2003 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

ABOUT FEBRUARY 2004, TWO MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT MY CAR THE WINDSHIELD SEAL POPED UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF DRIVERS SIDE. DEALERSHIP PLACED A NEW WINDSHIELD AND SEALED IT BACK. A MONTH LATER THE SEAL CAME OFF AGAIN ON THE SAME SIDE. I WENT BACK, THIS TIME THEY JUST RESEALED IT. THEN, MY SUNROOF BEGAN TO LEAK,THROUGH THE CEILING LIGHTS, I WENT BACK AGAIN, THEY LOOKED IT UP SAYING ITS NOTHING-VENTS NEEDS TO BE CLEARED UP. AFTER THAT PROCEDURE MY WINDSHIELD BEGAN TO LEAK!NOW AFTER EACH TIME IT RAINS, INSIDE OF MY CAR ACCUMULATES WATER-MY RADIO/CD BUTTONS FAILED TO WORK ANYMORE, PLUS THE INTERIOR STARTS TO GET RUINED BY WATER SPOTS. ITS A PROBLEM TO ME , NOT ONLY BECAUSE I'M LEASING THE CAR, BUT 'CAUSE IT TAKES AWAY MY MILLAGE GOING BACK AND FORTH TO FIX IT, PLUS MY TIME. PS. I HAVE A SLIGHT PROBLEM, AT THE TIME OF PURCHISING THE CAR, DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS LEASED TO ONE OWNER (YEAR BEFORE ME), BUT I WENT TO CARFAX.COM AND FOUND OUT IT WAS NOT ONLY LEASED TO TWO OTHER PEOPLE, BUT IT WAS USED AS A RENTAL CAR AT THE VERY BEGINNING. IF I HAD KNOWN THOSE FACTS AS I WAS BUYING THE CAR, I WOULD HAVE NEVER SIGNED PAPERS FOR IT. WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE DEALERS WITH THIS INFORMATION, THEY TOLD ME IT WASNT A BIG DEAL AND THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. I PERSONALY DO NOT LIKE TO FIX PROBLEMS ON THIS "NEW" CAR OF MINE, AFTER OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, I HOPE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU SOON. *AK

I PURCHASED A 2003 DEMO HYUNDAI SONATA IN SEPTEMBER OF 2003. APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTHS AFTER TAKING DELIVERY I EXPERIENCED A HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION AND A FEELING AS IF THE CAR WAS GOING TO STALL WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO HAVE IT CHECKED BY THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS INTO OWNERSHIP I EXPERIENCED A LOAD NOISE WHEN TURNING AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND MY RACK AND PINION STEERING WAS SHOT. THEY REPAIRED THE PROBLEM BUT THERE IS STILL A CLICKING NOISE WHEN I TURN THE CAR. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 8 MONTHS AND I AM NOW EXPERIENCING A STRONG VIBRATION UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT DEALERSHIP AND HAD THE BRAKES INSPECTED. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEED NEW PADS AND ROTORS ALL THE WAY AROUND. I SAID THE CAR IS FAIRLY NEW AND I SHOULD NOT BE NEEDING NEW BRAKES ALL THE WAY AROUND JUST YET. I HAD THE CAR TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE BRAKES ARE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER VIEWING CARSTATS WEB SITE I BECAME AWARE THAT OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES AS WELL AS WITH THE HESITATION AND THE FEELING AS IF THE CAR IS ABOUT TO STAHL. THE PROBLEMS THAT I AM HAVING ARE MULITFACETED, WHAT RECOURSE DO I HAVE AS A CONSUMER?*AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FUEL SPILLAGE AS DESCRIBED IN THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE/FMVSS301 RECALL 04V178000. BUT THIS OCCURRED NOT IN A ROLL OVER SITUATION, BUT WHEN FILLING THE FUEL TANK WITH FUEL AT THE GAS STATION.*AK

