10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
43,952 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #5

Apr 072012

Sonata

  • 108,000 miles
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.

- Hartford, CT, USA

problem #4

Apr 262010

Sonata

  • 80,000 miles
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.

- Barton, NY, USA

problem #3

Apr 292009

Sonata

  • 20,700 miles
2005 Hyundai Sonata - 20,700 miles failed safety inspection due to severe brake rust.

- Gloversville, NY, USA

problem #2

Apr 142006

Sonata 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 3,000 miles
Husband driving at low speed, car in front of him stopped; brakes on Sonata failed-hit brake pedal to the floor, but Sonata still did not stop; car was at the dealer (savage Hyundai) the week before for inspection and all was fine; husband hit car in front of him and that person hit another car. In addition, air bags did not deploy even though there was $6700 worth of front end damage; told dealer-said high hit; called Hyundai-implied damage was high and perhaps air bags should have deployed, but make it very difficult to file a formal complaint; said we needed pictures, etc.; car was at the Hyundai dealer being fixed; both Hyundai dealer and Hyundai corporate not making things easy.

- Reading, PA, USA

problem #1

Feb 062006

Sonata 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 8,060 miles
: 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

- Langhorne, PA, USA