. PAUL WITT CONCERNED CITIZEN (MA) 2003 HYUNDAI SONOTA LX V6 OWNER.

MY CAR DOOR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER AND THE BODY REPAIR TECHNICIAN BOTH CONCLUDED AFTER INVESTIGATION THAT THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE CAUSED BY A FAULTY DOOR ACTUATOR. THE DEALER REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE OR INVESTIGATE THE CONCLUSIONS. I HAD TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM OUT OF MY POCKET. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE BY THE DEALER. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. *AK..... CONSUMER SUSTAINED A BROKEN HNEE CAP AND EXTREME TORSO BRUISING. *AK

THE CONSUMER BELIEVES HE RECEIVED POOR SERVICE FROM THE DEALER WHILE HAVING RECALL REPAIRS DONE BECAUSE THE DEALER DIDN'T PROVIDE HIM WITH A LOANER VEHICLE. *NM RECALL# 04V178000. *SC

WHILE DRIVING AT STEADY HIGHWAY SPEEDS, CAR EXPERIENCES QUICK POWER SURGES. VISITED DEALERSHIP ON TWO OCCASIONS NOW THEY TELL ME THAT THEY CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THAT THEIR COMPUTERS FIND NO PROBLEM. MECHANIC SAYS " PERHAPS THERE IS A PART TRYING TO GO BAD, BUT HASN'T COMMITTED ITSELF YET" WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN? IF YOU ARE JUST BROWSING THIS SITE, DO NOT BUY HYUNDAI! *JB

THIS CAR PRESENTS WITH A LOUD CLICKING SOUND WHICH IS VERY DISTRESSING.ONCE IT BEGINS IT LASTS FOR SEVERAL MINUTES SOUNDING FOR LONG PERIODS AND AT TIMES SHORT BURSTS. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN NEITHER IDENTIFIED OR RECTIFIED. UNTIL LAST NIGHT I HAVE BEEN ALONE IN THE CAR WHEN THIS SOUND PRESENTS. LAST NIGHT WHEN IT PRESENTED THERE WERE PASSENGERS PRESENT. ALTHOUGH THE CAR DID NOT FALTER IT WAS NONE THE LESS VERY DISTRESSING FOR MY PASSENGERS AND ME. WE TURNED OFF OUR CELL PHONES AND SHUT OFF THE RADIO TO NO AVAIL. WITH NO RESOLUTION OR INFORMATION AS TO WHAT IS THE CAUSE I AM LEFT WONDERING IF I AM DRIVING TOWARDS SOME MALFUNCTION. THIS CLICKING SOUND ALWAYS PRESENTS WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAYS AT FREEWAY SPEED.*AK