2008 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

LAST WEEK WE NOTICED THAT THE "ESC OFF" LIGHT WAS ON. TONIGHT ON 5/24/2012 WE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. I HAD TO JUST BARELY PLUG IN THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WIRE FOR THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO WORK AGAIN. THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH EARLIER SONATAS THE RECALL WAS NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE09003. MY 2008 EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE ESC LIGHT AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS. *TR

DRIVING ON I-94 IN BATTLE CREEK, MI, THE 2008 SONATA, AFTER MAKING A TICKING NOISE FOR A YEAR (WHICH THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT LOOK AT) BEGAN TO MAKE A GRINDING NOISE AND SOMETHING FLEW OUT OF THE ENGINE AND SMOKE CAME POURING OUT OF THE VENTS. I PULLED TO THE SHOULDER ON THIS BUSY INTERSTATE AND CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FROM HYUNDAI. THEY SENT A WRECKER, AND WHEN THE CAR WAS LIFTED, ALL OF THE OIL WAS ON THE ROAD. THEY TOWED IT TO THE NEAREST DEALER 30 MILES AWAY IN KALAMAZOO, MI AND THEY TOLD ME THAT A ROD AND PISTON HAD FLOWN OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE OF THE CAR. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH FAULTY CRANK ROD CAP BOLTS. THE TICKING I THINK WAS FROM THE ROD CAP THAT HAD COME OFF. AS OF NOW, THEY ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING UNDER WARRANTY AWAITING OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS. PLEASE FORCE A RECALL SOON, AS THIS COULD BE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BY THE FLYING PISTON. LUCKILY IT FLEW OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT HE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE CUSHION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V161000 (AIR BAGS) THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.

DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE VISORS NOW DROOP INTO LINE OF VISION CAUSING HAZARDOUS CONDITION.

THE PASSENGER SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP ON ITS OWN. IT DROPPED INTO MY SIDE VIEW AND BLOCKS VISIBILITY. LOOKING ON-LINE THIS SEEMS TO BE A CHRONIC ISSUE ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO REPLACE AT THEIR COST AS THIS IS A ONE YEAR WEAR ITEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER STARTING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM HYUNDAI . I CALLED AND GOT THE ANSWER EVERY THING IS OK. BUT A FEW DAYS AGO, I TRIED TO ADJUST PASSENGER SIDE SEAT. SUDDENLY THE AIRBAG SIGNAL TURNS ON. I WENT TO THE DEALER TO FIX IT. THEY SAID THERE IS NO ISSUES IN MY CAR. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHERE IS RECALL. AIRBAG IS BIG ISSUE ON SAFETY. I MUST TURN THE AIRBAG LIGHT OFF . BIG PROBLEM IS STILL EXIST. WHAT DO I DO? THEY TRY TO HIDE RECALL. *JS

THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE IS POORLY ENGINEERED AND EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING TO THE CAR OWNER. AFTER 16,000 MILES, MY REAR BRAKES BEGAN SQUEALING. AFTER INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BACK BRAKES ARE STICKING ON AND GRINDING OFF AGAINST THE ROTOR. THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM THAT CAN NOT BE FIXED, WITH MULTIPLE REPLACEMENTS THE ONLY CHOICE. IN THE FOUR YEARS I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE, I HAVE GONE THRU 5 SETS OF BRAKE PADS AND 4 ROTORS, WITH NO END IN SIGHT AS LONG AS I KEEP THIS CAR. *TR

DRIVERS SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP AND JUST DANGLES AT EYE LEVEL. VERY DANGEROUS AS YOUR VISION IS BLOCKED BY THE VISOR. *TR

TRUNK WAS OPENING ON ITS OWN INTERMITTANTLY. THIS WAS OUR 55000 MILE SCHEDULED SERVICE SO WE REPORTED IT. THEY CHECKED AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG BUT TOLD US THEY GREASED THE TRUNK LATCH AND IT SHOULD BE FIXED. A FEW WEEKS LATER IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN. WE THINK ITS AN ELECTRONIC DEFECT, BUT BY THE TIME THEY FIGURE IT OUT WE'LL BE OUT OF WARRANTY. WE DON'T DARE PUT ANYTHING OF VALUE IN THE CAR. *TR