2001 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 30-35 MPH AN DWITHOUT WARNING WA SINVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WHICH RESULTED IN SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLAR DAMAGE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.*AIK

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WILL COME ON INTERMITTENTLY AND STAYING ON FOR A WHILE. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

A SQUEAKING NOISE IS COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. NOW THE NOISE HAS WENT FROM A SQUEAKING TO A ROARING NOISE. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. NLM

CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE FOR 4 MONTHS AND TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. IT WAS TAKEN INTO REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC KEPT IT FOR 38 DAYS. SINCE THEN TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT 3 MORE TIMES. *AK

THE HOOD FLOW UP WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET GOING 55 MILE PER HOUR AND THE SAFTY LATCH BROKE AND DAMAGE $2100 TO THE CAR.

WHILE DRIVING ON ROUTE 202 IN RARITAN NJ, WITHOUT WARNING HOOD BLEW UP INTO THE WINDSHIELD SHATTERING THE WINDSHIELD AND DAMAGING THE HOOD. *AK

DEALERSHIP STATES BRAKES ARE NORMAL. THEY SAID ALL HYUNDAI CAR BRAKES MAKES NOISE; WORKED ON AIR BAG LIGHT - STATED IT WAS ON DUE TO SOMEONE GIVING A JUMP IN MY CAR, LIGHT CAME BACK ON 3 DAYS LATER; CHANGED A SWITCH WHICH WAS CAUSING NO ACCERALATION, CAR STILL NOT GETTING THE ACCERATION IT SHOULD. NOW I'M GETTING SOME HUMMING NOISE FROM THE DASHBOARD SOMEWHERE. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR 8 MONTH. IT IS A LEMON AND JACOBS TWIN CONTINUES TO PUT A BAND-AID ON A PATIENT BLEEDING TO DEATH.*AK

WHILE DRIVING RPMS GO UP HIGH, IDLE WILL NOT DROP. VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY WITHOUT WARNING. CAR DRIVES OVER 40 WITHOUT FOOT ON GAS. HARD TIME BRAKING BECAUSE ENGINE IS TOO HIGH. HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE HAD CAR. DEALER ADJUSTED CABLE AND DIDN'T WORK. ALMOST WENT THRU DEALER WALL WHEN BRINGING IT IN FOR REPAIR. IS IN REPAIR SHOP AGAIN BECAUSE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. CAR IS UNSAFE AND HAD NEAR COLLISIONS.*AK

WITH LESS THAN 1300 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, IT BEGAN TO BUCK AND SURGE IN TRAFFIC AT 65MPH, AND THE TACHOMETER BEGAN SWINGING WILDLY FROM 0 TO 2500RPM. AFTER GETTING OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD QUICKLY, WHERE IT STALLED AGAIN AND AGAIN, I CALLED HYUNDAI ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR A TOW TO THE DEALER. THEY EXAMINED AND DROVE THE CAR, AND TOLD ME IT WASN'T ACTING UP FOR THEM, AND SUGGESTED I TAKE IT HOME WHILE THEY ORDERED AN EXHAUST PURGE VALVE PER A 2.4L ENGINE PROBLEM SERVICE BULLETIN FROM HYUNDAI. WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY TOWARD HOME, IT BEGAN BUCKING AND THE TACHOMETER WAS SWINGING WILDLY AGAIN, SO I GOT OFF TO THE SIDE, WHERE IT REPEATEDLY STALLED, AND AGAIN I CALLED HYUNDAI ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR A TOW BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY RENTED A CAR FOR ME, AND OVER THE NEXT WEEK REPLACED THE PURGE VALVE, BUT THE CAR ALSO DIED ON THEM, SO THEY DID A MORE THOROUGH ANALYSIS, WHICH SHOWED A FAILED CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, WHICH CAUSED IGNITION SPARK FAILURE. AFTER REPLACING THAT, THEY CALLED ME TO COME GET THE CAR AND TAKE IT HOME. THIS TIME IT FAILED JUST AS I REACHED MY DRIVEWAY, AGAIN BUCKING AND STALLING WITH THE TACHOMETER SWINGING WILDLY UP AND DOWN. FOR A THIRD TIME, I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR A TOW TO THE DEALER, WHICH PROMISED A SEARCH TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES, INVOLVEMENT OF THE DISTRICT MANAGER, AND AN ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN A DIFFERENT SENSOR MODEL IN CASE THE BATCH OF AVAILABLE SENSORS WAS "BAD". SUBSEQUENT PHONE CALLS TO THE DEALERSHIP HAVE NOT PRODUCED ANY ANSWER AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES, DELAYS IN OBTAINING A SUITABLE REPLACEMENT PART, AND SO FAR, A TOTAL OF 18 INOPERABLE DAYS FOR MY NEW CAR. THIS FAILURE IS A SERIOUS ISSUE; A PERSON AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT "OTHER (HYUNDAI) VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ENGINE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM" ONE OF WHICH WAS THERE WHILE I WAS AT THE DEALER WAITING FOR MY SECOND RENTAL CAR. I REPEAT; THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE; SUCH SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER IN TRAFFIC CAN HAVE FATAL RESULTS! *AK

THE MAIN PULLEY CAME DISCONNECTED AND FELL OFF ONTO THE STREET WITH NO WARING WHATSOEVER. LUCKILY I WAS PREPARING TO TURN LEFT AND WAS STOPPED IN THE LEFT TURN LANE. THERE WAS A BAD THUNK AND SHAKE AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN. HAD I BEEN MOVING, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DIFFERENT STORY, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEED. IT IS A BRAND NEW CAR, I JUST HAD THE OIL CHANGED. EVERYTHING WAS FINE, I THOUGHT. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE REPORTED TO YOU.