2013 Hyundai Sonata Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUOUSLY STOP WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000. UPDATED 7/13/15*CN THE CONSUMER THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE BRAKE BOOSTER. UPDATED 9/18/15 *JS

I HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2012. BEGINNING IN Q1 OF 2014, I BEGAN TO NOTICE THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELING SPONGY IN THE CAR. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, THE PEDAL BECAME EVEN MORE SPONGY, WHERE THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE SUFFICIENTLY TO SLOW THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED PAST MORE THAN 2/3'S OF ITS FULL TRAVEL. TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE ON 6/4/2014 WITH 19,627 MILES AS VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY AND NO ONE ELSE WANTS TO WORK ON IT AS IT WOULD VOID MY WARRANTY. I DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER COMPLETED THEIR TESTS AND STATED THAT BRAKES WERE OPERATING NORMALLY. I THEN TOOK THE MECHANIC FOR A DRIVE TO SHOW THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO ALMOST THE FLOOR AND AGAIN TOLD THIS WAS NORMAL BY THE DEALER MECHANIC. APPROXIMATELY A MONTH LATER, AFTER LEAVING THE CAR PARKED FOR A WEEK AT THE AIRPORT WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED, THE REAR DRIVER WHEEL BEGAN THUMPING AND VIBRATING IMMEDIATELY UPON DRIVING OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE. I STOPPED THE CAR AND EXAMINED THE TIRE. NO PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRE WERE DETECTED SO I DROVE HOME. THE NOISE DECREASED DURING THE DRIVE BUT DID NOT GO AWAY. THE CAR WAS THEN TAKEN TO A TIRE SHOP WHERE TIRES WERE SWAPPED AND PROBLEM REMAINED WITH THE SAME LEFT REAR BRAKE. ANOTHER APPOINTMENT IS SCHEDULED WITH HYUNDAI DEALER TO RE-EXAMINE BRAKE SYSTEM. THE PROBLEM WITH THE SPONGY PEDAL HAS INCREASED AND NOW THE BRAKE PEDAL CAN BE DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT. ADDITIONALLY, THE LEFT REAR BRAKE CONTINUES TO MAKE NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE NOISE IS MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN THE BRAKES ARE USED, BUT THE NOISE STILL EXISTS EVEN WHEN THE BRAKES ARE NOT IN USE. *TR

THIS IS AN ADDITION TO NHTSA COMPLAINT NUMBER 10522412: AFTER THE CRASH WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED TO SEE WHY THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED, WE RECEIVED DOCUMENTATION FROM A VEHICLE MAINTENANCE GARAGE NOTING THEY FOUND SIGNIFICANT RUST ON THE BRAKE COMPONENTS (CALIPERS MAYBE). THE VEHICLE WAS RENTED IN SOUTH DAKOTA WHERE THEY USE SIGNIFICANT SALT ON THE ROADS. WHILE NOT ALL COMPLAINTS NOTING SPONGY BRAKES THAT THEN GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ENGAGING HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA, THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON HYUNDAI SONATA BLOGS. *TR

WE RENTED A 2013 HYUNDAI SONATA FROM HERTZ ON 8 JUNE 2013. IMMEDIATELY WE NOTED THE BRAKES FELT SPONGY AND TOOK A LONG TIME TO ENGAGE, AS WELL AS THE STEERING DRIFTED RIGHT OR LEFT CONSTANTLY. WE PUT THIS DOWN TO BEING A CHARACTERISTIC OF HYUNDAI, WHICH WE HAD NEVER DRIVEN. WE EXITED THE HIGHWAY. AT THE THIRD STOP/INTERSECTION, THE BRAKES WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR BUT FAILED TO ENGAGE. MY FATHER KEPT TRYING THE BRAKES AND THEY FINALLY ENGAGED AFTER ABOUT 3-5 ATTEMPTS. THEN AGAIN, ABOUT TWO STOPS LATER THE BRAKES AGAIN WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND FAILED TO ENGAGE MULTIPLE TIMES. RATHER THAN REAR END THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF US AT THE STOPLIGHT, HE MOVED INTO THE RIGHT HAND LANE, WHERE A VEHICLE HIT US AND THEN SPED PAST US. WE TRIED TO COME TO A STOP BEHIND THE VEHICLE TO CALL THE POLICE AND DEAL WITH THE INCIDENT, BUT THE BRAKES STILL WOULD NOT WORK. WE HAD TO SWERVE BACK TO THE LEFT LANE TO AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE AGAIN, AND FINALLY CAME TO A ROLLING STOP SEVERAL YARDS IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER DEALING WITH THE POLICE, WE TESTED THE BRAKES MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY WERE ENGAGING, SO WE CONTINUED ON TO MY AUNT'S HOUSE. THE NEXT DAY WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AS WE WERE TOO AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AGAIN, WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THE 2013 HYUNDAI SONATAS? WE'RE JUST VERY THANKFUL THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN WHILE WE WERE ON THE FREEWAY IF WE HAD TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP, TRAVELING AT 75 MPH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION HOWEVER THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE BRAKE FAILURE. THEREFORE THE VEHICLE WAS TRADED-IN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,000.