2008 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WHEN MY VEHICLE LOST POWER WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING POWER STEERING. MOMENTUM AND STRUGGLE STEERING ALLOWED ME TO MOVE FROM CENTER LANE TO SHOULDER OF THE ROAD SAFELY. INITIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS THE LEAKY HEAD COVER GASKET THAT SLOWLY LEAKED ONTO THE ALTERNATOR. HAD IT TOWED TO A REPUTABLE MECHANIC WHO LATER INFORMED ME THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED. HE DID VERIFY THAT WAS OIL IN THE ENGINE AT THE TIME. THE CAR WAS NOT EVEN 10 YRS OLD AND PURCHASED BRAND NEW.

I AM A OWNER OF A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA, I HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS ISSUE OF WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR WILL FALL DOWN BLOCKING MY VIEW. I DONT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS BUT THE VISOR WONT JUST STAY UP AND DOING THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THEY COME DOWN ALL THE TIME ONCE THE CAR IS IN MOTION AND DOES NOT MATTER THE SPEED AND IT BLOCKS YOUR VIEW SUDDENLY. I TRIED TO FIX IT BUT NOTHING SEEMS TO HELP,SO I TOOK TO THE INTERNET TO RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM AND I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THAT MANY HYUNDAI OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. IT SEEMS LIKE MORE ON THE OLDER MODELS SAY 2001 UP TO 2008 OR SO. HYUNDAI NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE BEFORE SADLY SOMEONE DIES OR GETS HURT. IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS, IT IS NOT SAFE AT ALL TO HAVE THE VISOR BLOCK YOUR VIEW WHILE DRIVING. YOU HAVE CUSTOMERS REPLACING THESE VISORS AND GUESS WHAT DOWN THE ROAD THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM COME BACK. I LOVE MY HYUNDAI BUT WITH THIS HAPPENING WITHOUT ANY WARNING I DONT FEEL SAFE BEING ON THE ROAD. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO FIX THIS VISOR PROBLEMS, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CUSTOMERS HAVE TO DEAL WITH SINCE IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS IN USE ALL THE TIME. THIS IS UNSAFE AND VERY DANGEROUS, DONT WAIT TO A LIFE PERISHES OR SOMEONE GETS MAIMED BY THIS DEFECT.

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, MY DRIVER-SIDE INNER DOOR HANDLE BEGAN TO BECOME LOOSE AND POP OUT. IT IS STILL PARTIALLY FUNCTIONAL SO THAT I CAN OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE. THE OTHER DAY, THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF WHEN I WAS OPENING THE CAR DOOR. I NOW HAVE TO ENTER FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. NOTHING TRAUMATIC HAPPENED TO CAUSE THIS, AND I DON'T USE EXCESSIVE FORCE ON MY DOOR.

WHEN I PUT MY CAR IN PARK TURN OFF THE CAR MY PARKING LIGHTS COME ON CANT TURN THEM OFF AT SWITCH HAVE TO DISCONNECT MY BATTERY FOR FEAR MY CAR WONT START, ALSO AT DARK WHILE IM DRIVING I SWITCH MY LIGHTS TO JUST THE RUNNING LIGHTS MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON. NO MATTER IF MY SWITCH IS ON AUTO OR OFF MY LIGHTS STILL STAY ON. WHEN I TURN OFF THE CAR AND AT TIMES I CANT GET MY KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION I HAVE TO WIGGLE THE SHIFTIER, AND IF THAT DOSE NOT WORK THEN I PUT MY SEAT BELT BACK ON AND PUSH THE LOCK AND UNLOCK BUTTON ON MY KEY FOB. SO WITH ALL OF THIS I CANT USE THE ALARM NOR THE ABILITY TO UNLOCK MY DOOR AND TO HAVE MY INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON AT NIGHT. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED BECAUSE OF THE NIGHT TIME SECURITY FEATURES.

WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY OF MY HOME, I TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND THE AIRBAGS LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH. I DROVE IT WORK AND HOPING THE AIRBAG LIGHTS WILL TURN OFF AND IT DID NOT. I TOOK THE PROBLEM TO THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP FOR EVALUATION. A LITTLE HISTORY, MY AIRBAG LIGHTS CAME ON BACK IN 2012, CASE #10352554, THE VEHICLE HAD A RECALL FOR IT. THE DEALERSHIP SENT THE FRONT RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT TO CALIFORNIA FOR REPAIRS. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. NOW JUMP FORWARD 2017, MY AIRBAGS LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED ME THE PROBLEM IS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL BACK IN 2012. THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED ME THE PROBLEM NOW HAD TO DO WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT PRESSURE SENSOR (CUSHION) FOR THE AIRBAGS. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT TO FIX THE PROBLEM IN ORDER FOR MY FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG TO DEPLOY PROPERLY DURING AN ACCIDENT. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A DEFECT WITH THIS HYUNDAI VEHICLE AND A SECONDARY PROBLEM RELATED TO THE AIRBAG RECALL. I FEEL THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER TO PREVENT ANY INJURY OR DEATH.

