2013 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID Complaints

REPORTED ORIGINALLY IN NHTSA 11084763 WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEED AGAIN THE CAR DIED WITH NO WARNING WHEN THE HYBRID SYSTEM WENT OUT AND LOST ALL ACCELERATION AND ABILITY TO STEER CAR. THE CAR WOULD START BUT WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN GEAR AND WAS IN "LIMP" MODE BUT WAS UNABLE TO "LIMP" OFF THE HIGHWAY. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP AND THE ELECTRIC WATER PUMP TO COOL HYBRID SYSTEM WAS BAD BUT I HAD TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER TWICE BEFORE TO COMPLAIN THAT THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVING OR ACCELERATING PROPERLY. I KEPT BEING TOLD THAT IT COULD NOT BE REPLICATED AND "NO CODES" ARE BEING THROWN. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM THAT HYUNDAI SHOULD FIX AND TRAIN THEIR SERVICE PEOPLE TO IDENTIFY BEFORE THE CAR JUST DIES ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO WARNING. THIS IS THE SECOND MAJOR PROBLEM I HAVE ENCOUNTERED WITH THIS SONATA HYBRID AND IT IS SCARY WHEN A CAR JUST STOP UNEXPECTEDLY ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO WARNING.

WHILE DRIVING ON A CLEAR SMOOTH ROAD I HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE I HAD RUN OVER A METAL TYPE OBJECT. I DID NOT SEE ANY DEBRIS IN THE ROAD AS I APPROACHED THE AREA NOR AS I PROCEEDED AWAY FROM IT. APPROX 3/4 TO 1 MILE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD I SMELT SMOKE AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVER WHEEL WELL AREA. I PULLED OVER STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE TIRE EXPLODED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT SPRING HAD BROKEN CAUSING THE DAMAGE. THE CAR IS CASUALLY DRIVEN AND CURRENTLY HAS JUST OVER 25,000 MILES ON IT. I AM DEFINITELY CONCERNED THIS IS A DEFECT!

ENGINE PISTON FAIL AND RESULTED IN HOLE IN BOTTOM ENGINE WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH. WITNESS IS MECHANIC, HIS PHONE IS: 661-251-4288

ON OCTOBER 28, 2017, I WAS INJURED IN AN AUTOMOBILE COLLISION, WHICH WAS CAUSED SOLELY BY A MALFUNCTION BY MY 2013 HYUNDAI SONATA. ON THAT DATE, I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE SAFELY AND CAREFULLY, LIKE I ALWAYS DO. I WAS PROCEEDING SLOWLY IN MY CAR, AND TRAVELING BETWEEN 10 MILES PER HOUR. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND TRIED TO BRING MY VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. HOWEVER, WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE, AND THE CAR KEPT MOVING FORWARD AND THE SHIFTING GEARS GOT STUCK. DESPITE MY MULTIPLE EFFORTS TO APPLY SUFFICIENT FORCE TO THE BRAKES, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. I THEN TRIED TO DISENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION BY PLACING THE SHIFT SELECTOR TO 'NEUTRAL,' BUT I COULD NOT MOVE SHIFTER OR MOVE THE SHIFTER FROM 'DRIVE' TO 'NEUTRAL.' DESPITE PRESSING FIRMLY ON THE BUTTON AND SHIFTER, I WAS UNABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND IT PROCEEDED FORWARDED UNTIL IT STRUCK A STREET SIGN, WHEREUPON MY VEHICLE CAME TO REST. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAD THESE PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR. I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE ON OR ABOUT OCTOBER 15, 2014 FROM MISSION HILLS HYUNDAI ('DEALER'), AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD IT SERVICED THERE. EARLIER THIS YEAR, ON OR ABOUT MAY 18, 2017, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE BRAKES AND TRANSMISSION INSPECTED AND SERVICED. AT THAT TIME, I EXPLAINED TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THE BRAKES AND SHIFTER WHEN PUTTING THE CAR INTO REVERSE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY SHIFTING THE GEAR SHIFTER INTO REVERSE, BUT IT FAILED TO SHIFT FROM DRIVE. ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH A STREET SIGN. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BACK INJURIES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS HOME. THE DEALER (KEYES MISSION HILLS HYUNDAI, 10240 SEPULVEDA BLVD, MISSION HILLS, MISSION HILL, CA 91345, (818) 221-4000) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY REPAIR SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR DETERMINATION OF THE BRAKE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER, BUT A FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. *TT *TR

FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS A SIREN GOES OFF IN MY CAR AND THE LITES START FLASHING SUCH AS BRAKE LIGHTS, THE KEY FOB LIGHT STATES SHOWING AS IF IT CAN'T BE FOUND IN VEHICLE. MOST OF ALL THE VEHICLE CAN'T START. THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT IT TO ONE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE MY BATTERY REPLACED. THE SECOND YEAR I HAD THE SAME THING HAPPENED RIGHT IN THE MIST OF TRAFFIC, THE CAR STOPPED AND COULDN'T MOVE, SAME SYMPTOMS AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED FROM SOUTH PHILA. TO BURLINGTON NJ., RESULTS WERE THAT THE RELAYS HAD FAILED. JUST THIS WEEK I WENT TO START MY CAR AND NOTHING HAPPENED. TRIED AGAIN AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STARTED BLINKING AND A SIREN LIKE A DIVING SUBMARINE STARTED BLARING. CALLED THE TOW SERVICE AND AGAIN BROUGHT IT TO DEALERSHIP. THIS TIME MY CAR IS AT THE SHOP WITH NO CLUE AS TO WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT

VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ON FREEWAY AT 70 MPH WHEN A FATAL ERROR CODE FLASHED AND SAID STOP CAR AFTER 20 SECONDS THE VEHICLE STOPPED AND ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS DIED (NOT ENOUGH TIME TO SAFELY PULL TO THE SIDE (NO 4-WAY FLASHERS OPERABLE). TOWED TO DEALER AND DEALER STATED THE LITHIUM BATTERY WAS 3 VOLTS CAUSING THE ISSUE AND BLOWING THE SAFETY PLUG CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STOP WITH NO ELECTRICAL OPERATION. I ASKED WHY THERE IS NO WARNING THAT ALLOWS THE DRIVER TO KNOW THAT THE LITHIUM BATTERY WILL FAIL CAUSING THIS FATAL ISSUE. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THERE IS NO ADVANCED WARNING, WHEN THE BATTERY DIES IT SHUTS DOWN THE VEHICLE QUICKLY WITHIN 20 SECONDS. THIS HAPPENED AT NIGHT ON A BUSY FREEWAY AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A MAJOR TRAFFIC COLLISION AS THE VEHICLE IS BLACK.

WE BOUGHT THIS CAR USED FROM THE DEALER EARLY ON WE HAD HYBRID WARNING SYSTEM ISSUES WE HAVE BEEN STUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SEVERAL TIMES HAVING TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER RECHARGED AND SERVICE EACH TIME WE WERE TOLD THEY DON'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG THE DEALER CHARGES THE BATTERY AND GIVES THE CAR BACK. NOW 3 YEARS LATER WE GOT THE OIL CHANGED AS NORMAL, IT'S THANKSGIVING WEEK AND WE ARE HEADED TO VACATION 3 HOURS FROM HOME WE AR E AN HOUR AWAY FROM DESTINATION AND THE CAR LOSES POWER GOING UP HILL THE OIL PAN LIGHT COMES ON, WE PULL OVER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOUNTAINS AND SIT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK TO FIND US. WE TOW THE CAR TO THE DEALER HOPING SOMETHING WASN'T DONE RIGHT WITH THE OIL CHANGED HOWEVER DEALER SAYS THE ENGINE SEIZED AND THE CAR IS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY AND EXTENDED WARRANTY SO WE WILL NEED TO PAY $6600 TO REPLACE WITH USED ENGINE. THIS CAR IS 4 YEARS OLD WE REGULARLY HAD THE OIL CHANGED. WE ARE NOT GIVEN ANY REASON FOR THE SEIZED ENGINE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE THE DAY WE GOT IT AND THE DEALER HAS NEVER PROVIDED MUCH HELP AS WERE ASKED TO TAKE PICTURES WHICH WE DID BUT STILL NOTHING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. ALSO, THE GEARSHIFT BECAME DIFFICULT TO SHIFT. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT STRUCK A STREET SIGN. THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE BACK,NECK, AND HEAD WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH KEYES MISSION HILLS HYUNDAI (10240 SEPULVEDA BLVD, MISSION HILLS, CA 91345), BUT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED A CASE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000. *BF UPDATED 8/20/18*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER ADVISED THE BRAKES AND COMPUTER SYSTEM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. *JS

THERE IS CLUNKING AND PLAY IN THE STEERING AT LOW SPEEDS, IN PARK OR STOPPED. IT APPEARS TO BE THERE WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS MOVED WITHIN 5 - 10 DEGREES OF CENTER. ALSO, THERE IS A LOUD CLUNKING/CLANKING SOUND WHEN GOING OVER ROUGH PAVEMENT, SPEED BUMPS, ETC.