general problems of the 2009 Hyundai Sonata - part 1

Brakes seize up while driving and then cannot move the vehicle. This causes a dangerous situation while driving and then breaks lock up and cannot move car even though vehicle is on and then stopped for a stop light. Car must then be turned off and sit for about 30 minutes so it can unseize and when that happens, you can then resume driving and then check engine light comes on. Brake lights were staying on even when vehicle is shut completely off. Abs and esc lights stay on consistently and never turn off. Vehicle brake switch was replaced at carolina Hyundai of high point, nc. So break lights have been repaired. They had to order the stop switch lamp replacement for recall as it was never done and will be fixed in next week. 3 door handles fell off and cannot open the rear driver side door at all. Window electric system won’t let windows go up and down and had to make a latch pull string to open driver door. Passenger door will not open at all and no handle and is a dangerous situation. Break switch not being replaced would have cause an electrical fire and is a complete dangerous vehicle even after being inspected less than a week ago.

Excessively cracked dashboard. The entire dash in my 2009 Hyundai Sonata is cracked and a replacement has been denied by Hyundai USA. A cracked dashboard could cause reduced structural integrity. The dashboard is a structural component designed to help absorb and distribute some of the forces in a collision. Cracks can compromise this ability to perform this function potentially increasing the force experienced by the occupants and the and other parts of the vehicle. It can also cause increased risk of debris and shrapnel. During a collision the cracked dashboard may break apart more easily causing sharp or jagged pieces to become projectiles inside of the cabin these fragments can pose a serious injury risk to occupants. It can also result in an impaired airbag deployment. Many vehicles have airbags in the dashboard a severely cracked dashboard could obstruct or improperly deploy airbags for example the air bag may not fully deploy reducing its effectiveness and the dashboard may puncture or otherwise interfere with the airbag as it inflates creating additional safety hazards. Cracks may expose sharp edges or materials under the dashboard which could harm occupants during a collision, especially in areas where passengers may come into contact with the dashboard. A cracked dashboard could also cause a compromised electrical system dashboards house numerous electrical systems, sensors and controls cracks could indicate underlying damage to these components. In a collision these systems may fail or behave unpredictably which could further reduce safety features. Cracked dashboards present a significant risk during a collision and should be addressed by the manufacturer promptly to ensure its customer safety.

5/18/24 in the afternoon, driving the car on freeway. The car lost power. Ac stopped. Heat and check engine lights came on. Pulled car to shoulder. Driver’s window was foggy. Smoke coming from front. Exited the car. Flames seen underneath front of car and passenger compartment. Smoke worsened and within minutes 10 foot high flames engulfed the car. Fire department had to extinguish the flames. And California highway patrol blocked off several lanes. The vehicle totally was incinerated. I filed a police report number 240518la2144. I do not have the report yet. It is not ready. It was filed with the California highway patrol.

I see that the manufacturer has an "open service campaign" on their Sonata's shark fins. I've taken mine to the local dealership and they want a min. $700 to replace the shark fin. It just came off somewhere (a couple of years ago) and, now, my car has to be jumped off if I let it sit more than two days. I have had it inspected by the dealer and an individual garage. No one would tell me what was draining my battery. I am a senior citizen and fear I will get stranded on the road somewhere. The missing fin lets water into my car, soaking the carpets, etc. Finally, it was suggested that the car cover I keep on it touches the exposed fin components and that's what was draining my battery. It seems that the manufacturer was aware enough of this faulty part to want to prevent complaints by voluntarily replacing problematic parts (thus the service campaign). And, there are a lot of videos on youtube from diy folks who've suffered through replacing the shark fins (many different models) themselves. It seems, however, the manufacturer only notified dealers with said "open service campaign," not the public, as in a proper recall process. That way, they get to make more money off the public when the part falls off? please advise how one might get the dealers to do the right thing. Thank you.

Valve cover gasket leaks and oil leaks on to the alternator which can cause the alternator to fail and the battery to not maintain a charge and the car can stall and then not start. This is the same exact problem problem that is in your recall on 2007-2012 veracruz recall number 20v705000 & 14v415000 and 2007-2009 santa fe vehicles have the same issue and service campaign 936 sb-10058931-4495 (TSB# 15-01-031).

My door handles are breaking off. I was climbing in and out from my passenger seat. . Now my passenger and rear passenger door handles have broken off in the same day. I have no way in my vehicle now except through the window that I had to take off track to slide down to crawl in and out. . Im in a loss for words. This is humiliating.

None of my lights on my dash has changed. Areas affected: service brakes, hydraulics, and exterior lighting, failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to engaged the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. As mentioned in the recall from 4/1/13. 2nd recall for suspension: control arm separation may suddenly changed the rear wheel alignment affecting the handling of the car increasing the risk of a crash. Another main common issue is the rusted out subframe, lower control arms, cam bolts, bushings, control arm, subframe, and sway bar. This is causing me to drive unstable and hold the steering wheel forcefully in order to remain straight.

Dash pad directly above the passenger side airbag has cracked with an approximately 12 inch vertical long crack.

All car systems flashed and car went completely dead. Nothing worked. First time it happened mechanic said alternator and battery had to be changed. A year and a half later exact same thing happened and again new mechanic says the alternator needs to be changed. Big safety isuue as car died in the middle of highway with cars going all around me trying to avoid me. This is second time the alternator has to be replaced with only 2000 miles on the car after the alternator was replaced the first time.

The ignition locked, the key was unable to turn over. Thankfully, I was parked in a business establishments parking lot.

Please, I went to one of the vision Hyundai outlets to rectify some recalls on my Hyundai 2009 sonate. I was also informed by the mechanic that my subframe has holes and added that it calls for concern as a safety issue. Please, I do not have the $800 he said it would cost. I see that someother persons had complained in the past and made a clear strong standing to Hyundai consumer affairs that it is a safety issue and had their vehicles repaired at no cost to the owners. Bearing in mind that a subframe on a car should not be rusting out, I need your input to have this issued resolved.

Check engine light is on. Hecu internal failure. Active dtc present: c1237 primary pressure sensor signal. Sensor failure inside the abs control cycle. Values at pressure sensor changed from 0. 3 bar to 78. 0 bar; no change in supply voltage. Supply voltage constantly at 14v. Hyundai has mentioned that there are no active recalls and that this part is life threatening if it fails - but since the warranty has expired they are shying away. Online there are several known issues with hyndai and hecu. Specially for models before 2009. Its hard to believe that Hyundai is not aware of this problem and seems like they are avoiding their responsibility and playing with human life. Would appreciate if the government can do something.

The alarm will sound randomly while driving or parked. We are not sure what is going on. It happens dozens of times a day and alarms my teenage driver. The button is not pushed, nothing is touching the car. Just random. We want this fixed because it is a safety concern, especially when she is driving and the alarm goes off for no reason.

I bought the used car in the spring, it currently has 44,000 miles on it. When the weather got cold, it began to jerk violently at 20 mph when I decelerate. When I slow the vehicle it feels as if someone has hit me from behind. When making right hand turns I am concerned that the car will switch gears and lurch me into oncoming traffic. Items on my seat that are not secure are propelled to the floor. I will not let anyone else operate the vehicle because I feel that it would be very easy to lose control of the vehicle during the deceleration. I contacted Hyundai corporation- mistakenly told me it was under warranty and then recanted when they realized I was a second owner which only covers 5 years or 60,000. Hyundai representative states that this is not a safety issue, that there are no technical bulletins applying to my automobile. Refuses to fix it free of charge despite there being countless other complaints of the same nature on the NHTSA site.

Transmission shift down.

I have been having trouble with the car starting intermittently over the last 6 months. The lights on the dashboard comes up but the car will not turn over. Previously I had to get a new starter on 10/29/2015 with 40524 miles on the car at this time; the 2009 Sonata was then about 6 years old; I paid $100 as it was just slightly over 5 year and the dealership said they would prorate it. I have been having similar problem with the vehicle again since January 2018 with the car starting/turning over intermittently; lights on dashboard comes up but car does not turn over. I took to dealer today and the car had 60925 miles on it, the dealership person stated they were 90-95% sure it was the starter but not 100% and estimated the cost for the new starter to be over $500. The dealership person said that the warranty on the starter put in on 10/29/2015 was 12 months/12000, and therefore no cost adjustment.

2009 huyndai Sonata starter installed in June 2017 by dealer after diagnosing a defective starter was the reason for a strange sound when starting the car. In December 2017, the same dealer states that the ignition switch is sending a signal at the wrong time and as a result, the same sound occurs. Dealer claims that the same sound is not a result of the starter, but the ignition switch.

Engine oil leaks since 2 years ago.

I was driving on interstate 75 when the check engine light went on. The car lost speed gradually from 60 mph to 10 mph. Fortunately I was near an exit and was able to exit and stop at a hotel parking lot. This was a frightening experience since other cars were speeding around me at 70+ mph, then cutting in front of me to exit the interstate. The car has been at the dealer at least three times because the engine light came on with no other result. No reason was found for the problem. The car was towed to the dealer who was closed for the weekend so I'm without a car for the weekend and will have to miss work tomorrow. Unknown cause. I'm not able to scan documents.

While driving (the car was in motion) the driver side sun visor has a propensity to drop, blocking the vision from the driver. The sun visor now does not stay in an up-right position. This is a very dangerous safety issue, as the sun visor blocks your vision.

I bought my car on July 18th 2016. That is the only time I have had a passing inspection sticker. The check engine light came on shortly after I drove off the lot. Over the past two years I have tried to get it fixed. The code is a p0442 code. I have brought it to 4 mechanics and they can not find the issue. We have changed the gas cap twice, done purge valves, and hoses. We also did 7 smoke tests and still can not find the issue. I still owe 7,000 on the vehicle and have been paying it but it's not drivable due to the rejection for the inspection. I know of 2 Hyundai Sonatas with the same problem. One being a 2006 and the other also a 2009. I keep looking to see if there is a recall but haven't found anything. I don't have any other options as far as what to do. Please help me if you can it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Sunroof shattered while driving on the freeway. Nothing hit the car and I did not cross under an over-path. There was no warning, no sounds of wind or air entering the sunroof. Chunks of glass few off the car and could have damaged other vehicle or could have caused a wreck. It rained overnight after this incident and my cloth seats were soaked. I was finally able to get the sunroof repaired a few days later.

Sun visor fell down while I was driving the car.

We bought a used 2009 Hyundai Sonata and after 9 months the navigatio system went blank. Very disappointed. It flashes th 33rd Hyundai logo followed by a blank white screen. Tryed rebooting. $100 just to find out what's wrong. Now we find out there were problems from the get go with tho s system. Very distracting and safety issue at night. We bought an extended plan which does not seem to cover navigation.

When I went to start my car I could not start my car the key switch keeps locking and then the steering wheel will lock up when u are trying to get the key out and I was even pushing on the brake to get it to release the lock it took five minutes to finally to get the key to turn to start the car. I have had it one day where I could not turn the car off and the key was stuck in it and the dealer ship could not even get the car to shut off or get the key to turn it was also stuck in it . I'm worried about being somewhere where I can't start the car or the key stuck in it and it's locked up all together for good I've heard there been complaints about the same problem and if it's gonna be fixed or not.

My driver side sun visor flops down. It looks good, is not torn or appear abused, but it keeps flopping down when I drive and the angle blocks my view. I do not know why it happened, I simply tried to push it into the position that suits me best and some plastic fell from the end piece where it attaches to the frame. I was parked at the time, preparing to drive.

While pumping gas it appears to be full (when it is not even 3/4 full tank) gass spills or spurts out on floor and my feet. Very strong smell of fuel in cabin when proceed to driv and clears out after maybe 5-10 miles.

Driver side sun visor would not stay up, causing it drop in front of eyes. Moved to side, then forcibly removed it when I reached my destination. Appears to be same problem related to models from previous years, but 2009 not included in recall.

I have a 2009 Hyundai Sonata. It has about 140,000 miles on it and is admittedly well outside of any warranty, however, I believe this case requires an exception. About a year ago, the paint started chipping off my car. Not little scratches but fairly large spots. I contacted Hyundai who said it was outside the warranty, and I let it go. Last Saturday, during a hard rain, the paint literally fell off my car. My husband drove to columbus that day, and when he arrived, the paint had vanished from the entire roof. Patches came off of the hood as well. And the trunk is beginning to peel. I am told this is a delamination issue related to metal paint preparation. While I realize that the car is outside the warranty, I stand by my statement that no matter how many miles a car has on it, the paint should not come off in the rain! Hyundai refuses to even refer the case to a supervisor. Normal wear and tear happens, and I accept that. But this is clearly a factory defect, and I think Hyundai should be responsible for fixing it. Since Hyundai is totally unresponsive, I am seeking others to with this problem for a more formal approach to have this resolved.

Transmission issue: experiencing a harsh down shift when braking. This recall is already know for the 2011 model in which Hyundai says it is a timing issue with the transmission and they have to reset it.

I was driving on the highway and the sun visor that was up broke and swung down almost hitting me in the face. It no longer will stay up as it's intended and swings down blocking my view of the road when driving. It's a hazard and issue that I believe many others have as well.

The car was in the driveway warming up and caught fire it burned up the starter and starter assembly, the battery wire harness and the manifold. All of this has to be replaced before we can assess any other damages or run a diagnostic.

Driving along and driver side sun visor fell to down position. It will not stay up.

On July 1, 2014 the rear caliper on the driver's side of my car had seized, stripping the brakes to metal on metal. On August 30, 2014, the rear caliper on the passenger side of the car followed suit. Less than one year later I have replaced each of the rear calipers once again. I had the rear driver's side repaired on may 15, 2015, and the rear passenger side on June 9, 2015. I bought the car with just over 53,000 miles on it in 2013. Today, it has 101,000 miles on it and I have replaced four calipers, three rotors and five sets of brake pads. Each time my calipers failed I was placed in danger of total brake failure and fire, unknowingly. The mechanics who worked on my car have individually theorized that an engineering failure is the cause of this issue. Last week I contacted Hyundai for financial reimbursement for the repairs. The company stated that they could not reimburse me since the parts were not replaced with Hyundai factory parts, or repaired by a Hyundai certified dealership. I am aware that there was a class action lawsuit against Hyundai based on this issue in the state of new york. I have also read, and heard about many other people having this exact problem (rear caliper problem) in their Hyundai Sonatas, built between the years 2006-2010.

On April 13th, the weather was warm in the middle of the afternoon. I opened up my sunroof with intent to open it only partially. I have tried unsuccessfully to close my sunroof now. The mechanism that slides shut, does not work properly anymore. When the roof gets to the point of closing, it automatically goes back. I had to inch the sunroof closed as far as possible. I had to place plastic in the connection area to keep as much rain and wind out.