MY 2008 SONATA WITH VIN [XXX] DOES NOT RECOGNIZE SMALLER ADULT PASSENGERS RESULTING IN ILLUMINATION OF THE "PASSENGER AIR BIG OFF" LIGHT IN THE CENTER CONSOLE. I NOTICED THIS AROUND 2009-2010. I DID RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM ONLINE AND NOTED THAT A RECALL WAS ISSUED (RECALL NUMBER 08V161000), WHICH AFFECTED THE VEHICLE'S "OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM" OR OCS. AT THE TIME, THERE WAS NOT A METHOD TO RESEARCH MY SPECIFIC VIN, SO I BROUGHT THE CAR TO TAMERON HYUNDAI IN BIRMINGHAM, AL IN THE 30-50K MILE RANGE. TAMERON HYUNDAI DID NOT PERFORM EXTENSIVE TESTING, BUT RATHER HAD A "130 LB" MECHANIC SIT IN THE VEHICLE AND CLAIMED THAT MY PASSENGER AIR BAG "OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM" OR OCS WAS IN WORKING ORDER. THE CAR CONTINUED TO FAIL TO RECOGNIZING SMALLER ADULTS. HOWEVER, MORE RECENTLY WHEN A LARGER ADULT PASSENGER SITS IN THE PASSENGER SIDE THAT CAN TRIGGER THE PASSENGER OCS, THE RED DASH AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON THE DASH. IMMEDIATELY WHEN I NOTICED THE CHANGE IN THE OPERATIONAL STATUS OF THE VEHICLE, I CALLED HYUNDAI CUSTOMER CARE REGARDING THIS ISSUE. THEY CREATED THE CASE NUMBER 10343035 FOR REFERENCE TO MY CASE, AND REFERRED ME TO FRANK HYUNDAI. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO FRANK HYUNDAI WHERE THE PROBLEM AS A MALFUNCTIONING PASSENGER OCS WHICH WAS THE SUBJECT OF THE RECALL ABOVE. BOTH FRANK HYUNDAI AND HYUNDAI CUSTOMER CARE ADVISED ME THAT MY VEHICLE'S VIN NUMBER WAS NOT SUBJECT TO THE RECALL ON THE OCS (RECALL NUMBER 08V161000). THE COST OF REPAIR WAS GREATER THAN THE VEHICLE'S VALUE. I WAS EASILY ABLE TO AFFORD A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE, SO I DISPOSED OF THE VEHICLE AND OBTAINED A NEW VEHICLE. HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OTHERS WHO STILL DRIVE SIMILAR VEHICLES. I THINK SOME SONATAS MAY HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED IN RECALL 08V161000, AND I THINK THE CAMPAIGN SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO OTHER VINS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

AS OTHERS HAVE REPORTED, THE BRAKE LINES ON MY 2008 SONATA RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. REPAIR COSTS NEAR $600. SERVICE MANAGER STATES THAT "EVERY ONE OF THESE CARS WILL BE IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM" DUE TO THE DESIGN. THE TWO BRAKE LINES AND TWO FUEL LINES WHICH RUN FROM FRONT TO REAR ON THE VEHICLE (UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT) ARE HELD IN PLACE WITH CLIPS AND THEN THE ENTIRE LENGTH IS COVERED WITH A RECTANGULAR PLASTIC COVER (OR RACEWAY). WHILE THIS MIGHT WORK WELL IN OTHER CLIMATES, HERE IN THE NORTHEAST "SALT BELT", THIS COVER TRAPS THE ROAD SALT WHICH COLLECTS AT THE CLIPS AND ROTS THROUGH THE STEEL BRAKE LINES. FUEL LINES ARE NOT STEEL AND ARE NOT AFFECTED. AT THE VERY LEAST, HYUNDAI SHOULD REQUIRE CUSTOMERS TO BRING THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE TO HAVE THE COVER REMOVED AND DISCARDED, AND THE LINES WASHED OFF AND INSPECTED. IF CORROSION IS PRESENT, THEY SHOULD REPAIR THE DAMAGE. DUE TO THE WAY THE LINES ARE ROUTED, THE POSITION OF THE MASTER CYLINDER AND OTHER COMPONENTS, THE REPAIR IS COSTLY - BUT IS ALL LABOR. IT IS ABOUT $50 IN PARTS AND $500 IN LABOR.

AIR BAG LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF, DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT RECEIVER, WHICH I REPLACED WITH A NEW PART, AIRBAG LIGHT IS STILL ON AND NOW I AM TOLD IT IS THE PASSENGER SEAT PRESSURE SENSOR. I SAW THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS BUT WAS TOLD MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED. I AM UNABLE TO INSPECT THE CAR IN THE STATE OF MAINE NOW.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED FOR THE DRIVER SIDE WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE AND TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AND TURNED OFF INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,000. ...UPDATED 06/13/17 *BF UPDATED 10/11/2017*JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A PREMATURE FAILURE WITH THE MOTOR, THERE WAS NO OIL LEAN AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING A HIGH VOLUME OF OIL EVERY 30 DAYS. THE OIL AND ENGINE WARNING LIGHT RANDOMLY FLASHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE TO DETERMINE A SOLUTION TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN IF THE MANUFACTURER MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A REMEDY TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V568000 (ENGINE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.