Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||||
| 0380002 | 05/01/2005 | 0580002 | 10003320 | Water leak between the taillight lenses and the body, resulting in a leak into the trunk area. *tt | 10/16/2003 |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | ||||||
| EA08016 | HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY | 08/21/2008 | 04/20/2009 | FRONT SUB-FRAME CORROSION | 09V124000 | |
| In a letter dated april 14, 2009, hyundai-kia america technical center, inc (hyundai) notified nhtsa that hyundaiis conducting a safety recall of model year (my) 1999 through 2004 hyundai sonata vehicles manufactured prior to november 20, 2003 that are registered and operated in the following salt belt states and the district of columbia: connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin.hyundai is recalling the vehicles to remedy a condition where internal corrosion of the front subframe may lead to separation of the lower control arm at the forward mounting point and/or separation of the axle from the transaxle.this could result in a loss of vehicle control and/or vehicle disablement. the subframes will be inspected in the recalled vehicles using a procedure developed by hyundai to measure metal thickness.parts with perforations from corrosion or with metal below the specified thickness will be replaced with redesigned subframes.if the minimum metal thickness is met, drainage holes and rust proofing material will be added to the existing subframe. odi's analysis of complaint data revealed that 98% of the consumer complaints were from vehicles either originally sold or operated in saltbelt states. similarly 99.7% of the warranty claims were from vehicles originally sold or operated in saltbelt states.odi identified 105 reports of lower control arm detachment and/or axle separation from the transaxle through analysis of warranty and complaint information and consumer interviews.one hundred three (103) of the 105 incidents involved vehicles in states covered by the recall.in addition to the subject vehicles, hyundai also noted in the april 14, 2009 letter that my 2001 through 2004 xg300 and xg350 were also being recalled as they were manufactured with subframes similar in design the subject vehicles.based on hyundai's decision to conduct a safety recall this engineering analysis is closed. | ||||||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS | ||||||
| PE08029 | HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY | 04/22/2008 | 08/21/2008 | FRONT SUB-FRAME CORROSION | ||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation, pe08-029, on april 22, 2008, based on 40 consumer complaints alleging front sub-frame corrosion in model year (my) 1999 through 2002 hyundai sonata vehicles.complaints describe severe corrosion of the vehicle sub-frame in the area where the right-front lower control arm is attached.in some vehicles, sub-frame corrosion has caused complete or partial detachment of the control arm, resulting in wheel collapse or separation. in response to odi's information request letter for pe08-029, hyundai provided owner complaints, field reports, and warranty claim data for approximately 197,906 my 1999 through 2002 subject vehicles sold or leased in the united states.the base warranty for the subject vehicles is 60 months or 60,000 miles, whichever occurs first.according to hyundai, prolonged exposure to the road salts may result in corrosive damage to the subframe.hyundai redesigned the sub-frame early in the my 2004 production (november 2003) to address problems with premature corrosion of the crossmember near the right-front suspension attachment. odi's analysis of both complaint and warranty data for the my 1999 through 2002 sonata vehicles shows that the failure rates are significantly higher in salt belt states, which account for approximately 50 percent of vehicle sales and over 90 percent ofcomplaints and warranty claims related to the alleged defect (note:for purposes of this investigation the salt belt includes connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia and wisconsin).according to hyundai, the alleged defect results in a progressive loss of structural integrity of the subframe and there is ample opportunity for the problem to be detected (by inspection, steering feel or tire wear anomalies) and repaired before it reaches a state where a safety related incident may occur.hyundai identified 4 allegations of vehicle disablement and 1 allegation of a crash; where the lower control arm broke from the vehicle while driving at 55 mph and the driver lost control and drove into a yard.there were no reported injuries.odi received a separate allegation of a crash, where the complainant alleged that while driving around a slight curve at 65 mph on a freeway, the vehicle sub-frame fractured and the driver lost control of the vehicle and went off the road.again, no injuries were reported.approximately one-third of the complaints to odi allege that the sub-frame corrosion resulted in a loss of control and/or a vehicle disablement due to wheel collapse or separation.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-016) covering my 1999 through early-2004 hyundai sonata vehicles in salt-belt states and equipped with the subject sub-frame design to further assess the frequency and safety consequences of the alleged defect. | ||||||
