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Hyundai Sonata Owners Meet the Members

24

Comments

  • 238000238000 Member Posts: 48
    I JUST RAED THE CLUB MEMBERS COMMENTS. DID YOU EVER BUY THE 02 SONATA AND HOW IS IT DOING? LAST YEAR JUNE 03 I BOUGHT A 2003 SONATA AND HAVE 16,800 MILES ON IT DESERT SAND AND ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. HAVE DRIVEN CONNECTICUT TO NEW ORLEANS AND THEN TO FLORIDA AND MANY OTHER PLACES. IT RAN FLAWLESSLY, AND I HAVE A GREAT FEELING OF CONFIDENCE AFTER 9 YEARS WITH A CHRYSLER LEBARON ON WHICH A WHEEL FELL OFF, THE ENGINE QUITTING, ETC. WITH THE SONATA I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY AND FEEL VERY SAFE WITH SIDE AIRBAGS,,ETC.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Welcome to the Town Hall! Glad you're enjoying your Sonata.

    Just one request...please do not use all capital letters. It is difficult to read and makes it look like you're SHOUTING. ;-)

    Thanks for your cooperation!
  • dann_candann_can Member Posts: 6
    After reading through some of the postings I took note of automatic transmission problems. This past week similar experiences occured twice for me. The difference was that my car's hesitation and grab was from first to second in full automatic mode while taking off from a stop sign. Not on the freeway at speed. Purchased new on October 20th., '04 LX. I have less than 600 miles. I have an appointment for this Friday morning for a couple of due bill items and will have them make note and check out. Any others out there with similar experience. Dealer's rebuttal?
  • jamato253jamato253 Member Posts: 3
    Hi,

    My name is Jessica and I just purchased a 2004 Hyundai Sonata and I absolutely love it! I am hoping to connect with other owners to share experiences!
  • sven1sven1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi,
    My name is Sven and I own a new 2004 Sonata (2.4L/Manual Transmission) that I bought last September. It looks like most of you drive the sonata in the sunshine. Well I just want to let you know that it performes just as well in the snow and we have a lot of that up here in Duluth, Minnesota.
    I hope to exchange some experience with some of the members about this great car.
  • banditboybanditboy Member Posts: 54
    Been here for a while actually 3 years i think

    I drive a 2000 GLS / Pkg11 .I have 80k on the car now.Recently i had the bearing .,speed sensor and brakes done other than that the car has been a pleasure to own.

