Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 02/02/2013 | 64000 | 1 | |
| I closed the trunk and the driver side brake light housing unit pulled away from the vehicle. i opened the trunk again to look from inside and noticed the four screws holding the unit in place were totally broken off. the plastic holding the screws to the main housing unit crumbled into little pieces. *tr | |||
| 02/02/2013 | 64000 | ||
| I closed the trunk and the driver side brake light housing unit pulled away from the vehicle. i opened the trunk again to look from inside and noticed the four screws holding the unit in place were totally broken off. the plastic holding the screws to the main housing unit crumbled into little pieces. | |||
| 08/15/2012 | 40000 | 1 | |
| I was driving at the freeway speed limit, i did not feel anything when it happened but i know that it happened on the freeway. i pulled over to get some gas, looked back near the gas cap and saw that my driver's side tailight assembly was hanging by the wires onto my bumper. when it fell out, it bounced and placed several dings and chips in the plastic bumper. i noticed that the wheels(cogs) inside the tailight assembly were completely broken off. i had to take the light out and place it in my trunk and drive the rest of the two hundred miles with no left tail light or turn signal. if it had fallen into the middle of the freeway, i am sure there would have been much more to write about and none of it good! *tr | |||
| 08/15/2012 | 40000 | ||
| I was driving at the freeway speed limit, i did not feel anything when it happened but i know that it happened on the freeway. i pulled over to get some gas, looked back near the gas cap and saw that my driver's side tailight assembly was hanging by the wires onto my bumper. when it fell out, it bounced and placed several dings and chips in the plastic bumper. i noticed that the wheels(cogs) inside the tailight assembly were completely broken off. i had to take the light out and place it in my trunk and drive the rest of the two hundred miles with no left tail light or turn signal. if it had fallen into the middle of the freeway, i am sure there would have been much more to write about and none of it good! | |||
| 11/19/2012 | 38500 | 1 | |
| Upon arriving at my destination, i noticed that my driver-side taillight assembly was dangling out of the fender by it's wiring harness. upon closer inspection, i discovered that the posts that the bolts secure into had failed, causing the lamp assembly to fall out of the fender. when i inquired with a hyundai service and parts associate at a service center, they stated that this was a common problem with my vehicle model and the component was replaced under warranty. *tr | |||
| 11/19/2012 | 38500 | ||
| Unpon arriving at my destination, i noticed that my driver-side taillight assembly was dangling out of the fender by it's wiring harness. upon closer inspection, i discovered that the posts that the bolts secure into had failed, causing the lamp assembly to fall out of the fender. when i inquired with a hyundai service and parts associate at a service center, they stated that this was a common problem with my vehicle model and the component was replaced under warranty. | |||
| 10/10/2012 | 34450 | 1 | |
| Left rear taillight assembly fell off, hanging by wiring. four plastic mounting bosses at mounting studs have broken. not the result of any impact or crash. i was alerted to it by another driver beside me who beeped. the taillight has no damage other than the failed mounts. dealer said it will be replaced under warranty. *tr | |||
| 10/10/2012 | 34450 | ||
| Left rear taillight assembly fell off, hanging by wiring. four plastic mounting bosses at mounting studs have broken. not the result of any impact or crash. i was alerted to it by another driver beside me who beeped. the tailight has no damage other than the failed mounts. dealer said it will be replaced under warranty. | |||
| 09/08/2012 | 45000 | 1 | |
| Many other buyers of this vehicle have complained same issue. tails lights are falling out on their own without any impact. it seems that plastic studs holding lights in place are cracking off. there are four studs that metal screws are holding light on by. hyundai is not honoring this as a warranty, this is a dangerous situation because one driver had his light pop out driving on highway. *tr | |||
| 09/08/2012 | 45000 | ||
| Many other buyers of this vehicle have complained same issue. tails lights are falling out on their own without any impact. it seems that plastic studs holding lights in place are cracking off. there are four studs that metal screws are holding light on by. hyundai is not honoring this as a warranty, this is a dangerous situation because one driver had his light pop out driving on highway. | |||
