2009 Hyundai Sonata UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Excessively cracked dashboard. The entire dash in my 2009 Hyundai Sonata is cracked and a replacement has been denied by Hyundai USA. A cracked dashboard could cause reduced structural integrity. The dashboard is a structural component designed to help absorb and distribute some of the forces in a collision. Cracks can compromise this ability to perform this function potentially increasing the force experienced by the occupants and the and other parts of the vehicle. It can also cause increased risk of debris and shrapnel. During a collision the cracked dashboard may break apart more easily causing sharp or jagged pieces to become projectiles inside of the cabin these fragments can pose a serious injury risk to occupants. It can also result in an impaired airbag deployment. Many vehicles have airbags in the dashboard a severely cracked dashboard could obstruct or improperly deploy airbags for example the air bag may not fully deploy reducing its effectiveness and the dashboard may puncture or otherwise interfere with the airbag as it inflates creating additional safety hazards. Cracks may expose sharp edges or materials under the dashboard which could harm occupants during a collision, especially in areas where passengers may come into contact with the dashboard. A cracked dashboard could also cause a compromised electrical system dashboards house numerous electrical systems, sensors and controls cracks could indicate underlying damage to these components. In a collision these systems may fail or behave unpredictably which could further reduce safety features. Cracked dashboards present a significant risk during a collision and should be addressed by the manufacturer promptly to ensure its customer safety.
My door handles are breaking off. I was climbing in and out from my passenger seat..now my passenger and rear passenger door handles have broken off in the same day. I have no way in my vehicle now except through the window that I had to take off track to slide down to crawl in and out..im in a loss for words. This is humiliating.
None of my lights on my dash has changed. Areas affected: Service Brakes, Hydraulics, and exterior lighting, Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to engaged the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. As mentioned in the recall from 4/1/13. 2nd recall For Suspension: control arm separation May suddenly changed the rear wheel alignment affecting the handling of the car increasing the risk of a crash. Another main common issue is The rusted out subframe, lower control arms, cam bolts, bushings, control arm, subframe, and sway bar. This is causing me to drive unstable and hold the steering wheel forcefully in order to remain straight.
THE IGNITION LOCKED, THE KEY WAS UNABLE TO TURN OVER. THANKFULLY, I WAS PARKED IN A BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS PARKING LOT.
PLEASE, I WENT TO ONE OF THE VISION HYUNDAI OUTLETS TO RECTIFY SOME RECALLS ON MY HYUNDAI 2009 SONATE. I WAS ALSO INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THAT MY SUBFRAME HAS HOLES AND ADDED THAT IT CALLS FOR CONCERN AS A SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE, I DO NOT HAVE THE $800 HE SAID IT WOULD COST. I SEE THAT SOMEOTHER PERSONS HAD COMPLAINED IN THE PAST AND MADE A CLEAR STRONG STANDING TO HYUNDAI CONSUMER AFFAIRS THAT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND HAD THEIR VEHICLES REPAIRED AT NO COST TO THE OWNERS. BEARING IN MIND THAT A SUBFRAME ON A CAR SHOULD NOT BE RUSTING OUT, I NEED YOUR INPUT TO HAVE THIS ISSUED RESOLVED.
