2006 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

MY 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA AIRBAG SENSOR FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WILL NOT ACTIVATE IF A FEMALE ADULT SITS IN THE SEAT. THE DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR IT; VARIOUS INAPPROPRIATE RESPONSES ARE GIVEN, SUCH AS POOR POSTURE, INADEQUATE WEIGHT OR "HAVE THE PASSENGER SIT IN THE BACK." IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW. I HAVE MADE REPEATED VISITS TO MY DEALER, BUT NO SOLUTION HAS BEEN PROVIDED. IN ONE CASE, THE DEALER HELD THE CAR FOR OVER A WEEK AND SUPPOSEDLY SENT THE SEAT BACK TO HYUNDAI, BUT NOTHING CHANGED. DURING MY MOST RECENT DISCUSSION WITH THE DEALERS SERVICE MANAGER, HE SAID THAT THE SENSOR WOULD ONLY ACTIVATE IF THE PERSON IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WEIGHED OVER 130 POUNDS. THIS ELIMINATES ME - I WEIGH 115 POUNDS - OR MOST OF MY FEMALE FRIENDS. MY DAUGHTER WEIGHS OVER 130 POUNDS, BUT IT DOES NOT ACTIVATE FOR HER, EITHER. MOST OTHER AUTO MANUFACTURERS HAVE A WEIGHT "TRIGGER" OF 90 POUNDS. THE DEALER SAID THAT HYUNDAI WOULD NOT OR COULD NOT SET THE ACTIVATION/TRIGGER WEIGHT AT LESS THAN 130 POUNDS. THIS MEANS I CANNOT HAVE MOST OF MY GUESTS OR RELATIVES IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THIS DESIGN CHEATS A LARGE NUMBER OF ADULTS OF AIRBAG PROTECTION, AND CREATES AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. A HYUNDAI RECALL FALSELY CLAIMS THAT HYUNDAI WILL ADDRESS THE SITUATION, BUT THIS IS ONLY FOR SHOW - NO WORK IS DONE AND THE COMPANY INSTRUCTS THE DEALERS NOT TO REPAIR THE SEATS. THE DEALERS ARE INSTRUCTED TO SAY THAT FAILURE TO ACTIVATE IS NOT A DEFECT, AND THAT THE COMPANY CONSIDERS AN ACTIVATION WEIGHT OF OVER 130 POUNDS TO BE ACCEPTABLE. THE DEALERS ARE ALSO TOLD TO TEST THE SEAT THEMSELVES - THIS MEANS A LARGE MALE IS CHOSEN TO SIT IN THE FRONT SEAT, WHICH THEN ACTIVATES. *TR

AT FIRST IT WAS THE RADIO, TURNING ON AND OFF BY ITSELF WHEN I WOULD TRY TO LOWER THE VOLUME IT WOULD BE LOUDER. MY HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OUT AND TURN ON AGAIN, MY EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT WILL TURN ON AS MY CAR WOULD STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT SIGN IS ON AND THE BAG IT IS NOT DEPLOYED. THE ABS, ESC AND OTHER GLOW LIGHTS WILL TURN ON; SOMETIMES I CANT ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS OR LOCK THE CAR WITH THE BUTTON. NOW MY CAR WILL NOT START, NO POWER AND IT RESETS MY CLOCK. I HAVE GONE TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND THEY ARE GREEDY MONEY HUNGRY '!@#$% WHO DO NOT CARE FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS, I REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR AND ITS BEEN THROUGH DIAGNOSTICS AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS THE ONLY THING FOUND WRONG. I HAVE ISSUES WITH THE CAR AT LEAST TWICE A DAY AND THREE TIMES ITS DIED COMPLETELY. THIS IS AN 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA IT SHOULD NOT GIVE ME THESE PROBLEMS. *TR

RECALL NOTICE FOR A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA CONCERNING MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP. *NJ THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL. HE MADE AN APPOINTMENT, BUT WHEN HE ARRIVED HE WAS TOLD THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN CORRECTED WHEN HE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WORK THE PREVIOUS MONTH. *JB