| 08/29/2012 | 18000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2011 hyundai sonata. i had my brake pedal stoplight switch replaced a few days ago by a hyundai dealer, which was covered under the manufacturer's warranty. however, in doing research on this replacement, i have found that this is a common problem of hyundai sonata owners and it would seem that hyundai has not corrected this issue other then to replace the oem switch when it fails. based upon what i have read, i therefore expect that this replacement will fail again sometime in the future and probably at an inopportune time. since it takes only a few moments to replace the switch, some hyundai owners that have had multiple failures have gone as far as carrying a spare switch in their glove compartment in case the switch fails again and they are either out of warranty or not near a dealer. the safety issue revolves around the failure of this switch which results in the brake lights not being operable and the possibility of other safety systems being affected too, i.e. traction control and abs. if this switch failure occurs with the vehicle in park, the gearshift lever cannot be moved. if this failure was a once in a lifetime failure, it would not be that much of an issue. but again, that does not seem to be the case and research of hyundai's repair records or statements made by owners of these cars should bare that out. the original oem switch part is #93810-3s000. an alleged update may be part # 93810-3k000 but this part can not be installed in the vehicles having the original part and hyundai has not made a retro installation possible if this k switch is indeed an updated replacement. i feel that hyundai should address this issue and produce a retro fit for this safety related brake switch since it seems to be a constant issue that needs attention due to the failure of the switch which then causes, at the very least, inoperable brake lights. *tr | |||
| 08/29/2012 | 18000 | ||
| I have a 2011 hyundai sonata. i had my brake pedal stoplight switch replaced a few days ago by a hyundai dealer, which was covered under the manufacturer's warranty. however, in doing research on this replacement, i have found that this is a common problem of hyundai sonata owners and it would seem that hyundai has not corrected this issue other then to replace the oem switch when it fails. based upon what i have read, i therefore expect that this replacement will fail again sometime in the future and probably at an inopportune time. since it takes only a few moments to replace the switch, some hyundai owners that have had multiple failures have gone as far as carrying a spare switch in their glove compartment in case the switch fails again and they are either out of warranty or not near a dealer. the safety issue revolves around the failure of this switch which results in the brake lights not being operable and the possibility of other safety systems being affected too, i.e. traction control and abs. if this switch failure occurs with the vehicle in park, the gearshift lever cannot be moved. if this failure was a once in a lifetime failure, it would not be that much of an issue. but again, that does not seem to be the case and research of hyundai's repair records or statements made by owners of these cars should bare that out. the original oem switch part is #93810-3s000. an alleged update may be part # 93810-3k000 but this part can not be installed in the vehicles having the original part and hyundai has not made a retro installation possible if this k switch is indeed an updated replacement. i feel that hyundai should address this issue and produce a retro fit for this safety related brake switch since it seems to be a constant issue that needs attention due to the failure of the switch which then causes, at the very least, inoperable brake lights. | |||
| 08/26/2012 | 38000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. while driving approximately 65 mph the driver side tail light unit detached from the vehicle. the passenger side tail light unit was also loose. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 38,000. | |||
| 08/26/2012 | 38000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. while driving approximately 65 mph the driver side tail light unit detached from the vehicle. the passenger side tail light unit was also loose. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 38,000. kmj | |||
| 08/26/2012 | 38000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. while driving approximately 65 mph the drivers side tail light unit detached from the vehicle. the passenger side tail light unit was loose . the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 38,000. da | |||
| 08/18/2012 | 50000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. the contact stated that the rear brake light assembly detached from the vehicle. the contact was entering a residential driveway when the failure occurred. the entire light fixture was detached from the vehicle. the contact stated that the manufacturer did provide any assistance or information in regards to a remedy for the failure. the failure and the current mileages were 50,000. kmj | |||
| 07/23/2012 | 37000 | 1 | |
| Car will not start! hyundai replaced the brake switch and now it is happening again. this happens a couple times per week. this will be my second visit to hyundai. this should be a recall! we could be without necessary transportation. *tr | |||