| EA08016 | HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY | 08/21/2008 | 04/20/2009 | FRONT SUB-FRAME CORROSION | 09V124000 | |
| In a letter dated april 14, 2009, hyundai-kia america technical center, inc (hyundai) notified nhtsa that hyundaiis conducting a safety recall of model year (my) 1999 through 2004 hyundai sonata vehicles manufactured prior to november 20, 2003 that are registered and operated in the following salt belt states and the district of columbia: connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin.hyundai is recalling the vehicles to remedy a condition where internal corrosion of the front subframe may lead to separation of the lower control arm at the forward mounting point and/or separation of the axle from the transaxle.this could result in a loss of vehicle control and/or vehicle disablement. the subframes will be inspected in the recalled vehicles using a procedure developed by hyundai to measure metal thickness.parts with perforations from corrosion or with metal below the specified thickness will be replaced with redesigned subframes.if the minimum metal thickness is met, drainage holes and rust proofing material will be added to the existing subframe. odi's analysis of complaint data revealed that 98% of the consumer complaints were from vehicles either originally sold or operated in saltbelt states. similarly 99.7% of the warranty claims were from vehicles originally sold or operated in saltbelt states.odi identified 105 reports of lower control arm detachment and/or axle separation from the transaxle through analysis of warranty and complaint information and consumer interviews.one hundred three (103) of the 105 incidents involved vehicles in states covered by the recall.in addition to the subject vehicles, hyundai also noted in the april 14, 2009 letter that my 2001 through 2004 xg300 and xg350 were also being recalled as they were manufactured with subframes similar in design the subject vehicles.based on hyundai's decision to conduct a safety recall this engineering analysis is closed. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | |||
| 12/01/2010 | |||
| My car made a loud thud while i was driving and then i heard my tire rubbing the wheel well. i had a very hard time steering and called my local garage. i looked on the internet and saw the specs on the recall and called my complaint into hyundai. i then had my vehicle towed to the nearest dealer where it sits awaiting repair. | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||
| 03/04/2013 | 184000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would veer to the right and would also fail to shift into gear. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the front passenger side axle was fractured due to corrosion of the frame. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 184,000. kmj | |||
| 03/04/2013 | 184000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would veered to the right and failed to shift into gear. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the front passenger side axle broke and stated that the failure was due to the frame being corroded. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 184,000. pm | |||
| 01/31/2013 | 180000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. the contact stated that the driver front door handle failed and the chrome coating fractured and separated from the door handle. the vehicle was recently repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 09v171000 (latches/locks/linkages) but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure and current mileage was 180,000. mah | |||
| 01/31/2013 | 180000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. the contact stated that nhtsa campaign number: 09v171000 latches/locks/linkages was performed; however the failure was not corrected. the driver door handle failed the chrome broke and separated from the door handle. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure and current mileage was 180,000. li | |||
| 05/01/2005 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Re. door handles: all four door handles have silver paint peeling. car is 2002 hyundai sonata. am taking car to dealership next week for estimate to replace handles. paint job of sonata is perfect except for all four door handles. *tr | |||
| 07/17/2005 | 27500 | 1 | 02/01/2003 |
| On july 26th, 2005, i was meeting a co-worker for lunch when i noticed that the paint on the front facia covering the bumper on my 2002 hyundai sonata was bubbling and starting to peel. after work that same day, i attempted to contact the salesperson who sold me the vehicle at the dealership. i spoke the service manager and had him walk out to inspect the facia. his first question to me was whether i had the vehicle repainted. i told him i had not! he then asked me if i have ever brought my car to a touchless car wash, which i have for many, many years here in town. he then stated that because of the 7500 psi caused by the high pressure water that they were not at fault and that it was not a manufacturer defect. i asked why this was not occurring on the body of the car or on the rear facia, and