2008 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUN VISOR FAILED TO CLOSE AND OPENED INDEPENDENTLY, OBSTRUCTING THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

I RECENTLY REVIEWED HYUNDAI RECALL CAMPAIGN 121 (NHTSA CAMPAIGN #14V415000), WHICH DESCRIBES THAT 2007-2012 VERACRUZ MODELS MAY HAVE AN OIL LEAK AT THE FRONT VALVE COVER GASKET. THE RECALL STATES THAT "IF A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF OIL DRIPS ONTO THE ALTERNATOR, THE ALTERNATOR CAN BE DAMAGED RESULTING IN THE CHARGING SYSTEM BECOMING INOPERATIVE." IT GOES ON TO STATE A RISK OF VEHICLE RUNNING ON BATTERY POWER, UNTIL BATTERY VOLTAGE DROPS, AND THEN POTENTIAL FOR ENGINE SHUT OFF, WHICH INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH. IN JULY, I TOOK MY 2008 SONATA TO THE LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT NOTED ON MY INVOICE THAT "LEFT AND FRONT VALVE COVER GASKETS ARE LEAKING", AND THAT "THE FRONT IS LEAKING ON THE ALTERNATOR." THIS APPEARS TO BE THE SAME MECHANICAL ISSUE NOTED IN RECALL CAMPAIGN 121, IT IS JUST HAPPENING ON A DIFFERENT HYUNDAI MODEL. IN MY OPINION, THE RISK OF DAMAGE TO THE ALTERNATOR ON MY SONATA (VIA THE CONFIRMED OIL LEAK ONTO IT) IS THE SAME AS WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN HYUNDAI RECALL CAMPAIGN 121. I BELIEVE THE VALVE COVER GASKET LEAK ISSUE WITH MY SONATA SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY HYUNDAI IN THE SAME MANNER AS HOW RECALL CAMPAIGN 121 IS ADDRESSING THE VALVE COVER GASKET LEAK ON THE VERACRUZ MODELS. *TR

CARS VALVE COVER AND OR TIMING COVER LEAKS ON THE ALTERNATOR CAUSING THE ALTERNATOR TO BE "SOAKED WITH OIL "(DEALERS WORDS). AT ANY TIME THEREAFTER THE ALTERNATOR COULD FAIL CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL AND CAUSING INJURY. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR BUT IS REPLACING THE ALTERNATOR IN THE 07-12 HYUNDAI VERACRUZ UNDER RECALL WITH THE SAME ENGINE DESIGN AND THE SAME ALTERNATOR PLACEMENT. I HAVE 2 CARS AN 08 AND AN 07 SONATA THAT BOTH HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY DOES HYUNDAI WANT TO RECALL THE VERACRUZ AND NOT THE HYUNDAI WITH THE SAME PROBLEM? THE CAR HAS BEEN IN 3 TIMES FOR INSPECTION AND A CALL TO HYUNDAI ON 04-13-2014. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG INDICATOR FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V161000 (AIR BAG). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

I AM #84 HAVING THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE AND THE $300 REPAIR SO THE AIR BAG WILL WORK IN CASE OF A CRASH. *TR

APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS AGO I TRIED STARTING MY CAR (WITH NO PREVIOUS WARNINGS THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN) AND IT WOULD NOT START, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER, THERE WAS NO SOUND (ALTHOUGH I DID HAVE POWER THROUGH THE BATTERY AS I HAD LIGHTS, THE LIGHTS WORKED, RADIO ETC) -- I CALLED MY FATHER AND HE SUGGESTED THAT I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TRY STARTING IT WHICH IT STARTED RIGHT AWAY AT THAT TIME. NOW THREE MONTHS LATER I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, TURNED THE KEY AND NOTHING -- NO SOUND (EXCEPT RADIO, LIGHTS ETC -- NEW BATTERY NOT THAT) -- I TRIED REPEATING PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL AND DIDN'T WORK -- I TRIED MOVING BACK AND FORTH FROM PARK TO NEUTRAL AND TRIED STARTING THE CAR EACH TIME TO NO AVAIL. I STOPPED FOR A SHORT TIME AND CALLED MY FATHER AGAIN FOR ANY ADDITIONAL ADVICE WHICH HE HAD NONE AT THAT TIME. WHEN I TRIED STARTING THE CAR AGAIN IT FINALLY STARTED. I DROVE RIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS PROBABLY THE STARTER GOING BAD AND WOULD BE A MINIMUM OF $350 -- I LATER SPOKE TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO MENTIONED THAT IF THE STARTER WERE GOING BAD THAT THERE WOULD BE A "CLICKING" NOISE WHEN I TRIED STARTING THE CAR WITH NO START. THIS WAS NOT HAPPENING. IT APPEARS BY BLOGS IN THE INTERNET THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2008 SONATA YET ALL THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO DO IS CHARGE ME A LOT OF MONEY. *TR

MY DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR HAS ALSO HAD PROBLEMS FOR SEVERAL YEARS -- IT GOT STUCK AND VERY HARD TO MOVE AND WHEN I TRIED MOVING IT TO THE DOWN POSITION ONE TIME IT "CLICKED" AND SINCE THEN IT CONSTANTLY FALLS -- USUALLY WHEN I HIT A BUMP -- THEN IT IS DIRECTLY AT MY FOREHEAD. IF I WERE TO EVER GET IN AN ACCIDENT I BELIEVE THE VISOR WOULD FALL TO THIS POSITION (DUE TO THE BUMP) AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO MY HEAD OR POSSIBLE DEATH. I'VE BEEN TOLD IT WOULD BE $155 TO FIX THIS. THE PASSENGER SIDE VISOR IS ALSO NOT WORKING PROPERLY IN THAT THE PLASTIC PIECE HAS BROKEN AND IT DOESN'T FIT IN THE HOLDER WELL. *TR

BOTH SUN VISORS NO LONGER STAY IN THE UP ( AGAINST THE HEADLINER ) POSITION, ONE IS AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE THE OTHER HANGS DOWN AT 90 DEGREE ANGLE. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH MANY HYUNDAI'S FROM ABOUT 2005 AND UP, I BELIEVE THERE IS A RECALL ON 2006 OR 2007, OR VOLUNTARY ACTION BY HYUNDAI, BUT THEY REFUSE TO FIX 2008 AND IT IS THE IDENTICAL PART. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON MANY MESSAGE BOARDS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. LIVING IN ARIZONA WITH CONSTANT SUN GLARE MAKES DRIVING THESE VEHICLES DANGEROUS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, THE CONTACT SMELLED AND SAW SMOKE. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE STARTING FROM THE REAR. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AS THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE THREE INJURIES REPORTED THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE...UPDATED 08-11-14 *BF