| 08/10/2012 | 70000 | 1 | |
| I was driving over the bridge when i heard noises from the rear of my car . the car behind me was honking. when i was able to pull over i saw my taillight was hanging on by wires. *tr | |||
| 07/23/2012 | 37000 | 1 | |
| Car will not start! hyundai replaced the brake switch and now it is happening again. this happens a couple times per week. this will be my second visit to hyundai. this should be a recall! we could be without necessary transportation. *tr | |||
| 08/10/2012 | 70000 | 1 | |
| I was driving over the bridge when i heard noises from the rear of my car . the car behind me was honking. when i was able to pull over i saw my taillight was hanging on by wires. *tr | |||
| 07/23/2012 | 37000 | 1 | |
| Car will not start! hyundai replaced the brake switch and now it is happening again. this happens a couple times per week. this will be my second visit to hyundai. this should be a recall! we could be without necessary transportation. *tr | |||
| 08/10/2012 | 70000 | 1 | |
| I was driving over the bridge when i heard noises from the rear of my car . the car behind me was honking. when i was able to pull over i saw my taillight was hanging on by wires. *tr | |||
| 08/10/2012 | 70000 | ||
| I was driving over the bridge when i heard noises from the rear of my car . the car behind me was honking. when i was able to pull over i saw my taillight was hanging on by wires. | |||
| 08/06/2012 | 4500 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed poor illumination of the headlights. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics where the technician inspected the vehicle and advised the contact that the headlights were performing as designed. the dealer also advised the contact to activate the fog lights, which should assist with illuminating the roadway. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 4,500. kmj | |||
| 08/06/2012 | 4500 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. while driving approximately 30 mph the contact noticed the visibility was low due to poor illumination of the headlights. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic. the technician inspected the vehicle and stated the headlights were designed this way and activating the fog lights would assist. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 4,500. da | |||
| 07/23/2012 | 32435 | 1 | |
| I opened my trunk and the passengers side tail light was broken loose, and only being held in place by the wires. all the bolts that fasten the plastic tail light to the vehicle were broken off. there was no damage or impact to the light or vehicle. *tr | |||
| 07/10/2012 | 64000 | 1 | |
| After driving down the interstate i pulled up at my hotel to valet my car. when i walked to the back of my car i realized that my driver's side tail light was hanging by the wires. after further inspection i was able to determine that all of the plastic mounting tabs were broken. the dealership indicated they had seen this same problem before, but would not replace mine because the mileage was over 60k. this should be a recall item in my opinion considering brake lights/ tail lights are important to have! *tr | |||
| 07/23/2012 | 32435 | ||
| I opened my trunk and the passengers side tail light was broken loose, and only being held in place by the wires. all the bolts that fasten the plastic tail light to the vehicle were broken off. there was no damage or impact to the light or vehicle. | |||
| 07/10/2012 | 64000 | 1 | |
| After driving down the interstate i pulled up at my hotel to valet my car. when i walked to the back of my car i realized that my driver's side tail light was hanging by the wires. after further inspection i was able to determine that all of the plastic mounting tabs were broken. the dealership indicated they had seen this same problem before, but would not replace mine because the mileage was over 60k. this should be a recall item in my opinion considering brake lights/ tail lights are important to have! *tr | |||
| 07/10/2012 | 64000 | ||
| After driving down the interstate i pulled up at my hotel to valet my car. when i walked to the back of my car i realized that my driver's side tail light was hanging by the wires. after further inspection i was able to determine that all of the plastic mounting tabs were broken. the dealership indicated they had seen this same problem before, but would not replace mine because the mileage was over 60k. this should be a recall item in my opinion considering brake lights/ tail lights are important to have! | |||
| 11/25/2011 | 24600 | ||
| I was pulling out of a driveway and heard a clunk. the next day i noticed the left tail light assembly had fallen out. it was still held on by it's wires. there is no damage to the exterior of my car or to the lens of the assembly. the interior retaining nuts had all been broke. hyundai will not give me any answers how this has happened | |||
| 11/27/2011 | |||