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF MY SONATA. A CRACK HAS APPEARED ON THE DASH FOLLOWING THE OUTLINE OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. THIS WILL BE THE SECOND DASH I HAVE HAD TO PUT ON THE CAR FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. TO ME THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE WITH DASHES CRACKING AROUND MY AIRBAG. DEPLOYMENT OF THIS AIRBAG MAY BE FOREVER COMPROMISED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. AND THE FACT THAT IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE THE EXACT SAME WAY SEEMS MORE THAN A COINCIDENCE. ALTHOUGH I HAVE SEEN ANOTHER COMPLAINT ON THIS SITE, THERE ARE MANY MORE LIKE ME EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS. A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET FOR SONATA DASHBOARD CRACK WILL BRING UP MANY POSTS FROM SONATA OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS VERY SAME ISSUE MULTIPLE TIMES SUCH AS ME. I DON'T WANT TO TRUST MY YOUNG SON AND WIFE TO A DEFECTIVE DESIGN THAT COULD SHORTEN THEIR LIVES. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE. *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT ON TOOK CAR TO CARSPLUS, SHOP DIAG/ADVISE: FOUND DTC B1706 PASSENGER SEAT BEAT BUCKLE NEEDS REPLACED SPO BUCKLE FOR REPLACEMENT/ TECH COMPLETED DIAG AND FOUND SEAT BELT MODULE FAULTY/ RECOMMEND TO REPLACE/PARTS ORDERED- DATE 11/12/08/ (2) DATE 12/15/08 TOOK IN TO SHOP AGAIN, SAME PROBLEM AIRBAG LIGHT ON/ TECH DIAG/ FOUND FAULTY SEAT BUCKLE RECOMMEND TO REPLACE. NOTE: AS OF OCTOBER 22, 2009 CALLED DEALER AND MENTIONED PROBLEM FOR THE 3RD TIME SUGGESTED TO BRING IN, ASKED IS THERE A RECALL TECH SAID THERE IS NONE, I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND I AM CONCERNED WITH SAFETY AND COST IF THIS IS CONTINUING PROBLEM WHICH I'LL BE STUCK WITH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL, INDICATING THE AIR BAGS WERE INOPERATIVE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS ,WHOM STATED THAT THE PRESSURE PLATE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT FAILED. THE SEAT WAS REPLACED AND THE SENSOR WAS RE-CODED,BUT THE FAILURE RESURFACED FOUR DAYS LATER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,366. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 79,000.

MY2006 SONATAS AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON HAVE HAD IT AT 2 DEALERS 10 TIMES THEY KEEP RESETTING LIGHT COMES BACK ON IN 3 DAYS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 1 YEAR 11 MONTHS. ALSO ON FAST ACCELERATION ESC LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON,CAR LOSES POWER THEN YOU HAVE TO STOP SHUT ENGINE OFF AND RESTART CAR TO BE ABLE TO ACCELERATE. I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THIS PROBLEM ALMOST 2 YEARS. I AM WORRIED ABOUT MY FAMILIES SAFETY IN A ACCIDENT. *TR

DRIVER OF 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA, MAKING UPHILL TURN INTO A FLAT PARKING SPACE EXPERIENCES ENGINE POWER SURGE THAT PROPELS VEHICLE OVER SIGN STANDARD, FLATTENING SIGN AND REQUIRING TOW TRUCK TO EXTRICATE VEHICLE. PHOTOS AVAILABLE. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT AS RESEARCH HAS SHOWN SYNDICATED REPORTER JAMES R. HEALEY OF USATODAY NOTED SAME DANGEROUS POWER SURGE IN TEST VEHICLE IN JULY OF 2005. OWNER OF INCIDENT VEHICLE HAD SAME COMPLAINT AND ASKED DEALER TO CHECK DEFECT ON PRIOR OCCASION. DEALER SERVICE REPORTED NO PROBLEMS. IN THIS INCIDENT VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER FOR SAFETY AND DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, AGAIN DEALER SERVICE REPORTS NO PROBLEM OR RECALL. *TR

THE "AIRBAG" LIGHTS REMAIN ON IN MY VEHICLE WHEN THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDES ARE BOTH OCCUPIED. I'M UNSURE IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, IF THE AIRBAGS WILL ACTUALLY WORK. THIS MATTER NEED TO LOOKED INTO IMMEDIATELY. *TR

BROKEN SUN VISOR BRACKET- HYUNDAI ISSUED A TSB BUT WILL NOT REPLACE VISOR IF VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID A CHILD CHASING A BALL WHICH BOUNCED ACROSS THE STREET I HIT MY HEAD ON THE EDGE OF THE SUN VISOR WHICH DANGLES DOWN. MY HEAD WOULD NOT HAVE HIT THE VISOR IF IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. ALSO THE VISOR DANGLES BLOCKING YOUR VISION WHEN THE VISOR IS NOT NEEDED BUT IT WILL NOT STAY IN THE UP POSITION. *TR