Frame And Members problems of the 2002 Hyundai Sonata - part 1

The contact owns a 2002 Hyundai Sonata. While driving approximately 35 mph, the subframe fractured without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 09v124000 (suspension); however, the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 133,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2002 Hyundai Sonata. The contact stated that while having the vehicle serviced, the independent mechanic advised the contact that the sub frame had completely rusted and the vehicle should not be driven. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,540.

Corrosion of subframe, causing it to break and then catch fire to the car under the hood, destroying wiring and hoses.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

2002 Hyundai Sonata subframe failure.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 dealer rental rate for a loaner car of $35 a day which I believe is adding insult to injury in light of the fact that I could have been killed. Are there any plans to recall this vehicle so that I may be eligible for a free rental car for my inconvenience?.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. The sway bar ends links and bushings were worn. Uupdated 01/09/09.

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.