| While walking up to my wife's 2011 hyundai sonata in a parking lot, we noticed that the passenger side tail light was dislodged from the body of the car. the electrical wires were still attached to the tail light, but there was no damage to the back of the car or the tail light itself. however, we did see the four bolt holders that attach the tail light to the body of the car had ruptured and broke apart. within an hour we took the car to our local hyundai dealer and they said they had never seen a defect like this. they insisted that this must have been due to an impact, even though there was no evidence of damage to the tail light, the back of the car or any signs of vandalism. since they felt it was due to an impact (not covered by the warranty), we had to pay nearly $300 for the tail light to be replaced. later that day, i noticed the driver side tail light was becoming loose to the touch as well. the next day my wife called the corporate line for hyundai to report this tail light defect and report the dealership we went to as well. within 2 days the dealership called us back and said this is definitely some kind of defect and it should have been covered by our warranty. they refunded our money and also replaced the driver side tail light at no charge. every sonata should have their tail lights checked and recalled (at no charge) if these defective bolt holders continue to be found as brittle and flimsy as ours were. thankfully the tail light did not fall off our car while we were driving or it would have become a serious road hazard. please bring this to the attention of all sonata owners immediately. | |||
| 11/25/2011 | 24600 | ||
| I was pulling out of a driveway and heard a clunk. the next day i noticed the left tail light assembly had fallen out. it was still held on by it's wires. there is no damage to the exterior of my car or to the lens of the assembly. the interior retaining nuts had all been broke. hyundai will not give me any answers how this has happened | |||
| 11/27/2011 | |||
| While walking up to my wife's 2011 hyundai sonata in a parking lot, we noticed that the passenger side tail light was dislodged from the body of the car. the electrical wires were still attached to the tail light, but there was no damage to the back of the car or the tail light itself. however, we did see the four bolt holders that attach the tail light to the body of the car had ruptured and broke apart. within an hour we took the car to our local hyundai dealer and they said they had never seen a defect like this. they insisted that this must have been due to an impact, even though there was no evidence of damage to the tail light, the back of the car or any signs of vandalism. since they felt it was due to an impact (not covered by the warranty), we had to pay nearly $300 for the tail light to be replaced. later that day, i noticed the driver side tail light was becoming loose to the touch as well. the next day my wife called the corporate line for hyundai to report this tail light defect and report the dealership we went to as well. within 2 days the dealership called us back and said this is definitely some kind of defect and it should have been covered by our warranty. they refunded our money and also replaced the driver side tail light at no charge. every sonata should have their tail lights checked and recalled (at no charge) if these defective bolt holders continue to be found as brittle and flimsy as ours were. thankfully the tail light did not fall off our car while we were driving or it would have become a serious road hazard. please bring this to the attention of all sonata owners immediately. | |||
| 11/25/2011 | 24600 | ||
| I was pulling out of a driveway and heard a clunk. the next day i noticed the left tail light assembly had fallen out. it was still held on by it's wires. there is no damage to the exterior of my car or to the lens of the assembly. the interior retaining nuts had all been broke. hyundai will not give me any answers how this has happened | |||
| 11/27/2011 | |||
| While walking up to my wife's 2011 hyundai sonata in a parking lot, we noticed that the passenger side tail light was dislodged from the body of the car. the electrical wires were still attached to the tail light, but there was no damage to the back of the car or the tail light itself. however, we did see the four bolt holders that attach the tail light to the body of the car had ruptured and broke apart. within an hour we took the car to our local hyundai dealer and they said they had never seen a defect like this. they insisted that this must have been due to an impact, even though there was no evidence of damage to the tail light, the back of the car or any signs of vandalism. since they felt it was due to an impact (not covered by the warranty), we had to pay nearly $300 for the tail light to be replaced. later that day, i noticed the driver side tail light was becoming loose to the touch as well. the next day my wife called the corporate line for hyundai to report this tail light defect and report the dealership we went to as well. within 2 days the dealership called us back and said this is definitely some kind of defect and it should have been covered by our warranty. they refunded our money and also replaced the driver side tail light at no charge. every sonata should have their tail lights checked and recalled (at no charge) if these defective bolt holders continue to be found as brittle and flimsy as ours were. thankfully the tail light did not fall off our car while we were driving or it would have become a serious road hazard. please bring this to the attention of all sonata owners immediately. | |||