he stated that he did not know. dissatisfied with this response, i called hyundai motor america in fountain valley, ca at 800-633-5151 that evening (8/5/05) and spoke with a gentleman. after telling him of the situation, he then stated that i should try to get the car fixed at another dealership! on monday, august 8th, i received a phone call from hyundai motor america representative, who stated that the dealership was not going to remedy this situation. i received a response from the bbb auto line dated august 30th, stating that my vehicle exceeded the mileage requirements for filing with their program. my vehicle had 27,500 miles at the time of the complaint. apparently, the bbb auto line agreement with hyundai is to only accept claims within two years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first (see document hyundai-ny 8/2000). hyundai warranty expressly states warranty against paint defects for 3 years, 36,000 miles. i have submitted a complaint to the nys attorney generals office as of 9/7/2005. *jb | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||
| 09/16/2009 | |||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph the exterior rear passenger door chrome plating detached from the door landed onto the hood of the vehicle. unintended separation and exposure of sharp fragments can cause a serious injury. the vehicle has not been inspected or repaired to determine the cause of the failure. the vehicle identification number was unavailable. the failure and current mileages were unavailable. | |||
| 08/30/2009 | 140000 | 1 | |
| Repeated use of interior door handles on my 2002 hyundai sonata caused wear of the chrome plating and handles cracked and then had sharp edges which cut myself and some of my passengers and then i had to tape them. i took car back to 2 dealers, 1 didn't respond and the other fixed the problem with a bandaid, literally. they fixed it by putting a chrome adhesive pad over each of them, when i drove the car out of the lot and it was parked in the sun, the chrome plated adhesive strips came loose. i feel the need to fully replace all the defective door handles. this didn't resolve the problem and only made it worse with the doorhandles being sticky and unable to open at times until you stick the adhesive strip back on. i love my car and hyundai but don't think they did the right thing with just masking the problem to save a little money. please help! no deaths, but there were three people who were injured by cutting through the skin and would have been in bad shape had i taken a hemophiliac with me at some point. *tr | |||
| 09/08/2006 | 0 | 1 | 04/30/2002 |
| Hyundai sonata 2002 outside and inside painted door handle peeling causing injury to hands. injury more cause by inside door handles due to sliver painted door handles. becomes very sharp once peeling. *nm | |||
| 01/17/2004 | 15000 | 2 | |
| Dt*: the consumer stated the interior material on the passenger's door handle of the vehicle caused minor injuries to a child. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where they replaced the door handles. the consumer is now having the same type of problem with the driver's side door. *jb updated 3/9/2006 - *nm | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | |||
| 05/20/2004 | 2 | ||
| While opening the driver's door consumer noticed that the door handle was sharp. consumer's hand was cut. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the door handle needed to be replaced, and he replaced it. however, the problem recurred. *ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS | |||
| 03/04/2011 | 148423 | ||
| Corrosion of subframe, causing it to break and then catch fire to the car under the hood, destroying wiring and hoses. | |||
| 02/28/2011 | 81000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. the contact stated that that after having the vehicle inspected and they advised him that teh sub-frame had corroded and would not pass. the vehicle has not been inspected, but were contacted and offered no assistance. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were approximately 81,000. tb | |||
| 11/08/2010 | 122050 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. while driving approximately 5 mph she heard a loud crunching noise and the vehicle stopped moving. upon examination she noticed the front passenger side wheel was pointing outwards. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where she was informed the sub frame was rusted through. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 122,050. sm. | |||
| 06/15/2009 | 95000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. the contact stated that entire rear subframe had rusted. the contact called the dealership and was advised to take the vehicle in for diagnosis. the vehicle had not been repaired for the problem at the time the complaint was filed. also, while driving at 40 mph, the vehicle would drop from fourth gear to first gear suddenly. the vehicle was taken to the dealership and repairs were performed on the censors; however, the problem was not fixed. the failure mileage was approximately 95,000. the current mileage was approximately 112,000. | |||
| 04/16/2010 | 185000 | ||
