2006 HYUNDAI SONATA Complaints

DOORS LOCK WITH KEYPAD WHILE DOORS ARE STILL OPEN. AFTER SHOPPING I BUCKLED MY SON IN HIS CAR SEAT AND PUT THE GROCERIES IN THE VEHICLE. APPARENTLY I INADVERTENTLY HIT THE LOCK BUTTON ON THE KEYPAD AS I WAS PLACING MY SON IN HIS CAR SEAT. I SAT THE KEYS ON THE CENTER CONSOLE, CLOSED THE BACK DOOR AND WENT TO GET IN THE DRIVER DOOR AND THE KEYS WERE LOCKED IN THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS MY TODDLER SON IN HIS CAR SEAT. I CALLED 911 AND AFTER ATTEMPTING FOR AN HOUR THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET INTO THE VEHICLE. THE CHOICES WERE BREAK A WINDOW TO GET IN (THUS TRAUMATIZING MY SON) OR HAVE A PRIVATE CITIZEN ATTEMPT TO BREAK INTO THE VEHICLE. A LOCKSMITH WAS CALLED AFTER MY SON WAS IN THE CAR FOR A 1/2 HOUR AND HE NEVER SHOWED. A PRIVATE CITIZEN HAD TO TAKE TWO SCREW DRIVERS AND PRY THE DOOR OPEN TO BE ABLE TO REACH THE DOOR HANDLE AND GET THE DOOR OPEN, THUS RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE IS NOT MY CONCERN. THE FACT THAT THE DOORS WILL LOCK WITH THE KEYPAD WHILE STILL OPEN IS THE SAFETY CONCERN. I HAVE OWNED HONDA AND FORD IN THE PAST AND NEITHER OF WHICH WILL OPEN WILL DO THE ABOVE. I ALSO KNOW PEOPLE THAT HAVE SATURN, TOYOTA, DODGE, AND CHEVROLET AND THESE VEHICLE DOORS WILL NOT LOCK WITH THE KEYPAD WHILE THE DOORS ARE OPEN EITHER. I HAVE CONTACTED HYUNDAI AND THEY SAID IT IS NOT A MANUFACTURE DEFECT THE CAR IS DESIGNED THAT WAY. I LODGED A COMPLAINT WITH HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO FEEL IT WAS A SAFETY CONCERN. IN MY OPINION THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS IF THE WEATHER WERE 90 DEGREES OR IF MY SON WAS AN INFANT CHILD. I FEEL THAT THE VEHICLES NEED TO BE RECALLED SO THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN TO ME OR ANY OTHER HYUNDAI OWNER. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ACCELERATING AT ANYTIME THE VEHICLE HESITATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER INDICATED THIS WAS THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE GOES INTO NEUTRAL WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS RELEASED IT WOULD STOP. UPDATED 07/05/06 *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR IS MALFUNCTIONING. THE AIR BAG OFF LIGHT ILLUMINATES EVERY TIME THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED. NO MATTER WHAT THE WEIGHT IS OF THE PASSENGER OR HOW THE SEAT IS BEING SAT IN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, UPON INSPECTION THE CONTACT WAS ASKED TO VIDEO TAPE THE PASSENGER TO ENSURE THE CORRECT SEATING POSITION WAS BEING MAINTAINED. THE VIDEO TAPE WAS OFFERED TO THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER.

REAR SUSPENSION HAS ANNOYING AND LOUD THUMPING NOISE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS UNDER 40 MPH. STARTED NOTICING NOISE WITHIN 1000 MILES AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE, WHICH WAS ON 10/26/05. MANUFACTURER HAS ADMITTED THE PROBLEM IN A BBB ARBITRATION HEARING, CASE NO. HYU0641565 DATED 04/27/06 AND STATED IT AS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO IN A TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH A REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND OTHERS AS A PROBLEM. TOOK THE PROBLEM TO DEALERSHIP, WHO COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE AND DID NOT PUT IT ON THE WORK ORDERS. THEREFORE, I LOST THE ARBITRATION HEARING, EVEN THOUGH THEY TOLD ME PERSONALLY THAT HYUNDAI TOLD THEM NOT TO DO ANYTHING, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN TERMS OF THE THUMPING. WHAT AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER WOULD INCORPORATE A NOISE IN THEIR VEHICLES AS A SELLING FEATURE AND STATE IT'S A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE? IF HYUNDAI DOES NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE REAR SUSPENSION NOISE, THEN THEY DO NOT KNOW IF A SAFETY FACTOR IS INVOLVED. THE SUSPENSION COULD AND PROBABLY IS DEFECTIVE IN SOME WAY. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS A SUBTLE ODOR IN THE VEHICLE THAT MAKES THE OCCUPANTS ILL. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY THE DEALER, BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH THE DEALER DID NOT DETECT AN ODOR, THE DEALER SUGGESTED USING AN AIR FRESHENER. *AK

