2007 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO ADVISED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,863. UPDATED 12/17/13*CN THE MODULE BURNED INTO THE FUEL INJECTION. THE MODULE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO OPERATE THE FUEL INJECTION PROCESS. UPDATED 12/18/13

WHILE DRIVING, THE VISOR WOULD NOT GO BACK TO THE UP POSITION. THE VISOR WOULD NOT REMAIN IN A FIXED POSITION. THIS CAUSED REDUCED VISIBILITY. ON SHARP TURNS THE VISOR WOULD SWING AND HIT THE DRIVER IN THE HEAD. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULD FIX IT AT MY EXPENSE, BECAUSE OF MILEAGE THERE WAS NO MORE WARRANTY, AND THE PART WAS NOT IN STOCK THAT DAY. ONLINE FORUMS AND HYUNDAI'S OWN SERVICE BULLETIN TSB-09-01-003 DOCUMENT SHOW THAT IT IS KNOWN THIS PART PREMATURELY FAILS. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HYUNDAI HAD ISSUED ANY DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THIS ISSUE. THEY ALSO STATED THAT HYUNDAI HAS NEVER AND WILL NEVER DO A STATE BY STATE RECALL, THIS CLAIM IS PROVED FALSE BY NHTSA CAMPAIGN 13V-354. IF HYUNDAI HAD ISSUED A RECALL WHEN THEY BECAME AWARE OF THE ISSUE, OR REPLACED THE PART PROACTIVELY WHEN MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY I WOULD HAVE HAD A SAFER DRIVING EXPERIENCE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR FELL IN FRONT OF MY FACE. I SWERVED AND NARROWLY MISSED HITTING ANOTHER CAR BEFORE I GOT IT OUT OF THE WAY. THE PASSENGER SUN VISOR IS ALSO DEFECTIVE AND WON'T STAY UP. MY CAR IS A HYUNDAI SONATA. I KNOW THAT HYUNDAI HAD A RECALL ON THE SUN VISORS IN THE SUNBELT STATES, BUT MY CAR WAS NOT LISTED IN THAT RECALL, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. HYUNDAI REFUSES TO FIX THE VISORS. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I HAVE LEARNED THAT MANY OTHER MODELS OF HYUNDAIS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM; SO OBVIOUSLY HYUNDAI'S VOLUNTARY RECALL WAS TO SMALL IN SCOPE (PROBABLY ON PURPOSE). *TR

CASE NO. [XXX] I PURCHASED MY 2007 SONATA FROM THE DENVILLE, NJ DEALERSHIP IN MAY 2007. WITH ONLY 38,000 MILES ON ODOMETER I HAD THE SCARE OF MY LIFE.DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE DIED, AND I LOST ALL POWER. THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT CAME ON. THANKFULLY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND SAFELY STOP THE CAR. AFTER 2 MINUTES I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR. IT STARTED AND I DROVE IT HOME WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON. I CHECKED THAT ALL FLUIDS WERE OK. NEXT DAY DRIVING TO WORK, COMING DOWN A LONG GRADE, CAR ENGINE DIED AND AGAIN I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A AAA SERVICE STATION AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM. THEY CHECKED AND INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR,(TPS) WHICH THEY FOUND A TECH SERVICE BULLETIN DESCRIBING THE SYMPTOMS AND CONDITION. THEY GAVE ME A COPY OF SAID BULLETIN. THEY NOTED THAT EVEN IF THEY INSTALLED THE PART, I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A HYUNDAI DEALER PERFORM ECU SOFTWARE UPDATE. THEREFORE, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND HAD THEM MAKE THE REPAIR. I EXPECTED THAT THIS WOULD BE A 'RECALL' BY HYUNDAI, AS FAILURE OF THIS PART COULD BE LIFE THREATENING, AS IT WAS IN MY CASE. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT HONOR ANY WARRANTY SERVICE AND I WAS CHARGED $252.24. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED THE REPLACED PART.. I AM RASKED HYUNDAI MOTORS OF AMERICA TO SHOW GOOD FAITH TO A LOYAL CUSTOMER, BY REIMBURSING ME FOR THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS KNOWN FAILING PART.. THEIR RESPONSE:" TSB ARE NOT RECALLS. DEALERS ARE MADE AWARE OF THESE AND ARE ASKED TO PERFORM THEM ON AFFECTED VEHICLES WHEN THEY COME IN FOR OTHER SERVICE. I VEHICLE OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY, THEN THE REPAIR IS AN OUT OF POCKET COST TO CUSTOMER. THEY APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED." THEY REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME SAYING THIS PART WAS NOT A RECALL. HOW OUTRAGEOUS OF THEM! *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON FOR A FEW DAYS THEN GO OFF. NOW IT IS CONTINUOUSLY ON. DEALER SAID THAT BOTH SEAT BELT BUCKLES NEED TO BE REPLACED. I THOUGH ANY SEATBELT ISSUES HAD NO WARRANTY END DATE. THEY WANT $550 TO REPAIR. I HOPE MY AIR BAGS WORK IF/WHEN NEEDED. THERE SEEM TO BE MANY SUCH COMPLAINTS. SEEMS THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE. *TR

I WAS NOTIFIED BY ANOTHER DRIVER THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON MY CAR WERE OUT. SPECIFICALLY THE LEFT AND CENTER LIGHTS. THE LEFT WAS EASY TO FIX BUT THE CENTER IS A NIGHTMARE. I WILL HAVE TO TAKE TO A DEALERSHIP. $50. AFTER DOING EXTENSIVE READING ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH SEVERAL HYUNDAI CARS AND THEY AND NTSA HAVE DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. HYUNDAI IS CLAIMING THAT A BRAKE SWITCH RECALL THEY ISSUED IN 2009 SOLVES THE PROBLEM. IT DOES NOT. PEOPLE WITH THIS ISSUE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY DEALERSHIPS EVERYTHING FROM BAD GROUND TO DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESSES. THIS VIRTUALLY MAKES THE CAR ILLEGAL AND A DEATH TRAP. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CURSING ME IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, EVIDENTLY BECAUSE THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN IN PLACE. THANKS TO ONE GOOD SAMARITAN I NOW NOW WHY. A RECALL NEEDS TO HAPPEN YESTERDAY!!!!! *TR

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY ALSO THE PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF LIGHT COMES ON WHEN AN ADULT IS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, ALSO THE FASTEN SEAT BELT LIGHT COMES ON WHEN NO ONE IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR FELL AND DISTRACTED DRIVER WHO SWERVED. THE VISOR WILL GO UP BUT CONTINUES TO FALL AT ERRATIC TIMES. THE PASSENGER VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP AT ALL. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

THE DOOR HANDLE ON THE OUTER PASSENGER SIDE BROKE LOOSE. NOW THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPEN FROM OUTSIDE. I FIND SO MANY COMPLAINS ON THE WEBSITE FOR THE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR

BOTH SUNVISORS HAVE LOST THEIR TENSION AND NOW FLOP DOWN ANYTIME THERE IS MOVEMENT WHILE DRIVING. IT STARTLED ME WHILE DRIVING. I AM HAVING TO USE DOUBLE SIDED STICKY TAPE TO HOLD IT IN PLACE NOW MAKING THE SUNVISOR NOT USABLE. *TR