2008 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

WAS DRIVING TO MARTINEZ AND HEARD A SLIGHT CLICKING SOUND BY THE TIME WE EXITED FREEWAY AT MARTINEZ EXIT THE SOUND BECAME VERY LOUD. WHEN WE STOPPED AT LIGHT CAR DIED AND WOULDN'T RESTART. HAD CAR TOWED TO WHEEL WORKS AND THE TOLD US THAT THE ENGINE HAD OIL EVERYWHERE AND NO OIL IN THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED A HOLE IN THE BACK PART OF THE ENGINE. MECHANICS CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY OR HOW IT HAPPENED. IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME THAT THERE WAS A MECHANICAL DEFECT IN THE ENGINE. *TR

THE SUN VISORS ON BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE ARE BROKEN THEY WILL NOT STAY UP. WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE. NO REPAIR WAS DONE. ALTHOUGH THIS IS COMMON ISSUE FOR HYUNDAI OWNERS AND PARTIAL RECALLS WERE DONE BUT NOT FOR 2008. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD TURN ON BY ITSELF WHEN THE IGNITION WAS PLACED IN THE ON POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,600. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,700.

THE MORNING OF THE FLASH FREEZE ON FEBRUARY 21, 2014, MY DAUGHTER WAS TURNING LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR DUE TO SLICK ROADS. WHEN SHE STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, IT SLID AND CRASHED HEAD ONTO A TRAFFIC LIGHT POLE. PART OF THE TRAFFIC LIGHT BROKE OFF AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT. HER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. HER CHEST AND MOUTH HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. SHE WAS IN A LOT OF PAIN AND IT HURT HER TO BREATHE SO WAS SENT FOR X-RAYS. SHE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BROKEN RIBS BUT MAY HAVE HAD INTERNAL BRUISING BECAUSE SHE NEEDED PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AND A CHIPPED TOOTH. WHEN I CALLED HYUNDAI AND TOLD HER WHAT HAPPENED, THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THE AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. I WAS MAILED OUT PAPERWORK TO FILL OUT. I COMPLETED ALL THE REQUESTED INFORMATION. THEY THEN INSPECTED THE CAR. AFTER A FEW WEEKS, I RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THE ACCIDENT DID NOT MERIT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. THEY CLOSED MY CASE WITHOUT ANY FURTHER CONVERSATION. I CALLED AFTER I RECEIVED THE LETTER AND THE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THIS WAS HYUNDAI'S FINAL DECISION AND THERE WAS NOTHING MORE THEY CAN DO FOR ME. *JS...UPDATED 12/09/15 *BF

DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN I HEARD POP. SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER HOOD. PULLED OVER. POPPED HOOD. SMOKE COMING FROM ENGINE. CHECKED DIPSTICK AND NO OIL. NEVER HAD OIL LEAK. NO OIL LIGHT EVER CAME ON. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. NO OVERHEAT OR HOT ENGINE LIGHT. JUST A SMALL FIRE UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE ON GROUND. BOUGHT OIL THAT JUST LEAKED IMMEDIATELY AFTER PUTTING IN. NO WARNING. NO SIGNALS. NO ALERTS. BLOWN ENGINE. THEY WANT $5300 FOR A USED ENGINE. *JS

ON 04/08/2014, I WAS DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED; THEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE WHEEL BECAME LOOSE AND I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF MY CAR. ONCE WE GOT TO OUR DESTINATION I PARKED THE CAR. LATER, WHEN I GOT IN THE CAR TO RETURN HOME, MY CAR'S IGNITION SWITCH WAS NOT TURNING AND THE STEERING GOT LOCKED AS WELL. ON 04/09/2014, I TOWED MY SONATA CAR TO THE DEALER AT MOMENTUM HYUNDAI: 2775 AUTO MALL PKWY, FAIRFIELD, CA 94533 FOR SERVICE. I DESCRIBED THE ISSUES TO THE SERVICE AGENT AND I ASKED HIM IF MY ISSUE WAS A RECALL AND HE SAID "NO". THE DEALER CHARGED ME $736.40 FOR LABOR AND FOR THESE CAR PARTS: BODY & SWITCH ASS [FP NUMBER: 81910-3K010] CYLINDER ASSY-STR [FP NUMBER: 81920-3KA10] BOLT-SAFETY LOCK [FP NUMBER: 81919-31000] NOTE: ON 04/06/2014, THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE IGNITION SWITCH HAD LOCKED; BUT I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT AND RIGHT AND THE IGNITION SWITCH FINALLY TURNED AND THE CAR STARTED. BUT ON 04/08/2014,I COULDNT SOLVE THE ISSUE MYSELF. THIS IS SCARY, ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS DRIVING AND HAD MY FAMILY WITH ME. GM, AND TOYOTA HAVE RECALLED MILLIONS OF CARS BECAUSE OF THE SAME ISSUE; AND I DONT KNOW WHAT HYUNDAY IS WAITING FOR TO DO THE SAME. I HOPE HYUNDAI IS NOT WAITING ON PEOPLE TO GET SEVERELY HURT TO RAISE A FLAG AND ANNOUNCE A RECALL ON THEIR MODELS. HYUNDAI SHOULD RECALL ITS MODELS TO PREVENT THE LOSS OF LIVES. IF HYUNDAI DOES A RECALL OF ITS MODELS TO SOLVE THE ISSUE I HAVE EXPERIENCED, I WOULD APPRECIATE THEY REFUNDED MY MONEY. THANKS. *TR

DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP. SOME PIECE UP INSIDE BROKE OFF AND NOW SUN VISOR KEEPS FALLING DOWN WHEN DRIVING. VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE FOUND LYING ON THE GROUND WITH PLASTIC EXTENSION THAT ACTIVATES DOOR LATCH BROKEN--HAD FALLEN INSIDE DOOR. THREE WEEKS LATER, FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLE EXPERIENCED IDENTICAL FAILURE. PURCHASED REPLACEMENTS FROM LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALER IN EACH CASE. THEY DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY A SYSTEMIC DESIGN FAILURE. OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO INABILITY OF EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO OPEN DOOR FROM OUTSIDE IN CASE OF OCCUPANT INCAPACITATION. *TR

PASSENGER VISOR DROPPED DOWN, WOULD NOT STAY IN UP POSITION. BROKEN PLASTIC COMPONENT ON VISOR FOUND TO BE THE CAUSE. PURCHASED REPLACEMENT AT LOCAL HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP. THEY DID NOT MENTION SERVICE BULLETIN NOW IN EFFECT. *TR

2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AIR BAG MALFUNCTION, DURING AN ACCIDENT. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHEN SHE T-BONED ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, SHE SUFFERED A BROKEN VERTEBRAE. *JB