| Front sub frame broke again for 2nd time on 2002 sonata. just stops abruptly and wheel collapses in an steering locks. has been fixed by dealer twice now. | |||
| 01/28/2010 | 142816 | 1 | |
| 1. hit a pothole, day or two later noticed car was pulling to the right and making noise when turning. took it to a mechanic because i thought it needed an alignment 2. mechanic noticed large hole (2+ diameter) with significant cracking in the right side subframe behind the wheel by lower control arm 3. attempting to contact hyundai motor america. *tr | |||
| 01/18/2010 | 91590 | 1 | |
| On monday evening 01/18/2010 my wife and i left our home with our 2002 hyundai sonata we drove no more then 3 tenths of a mile when the steering wheel starting pulling very hard to the right we then turned around and drove back toward home but only made it about 2 tenths of a mile before the front right wheel collapsed bringing us to a dead stop in the middle of the road. thankfully we were only going about 20-25 mph the police were called for traffic and the car was towed to r.j shore automotive branford ct 06405 the next morning the owner of r.j.auto informed me that my front engine sub-frame had failed due to corrosion, and showed me a print-out of a recall from hyundai dated april 14, 2009 then stated he called the hyundai dealer in branford ct 06405 but the dealer refused to pick up the car so i had to pay $81.41 to have the car towed to branford hyundai. the staff at the hyundai had no answers and continued to state you will have to call the corporate office, so i did. the employee chris stated that there were 200.000 vehicles involved in this recall campaign #089 or #09v124000 and we have not mailed out all of the notices (shame on them because it's been almost a year and if we were on the highway we could have died) the employee then called the branford hyundai and was told that the car would take 1 or 2 weeks to fix and no loaner or rental vehicle will be provided i said that is unacceptable and demanded a loaner still the answer was no but somehow they managed to fix my car on 01/20/2010 when i picked my vehicle up at 420pm on 01/20/2010 my wife and i were not allowed to view what was repaired and was told that they bent over backwards to fix this car quickly because of my call to hyundai corporate i stated (bent over backwards, someone could have died, from this accident) the manager bob guevera, and a chris vailette then called the police and told us to never come back again, to have the corporate office fix my car next time. *tr | |||
| 06/15/2006 | 1 | ||
| I have an 2002 hyundai sonata. my complete subframe rusted out a few years ago. the car was only 3 or 4 years old at the time. the complete subframe was replaced on a hush hush bases. i have the pics to prove it. never will i buy another hyundai or kia never. my god my family could have been killed. but what do they care it's not their family. *tr | |||
| 10/10/2009 | 90200 | 1 | |
| Excessive sub frame rust caused it to brake, and as a result practically disabled driving and almost led to an accident on highway. control of the vehicle is very dangerous, as the wheels are angled differently because of the sub frame bent. *tr | |||
| 10/06/2007 | 63000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. the contact stated that there was rust under the frame of his vehicle. the dealer stated that they have never seen any other vehicles with rust under the frame. the contact welded the rusted frame onto to the vehicle over a year ago. the contact received a recall notice; however, the dealer informed him that since he did such a good job welding the frame back together they didn't have to work on it. they also informed him that they are not going to replace the frame. the contact asked the dealer for a guarantee in writing that the frame would not break again. he also asked the dealer to replace the frame with a new frame. the vin is not available. the failure mileage was 63,000. | |||
| 09/21/2009 | 53979 | 1 | |
| I own a 2002 hyundai sonata,on monday september 21st2009 i took my car in for a leaking power steering line.the mechanic who worked on my car told me i better get a new car,he told me my subframe was rotted and the car was unsafe to drive. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 144000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle would not drive straight and kept pulling to the left and right. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the frame needed to be replaced. prior to the failure, the contact noticed that the vehicle had numerous alignment issues. the current and failure mileages were 144,000. | |||
| 08/09/2009 | 51000 | 1 | |
| My 2002 hyundai sonata began pulling hard to the right on 8/6/09 so i called the dealership to schedule maintenance thinking that there was a problem with my alignment. i was able to get an appointment on 8/10/09. when driving in traffic on 8/9/09 my car started to get out of control and then crashed into the curb. i was unable to drive it so i had to have it towed to the dealership. i found out that the subframe and axel were broken and that i would be expected to pay for the axel and labor. *tr | |||
| 07/14/2009 | 71000 | 1 | |
