2007 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHEN A PASSENGER WHO WEIGHED 130 POUNDS OCCUPIED THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING THAT THE AIR BAG WAS INOPERATIVE. THE WARNING LIGHT IMPROPERLY IDENTIFIED A SMALL STATURE ADULT AS A CHILD IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE FAILURE TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY THE PASSENGER COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR THE AIR BAG NOT DEPLOYING WHEN NECESSARY. AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED HE RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE #08V161000 FOR THE AIR BAGS. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE SEAT AND IMMEDIATELY THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,000. UPDATED 01/14/09. *LJ UPDATED 01/15/09.*JB

SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2007 SONATA, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WILL INTERMITTENTLY STAYED ILLUMINATED WHEN A SMALL ADULT IS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE 08V161000 (AIRBAGS) AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THIS FIXED. WHEN I ARRIVED THE SERVICE MANAGER HAD ANOTHER EMPLOYEE SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE LIGHT WENT OFF SO THEY SAID NOTHING IS WRONG. WHEN I GOT HOME, I CALLED THE HYUNDAI CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AND EXPLAINED MY SITUATION. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE THIS PROBLEM MAY HAPPEN WHEN SMALL ADULTS ARE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE USED A SMALL ADULT TO DO THEIR TEST. THEY PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT THEY CAN ONLY FIX THE PROBLEM IF THE WITNESS THE LIGHT ON AND CAN HOOK IT UP TO A COMPUTER TO SEE IF THERE IS A PROBLEM. THEY SAID I WOULD NEED TO WAIT UNTIL IT HAPPENED AGAIN, PULL OVER, DO NOT TURN THE CAR OFF, CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, WHEN ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE GOT THERE TELL THEM THEY NEED TO TOW THE CAR WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING TO THE NEAREST HYUNDAI DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SO THEY CAN CHECK IT OUT. ON 11/23/2008 (SUNDAY) THE LIGHT STAYED ON WHEN A SMALL ADULT WAS IN MY PASSENGER SEAT, WHEN I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE THEY COULD TOW ME TO A HYUNDAI DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT BUT SINCE IT WAS SUNDAY THEY WOULD BE CLOSED. EVERY DEALER I CALL SAYS THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME BECAUSE HYUNDAI SAID THEY NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE THE LIGHT ON AT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO SEND THE SEAT IN TO BE FIXED. HYUNDAI'S RECALL PROCESS FOR THE AIRBAG ISSUE IS TERRIBLE AND INCONVENIENCES THE OWNER. CAN SOMEONE HELP ME GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED? *TR

