2004 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

I PURCHASED MY CAR IN JANUARY OF 2005 (IT'S A 2004 MODEL, PURCHASED NEW). I'VE BEEN DRIVING A STANDARD SHIFT FOR 8 YEARS. STARTING IN MID JULY, I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS ACCELERATING. TAKING IT IN TO THE SHOP, I WAS INFORMED THE CLUTCH HAD "BURNED OUT", AND WOULD NEED TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT I "RODE THE CLUTCH" WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. AS MY PREVIOUS CAR, ALSO A HYUNDAI, HAD GONE FOR MORE THAN 50,000 MILES OVER THE 6 YEARS I OWNED IT AND NEVER HAD A CLUTCH PROBLEM, I AM SUSPICIOUS OF THIS PARTICULAR REASON FOR MY CLUTCH FAILURE. *JB

18 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING MY 2004 HYUNDAI SONATA BRAND NEW. THE REAR WHEEL BEARING SEIZED CAUSING MY TIRE TO DRAG WHILE DRIVING AND THE TIRE THEN POPPED. I WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE WHEEL BEARING REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE TIRE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER HAVING A FLAT TIRE DUE TO A ROAD HAZARD, THE DEALER PERFORMED AN INSPECTION AND IT WAS DETERMINED THE TREAD DEPTH WAS DEPLETED. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE TIRES WERE MICHELIN MXD4 PLUS H 205/165/115. ADDITIONALLY, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING INTO GEARS WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SEIZED AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AWAITING REPLACEMENT OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

I WAS GOING ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR AND REAR ENDED A ANOTHER VEHICLE AND MY DRIVERS AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS NOT HURT, BUT MY DAUGHTER IN THE BACK SEAT WAS. *NM

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL VALVE STEM FAILURES AFTER THE REPLACEMENT OF TIRES ON MY 2004 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE WHEEL COVERS SHIFT AND CUT THE VALVE STEMS AND HAVE LEFT US WITH RAPID AIR LOSS. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR CASE NUMBER PE05-059. I HAVE EVEN HAD NEW WHEEL COVERS PLACED ON THE VEHICLE, BUT THEY HAVE ALSO SLIPPED OVER THE VALVE STEMS. THIS IS A CONCERN BECAUSE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THIS COULD CAUSE A BLOW OUT AND AN ACCIDENT, LEADING TO INJURY OR DEATH. *JB

AFTER BUYING NEW TIRES FOR MY 2004 HYUNDAI SONATA, I STARTED EXPERIENCING FLAT TIRES ON MY FRONT TIRES. ALL FLATS INVOLVED PROBLEMS WITH VALVE STEMS. IT SEEMS THAT THE WHEEL COVERS ON THIS CAR ARE NOT MEANT FOR SOME BRANDS OF REPLACEMENT TIRES. THE TORQUE OF THE FRONT WHEEL SEEMS TO CAUSE THE WHEEL COVERS TO ROTATE THEREBY CUTTING INTO THE VALVE STEMS. THE DEALERSHIP I WENT TO WOULD NOT WARRANT THE PROBLEM, BUT HE WAS AWARE OF SEEING MANY OTHER SONATAS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I WAS NOT WARNED WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THAT I HAD TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT BRAND OF TIRES I USED AS REPLACEMENTS. ONE OF MY FLATS OCCURRED WHEN I WAS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH AND NEARLY CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS STRUCK BROAD SIDED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BETWEEN BOTH DOORS. BOTH PASSENGERS OF THE VEHICLE WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS AND RECEIVED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AWAY FROM THE SCENE. THE POLICE WERE AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT AND PROVIDED A WRITTEN REPORT; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. UPDATED 5/2/2006- *NM

MY 2004 HYUNDAI SONATA HAS BEEN HAVING CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL PROBLEMS STARTING AT LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. IT IS NOW AT 40,000 MILES AND IT'S GETTING WORSE. I'VE HAD MECHANICS (NOT BIASED HYUNDAI PERSONAL) TELL ME THAT THE FLY WHEEL IS MOST LIKELY WARPED, CAUSING THE CLUTCH TO SHIMMY AND SLIP UNDER LOAD (UP HILLS WITH PASSENGERS, ETC). I HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAID IT WAS "FINE". I'M THINKING ABOUT TAKING IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING A POPPING NOISE CAN BE HEARD WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND IT WAS FOUND THAT ALL FOUR ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE ROAD SLANTED TO THE RIGHT, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, AS WELL AS ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, ALIGNED THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS NOT REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 03/15/06