    I am from boston and this car sees alot of snow/salt and stones on I95 and tows my motorcycle when i take it to the loudon race track with no problem
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    Can't believe I've had my '00 GLS V6 with 5-speed manual and Pkg 13 (ABS, sunroof, leather) for 63,000 miles and 5 great years. Mostly troublefree. Nothing major. Just had the right rear control arms replaced under warranty. Was glad I got the extra 1 year warranty extension due to the engine horsepower settlement. Even used the $25 settlement money to pay for recent oil change. Great car that has been very, very good to me.
  • ciras3ciras3 Member Posts: 16
    So far so good with my new Sonata. There are only a couple of things I have noticed that I wish were designed a little different. First, the coolant gauge is pretty useless since it only has a C on the bottom and an H on top. I'm used to seeing numbers associated with a coolant gauge so I can see an actual temperature range from 140-220 degrees. The next item is the readout on the stereo not showing the volume when I play a CD... all it does is show what track is playing.. kind of stupid not to show me the volume level. The last thing I've noticed is the humongous arrows for the turn signal indicators.. are those green arrows big or what ? It would look better with a simple plain green dot or a smaller arrow. I'm sure I'll find some other things that I find could have been designed a little different. Any others on the list have things that they think are designed poorly with their Sonata ?
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,601
    ciras3, good luck with your new Sonata. I got a GLS SV on 4/13 and am completely happy with it. Flew to Naples, FL to pick it up because CT dealer wanted $1500 more before tax. (my parents live in Naples so I had no lodging expense & got to visit with them for a couple days as a bonus.) Price, including $1500 rebate, at the time, was $17826 out the door. But upon returning to CT, it did cost an extra $90 to complete CT DMV requirements. Trip home was 1365 miles. Dealer said I didn't have to worry about 50 MPH as long as I kept the rev's low. Driving with the cruise set at 70 for most of the way I averaged just under 28 MPG. The ride was quite comfortable and enjoyable. I also bought ($30), in addition to the above price, side window vents so I can crack the window(s) when it is raining. That's because I smoke cigarettes and windshiled wipers tend to channel rain into a car when the driver window is not closed. My last 3 cars, all bought new were '71 Volvo 1800E, '84 Chrysler New Yorker & '91 Chrysler LeBaron Convertible. All had temp guages, but all just showed H or C, none showed actual temperature. If you haven't already, you'll soon get used to the normal operating range. RE: volume indicator, I'm a bit hard of hearing (at age 56) so I just set the volume to a "hearable" comfortable level. So far, I can't complain about anything with this car. The dealer in Naples was great. Gave him the highest marks on the Hyundai survey (anything less than the best is considered a negative by Hyundai). If my first 2400 miles are any indication, I'll be please with this car for years to come.
  • ciras3ciras3 Member Posts: 16
    My last 3 cars, all bought new were '71 Volvo 1800E, '84 Chrysler New Yorker & '91 Chrysler LeBaron Convertible. All had temp guages, but all just showed H or C, none showed actual temperature
    I dunno.. all of my other GM vehicles I've owned previously have showed the actual number for the temperature....

    I did notice one other annoying thing tonight while I was driving my car (first time in the dark) The cruise control buttons on the side of the steering wheel could lite up. They are really hard to read in the dark. I suppose once I've driven the car for a while I'll know exactly what they are for, but for now it was a real pain trying to set the cruise on the freeway without being able to see the letters. I really am overall pleased with my new Sonata, just noticing the little things that could be designed differently than I'm used to.
  • clarkws756clarkws756 Member Posts: 2
    I have had my new 2006 Sonata GLS 4 cyl. Ebony Black for a little less than a week and I LOVE IT!!!! Very well designed, very nicely made, comfortable, classy! Runs like a dream!!!!

    As I drive it more I will post my impressions...

    As great as this car is... I expect we will have more new members here!
  • sailor339sailor339 Member Posts: 1
    Nice to meet all of you in this forum. I just recently purchased a 2005 Hyundai Sonata 4 Cyl. and have been having so much fun compared to the 2000 Dodge Caravan I was driving. I bought the car from Dartmouth Hyundai in April of this year. I want to find out if anyone knows of any car clubs in the Halifax area that associate with either Hyundai's or better yet, Sonata's themselves. Anyhow, like I said, its great to meet all of you...
  • bayouguybayouguy Member Posts: 12
    We just purchased our new 2006 Sonata GLS (4 cyl.) this past Wednesday. Still on the first tank of gas. We keep most of our cars for 10 years or 200,000 miles, which ever comes firsts. Looking forward to years of trouble free driving with our Sonata.
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,601
    I've had my '05 GLS SV just over 4 months. If my experience is anything like you'll get, you'll enjoy the car for a long time. (Prior car was a '91 L:eBaron GTC convertivable). World of difference in ride & comfort.
  • sjbsjb Member Posts: 3
    Hello everyone. Hubby and I have owned 2 2001 Sonatas. Our first one, was totalled when a teenager (driving his first car) ran a stop sign going 50 mph and ran right into the passenger side (where I happened to be). I walked away with a bruise on my knee, and the side airbag saved my head. So, we went right out, and bought another Sonata.