MY DASH IS CRACKING IN TWO DIFFERENT PLACES AND 1 IS CLOSE TO THE AIR BAG AND IT CONCERNS ME IF I GET IN CAR ACCIDENT THAT MY AIR BAGS DEPLOY AND AFRAID THE WHOLE DASH WILL COME OFF AND IT DOES NOT SEEM SAFE TO ME
SEVERELY CRACKED DASHBOARD
I BOUGHT MY CAR ON JULY 18TH 2016. THAT IS THE ONLY TIME I HAVE HAD A PASSING INSPECTION STICKER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SHORTLY AFTER I DROVE OFF THE LOT. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS I HAVE TRIED TO GET IT FIXED. THE CODE IS A P0442 CODE. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO 4 MECHANICS AND THEY CAN NOT FIND THE ISSUE. WE HAVE CHANGED THE GAS CAP TWICE, DONE PURGE VALVES, AND HOSES. WE ALSO DID 7 SMOKE TESTS AND STILL CAN NOT FIND THE ISSUE. I STILL OWE 7,000 ON THE VEHICLE AND HAVE BEEN PAYING IT BUT IT'S NOT DRIVABLE DUE TO THE REJECTION FOR THE INSPECTION. I KNOW OF 2 HYUNDAI SONATAS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ONE BEING A 2006 AND THE OTHER ALSO A 2009. I KEEP LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL BUT HAVEN'T FOUND ANYTHING. I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS AS FAR AS WHAT TO DO. PLEASE HELP ME IF YOU CAN IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
TRANSMISSION SHIFT DOWN
I HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE CAR STARTING INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS. THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD COMES UP BUT THE CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER. PREVIOUSLY I HAD TO GET A NEW STARTER ON 10/29/2015 WITH 40524 MILES ON THE CAR AT THIS TIME; THE 2009 SONATA WAS THEN ABOUT 6 YEARS OLD; I PAID $100 AS IT WAS JUST SLIGHTLY OVER 5 YEAR AND THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY WOULD PRORATE IT. I HAVE BEEN HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE AGAIN SINCE JANUARY 2018 WITH THE CAR STARTING/TURNING OVER INTERMITTENTLY; LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD COMES UP BUT CAR DOES NOT TURN OVER. I TOOK TO DEALER TODAY AND THE CAR HAD 60925 MILES ON IT, THE DEALERSHIP PERSON STATED THEY WERE 90-95% SURE IT WAS THE STARTER BUT NOT 100% AND ESTIMATED THE COST FOR THE NEW STARTER TO BE OVER $500. THE DEALERSHIP PERSON SAID THAT THE WARRANTY ON THE STARTER PUT IN ON 10/29/2015 WAS 12 MONTHS/12000, AND THEREFORE NO COST ADJUSTMENT.
2009 HUYNDAI SONATA STARTER INSTALLED IN JUNE 2017 BY DEALER AFTER DIAGNOSING A DEFECTIVE STARTER WAS THE REASON FOR A STRANGE SOUND WHEN STARTING THE CAR. IN DECEMBER 2017, THE SAME DEALER STATES THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH IS SENDING A SIGNAL AT THE WRONG TIME AND AS A RESULT, THE SAME SOUND OCCURS. DEALER CLAIMS THAT THE SAME SOUND IS NOT A RESULT OF THE STARTER, BUT THE IGNITION SWITCH.
WHILE DRIVING (THE CAR WAS IN MOTION) THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR HAS A PROPENSITY TO DROP, BLOCKING THE VISION FROM THE DRIVER. THE SUN VISOR NOW DOES NOT STAY IN AN UP-RIGHT POSITION. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE SUN VISOR BLOCKS YOUR VISION.
WHEN DRIVING MY CAR WILL JERK LIKE IT IS SHIFTING ROUGH. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BRAKES GRABBING BUT WHEN I GOOGLED IT I READ THAT IT COULD BE ECM AND TCM SOFTWARE PROBLEM. IT JERKS SOMETIMES SO BADLY THAT IT FEELS LIKE I HAVE BUMPED INTO SOMETHING. CALLED DEALER BUT WAS TOLD THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT IT IS PROBABLY AN UPDATE NEEDED TO THE ECM AND TCM SOFTWARE AND IT COULD COST $200. IF THAT IS THE CASE IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT HYUNDAI COVERS.