| I purchased a pre-owned hyundai sonata in january 2008 from a dealer. this past tuesday, the frame of my car broke while i was on the road. luckily for me, i was not on the highway. after some research i found out that 1999-2002 sonata had problem with the car frame. i contacted the company and was asked to take the car to a hyundai dealer who would fix the frame for me. although the company is fixing the frame at no cost, i had to rent a car and i still have it. the total charges for it till now have been $700. i also paid twice for getting my car towed. i requested the company to reimburse me for the rental car charges which they deny doing. i would have driven my sonata for another 3-4 yrs. as i am a recent graduate and looking for a job, i cannot afford to buy a new car and pay huge rental fee. but at the same time, i am concerned about my safety even after the front frame is fixed. i would appreciate if you can guide me about how to approach this situation with hyundai. i am spending a lot of money on rental and at the same time i will have to buy a new car. i look forward to hearing from you. *tr | |||
| 07/16/2009 | 45348 | 1 | |
| Front subframe rusting out. *tr | |||
| 06/04/2009 | 85000 | 1 | |
| 2002 hyundai sonata subframe failure. *tr | |||
| 05/11/2009 | 120000 | 1 | |
| While changing the ball bearing, the mechanic noticed that there was severe rusting on the front right side frame. he warned that the car would just collapse. there were 3-4 inch big holes in the frame. this could have caused fatal injury. the car is less than 7 year old for such severe rusting to occur. *tr | |||
| 03/31/2009 | 115000 | 1 | |
| 2002 hyundai sonata sub frame corrosion and front rt wheel collapsed. local dealer covered cost of sub frame replacement, but charged me for a new sway bar. front fender was pushed against passenger door, which hyundai would not fix, and car now has severe wobbling when driven, unlike before the corrosion. hyundai says it's an alignment problem and my responsibility. i am wondering what recourse i have against hyundai, as the car was well maintained and drove smoothly before this damaged occurred. lucky no one was hurt, since the wheel let go at a low speed. *tr | |||
| 03/17/2009 | 168000 | 1 | |
| My frame on my car rusted through leaving my car sitting on my tires literally! while driving through town. i have called the hyundai manufacturer and they took down information, i am now waiting on the decision if it will cost me anything or not. *tr | |||
| 03/07/2009 | 100981 | 1 | |
| My 2002 hyundai sonata lx has the common problem of the subframe rotting out on the passenger side where the control arm mounts. i noticed the problem during an oil change and have taken the car off the road due to safety issues. the control arm has not let go yet, but i do not dare to drive the car due to the extent of the rust. i am going to be contacting hyundai to see about a warranty. *tr | |||
| 01/25/2009 | 105000 | 1 | |
| 2002 hyundai sonata right passenger side wheel went sideways while driving at full speed. luckily no one was seriously injured but the car will need to be repaired. i believe hyundai should be responsible for repairs. from reading information online this seems to be a very common problem. *tr | |||
| 01/04/2000 | 83000 | 1 | |
| My 2002 hyundai sonata failed stare inspection due to right front rot on subframe. i contacted my local hyundai dealer and they are going to repair problem. until then, it will not pass inspection. i have already received a citation for it not being inspected . i am left with an uninspected and rotted car until they can take it in. hyundai does not give out loaner cars! *tr | |||
| 12/08/2008 | 40000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle failed state inspection due to the passenger side front subframe being severely rusted in on specific area. frame failure at that point is likely to cause a wheel/suspension failure, most likely while being put under the strain of turning/braking. dealer will not repair without charge. i have photos of the defect if needed. *tr | |||
| 12/01/2007 | 100000 | 1 | 01/01/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. the contact took the vehicle to the repair shop because the steering became difficult to control while driving 20 mph. the mechanic stated that the failure was in the passenger side front subframes. there was a large hole that rusted all the way through the frames, which prevented the vehicle from being driven. after researching the issue, the contact found numerous complaints for the same defect and believes it should be recalled. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 106,000. updated 01/07/09. *lj the sway bar ends links and bushings were worn. uupdated 01/09/09. *jb | |||
| 11/11/2002 | 123000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2002 hyundai sonata with the engine cradle frame completely rusting out. vehicle failed nh state inspection and is considered unsafe to drive at this point. mileage: 123,000. *tr | |||
| 11/03/2008 | 41404 | 1 | |
| 2002 hyundai sonata/4dr sedan/2.4l au - right front sub-frame completely rotted out. car was being checked for a leak and mechanic found damage. car was taken off the road until repaired. no injury or damage to person or property. *tr | |||
| 11/06/2008 | 82756 | 1 | |