    We're now on the verge of buying the 2006 Sonata GLS and are looking forward to getting it home. I'm working with some quotes, and hopefully we'll be the proud new owners of another sonata in a few days here.
  • tbear503tbear503 Member Posts: 70
    Hello clarkws756; may I ask whether your dealership backed off the list price & if so, by how much? I'm looking at a dark cinnamon GLS 4 with auto.

    Thanks
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,601
    Hi sjb!

    Good that you both escaped serious injury. At the risk of ticking off some readers, it is unlikely that the kid hit you at 50MPH. He may have been going 50 but got the speed down considerably by the tme of impact. It is amazing what a 10 or 15 MPH impact will do. Plus, if you saw him coming at you, it would appear to you (or me if I were in your seat) that he was going much faster than he actually was.

    But anyway, it's good that you're OK and that the side air bag helped. Best wishes for your '06 GLS.
  • mcjmcj Member Posts: 4
    i just got this car a little over a year ago. I have had to replace two ball joints, transmision fluid cooler, lots of hoses, other regular itms and the transmision. In the past few months the Check Engin light has been coming on more often, and staying on longer. I took it in to be scaned to see what the problem was and they could not even communicate with the car. I have to take it in this week and they are going to check all the conections to make sure the computer is acutally hooked up. I find that the car has been reving way up and other times it just bottems out as though it is going to stall. I love my car but if it keeps going the way it has i am going to have to get rid of it. I keep thinking not much else can go wrong with it. Once i get this fixed everything sould be gread! Then i find another problem. :mad: I just want my car to work. :sick:
  • rhaeffelerhaeffele Member Posts: 149
    Weren't you able to check out the car's prior service history? It sounds like you bought a money pit that was flogged and/or poorly maintained. (A LOT more can go wrong with a car put through five Canadian winters with indifferent servicing.)
  • mcjmcj Member Posts: 4
    We did check the service history. Everything was up to date and the car was very low mileage. It had even had the breaks done over before we got it. When we took the car out for a test drive we actually keep it for four days it seemed to be a great car. it was about a month after we had it when the first ball joint went. Then after about 6 months had passed i took it to the dealer because i felt the transmission slipping and they said "Oh no, its not the transmission its the cooling system for the transmission." they replaced that and the transmission just got worse to the point that it went into one gear and would not shift out. they did not want to replace transmission because it was still under warranty. when i went back and the transmission would not come out of gear they had to replace it. As far as Canadian winters, my husbands car is a 92 Elantra and that is the reliable car.
  • rhaeffelerhaeffele Member Posts: 149
    A brief background on Hyundai automatics: They have a "limp home" or "fail safe" mode which permits use of reverse or 3rd gear operation in the event of a severe mechanical or hydraulic failure - the car will at least get you home via "Buick Dynaflow operation" (no gear shifts). If the previous owner had the transmission fluid changed by other than a Hyundai dealer, there's a pretty good chance some independent shop moron used other than Mitsubishi "Diamond" or Hyundai SP-III ATF. Any other fluid substitution could've contributed materially to the premature demise of the original tranny. If the previous owner had used the vehicle to tow, that, too, could've contributed to premature transmission failure. The ball joints are sealed units - greased for "life". The bad news is that "life" may not work out as long as owners would reasonably anticipate - especially if the rubber seals fail - once water, road salt, and dirt enter, goodbye ball joint. (Might wanna have the constant velocity universal joints that feed power from the differential to the front wheels checked, too. They're also sealed for life and protected from the elements by rubber seals. They're also expensive to replace because of the shop labor [aka, "labour" - hail, Canada!] involved.) If you're the original owner of the Elantra, you KNOW how it's been maintained. The Sonata's previous owner may have cut some corners on the quality of the service done. That's simply an inherent risk in any used car purchase - sometimes chicken, sometimes feathers. The older the car, the greater the risk.
  • mcjmcj Member Posts: 4