BOUGHT A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA MARCH 18, 2006 AT OURISMAN HYUNDAI IN LAUREL, MD. A WEEK LATER, MARCH 25, 2006, HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE ENGINE OVER HEATED, WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, DUE TO THE FANS NOT WORKING. THE DEALERSHIP ORDERED A FAN MODULE AND PLACED IT IN MY CAR. THE DEALERSHIP ALLOWED ME TO TAKE ANOTHER BRAND NEW 2006 SONATA AS A LOANER UNTIL MY CAR WAS FIXED. I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP I DID NOT WANT MY CAR BACK AND TO GIVE ME ANOTHER 2006 SONATA. AFTER DAYS OF CALLING BACK TO SEE IF THEY WOULD, THEY REFUSED. PICKED UP MY CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2006. APRIL 18, 2006 BOUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE A/C WAS NOT WORKING. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THE FANS ARE NOT WORKING AND THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THEY ARE RENTING A CAR FOR ME UNTIL MY CAR IS FIXED. *JB

RF TIRE EXHIBITED BLISTER ON SIDEWALL. AMERICA'S TIRE IN ROSEVILLE, CA STATED IT WAS NOT A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, BUT THE FAULT OF DRIVER. HENCE TIRE WAS NOT REPLACED FREE UNDER WARRANTY, BUT REPLACED AT HALF PRICE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NO SPECIFIC SPEED WITH A PASSENGER, THE AIR BAG LAMP ILLUMINATED COMMUNICATING TO THE CONTACT THAT THE AIR BAG WAS DISABLED. THE PASSENGER IS THE WIFE OF THE CONTACT WHICH WEIGHED ENOUGH TO KEEP THE AIR BAG ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS OPERATING NORMAL; HOWEVER, THE DEALER DETERMINED THE PASSENGER SHOULD CHANGE POSTURE AND SITTING POSITIONS WHILE SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. UPDATED 4/17/2006 - THE AIR BAG FUNCTIONS PROPERLY INTERMITTENTLY. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA IN OCTOBER 2005. THE VEHICLE HAS DEVELOPED A HIGH PITCHED WHINE AT 60-69 MPH (2,000 RPM). I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO MY HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY HYUNDAI ENGINEERS THAT THE NOISE COMES FROM A DESIGN FLAW DEALING WITH THE VARIABLE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THEY ARE APPARENTLY AWARE OF THIS MATTER BUT ARE DOING NOTHING TO RECTIFY IT. THE NOISE IS LOUD ENOUGH AND HIGH PITCHED ENOUGH THAT IT COULD AND DOES CAUSE A DRIVING DISTRACTION. *JB

1. REAR PASSENGER SIDE REPEAT RATTLING THUMPING NOISE IN SUSPENSION AT SPEEDS BELOW 40 MPH CAUSING DISTURBANCE AND AGITATION TO CABIN DRIVER OR PASSENGERS 2. REAR PASSENGER SIDE DRONING-HUMMING ECHO NOISE MORE NOTICEABLE OVER 40 MPH AND AT STEADY MAINTAINED SPEED CAUSING DISTURBANCE AND AGITATION TO CABIN DRIVER OR PASSENGERS 3. SLOSHING NOISE OF GASOLINE IN GAS TANK AFTER THE GAS TANK IS FILLED AND A GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE BRAKES ARE DEPRESSED IN AND AROUND THE GAS TANK AREA AFTER THE GAS TANK IS FILLED CAUSING DISTURBANCE AND AGITATION TO CABIN DRIVER OR PASSENGERS. *NM