| 11/01/2011 | |||
| I purchased a 2011 hyundai sonata and it is a very nice car except that there is a very real and significant safety issue with respect to the visibility provided by the low beam headlights. i have noticed that a number of other people have expressed their concern about this as well because it makes the car very challenging to drive safely at night. when you are driving the car at night and have the headlights on low beam as you look through the windshield there is a very distinct boundary about midway up the windshield and everything above that boundary line is completely dark. it not only significantly reduces the distance that you typically should be able to see in front of you but it is also extremely disconcerting because even the slightest bump causes the line and your visibility to be bouncing up and down. the other night i nearly hit a person walking along the road even though i was only driving 35 miles per hour because i was almost on top of them before they were visible in the headlights. i have been driving for many years and that has never been an issue with any other car that i have owned. | |||
| 03/20/2011 | 12000 | ||
| Unable to see objects in the road at night when using low [normal] beams for headlights. hit road gaters 2 times causing damage to car both times. no other cars were involved. now i drive around with my high beams on. have no more road gaters. | |||
| 07/16/2011 | |||
| Have owned this 2011 hyundai sonata for about three weeks now. for the first time, i operated the car at night. i was not aware of an obvious and consequential defect with the headlight low beam aiming on this automobile. with headlights on after dark, there is a sharp boundary between headlight illumination on the lower area and darkness above. on all but level roadway, this hazardous defect is apparent. many roads where i live in pennsylvania are twisting and hilly. traversing those roads with this sonata using the low beam headlights unnerving and dangerous. when the front of the car dips into even a slight downgrade, road ahead is illuminated to about 40 feet in front of car. line of sight through windshield has at least half the view above unlit. seems that the view zone brightly illuminated below, the eyes try to compensate for contrast. consequently, the top half seen through the windshield appears to be in complete blackness. aside from the impaired road illumination, while driving on curving roads, there is an annoying hypnotic effect caused. due to the harsh light and dark contrast, i find it confusing to navigate between the painted lines due to the low beam problem. last night while on the way home over one of the winding roads, i nearly hit a deer. the animal was standing in the road but i could not see it. because of the low beam headlights on my sonata, i nearly crashed. fortunately, the deer jumped out of the way in the last seconds directly in front of the car. to me, the 2011 hyundai sonata low-beam headlight problem is a difficult situation. until there is a solution, for my own protection, i now drive on those roads with the high beams, at night, all the time. i ask that you please investigate this issue as it is a serious and very dangerous situation to life and safety. | |||
| 06/11/2011 | 600 | ||
| When headlights are on low beam, you can definitely see a horizontal line. i noticed this when driving on backroads. at some points i cannot see more than a few feet in front of my vehicle. very dangerous especially if there was something or someone in the road ahead. no visibility at all. i turned on my lights in my garage and you could definitely see the flat line on the garage wall. i don't feel safe driving at night especially on backroads which i have to do ofter. | |||
| 06/18/2011 | |||
| I have a new 2011 sonata. i been having every problem you can imagine with my car. this time it's my left tail light, it was literally hanging on because of my trunk. i looked inside where the light use to be attached and all the plastic crumbled apart. i called hyundai about it and they said they had a new tail light to replace mine with and when i got there found out it was broken, so they took a tail light off another sonata and put it on mine until they order another one. my original tail light scratched and craved the paint on my car in and around that area. it could have easily caused an accident if i had not been so cautious driving after seeing it hanging on by my trunk. one of the service guys told me this was the 4th time he seen this! | |||
| 03/08/2011 | 362 | ||
