2005 Hyundai Sonata SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE CONTINUOUSLY WITHOUT APPYING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE DEFECT ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V122000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC: SWITCHES: BRAKE LIGHT). THE VIN WAS INELIGIBLE UNDER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000.

I OWN A 2005 HYUNDAI SONATA. IT SEEMS THAT THE BRAKES ACT FUNNY (DON'T WORK RIGHT/LONGER STOP TIME) WHENEVER IT IS WET OR COLD OUT. I HAVE HAD WORK DONE ON IT BY THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT BRAKES WERE FROZE UP AND ONLY HALF WORKING. THEY WANTED $45 TO CLEAN THEM FOR ME. INSTEAD I HAD MY NORMAL MECHANIC DO THE CLEANING WHEN HE REPLACED MY REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. HE DID THE CLEANING FOR FREE. ABOUT A MONTH LATER ON MY WAY HOME, DRIVING THROUGH THE RAIN I CAME UP TO A STOP LIGHT WITH 3 OR 4 VEHICLES STOPPED AT IT, I PRESSED THE BRAKE WITH ABOUT FIFTY FEET BETWEEN MY VEHICLE AND THEIRS TRAVELING AT 45 MPH AND THE CAR DIDN'T SLOW DOWN AT ALL. I USED MY EMERGENCY BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN BUT STILL HIT A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. NO ONE WAS HURT. I CAN'T SAY THE SAME FOR MY CAR... IT HIT AN SUV. THE SUV HAD MINOR DAMAGE BUT MY CAR'S FRONT END WAS DESTROYED, AND THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. THE CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO MY MECHANIC FOR REPAIRS AND TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED AND THE BRAKES WERE STICKING A LITTLE BUT ALL HE COULD FIGURE OUT IS THAT THE CALIPERS NEED MORE CLEARANCE. THE BRAKES WORKED FOR HIM WITH NO FIXING BUT HE ALSO DROVE IT IN FAIR/SUNNY WEATHER. TO SUM UP THE INFORMATION I DO REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON MY VEHICLE. THE BRAKES HARDLY, IF AT ALL WORK IN COLD AND WET WEATHER. AND NOTHING IS REALLY BEING DONE EVEN AFTER I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE ISSUE. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP HE SAID IT WAS COMMON FOR THIS CAR TO HAVE BRAKES FREEZE UP DUE TO RUST BUILDUP AND OFFERED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THEM CLEANED (ONCE AGAIN FOR $45) THERE IS ALSO A PART AVAILABLE FOR EXTRA MONEY OF COARSE THAT IS A NEW CALIPER SLIDE ASSEMBLY WITH ADDITIONAL CLEARANCE. THIS TELLS ME THAT HYUNDAI KNOWS ABOUT THE ISSUE BUT IS UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

2005 HYUNDAI SONATA - 20,700 MILES FAILED SAFETY INSPECTION DUE TO SEVERE BRAKE RUST. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES, THE REAR BRAKE DISINTEGRATED DUE TO DRAGGING AND I WAS INFORMED IT WAS MY DRIVING. ONLY ONE REAR BRAKE MALFUNCTIONED IN THIS WAY, HOWEVER ALL ROTORS HAD TO BE "TURNED DOWN" AND NEW BRAKES WERE INSTALLED ALL AROUND EVEN THOUGH ALL OTHER 3 PADS WERE LIKE NEW. AT 72,000 THE FRONT BRAKE DID THE EXACT SAME THING AND THE REAR BRAKE WAS CLOSE TO BEING DETRIMENTAL TO THE ROTOR. THE FRONT ROTORS COULD NOT BE "TURNED-DOWN" AGAIN, SO NEW ROTORS WERE APPLIED. THIS PARTICULAR MECHANIC, AT A WELL KNOW FACILITY INFORMED ME THAT HYUNDAI'S ARE NOTORIOUS FOR WEARING OUT BRAKES AND THEY SEE THIS CONTINUED PROBLEM. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE HYUNDAI DEALER IS QUITE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. I AM NOW ON A "WATCH" AT THIS MECHANIC'S SHOP TO KEEP FROM HAVING YET ANOTHER BRAKE ISSUE. SOMETHING CAUSES THE BRAKES TO DRAG AND WEAR QUICKLY AND NOT ALWAYS THE SAME BRAKE. THE BRAKE PEDDLE, AFTER THE FIRST HYUNDAI SERVICE, WENT TO FLOOR AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THE SONATA IS DESIGNED FOR THE "OLDER" CUSTOMER WHOSE REACTION TIME IS SLOWER AND MORE UNSTEADY, THEREFORE THE BRAKING IS LONGER AND SOFTER. AFTER THE NEW MECHANIC ADJUSTED EVERYTHING, MY BRAKES ARE NORMAL. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS THE BRAKES FAILED CAUSING TWO ACCIDENTS. THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR BODY REPAIRS HOWEVER, THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED ABOUT THE BRAKES. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AND POLICE REPORTS WERE FILED. UPDATED 03/22/06*JB