| Subframe rusted completely through. luckily this was discovered during a repair of a power steering failure. this is a common complaint regarding the 1999-2004 sonata in high salt areas and hyundai is apparently replacing the frame out of warrant (mine was under an extended warranty anyway). i believe this should be a full recall to protect those who are otherwise unaware of this defect which has caused, in some cases, wheel separations. dealer told me that the part had a large hole completely through the frame. *tr | |||
| 10/24/2008 | 100000 | 1 | |
| My daughter was driving my 2002 sonata, when it basically just fell apart. it sounded like she was driving on the tire rim, but all 4 tires were still inflated. the front passenger-side tire did look tilted out. it had to be towed from that site. an insurance adjuster inspected it and stated he was sure that the car had gone off the road at some point because the axle was broken, that tire was bent and the engine cradle was scuffed shiny. it had not gone off the road, so my mechanic took a closer look and found that the engine cradle was rusted right though and what had happened (to my 16 year-old daughter while driving on a busy road at night) was that the engine cradle was so rusted that it crumbled, causing the engine and transmission to fall and break the axle and bend the wheel! thankfully, she had only just driven onto the road from a driveway, so she wasn't going fast and the lane she entered was clear. i'd hate to think what would have happened had she made it to the highway before this happened! when we discovered on line that so many others had similar problems with their 1999-2002 sonatas, we contacted our local dealer. he said we needed to have the car towed (15 miles) to his service dept where they would have a hyundai rep take a look at it. he said his manager had been known to replace the engine cradle free of charge, but he doubted very much that they'd pay for the axle, wheel, and any other damage incurred. after reading all these other similar incidents, i don't know if i want to bother going to the trouble of having my car towed to hyundai. i definitely feel that the public needs to be made aware of this problem and that a recall should be issued asap before someone is killed. (i bought this car used from the hyundai dealer in jan '05 with 50,000 miles on it. i have had it serviced regularly by a reputable mechanic these past 3+ years, and it now has a little over 100,000 miles on it). *tr | |||
| 10/15/2008 | 88284 | 1 | |
| Took my 2002 hyundai sonata to our local repair shop for state inspection and he told my husband that my subframe was completely rusted out...he could stick his fingers all the way through the frame. he said it was very dangerous and to call our local hyundai dealer. i did and the service guy there said to bring it in for inspection. that they have identified the rusting out of sonata subframes as a problem and under goodwill....they will fix it for free, unless the car has been wrecked. told him my car was not wrecked....in for state inspection only. i have just recently noticed when driving my sonata the steering wheel shaking very bad....especially when breaking on a hill. i thought maybe my brakes were going bad. no!!! it was my rusted out subframe. i believe there should be a class-action lawsuit filed. i have to take my sonata to the dealership in 5 days so they can order a new subframe. thankfully, none of my family has been injured because of this. what i want to know is.....why hasn't their been a recall on this for sonatas???? is hyundai going to wait for fatalities before they take action??? our mechanic told us the engine could fall off and/or our tires could break off while driving. and we don't do alot of city driving....mainly highway driving and my 17-year old son has been driving this sonata. i thank god nothing happened while he was driving the sonata. please respond to me asap. there needs to be a recall now!! i am contacting other sonata owners who've had the same problem and we are getting a class-action lawsuit together. *tr | |||
| 10/09/2008 | 97000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. while driving approximately 25 mph, the contact heard a noise while turning the vehicle. the passenger's side tire dislodged from the vehicle and the vehicle began smoking. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the failure was due to the subframe being corroded. the manufacturer informed her that nothing could be done until they received a diagnosis from the dealer. the vehicle is currently at the dealer awaiting repairs. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 97,000. | |||
| 08/15/2008 | 90383 | 1 | |
| I am the original owner of this vehicle and i purchased this car from the dealer brand new. i always have my vehicles serviced per the manufacturer maintenance schedule. as i was getting my 90,000 mile service work on my vehicle, the service tech noticed / stated the engine cradle was coming apart ( holes ) due to rust; per the service tech, the cradle needs replacing and the vehicle is unsafe to drive. i had the dealership replace the cradle ( cross-member); and perform a wheel alignment which i had to pay the dealership $2,200.00. *tr | |||
| 09/26/2008 | 107380 | 1 | |