    Funny thing both cars were owned by other people. The Sonata i have found out who the previous owner was. He is a older man with money enough to maintain the car at least. he buys a new Hyundai every two years trades in and then his son then buys that same car and keeps it for two years. My mother-in-law has spoken to the man who owned it and he said he had no problems with it. I personally think it may just be a lemon. Hopefully i will find out tomorrow when i take it into the shop to find out why the computer is not responding. I love the car i just find i have more problems with it then my car which is 13 years old. Then elantra, the whole time my husband owned it the most he did to this car is oil change. He does not know anything about cars. Knowing him and his father I'm surprised the car is still running. They put the wrong plugs in it once. And that is the only thing i found out that they did. His father was going to buy a oil filter one day when he was out with me and was trying to guess at which one looked like it would fit! I changed the plug wires a few months ago. They were the original wires. I still say the car is the better one. lol :)
  • haefrhaefr Member Posts: 600
    Well, you folks've certainly had more than your fair share of problems with the Sonata. By the way, people who bother changing their own oil ususally do as well and often a better job of it than the dealer's oil change jockeys. The proper equivalent aftermarket oil filter for either of your Hyundais in the Purolator lineup is the "14459" or the FRAM "3593A" if your huband still needs the information.
  • mcjmcj Member Posts: 4
    :lemon: Well I have been having problems with this car since about a month after i got it. I have only had it for a little over a year, and already I have replaced the transmission, transmission cooler and all hoses that got to the transmission. I have replaced both front wheel barings, air filter, fuel filter, plugs, and some other regular maintenance things. Now the final straw is the COMPUTER SYSTEM! I will never buy another Hyundai. I'm not sure if this car has an original part on it! I have also found out the computer system to buy is 1012.00 plus tax and labor.
    In the year that i have owned this car it has had around 5000.00 if not more worth of work and parts done on it. It still has at least around 1300.00 for the computer not counting the fact that the timing belt will have the be done soon which will be about another at least 600.00. I realize that in every brand of car you can find a few lemons but i have two hyundai both are lemons. Funny thing is the 13 year old elantra is the one we trust! :lemon: :mad:
  • bsancatbsancat Member Posts: 27
    I have a 2006 Sonata LX and was wondering why, with all the standard features it comes with, there was no automatic door lock option that would lock the doors when the car reached a pre-set speed. After some investigation, I logged on to this website: http://www.hmaservice.com and was able to locate a TSB regarding how the dealer could activate this feature as well as daytime running lights. Seems strange these two features would be on the car and not activated.
    Anyhow, I love the car. It is by far the quietest and roomiest car I've driven in a long time, and it looks great.
    Barry
  • audioiaudioi Member Posts: 7
    I have posted images of our 2006 Sonata here if interested
    http://www.mikesastra.com/SONATA.php
    Audioi
  • john_boyjohn_boy Member Posts: 13
    I think you have an infestation of Leaches in your purse ,What i would do first is,Put your purse down on the ground ,And jump on it as hard as you can ,This will kill all those leaches,Then I would also get as far away from these so call mechanical genius, and also dont let anyone take your car apart unless you will a guarantee that he will cure the problems ,But watch yourself,Because some so called expert use a trouble shooting system that is sure to eventually fix the problem,Their system works by replacing one item at the time,and of course they will get to the point ,that they will changed everything on your car ,Your car will then run fine,And they just will turn around so you can give him a pat on the back ,while at the same time,Have their hands out ready for the big payout,Just to let you know what to look for,If you get to a point that you cannot get satisfaction ,Write to the Hyundai Company ,and explain your problem ,They will give you help
  • bacjetbacjet Member Posts: 2
    Just spent $985.00 for a 60000K maintenance check. Front breaks, timing belt and transmission flush and serpentine belts plus usual oil change and spark plugs.

    Does Hyundai overprice this stuff?
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,601
    That's dealership pricing, not Hyundai pricing. Did you get 60K out of your brakes? How much servicing have you had to pay for in the 60K miles? If you paid for nothing other than oil changes, tire rotation, etc., I'd think the $985 is pretty reasonable.