SUNROOF SHATTERED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. NOTHING HIT THE CAR AND I DID NOT CROSS UNDER AN OVER-PATH. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO SOUNDS OF WIND OR AIR ENTERING THE SUNROOF. CHUNKS OF GLASS FEW OFF THE CAR AND COULD HAVE DAMAGED OTHER VEHICLE OR COULD HAVE CAUSED A WRECK. IT RAINED OVERNIGHT AFTER THIS INCIDENT AND MY CLOTH SEATS WERE SOAKED. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET THE SUNROOF REPAIRED A FEW DAYS LATER.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE SUN VISOR THAT WAS UP BROKE AND SWUNG DOWN ALMOST HITTING ME IN THE FACE. IT NO LONGER WILL STAY UP AS IT'S INTENDED AND SWINGS DOWN BLOCKING MY VIEW OF THE ROAD WHEN DRIVING. IT'S A HAZARD AND ISSUE THAT I BELIEVE MANY OTHERS HAVE AS WELL.
SUN VISOR FELL DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR.
WE BOUGHT A USED 2009 HYUNDAI SONATA AND AFTER 9 MONTHS THE NAVIGATIO SYSTEM WENT BLANK. VERY DISAPPOINTED. IT FLASHES TH 33RD HYUNDAI LOGO FOLLOWED BY A BLANK WHITE SCREEN. TRYED REBOOTING. $100 JUST TO FIND OUT WHAT'S WRONG. NOW WE FIND OUT THERE WERE PROBLEMS FROM THE GET GO WITH THO S SYSTEM. VERY DISTRACTING AND SAFETY ISSUE AT NIGHT. WE BOUGHT AN EXTENDED PLAN WHICH DOES NOT SEEM TO COVER NAVIGATION.
DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR WOULD NOT STAY UP, CAUSING IT DROP IN FRONT OF EYES. MOVED TO SIDE, THEN FORCIBLY REMOVED IT WHEN I REACHED MY DESTINATION. APPEARS TO BE SAME PROBLEM RELATED TO MODELS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, BUT 2009 NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL.
I HAVE NOTICED MY PAINT ON MY HYUNDAI SONATA FOR 2009 HAS BEEN CHIPPING AWAY AND FLAKING OFF WHEN EVER IT RAINS AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE DOING THIS AND IT'S A NEWER CAR AND I ALSO NOTICE I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON GOING THROUGH THIS . THIS CAR GONNA LOOK UGLY WHEN ALL THE PAINT THAT'S CHIPPING OFF AND FLAKING OFF WHEN NOTHING BEEN HITTING THE CAR TO CAUSE THE PAINT TO FLAKE OFF AND IT'S A NEWER MODEL . SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT IT AND IT SHOULD NOT BE DOING THIS AT ALL. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S DOING THIS I ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR A YEAR NOW THIS IS NOT RIGHT. ALSO MY BUTTON FOR THE GAS DOOR QUIT WORKING ON THE SECOND DAY I GOT IT AND I ALSO NOTICE OTHER PEOPLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND I ALSO KNOW I HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT ALSO BEEN ADDRESSED TOO MY DOOR UNLOCKS WHEN I PUT MY CAR IN PARK AND IT SHOULDN'T UNLOCK CAUSE I'LL BE SITTING THERE AND SOMEONE CAN JUST OPEN THE DOOR IF I WAS BEING HIJACKED AND IT SHOULDN'T BE DOING THAT EITHER AND UNLOCKING WHEN U PUT THE CAR IN PARK THIS NEEDS FIXED FOR SAFETY REASONS TOO
I HAVE A 2009 HYUNDAI SONATA. IT HAS ABOUT 140,000 MILES ON IT AND IS ADMITTEDLY WELL OUTSIDE OF ANY WARRANTY, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THIS CASE REQUIRES AN EXCEPTION. ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THE PAINT STARTED CHIPPING OFF MY CAR. NOT LITTLE SCRATCHES BUT FAIRLY LARGE SPOTS. I CONTACTED HYUNDAI WHO SAID IT WAS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY, AND I LET IT GO. LAST SATURDAY, DURING A HARD RAIN, THE PAINT LITERALLY FELL OFF MY CAR. MY HUSBAND DROVE TO COLUMBUS THAT DAY, AND WHEN HE ARRIVED, THE PAINT HAD VANISHED FROM THE ENTIRE ROOF. PATCHES CAME OFF OF THE HOOD AS WELL. AND THE TRUNK IS BEGINNING TO PEEL. I AM TOLD THIS IS A DELAMINATION ISSUE RELATED TO METAL PAINT PREPARATION. WHILE I REALIZE THAT THE CAR IS OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY, I STAND BY MY STATEMENT THAT NO MATTER HOW MANY MILES A CAR HAS ON IT, THE PAINT SHOULD NOT COME OFF IN THE RAIN! HYUNDAI REFUSES TO EVEN REFER THE CASE TO A SUPERVISOR. NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR HAPPENS, AND I ACCEPT THAT. BUT THIS IS CLEARLY A FACTORY DEFECT, AND I THINK HYUNDAI SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING IT. SINCE HYUNDAI IS TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE, I AM SEEKING OTHERS TO WITH THIS PROBLEM FOR A MORE FORMAL APPROACH TO HAVE THIS RESOLVED.