| I had my 2002 hyundai sonata in to repair a power steering line that had rusted out and was leaking when the shop discovered that the cradle had a fist sized hole in the right side of the cradle. *tr | |||
| 08/02/2008 | 100000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. while the vehicle was being inspected by the dealer, the contact was informed that there was a rust hole near the front passenger side subframe. the dealer stated that the hole needed to be repaired in order for the vehicle to pass inspection. the contact did not notice any differences beforehand. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 100,000. | |||
| 08/04/2008 | 108749 | 1 | |
| Went to dealer for check engine light. i was told my subframe was rotting out. the dealer states they would replace the subframe under a goodwill warranty when asked if there was a recall or problems with the subframe of these cars i was told no. *tr | |||
| 08/27/2008 | 56000 | 1 | |
| I own 2 ,2002 hyundai sonatas with 48,000 on one and 56,000 on the other. they are both developing severe rust under both vehicles. the worst one appears to be starting to crack by the pass. side frame in front. where the ac leaks onto. this area is part of the welded frame which will be expensive to fix and i do not think it should be this bad on a 6 year old car. i have already had to replace other parts that have rotted away so bad that there was not much left of them. the upper control arms are also starting to develop a flaking rust on them . i will have to replace them also soon. i even had these cars rustproofed when new. *tr | |||
| 08/25/2008 | 58000 | 1 | |
| 2002 hyundai sonata, severe rot in the front passenger subframe. 58,000 miles on car. it was not driveable so was towed to dealer. was not in accident but had severe alignment issues and power steering hose breakage as a result of the rot. was told by dealer that subframe would be replaced under warranty but all other repairs were my responsibility. *tr | |||
| 08/21/2008 | 72500 | 1 | |
| As i write this letter, my 2002 sonata is currently in the shop for repair of severe rusting and detachment of the sub frame. i was advised a week ago by the mechanic performing an inspection of the vehicle that my front drivers side axle bolt was cracked and needed repair. having the extended hpp warranty, i brought it to the dealer whose eyes were wide with absolute terror when he told me how close to death i would have been had i not brought it in. he advised me that if i had driven the car another day, i would have been seriously injured or killed. needless to say, i will be without my car for the next 2 weeks. my dealer is offering me a | |||
| 08/17/2008 | 115000 | 1 | |
| Engine cradle / cross member rusted through on passenger - side [right side] of undercarriage [3 inches?] . apparent engine leak from air conditioner despite regular [hyundai] maintenance. *tr | |||
| 07/21/2008 | 73000 | 1 | |
| Took my car to shop today because the power steering was leaking, hard to turn on corners - this first appeared yesterday. i was hearing odd noises from under the car on the way to the shop. mechanic put car on lift and showed me how the engine cradle/frame is rusted through. they suspect the problem started above and worked through as i have been a fanatic about regular maintenance on this car - always with the same shop so they know me and the vehicle. now i'm waiting to see if hyundai will cover this. *tr | |||
| 07/16/2008 | 150000 | 1 | |
| My right front wheel didn't feel right , took it to a service station to be looked at. they brought me in to see that the whole frame under the car is rusted. the bolts that hold up the axle and suspension were completely gone and there was a hole in the under carriage. the wheel was tilted and the inside of the tire was worn all the way down . there was nothing there to support the wheel. *tr | |||
| 07/03/2008 | 171000 | 1 | |
| During an annual safety inspection a large hole was found in the front sub frame. the mechanic believed it was caused by the outflow of water from the air conditioning unit which ran over that area. *tr | |||
| 06/24/2008 | 85000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. upon taking the vehicle in for inspection, the mechanic discovered that the subframe was rusted in several places. the contact was advised not to drive the vehicle. there were no recalls for this failure. the current and failure mileages were 85,000. | |||
| 06/26/2008 | 0 | ||
| Purchased a 2002 hyundai sonata in 2006. on 6/25/2008 i received an oil change and when inspecting the undercarriage it was noted of a server rust hole on the sub frame assembly on the front of the car. the rust hole (while only about 1/4 to 1/8 of an inch across) stretches across the whole bottom of the sub-frame assembly. this is a very serious problem with a vehicle if the sub-frame is damaged. | |||
| 03/28/2008 | 100000 | 1 | |
| A rusted right front subframe separation on my 2002 hyundai sonata caused tire failure and a blowout. this happened one time and the car ran off the road. the car has been taken for repair where the mechanic is going to try and replace the frame in this area. *tr | |||
| 06/23/2007 | 117000 | 1 | |