    IRS allowance was over $.40 per mile in 2004, including gas, oil, insurance, depreciation, etc. IRS figures seemingly always lag behind present day costs. So, if only paid for oil changes, etc in the 60K miles, it seems pretty good. It may just be that you got hit with a lot of maintenance at one time rather than spread out over 1, 2 or 3 years. Timing belt alone was probably $500 to$ 600.
  • danf1danf1 Member Posts: 897
    The timing belt replacement should run about $300-$350. Hyundai does not set prices, the dealer does.
  • haefrhaefr Member Posts: 600
    Timing belt replacement prices can run the gamut. I get service flyers from four area Hyundai stealerships and the quoted timing belt replacement charges for the 2.7L V6 range from a low of $289.98 to $686.00. Go figure - you can guess which stealership is already crossed off my eventual very short list...
  • bacjetbacjet Member Posts: 2
    Thanks to all who responded to the 60000K question. We love (like) this car and it has been very reliable. All the previous maintenance schedules were done.
    Some things are just expensive.
  • t3cablet3cable Member Posts: 2
    I did not locate a TSB regarding activating the DRL's on the 2006 Sonata. Is it an option on the Hi Scan tool as it was for the autolock? I would love to have the DRL active on mine.
  • jimstrenkjimstrenk Member Posts: 56
    Just purchased a 2006 Sonata LX with Option 3 package on 10/15/05. Still running on the first tank of gas (dealer supplied) and have about 165 miles on as of 10/24/05. I hope to have trouble-free ownership for many years to come. :)
  • haefrhaefr Member Posts: 600
    TSB #: 05-90-006, issued 06/29/05. This from the TSB:

    "DESCRIPTION:

    The 2006 Model Year Sonata contains an Auto Door Lock feature to automatically lock all doors at a predetermined speed. This feature can be enabled or disabled and the operating range (locking speed) can be adjusted using the Hi-Scan tool.

    NOTE: The Auto Door Lock feature setting is “disabled” from the factory."

    The doorlock activation speed can be programmed to occur at 12mph, 16mph, 19mph, 22mph, or 25mph.
  • tansytansy Member Posts: 1
    Just purchased 2006 lx. Drove from Hilton Head to New Jersey. The car performed great. A little disappointed with the mpg. Best mpg so far was 25mpg. We hope it improves over time.

    glad we have this forum if I have any problems in the future.