I BROUGHT MY 2007 SONATA INTO THE DEALER TO GET IT INSPECTED THE FIRST YEAR WITH 17,000 MILES ON IT AND HAVE A NOISE FROM THE WHEELS LOOKED AT AND IT HAD TO HAVE NEW BRAKES. I WAS ASTONISHED THAT AFTER 17,000 MILES I NEEDED A $600 PLUS BRAKE JOB, BUT THE WARRANTY COVERED IT. FIVE MONTHS LATER THE NOISE CAME BACK AND I BROUGHT IT IN AGAIN, AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE MY BRAKES TAKEN APART, CLEANED OUT AND LUBED ($150) OR I WOULD NEED NEW BRAKES AGAIN IN A FEW MONTHS. I WAS APPALLED AND ASKED THE MECHANIC HOW A NEW CAR COULD POSSIBLY NEED NEW BRAKES ONCE A YEAR? I HAVE NEVER REPLACED BRAKES ON ANY OF MY CARS BEFORE AT LEAST 70,000 MILES, SO I KNOW AS THE SOLE DRIVER OF THE CAR THAT I'M NOT CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR BY MY DRIVING. HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE NEW HYUNDAI BRAKES ARE GREAT EXCEPT IN THE NORTHEAST WHERE THEY CORRODE VERY QUICKLY FROM THE SALT, AND THAT IF I DON'T HAVE THEM CLEANED AND LUBED ($150) AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR I WILL NEED TO HAVE THEM REPLACED EVERY YEAR. I DID PAY TO HAVE THEM CLEANED AND LUBED, BUT THIS IS CRAZY. THEY OBVIOUSLY ARE SELLING CARS WITH DEFECTIVE BRAKES IF THEY WILL ONLY LAST FOR ONE YEAR. I THEN ASKED AROUND TO THE 4 OTHER PEOPLE WHO I KNEW WHO ALSO HAD NEWER HYUNDAI'S (3 SONATA'S AND ONE ELANTRA) AND THEY SAID THEY ALSO HAD TO HAVE THEIR BRAKES REPLACED BEFORE 20,000 MILES. SINCE THE BRAKES ARE ONLY UNDER WARRANTY UP TO 25,000 MILES I AM NOW LOOKING AT HAVING TO PAY SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR TO KEEP THE CAR WITH BRAKES, SO I'M THINKING I SHOULD TAKE THE LOSS AND TRADE IT IN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA. ON OCTOBER 2, 2008, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V161000 (AIR BAGS). THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOCATE THE FAILURE BY ONLY TESTING THE SEAT, BUT THEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE DEALER THEN ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING IN THE PASSENGER. WHEN THE PASSENGER WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER, THE FAILURE STILL COULD NOT BE LOCATED. ON OCTOBER 27, 2008, THE DEALER DECIDED TO SEND THE SEAT TO CALIFORNIA TO BE RE-CALIBRATED. ON NOVEMBER 1, 2008, WHEN THE CONTACT RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING ELSE COULD BE DONE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THEY WILL HAVE THE REGIONAL MECHANIC INSPECT THE VEHICLE. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,500 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000. UPDATED 02/03/09. *JB

2007 HYUNDAI SONATA HAD RECALL WORK DONE FOR THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT SWITCH. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE REPAIRS WERE UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON WHEN AN ADULT WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT NOTHING ELSE COULD BE DONE AND THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO HOW THE PASSENGER SAT IN THE SEAT. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR DOES NOT DETECT WHEN AN OCCUPANT IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE MANUFACTURER REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V161000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 35,000. UPDATED 11/25/08. *LJ UPDATED 11/25/08. *JB

RE: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V161000 I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO BEST HYUNDAI, THE DEALER IN HOUSTON WHERE I BOUGHT IT, AFTER RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTICE ON THE SUBJECT CAMPAIGN. SERVICE WRITER JONATHAN CONFIRMED THAT WHEN I SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE DASHBOARD "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT STAYED ON. HE SAID HE WOULD CALL ME WHEN THEY GOT IN A LOANER CAR. HE NEVER DID. I EVENTUALLY TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, AND HE HAD MY VEHICLE CHECKED OUT. HE SAID SINCE THERE WERE NO CODES IN THE COMPUTER AND NO FAULTS FOUND, SINCE THAT TIME WHEN I SAT IN THE SEAT THE LIGHT TURNED OFF, NO WORK WAS NEEDED. BUT WORK IS NEEDED. PLEASE HELP ME GET BEST HYUNDAI TO FIX THIS AIRBAG PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE AIR BAGS. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCS SYSTEM AS BEING DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR INDICATOR OCCASIONALLY FLASHES ON AND OFF. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,742 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WITHOUT WARNING. IT REMAINED LIT UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V161000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,916.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED WITH OR WITHOUT AN OCCUPANT SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. ON SETEMBER 7, 2007 THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE AIR BAGS CHECKED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V161000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER 5 TIMES AND THEY REMOVED THE FRONT SEAT CUSHION; HOWEVER, THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE DEALER THEN REPLACED THE ENTIRE SEAT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE PASSENGER WITH HIM TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. HE WANTS THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE SEAT WITH THE ORIGINAL SEAT BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT CORRECT THE ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURER TOOK A REPORT AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD CALL THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 26,000. UPDATED 11/17/08 *BF