| In a recent visit to hyundai dealer related to another matter i learned that my 2002 sonata was unsafe to drive due to a rusted out engine cradle on the passenger side. i have yet to get this fixed due to the price (est. $2500) and yet at the same time i realize the situation will only get worse. i have read on the internet where your agency is investigated this matter and also on the internet i learned of many other owners who have had accidents due engine cradle failure. the suspension gives way and wheels fall off, etc. in my opinion hyundai used inferior metal in their engine cradle and incorrectly designed the engine cradle system. i have been driving for more than 40 years and owned many makes and models of vehicles but never have i been faced with such a situation. i realize many parts have a limited life span but the engine cradle should have an extended life. my wife has a 1999 subaru with more miles than our sonata and which has been driven on the same road conditions with less care than we have given the sonata and yet her car does not have such an obvious and common safety issue. thank you for considering this important matter. i trust that you will move quickly to require hyundai to correct this matter before more lives are put in jeopardy and lost due to their oversight. *tr | |||
| 04/26/2008 | 1 | ||
| Brought my wife's car in for an oil change and she had complained there was a funny noise that had just started coming from under the car. i was informed when we went to pick it up that the frame close to the front right tire was rusted with a hole and looked it was cracking. my wife is a very cautious driver and we told that it was not due to any kind if impact, but it had just rusted at that spot. *tr | |||
| 06/08/2007 | 1 | 10/18/2001 | |
| Engine cradle rusted causing an safe situation should it fail while driving. *tr | |||
| 08/23/2006 | 1 | ||
| During vehicle routine maintenance of 2002 hyundai sonata, it was discovered that significant corrosion was observed in engine cradle. this corrosion presents a safety issue and hyundai refuses to replace the component because its out of warranty. *jb | |||
| STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS - UNDERBODY SHIELDS | |||
| 01/25/2013 | 156000 | 1 | |
| The right side sub-frame of my 02 hyundai sonata i just found out has rusted through and the lower control arm has separated causing the axle to pop out, this happened as i was driving and almost caused a wreck... i thought i need alignment but, found out that i need replace subframe. the car is very well maintained and even though it was once in a northern state (that's where i bought it..in new york) i do not think this uneven rusting of the subframe is normal. i checked and found that there was actually a recall of this vehicle for the exact this same reason, i am planning to call hyundai. *tr | |||
| 01/02/2013 | 127000 | 1 | |
| The right side sub-frame of my 02 hyundai sonata we just found out has rusted through and the lower control arm has separated causing the axle to pop out, this happened as i was driving and almost caused a wreck...the car is very well maintained and even though it was once in a northern state (that's where i bought it..in s.dakota) i do not think this uneven rusting of the subframe is normal. i checked and found that there was actually a recall of this vehicle for the exact this same reason, i called hyundai and the representative lied to my ear that it was not covered by that recall and that i should take to the hyundai dealership and pay for the repair myself. this is unconscionable and shouldn't be so. i wish i can get some help. *tr | |||
| 07/30/2012 | 165000 | 1 | |
| My son was driving the vehicle at 45 mph and heard a loud pop in the right front end of the vehicle and immediately afterwards the vehicle veered of to the right and on to the side of the road he was able to maintain control somewhat but if there had been pedestrians in that area i am not sure there would have not been serious consequences, the car was driven slowly to the nearest hyundai dealer for assessment and after assessment the dealer stated that the sub-frame has rusted out to the point that the right front wheel could become detached thereby possibly causing a potential catastrophic failure or loss of control of the vehicle and unknown consequences, dealer has submitted information to hyundai corp, the vehicle has an active recall on this particular safety defect. recall #089 issued in april 2008. we are awaiting hyundais response as to the status of our recall request as of 08/01/12. *tr | |||
| 06/12/2009 | 125000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 hyundai sonata. after driving 55 mph, the driver arrived at her destination and discovered that the wheel was at a 45 degree angle. the driver had to use excessive force to turn the steering wheel to the right. she noticed that the frame on the front end, which houses the supports for the wheels, was rusted out completely. the contact took the vehicle to a tire dealer for an alignment inspection. the results indicated that there were holes in the frame holding the steering, which had to be replaced at the cost of $1,600. the vehicle was repaired and is currently able to be driven. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 125,000. | |||