2008 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

ENGINE SEIZED AT AROUND 124000 WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE REPLACED WITH A USED MOTOR AND NOW I BELIEVE THE ENGINE IS GOING TO BLOW AGAIN AT THE SAME MILEAGE. I HAVE USED ONLY MOBIL ONE SYNTHETIC OIL IN BOTH MOTORS.

LOUD KNOCKING SOUND FROM UNDER HOOD. GETS LOUDER AS ENGINE HEATS. UNSAFE TO DRIVE

ON THE 3.3L ENGINE THERE IS A FAULT IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET THAT CAUSES OIL TO LEAK ONTO THE ALTERNATOR CAUSING PREMATURE ALTERNATOR FAILURE. IF THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING THIS CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED ON OTHER VEHICLES WITH THIS SAME ENGINE SUCH AS THE VERACRUZ AND A RECALL HAS BEEN INITIATED. FOR SOME REASON THE RECALL DOES NOT EXTEND TO THE SONATA AS IT SHOULD. THE FOLLOWING IS FROM THE VERACRUZ RECALL INVOLVING THE SAME ENGINE. "HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY (HYUNDAI) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2012 VERACRUZ VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM DECEMBER 26, 2006, THROUGH JULY 24, 2012. THE AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE AN OIL LEAK FROM THE FRONT CYLINDER BANK VALVE COVER GASKET. IF THERE IS A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF OIL DROPPED ONTO THE ALTERNATOR, THE ALTERNATOR WILL BE DAMAGED CAUSING THE CHARGING SYSTEM TO BECOME INOPERATIVE." MY ALTERNATOR HAS FAILED TWICE NOW, ONCE WHILE DRIVING AND I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER. I WAS ABLE TO FORCE THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT BUT IT EASILY COULD HAVE GONE BAD ON ME AS I WAS ON THE FREEWAY IN TRAFFIC. ONCE MY ALTERNATOR AND SUBSEQUENTLY MY BATTERY DIED I WAS LEFT WITHOUT CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND WITHOUT LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS OF MY SITUATIONS.

WE RETURNED TO THE CHICAGO AIRPORT FROM A VACATION AND WERE GOING TO DRIVE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME, 200 MILES TO GREEN BAY. THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMED TO DEPRESS FURTHER THAN NORMAL RIGHT AWAY BUT WE FIGURED IT WAS DUE TO THE CAR SITTING FOR A WEEK. WE PROCEEDED WITH OUR DIVE BUT AFTER ABOUT 100 MILES NEEDED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. THE BRAKES WERE NOT RESPONDING AS THEY SHOULD. WE PUT BRAKE FLUID IN THE VEHICLE BUT STILL THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. AT ONE POINT I HAD DEPRESSED THE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR WAS STILL MOVING. I FOUND A MECHANIC TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ISSUE RIGHT AWAY AND WAS TOLD THE BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED THROUGH. AFTER GETTING A LOANER TO GET HOME, I HAD TO DRIVE BACK THE NEXT DAY AND RETRIEVE MY CAR. THIS WAS AT A COST OF $750.00. THIS COULD HAVE KILLED MY FAMILY OR SOMEONE ELSE HAD WE CONTINUED OUR DRIVE AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECALL ISSUED. I HAVE REVIEWED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST ISSUE OF BRAKES FAILING ON THIS VEHICLE, YET A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED FOR THE BRAKE LINES. THERE WAS NO NOTIFICATION OR WARNING LIGHT THAT WENT ON IN THE CAR, ONLY THE PRESENCE OF MIND THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I HAVE THE INVOICE FROM THE REPAIR THAT SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT BOTH BRAKE LINES WERE RUSTED. I HAVE ASKED THE MECHANIC IF HE COULD SALVAGE THE PARTS FOR ME TO KEEP IN CASE WE NEED THEM. I HAVE NOTIFIED HYUNDAI AS WELL VIA E-MAIL.

MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS STUCK ON AT ALL TIMES. I HAVE NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS NO BODY WORK HAS BEEN DONE TO THE CAR. THE LIGHT DOESNT FLASH OFF AND ON, IT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. SEVERAL MECHANICS CANNOT CLEAR THE CODE OR FIGURE OUT WHY. IVE BEEN SENT TO CERTIFIED HYUNDAI DEALERSHIPS AND THEY CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. I VE READ ALL OVER THE INTERNET OF PEOPLE PUMPING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS INTO FIXING IT, ONLY TO HAVE THE LIGHT COME BACK ON. IM NOT PUTTING MONEY INTO A BLACK HOLE FOR THE PROBLEM TO NEVER HAVE A PERMANENT SOLUTION. I FEEL UNSAFE NOT KNOWING THE REAL ISSUE. ITS NOT THE AIRBAG FUSE OR WIRING AS THAT HAS BEEN INSEPECTED AND TESTED. I HAVE ONE DEALERSHIP WHO WON'T EVEN LOOK AT MY CAR BECAUSE I THINK THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. I HAVE NO DOCUMENTS TO ATTACH BECAUSE TECHNICALLY NOTHING HAPPENED TO MY CAR TO TRIGGER THIS LIGHT. IT JUST CAME ON ONE DAY. IT DOESNT MATTER IF THE CAR IS PARKED OR IN DRIVING MODE OR ANYTHING. ITS ALWAYS ON. I CAN'T PASS ANY STATE INSPECTIONS.

MY DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT IS NOT DETECTING ANYONE SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I TOOK MY CAR TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD IT'S AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH MY AIRBAGS AND MAY BE DUE TO A FAULTY WIRING ISSUE UNDER THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. ADDITIONALLY, THE LOW BEAM ON MY DRIVER SIDE LIGHTING FIXTURE IS NOT WORKING, ALTHOUGH I'VE HAD THE BULB REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES. FURTHER, THE HEADLIGHTS, ALTHOUGH ALSO REPLACED, DON'T WORK AT ALL.

BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING DOWN AN INCLINE IN PARKING LOT IN TYSONS CORNER, VIRGINIA. HAD TO PUMP BRAKES TO STOP HITTING THE EXIT GATE. BRAKE LINE RUSTED, BROKE, AND ALL BRAKE FLUID LEAKED OUT. CAR HAD 102127 MILES. NEVER HAD A CAR WITH A BRAKE LINE THAT RUSTED THROUGH. MECHANICS FIXED BY REPLACING SECTION OF STEEL BRAKE LINE UNDER RIGHT SIDE OF BODY SUBFRAME THAT HAD RUSTED AND SPLIT. *TR

THE ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING LOUDLY, SLOWING DOWN AND IDLING ROUGH. I PULLED OVER AND THE CAR WOULD NOT REMAIN RUNNING IN IDLE. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED AND INSPECTED AT THE HOUSE AND THE VALVES ARE BAD. IT HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY WARNING, LIGHTS OR GAUGES COMING ON OR PRIOR NOISE. I WAS DRIVING AROUND 45-50 TO WORK WHEN THIS HAPPENED OUT OF THE BLUE. 179,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND REGULAR OIL CHANGES SINCE I HAD THE VEHICLE. I PURCHASE THE VEHICLE WITH 60,000 MILES. *TR

THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT GO OFF! A LIGHT SAYS ESC OFF, WHEN I TURN THE CAR OFF , LATER THE LIGHT IS OUT BUT I STILL DO NOT HAVE FUNCTIONING BRAKE LIGHTS THEY JUST STAY ON WHILE IN MOTION.

MY CAR ONLY HAS 82,000 MILES ON IT AND I AM THE SECOND OWNER. FOR SOME REASON THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. I RECEIVED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY NOTIFICATION EARLIER THIS YEAR IN REGARDS TO SEAT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES ON 2006-2008 SONATAS, WHICH APPLIED TO MY CAR. AT THAT TIME HOWEVER, I HAD NO ISSUES WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT BUT NOW THE LIGHT HAS COME ON. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT MY ISSUE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE HOWEVER IT HAS TO DO WITH A B1448 080 (OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM) (MAT DEFECT) I HAVE SPENT SOME TIME DOING RESEARCH AND IT APPEARS THAT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE. I AM NOT SURE WHATS GOING ON HERE BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THE AIR BAG ISSUE. I HAVE BEEN QUOTED A COST OF $1,300 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND I DO NOT FEEL THAT THIS IS ACCEPTABLE AND THAT THE COST SHOULD NOT BE PUSHED ON TO THE CONSUMER, GIVEN THAT IT APPEARS TO BE MAT DEFECT WHICH PROBABLY STEMS FROM THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE ALSO TAKEN THIS CAR TO THE SAME DEALER FOR SERVICE AND ALL THE RECORDS OF SERVICE ARE AVAILABLE. I AM JUST CONCERNED THAT THIS AIR BAG ISSUE MAY BE VERY SERIOUS.