| The low beam headlights on the 2011 hyundai sonota cast a horizontal shadow approx 100ft in front of the car on level pavement. everything above this line is completely unilluminated. when you travel up and down hills and minor road grade imperfections, this black shadow comes down and completely blocks headlight illumination to just a few feet in front of the car. this is extremely dangerous and disconcerting when driving at night. it is a fundamental design flaw in the headlight system of this car, and hundai should re-design the headlights on a re-call before someone is killed because of this. | |||
| 02/04/2011 | 4600 | ||
| I just purchased a 2011 sonota turbo and am experiencing strong gas smell inside car when going at slow speeds. i also notice it pulling to the left. cannot tell the difference between high and low beam with the headlights. | |||
| 11/01/2010 | 0 | ||
| I have a 2011 sonata. i am very happy with it except for the headlights. when on lowbeam there is a definite horizontal line just a few feet off the ground. anything above that line is not illuminated by any light. when approaching a small hill or while driving in the mountains, your visibility is way too short - just a few feet in front of the car. in other words, there is no splash of dimmer light above this horizontal line - there is no light at all! (i have a photo that i would like to send.) i have taken it to the dealer (hyundai of greer) and they claim the lights are properly adjusted. if this is so, then you have a design defect. this is a real safety hazard that needs to be addressed. i await your reply. | |||
| 11/10/2010 | 100 | ||
| High beams on the car are just another standard headlight bulb. the aiming is higher to create a perception of getter visibility. high beams are not effective at lighting dark country roads. dealer notified on 11/15/10 and they said they agree with my assessment, but there is no remedy from hyundai. waiting on a reply from hyundai. | |||
| 11/01/2010 | 0 | ||
| I have a 2011 sonata. i am very happy with it except for the headlights. when on lowbeam there is a definite horizontal line just a few feet off the ground. anything above that line is not illuminated by any light. when approaching a small hill or while driving in the mountains, your visibility is way too short - just a few feet in front of the car. in other words, there is no splash of dimmer light above this horizontal line - there is no light at all! (i have a photo that i would like to send.) i have taken it to the dealer (hyundai of greer) and they claim the lights are properly adjusted. if this is so, then you have a design defect. this is a real safety hazard that needs to be addressed. i await your reply. | |||
| 11/10/2010 | 100 | ||
| High beams on the car are just another standard headlight bulb. the aiming is higher to create a perception of getter visibility. high beams are not effective at lighting dark country roads. dealer notified on 11/15/10 and they said they agree with my assessment, but there is no remedy from hyundai. waiting on a reply from hyundai. | |||
| 09/30/2010 | 7000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2011 hyundai sonata. the contact was driving approximately between 35-40 mph, the steering wheel began to shake violently with a loud noise without warning. the steering wheel would not turn in any direction. the engine was turned off. the vehicle was towed to a dealer for diagnosis in which they were unable to replicate the problem. there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number 10v426000 (steering:gear box:shaft sector). the technician advised that the defect was not related to the recall; however, the power steering software was updated which was the recall remedy. in addition, the automatic headlights would not function properly on separate occasions. the failure mileage was approximately 7,000. the vin unavailable. js | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 09/08/2011 | 25734 | 8 | |
| My skid light warning light kept coming on. they said a brake lamp switch was pulling a fault code, so they replaced it. nine months later my skid light warning was randomly coming on again. they ran a test again saying it was a faulty brake lamp switch again. before i could get it in for repairs the transmission range sensor malfunction on aug 14 2012. picked up my car again and the skid traction warning light came on again. i took it in again this time the tcs light was on and the shifter was not releasing.they tested the brake switch circuit and found no power to the brake switch. they replaced the fuse box and harness cable. i have called three different dealerships service departments and they all say there is a problem with the brake lamp switch causing the tcs warning light to come on. if it is effecting other cars there most be a national problem and should be a recall before there is a fatality. i have had this car for 2 years now and had it in for electrical problems over eight times. ## vin passed ## hyundai sonata 2011 ## *tr | |||
| 08/29/2011 | 8226 | 1 | |
| Car would not start.. dealer replaced brake switch. *tr | |||