    But so far so good . We do love the car :)
  • cfauber1cfauber1 Member Posts: 1
    Hopefully someone may know this...Hyundai 2000 Sonata-check engine light is on- when the air conditioning turns on (or defrost), you can hear a whistling sound like a busted hose or something. Do you know if this could be the reason for the check engine light? If it could be the reason, what would be an estimated price to replace the hose and/or what is the hose called? Thanks in advance for any tips from anyone, looking for help here since I'm broke and don't want to take to a dealer....besides it has 110,000 miles on it.
  • tbear503tbear503 Member Posts: 70
    While the Sonata does not have DRL's; you can, in effect use the headlights as such since they are connected to the ignition system I simply drive with the lights on as they automatically turn off when the ignition is switched off...Hope this helps. :D
  • t3cablet3cable Member Posts: 2
    The autolock feature has already been activated by my dealer. I was trying to find out if the DRL was a feature that could be activated by the Hi Scan tool aswell. I appreciate everyone's time :)
  • john_boyjohn_boy Member Posts: 13
    Re : Engine light. First thing i would do . is go to Ebay.com Search for a Seller Name of Alpha-Bid,and look at what he is offering to the public,it is a scanner who will trouble shoot your car ,and by following the instruction will the clear your engine check light off,This take about 2 minutes,I have purchased one and Believe me it works like a charm,You can also check the feedback that he has received ,There all positive.This scanner sell in U/S 26.00 and its well worth it.Hope this will work out ,and this message is for all of the peoples who have been cheated by the Dealer
  • stockmanjoestockmanjoe Member Posts: 353
    The 2006 Sonata's are such a major improvement in everyway overthe 2005's it is amazing!!!!
  • blnewtblnewt Member Posts: 27
    Just purchased an '06 GLSV6 last weekend and are completely thrilled w/ the purchase. What a great car, we tested all the comparables such as Accord,Camry,Altima,Mazda6,Jetta,Fusion.
    I believe if all the cars had equal features at the same price the Hyundai would still be at (or right near) the top. What a solid & tight car, reminds me of my fathers' Audi A6 in refinement. Hope to share any findings and learn from the other members along the way. Glad to say I own a Hyundai (still can't believe I'm saying that, lol).
  • momstruck1momstruck1 Member Posts: 206
    nervous . looking to replace hubbys crashed and totaled 01 sentra with something a little bigger and roomer. I have heard mixed on the hyundai's and need to ask if you are all happy with your purchases . We curently own a 2004 toyota sienna xle ltd and were also considering another toyota for hubby but many people tell us to save the cash and buy the hyundai . Any good or bad reviews please let us know. :confuse:
  • rhduke00rhduke00 Member Posts: 129
    My name is bob and three days ago, I traded in my 2001 2dr LX Accent for a deep water blue 06 GLS Sonata.
  • haefrhaefr Member Posts: 600
    Your best bet is to review the increasingly numerous posts in the "Hyundai Sonata 2006+" discussion here to get a handle on owners' opinions about the new model's strong and not-so-strong points.
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,601
    Haefr makes a good point about reviewing others' posts. But more importantly, you and spouse should test drive each car. Compare your likes/dislikes and what the price of each car would cost YOU before making your deal. Be sure the quoted price includes all dealer add ons, not just physical add ons, such as processing fees.

    Actually, after driving the cars and reviewing the various forums you should have a good idea of what you are willing to pay for the car you prefer. Make the dealer your offer, don't take his offer (unless it is lower than you are willing to pay).
  • yeayeayeayea Member Posts: 4
    Is it possible to program the alarm when the door is set by the remote. I own a 2005 Sonata GLX.
  • seth47seth47 Member Posts: 2
    Hello everybody, Seth here....nice to see this forum available.

    I purchased a gray/gray 2005 GLS SV in Feb 2005. Received about $3500 in rebates, etc (prior owner of a 1995 Accent). Price was about $18K out the door with rebates (and tax) applied.

    I have never had a better vehicle. Fit and finish is excellent, low road noise, 19-20 mpg in town, 27-28 mpg on highway. I added the front spoiler, the wind dam for the sun roof, and upgraded to a 5.1 stereo inside, amps, etc.

    Just had the 15K service done with full synthetic oil change...all for about $160. Great dealer in this area and I've gotten to know the folks on a personal basis.

    Interestingly, rented a 2005 Ford Taurus SE in Florida for 3 days. Wow!...I can see why Hyundai is doing so well and why Ford and GM are in big trouble. Taurus = Plastic looking, LOUD road noise, poor layout, cheap plastics all around on the outside...Boy was I glad to climb back behind my Sonata when I got back.
  • 94hawkskin94hawkskin Member Posts: 116
    Purchased an 06 GLS I4 with no options in December in Baton Rouge and absolutely love this car. I couldn't believe the quality when I test drove it and it still amazes me how good of a car it is for an amazing price. I now have 5,000 miles on this car and have nothing to complain about.
  • lxloverlxlover Member Posts: 6
    I bought a 2006 LX, fully loaded, in Nov 2005 and have been loving this car ever since! Color is Aquamarine with the beige leather interior. No problems at all! My first Hyundai, after a string of Nissans. I have put about 4300 miles on it in just over 2 months. Love the features, interior and back end, but think the front is a bit generic Asian looking. Can't wait to see their V8 car when it comes out!
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