2006 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER ON MY 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA WAS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED THE CHAIN TO GAIN SLACK CAUSING THE ENGINE TO FAIL. *JB

I NOTICED AROUND THIS TIME THAT THE LATCH HOLDING THE CENTER CONSOLE SHUT IN MY 06 SONATA WAS LOOSE. I TRIED TO PUT IT BACK INTO PLACE, BUT IT THEN BROKE FREE IN MY HANDS. THE CONSOLE WILL FLING OPEN OVER MOST SPEED BUMPS. I'M WORRIED IN A CRASH THAT ANYTHING INSIDE OF IT WILL FLY ALL OVER THE PLACE. PLUS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THIS TO SURPRISE THE DRIVER AND CAUSE A CRASH. A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WILL BE REPLACING THE WHOLE CONSOLE, BUT I WANTED TO FILE A REPORT AND SEE WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG ACTIVATION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS FROM THE TIME OF PURCHASE, WHEN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC AND HELD A CONFERENCE CALL WITH A TECHNICIAN FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THE SENSOR WAS WORKING WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING STANDARDS. THE SENSOR CONTINUED TO OPERATE ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE A PASSENGER WEIGHING BETWEEN 100 AND 250 POUNDS SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIRBAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED INDICATING THAT THE AIR BAG WAS DISABLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE LIGHT WAS RESET, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. UPDATED 10/18/2006 - THE LAST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THEY INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER*NM

ISSUE FOR 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA GLS V6 (1)DRIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO AREA WITH RESPECTING LOCAL TRAFFIC LAWS. (2)SUDDENLY ESC FAILED AND ENGINE LOST ITS POWER. THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE DROPPED TO 15 MILES/HOUR AND WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE MORE THAN 15 MILES/HOUR. IT CAUSED A CLOSE CHANCE OF REAR-COLLISION ACCIDENT. (3)DEALERSHIP REPLACED WITH NEW PARTS. LASTED 10 DAYS AND THE PROBLEMS HAVE CONTINUED. THE SERVICE ADVISOR OF CAMMISA HYUNDAI EXPLAINED TO ME, THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE REASONS FOR FAILURES. NO DATE FOR REPAIR HAS BEEN PROMISED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE FUEL TANK WAS FILLED TO THE OR FULL MARK, THERE WAS A CREAKING NOISE HEARD WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO DETERMINED THIS WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. THE SECOND TIME, THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE SPARE TIRE WAS LOOSE AND THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE. THE DEALERSHIP TIGHTENED THE SPARE TIRE, BUT THE NOISE PERSISTED. THE THIRD AND LAST TIME, THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT BECAUSE THE GAS TANK WAS MADE OF PLASTIC, THE TANK MAY BE EXPANDING RESULTING IN THE CREAKING NOISE.

A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE OF MY TWO-MONTH-OLD 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA AFTER IT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE HOURS. ON THE NIGHT THAT THIS HAPPENED, I HAD DRIVEN MY SONATA THREE HOURS FROM ATLANTA, GA TO ALBANY, GA AND PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AT ABOUT 5:30PM. I SUBSEQUENTLY RAN A LOCAL ERRAND AND PARKED MY CAR FOR THE EVENING AT 7:30PM. THE CAR WAS PARKED ABOUT 2.5-3 FEET BEHIND MY MOTHER'S 1994 CHEVROLET CORSICA. AROUND 12:30 MIDNIGHT, MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR WAS BANGING ON MY WINDOW, YELLING, "YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE!" FLAMES SHOT UP 5-6 FEET IN THE AIR AND IGNITED THE TRUNK OF MY MOTHER'S CAR. TREES NEARBY WERE SINGED, AND MELTED METAL AND RUBBER DAMAGED THE DRIVEWAY. THANKS TO MY NEIGHBOR'S QUICK ACTION, THE FLAMES DID NOT REACH THE FUEL TANK OF MY MOTHER'S CAR OR OUR HOUSE, THEREBY AVERTING A REAL DISASTER. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE. IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE LOCAL SERVICE CENTER, MANUFACTURER AND INSURANCE COMPANY WERE NOT THE PARTIES RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FIRE. WIDER CONSUMER AWARENESS OF THE NHTSA AND THE COMPLAINT-TO-RECALL PROCESS WILL ENHANCE SAFETY BY ENCOURAGING ALL PARTIES TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION AND RESPONSIBILITY. *NM

SONATA FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR PROBLEM THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD DOES NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY FOR A 120 POUND PERSON AS A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER. IF YOU TURN THE ENGINE ON AND THEN A PASSENGER SITS DOWN IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE SENSOR LIGHT ASSUMES NO ONE IS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND THE AIR BAG WON'T RELEASE IF THERE IS AN ACCIDENT. IF A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER SITS IN THE SEAT AND THE CAR ENGINE IS TURNED ON THE SENSOR LIGHT WORKS. BUT IF THE PASSENGER GETS OUT OF THE SEAT WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED WHILE THE ENGINE IS STILL ON AND THEN RETURNS TO THE SEAT, THE SENSOR LIGHT DOES NOT WORK AGAIN.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE AT ANY SPEED ON BUMPY ROAD CONDITIONS, THE EXHAUST PIPE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS SECURE AND NOTHING SEEMED TO BE HITTING THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO INFORMED THE CONTACT THREE OTHER VEHICLES WERE TEST DRIVEN AND THE SAME SOUND WAS PRESENT. AN EMPLOYEE WHO WORKED AT THE MANUFACTURER'S FACTORY INFORMED THE CONTACT THE FUEL TANK WAS HITTING THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 10/11/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED BECAUSE THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AIRBAG WAS CALIBRATED TO DEACTIVATE WHEN A PERSON UNDER A CERTAIN WEIGHT SAT IN THE SEAT, THIS POSED A SAFETY ISSUE FOR FRAIL ELDERLY ADULTS AND ADULTS OF SMALL STATURE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THE AIRBAG COULD BE RECALIBRATED.