Table 1 shows two common steering related problems of the 1998 Hyundai Sonata.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Steering Rack problems | |
| Steering Gear Box Shaft Pitman problems |
My 1998 Hyundai Sonata has been a challenge to maintain. Twice the driver's side door spring has rusted through and window regulators have failed. This particular incident was a fortunate stop in the car shop to check something else. They discovered that the rack and pinion unit was leaking power steering fluid. I had been complaining to the mechanic that the car "clunked" in the front end going over a bump. This despite replacing the ball joints, struts and one tie rod. It seems that the clunking noise must have been coming from the rack and pinion. They also discovered at the same time that two out of four engine mounts were cracked and the other two were sagging. I'll be replacing those as well and hoping that the car doesn't cause any further problems for a while. I believe in maintaining my cars, but this car seems to have had more problems than most I have owned. The car has also overheated twice, once due to a burst hose and the second time due to a leak in one of the engine coolant temperature sensors in the block. For the latter incident there was absolutely no warning (gradually increasing operating temp over time). It also has the hard down shift from 3-2 (automatic transmission) that others have noticed. I won't be purchasing a Hyundai again as I feel that this is way too many problems for a car with only 90,000 miles on it.
I had just exited the highway (70mph), pulle off onto exit ramp. When I came to the stop sign my steering wheel "free spun" and I lost control of the vehicle. The left tire veered to the left and the car spun. If this had happened seconds before we could have been dead. The front end had a slight vibration a bit before but we didn't think much of it. Hyundai claims no responsibility. I have read, online. Of people who own the same make and model who have experienced "vibration" in the front end. I am at this point trying to get some compesation. My wife and two daughters were with me at the time and it really scared them.