2006 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

ON NOV. 7, 2013, I NOTIFIED HYUNDAI THAT WE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE SONATA'S OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (OCS). THE SYSTEM DID NOT CONSISTENTLY RECOGNIZE MY WIFE AS AN ADULT PASSENGER, EVEN THOUGH SHE CLEARLY EXCEEDED THE NECESSARY WEIGHT THRESHOLD DESIGNED TO ACTIVATE THE AIRBAG SENSOR. HYUNDAI, AFTER MECHANICAL/ELECTRONIC REVIEW, STATED THE OCS WAS WORKING AS DESIGNED. IT WASN'T. WE RETURNED THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE ON APRIL 1, 2014, AND AGAIN ON MAY 22, 2014, ONLY TO HAVE HYUNDAI TELL US THE OCS WAS OPERATING "OK". AGAIN, ON JULY 30, 2015, WE RETURNED THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE, AS THE OCS WAS STILL MALFUNCTIONING. HYUNDAI, AT THAT TIME, PERFORMED A REPROGRAMMING. STILL THE OCS DOES NOT CONSISTENTLY RECOGNIZE MY WIFE AS AN ADULT PASSENGER. I HAVE CONTACTED HYUNDAI AN ALMOST INNUMERABLE NUMBER OF TIMES IN REGARD TO THIS ISSUE. THOUGH HYUNDAI EVEN HAD AN ARBITRATOR DOCUMENT THE DEFECT, TO DATE WE STILL HAVE NO RESOLUTION. IT IS UNSAFE FOR MY WIFE, OR ANY OTHER ADULT PASSENGER, TO RIDE IN THE CAR. AND, AS ONE CAN SEE BY THE HISTORY, IT HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

AIR BAG LIGHT IN INSTRUMENT PANEL REMAINS ON AT ALL TIMES. ESC INDICATOR TURNS OFF AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE DRIVING. REAR SUSPENSION KNOCKS WHEN FUEL TANK IS LOW (I.E. NEAR EMPTY).

I OWN A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, AT 100,000 (HWY MILES) THE FRONT UPPER CONTROL ARMS BECAME SQUEEKY AND DETATCHED FROM THE RUBBER BUSHINGS, MAKING A HORRIBLE RIDE AND CLUNKING SOUND WHEN I WOULD PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR. THIS PROBLEM MAKES THE CAR BOUNCY AND UNSTABLE. THERE IS ALSO A KNOCKING OR LOUD CLICKING SOUND IN THE ENGINE AT CRUSING SPEEDS, WHEN I BARLEY PUSH THE GAS PEDAL. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE AIR INTAKE CONTROL VALVE. IT GOES AWAY WHEN I ACCELERATE. THE RADIO AND CRUISE CONTROL ELECTORNICS SEEM TO WORK ONLY WHEN THEY WANT TOO!

BOTH SUN VISORS FAILED DROPPING DOWN INTERFERING FRONT VISIBILITY. ONE WAS REPLACED AT DEALER UNDER WARRANTY BUT REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE OTHER ONE REPAIR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY WITH AN OCCUPANT PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V161000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE REMEDY WAS INSUFFICIENT. AFTER THE MOST RECENT REPAIR, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,700.

MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS 83000 MILES AND ALREADY HAS BAD UPPER CONTROL ARM IN THE FRONT. I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS ISSUE THIS EARLY AND IT BEGAN WHEN I HAD LESS MILEAGE THAN 83000. I HEAR SQUEAKS WHEN GOING ON CRACKED PAVEMENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000. UPDATED 02/10/16*LJ *TR

OIL LEAK FROM ENGINE VALVE COVER - LEFT (FRONT) SIDE OF 3.3 V6. THIS IS DIRECTLY ABOVE ALTERNATOR. EVENTUALLY ALTERNATOR FAILS DUE TO SEVERE OIL/DIRT CONTAMINATION. FIRST NOTICED WHEN BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON AT IDLE, SHOWING CHARGING PROBLEM. BY THEN DAMAGE IS DONE. VALVE COVER MUST BE REPLACED ALONG WITH ALTERNATOR OR PROBLEM WILL QUICKLY RECUR. *THERE IS CURRENTLY A RECALL FOR HYUNDAI VERACRUZ WITH SAME ENGINE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. SONATA IS NOT INCLUDED, BUT A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THIS TO BE A COMMON, WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED AND A CRASH OCCURRED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. UPDATED 03/11/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED, THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. UPDATED 04/05/16.*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL OPERATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.