IN APR 04 I PURCHASED NEW TIRES FOR MY 2003 HYUNDAI SONATA. INSIDE OF THIRTY DAYS, I HAD THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE GO FLAT WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER TO CHANGE THE FLAT. I WENT BACK TO NATIONAL TIRE & BATTERY (NTB) WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE TIRES. THEY COULD NOT FIND AN OBVIOUS CAUSE FOR THE TIRE FAILURE. THEY REPLACED THE TIRE, AND THREE DAYS LATER, THE TIRE WENT FLAT AGAIN WHILE TRAVELLING ON THE HIGHWAY. I EXPIRENCED TWO MORE FLAT TIRES ON THE SAME WHEEL WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, AND THEN A FEW DAYS LATER THE LEFT TIRE WENT FLAT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE STEM WAS BEING CUT BY THE HUBCAP. NTB SUGGESTED THAT I GO BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THEM INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION. I WENT TO POHANKA IN FREDERICKSBURG, VA AND THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT THE HUBCAP WAS MAKING CONTACT WITH THE TIRE WHEN THERE SHOULD BE A SMALL GAP SEPARATING THE TWO. THE SUGGESTION FROM THE DEALERSHIP WAS TO CHANGE THE TIRE OR REPLACE THE RIM. I WENT BACK TO NTB, AND THEY CONFERRED WITH BF GOODRICH, THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TIRE, AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT I GO BACK TO THE STOCK TIRE THAT WAS ON THE CAR. I HAD ALSO FILED A CLAIM WITH HYUNDAI, AND THEIR SUGGESTION WAS THE SAME. MY PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THIS, IS FIRST, I SELECTED A TIRE THAT WAS THE PROPER SIZE FOR MY CAR (BF GOODRICH TRACTION T/A 205/65R15). NOWHERE HAD IT BEEN INDICATED BY HYUNDAI OR BFGOODRICH THAT THE SELECTED TIRE WAS NOT SUITABLE FOR MY VEHICLE. SECONDLY, MY LIFE AND THE LIFE OF OTHERS BECAME ENDANGERED BY THIS PROBLEM. THIRDLY, I AM BEING FORCED TO MAKE TIRE SELECTION, BECAUSE NEITHER HYUNDAI, NOR BF GOODRICH HAVE PROVIDED LIMITING INFORMATION ON THE TIRES THAT WILL PROPERLY FUNCTION WITH MY CAR. THIS IS SERIOUS AND NEEDS IMMEDIATED ATTENTION BY SOMEONE, BEFORE THERE IS LOSS OF LIFE OR SERIOUS INJURY TO SOMEONE BECAUSE HYUNDAI'S HUBCAP FOR THE SONATA IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE TIRE SIZE THAT IT HAS INDICATED WITHIN THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND THE LABEL ON THE CAR.*AK

STOPPED AT RED LIGHT, WHEN TIME TO GO, ENGINE STALLED. ATTEMPTED TO RESTART UNSUCESSFULLY. A/C WAS NOT RUNNING. CAR WAS ABLE TO START AFTER 30 MINUTES. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUBLICATE PROBLEM AFTER 15 MILES.*AK

AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN CONSUMER PUT HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THIS OCCURRED AT LEAST FOUR TIMES. THE FIRST TIME WHEN THIS HAPPENED VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 200 MILES ON IT. DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS LOST OF VACUUM TO THE POWER BOOSTER. THE CAUSE WAS A BLOCKAGE IN THE VACUUM HOSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE PROBLEM.*AK *JB

MY CAR IS 8 MONTHS OLD WITH 9300 MILES, AND I HAD TO PUT ANOTHER TRANSMISSION IN..THE HYUNDAI SERVICE MANAGER CLAIMED HE PUT A NEW TRANSMISSION IN, WHEN IN FACT HE PUT A REBUILT TRANSMISSION IN. THIS HAPPENED 2 WEEKS AGO. THEN YESTERDAY (04-13-04) MY SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING, BROUGHT IT INTO THE SHOP AGAIN, AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD TO ORDER A NEW SPEED SENSOR. WHAT GIVES? DON'T THEY KEEP PARTS IN STOCK. I PHONED THE PARTS DEPARTMENT AND ASKED IF THEY HAD THIS SENSOR IN STOCK AND THEY SAID YES. I ALSO CALLED ANOTHER DEALER IN THE NEXT TOWN AND WAS TOLD THEY ALSO HAD THE PART. SO WHY DID MY DEALER LIE TO ME..

CONSUMER INSISTED THIS VEHICLE QUALIFIED UNDER RECALL TO REPLACE THE CURRENT SPARE TIRE WITH A LARGER TIRE ALTHOUGH VIN DID MEET THE CRITERIA. MANUFACTURER TOLD CONSUMER THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT ELIGIBLE. *AK *LA

ABOUT ONCE A MONTH I WILL BE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR JERKS LIKE IT COMES OUT OF GEAR FOR A SPLIT SECOND FOR NO APPARENT REASON.. IT ONLY HAPPENS ABOVE 55 MPH OR MORE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SPEED. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC COULD NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK