Steering Rack And Pinion problems of the 2013 Hyundai Sonata

I can be driving in a straight line and as you need to correct driving line of car the steering wheel sticks as if you actually feel it try to hold you from correcting. It is only for a split second but this is constantly going on as you drive down the highway at speeds over 60mph. It seems you have to constantly correct line of car much more than usual as is wants to drift left or right. With the constant correction and sticking (or hanging feeling) in the steering wheel it is very aggravating and very stressful on a trip. I am afraid this sticking of the wheel may all of a sudden not release and a wreck is likely. It only happens at speeds above 60 mph. This does not happen at all with around town driving or on short trips below 60 mph. One Hyundai dealer service rep said this is normal for electric power steering. I have been driving 49 years and this is the first car I have drove with this problem. I have talked to owners of other car manufacturers with electric steering not having steering complaints. I purchased this car used in late 2014 and have put less than 10,000 miles on it. It now has 28,000 miles. Put new tires on it about 5,000 miles ago. I constantly check air pressure and the front end is in line. This steering problem is a safety concern Hyundai should be forced to correct before people have serious wrecks. I believe this is an engineering design flaw of either the computer control, the electrics controlling the rack and pinion steering, or the rack and pinion steering itself. I am amazed that proper quality control testing didn't catch this problem before it went into production. It is apparent this is a broad problem because of the hundreds of complaints posted about these same steering problems on many web sites.

My 2013 Sonata has 12000 miles on it, the best pirelli tires and four wheel alignment twice. I thought new tires would make the car drive better but it did not help the steering. My Sonata will not drive in a straight line without constant correction on all highway types. This is total driving fatigue and I will only drive short distances until Hyundai has a recall on these cars in fixing the electric steering so the electric steering is not so over active. Maybe fulltime power steering would remedy the constant need in trying to make this car drive right. Also the electric power steering unit should always be installed on the rack and pinion. If this steering problem is not fixed soon I will trade my car for another car that drives like a car should. When I read all the other reviews on the internet about the 2013 Sonata and the bad steering issue, we are all describing the same problem. I really enjoy this Sonata limited, it is so well equipped but hate the way it wanders back and forth.

I purchased my 2013 Sonata ltd with standard engine 08/17/12. After the first 300 mi or so I noticed while driving at any speed the vehicle “drifts”, which requires constant steering correction to maintain a straight line. The faster the vehicle is traveling the more prominent the drifting, so at highway speeds this can become tiring, which could cause loss of control momentarily, with severe consequences. This vehicle is designed with electric steering that functions normally for turning but there is an inherent design error in the steering control that allows there to be physical “play” in the steering wheel. This “play” is similar to autos that have many miles on them. They would have rack to pinion wear or bad steering bushings causing a gap in the steering movement left and right from center. The Sonata's “gap” also occurs when the steering is off center during vehicle turning and has to be passed through to keep the vehicle on track. The gap on the Sonata is about 1/3”. This causes the "drift". By contrast, I also own a 2013 Hyundai elantra with conventional power steering and there is absolutely no play in the wheel, thus the vehicle goes exactly where pointed without drift. In va. Where I live, given a scenario where the vehicle was older and going through a standard annual inspection, this steering “play” would cause the vehicle to be rejected as having a safety issue, which would be required to be repaired. The NHTSA should without delay require Hyundai to recall and repair this issue by removing the steering “play”. How many owners does it take who actually complain before action will be taken? I would venture a guess that this issue affects every Sonata of this design. I noted this same problem being reported in previous years of this design after the recall with some reports describing potential accidents. That's a lot of cars!.