TRANSMISSION ISSUE: EXPERIENCING A HARSH DOWN SHIFT WHEN BRAKING. THIS RECALL IS ALREADY KNOW FOR THE 2011 MODEL IN WHICH HYUNDAI SAYS IT IS A TIMING ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THEY HAVE TO RESET IT.
MY DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR FLOPS DOWN. IT LOOKS GOOD, IS NOT TORN OR APPEAR ABUSED, BUT IT KEEPS FLOPPING DOWN WHEN I DRIVE AND THE ANGLE BLOCKS MY VIEW. I DO NOT KNOW WHY IT HAPPENED, I SIMPLY TRIED TO PUSH IT INTO THE POSITION THAT SUITS ME BEST AND SOME PLASTIC FELL FROM THE END PIECE WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE FRAME. I WAS PARKED AT THE TIME, PREPARING TO DRIVE.
NOTICED ON PASSENGER SIDE DASHBOARD NEAR THE AIRBAG THAT THERE WAS A LONG CRACK FROM WINDSHIELD DOWN ENTIRE FRONT OF DASH AREA. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER NOTICED ANOTHER CRACK JUST ON THE OPPOSITE OF THE DASHBOARD IN SAME AREA WHERE AIRBAG WOULD BE LOCATED ON PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO HYUNDAI DEALER TO SURVEY ISSUE AND INQUIRE ABOUT SAFETY ISSUE. I ADVISED THEM THAT I HAVE A CUSTOM MADE SUNSHADE WHICH IS USED ON VEHICLE DAILY FOR SUN PROTECTION ON THE DASHBOARD AS WELL AS ENTIRE VEHICLE.
WHEN CAR IS PLACED IN DRIVE THE GEAR SHIFT DISPLAY WILL SHOW RANDOM GEARS. IT WILL CYCLE THROUGH ALL THE GEARS UNTIL YOU SELECT TO USE THE MANUAL SHIFT (+/-) TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE IN THE PROPER GEAR. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE ON OTHERS CAR IN THE SONATA LINE UP JUST NOT THIS YEAR. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND CORRECTED. I AM TAKING MY VEHICLE TO THE CAR DEALER TODAY TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED.
WHILE DRIVING MY CAR I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT TO THIRD GEAR AND DISCOVERED I HAD NO CLUTCH PEDAL. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUED FOR THE NEXT HALF HOUR TILL I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION, WHERE I PARKED IT. A FEW HOURS LATER I STARTED TO GO HOME AND THE CLUTCH WORKED FINE. INDICATING THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT IN THE CLUTCH. I BELIEVE THE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDER LOSES PRESSURE SOMEHOW CAUSING THE PROBLEM
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Quick Summary
The 2009 Hyundai Sonata has 26 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.