Hyundai Sonata Maintenance and Repair

tomk17

My outside temperature display is typically off by almost 10 degrees ie; it can be 32 deg outside and it says about 42 deg. I saw reference to this on a Hyundai site once but can't find it again. Does anyone know of a service bulliten on this issue? Thanks

hotrod54

Exactly. :shades:

craigbrooks

Here ya go thanks go to Jerry.

http://jerrystout.us/sonata/tsb/ambient%20temperature%20sensor%20replacement.pdf-

astrol

Hello,

I have just encountered the same issue and am seeking your advice on this matter. The car is currently at my local (non-dealer) shop and awaiting a decent sub-frame. Apparently all used/salvage sub-frames are suspect and they have refused two already. I can switch the repair to the dealer without any hitches but will not do so if there is no assurance of reimbursement as they will only do the repair with a new part which jumps the cost to over $2k.

Your e-mail is private so I have to try this method of communication. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Paul
leganzaCDX99@aol.com

tstrick320

Paul,

Your story sounds like deja vu. I originally took my Sonata to the dealer for state inspection and was told of the subframe rust. They initially said they could not repair it at all and that problems like this were usually referred to a local body shop. However, they cautioned that the body shop would have to use a salvage part and the finding one from a 2000 model Sonata would be difficult or impossible. Bottom line: the car is done.

I then took it to my favorite local guy who confirmed that things were really bad and they weren't sure they could fix it.

After that I found this thread and learned that others had pursued claims through Hyundai consumer affairs and had either been reimbursed for their repair or had the work done at a dealer under warranty. After only 2 weeks, Hyundai agreed to repair our car at no charge. I then took it back to the local dealer who cheerfully fixed it.

My recommendation is to call Hyundai Consumer Affairs and open a case. Be patient, courteous, and PERSISTENT. I think they'll do the right thing for you.

Good luck!
Tom Strickland
Hyundai case# 3162725

astrol

Thanks Tom for your quick response.

I did e-mail Hyundai Consumer Affairs back on the 21st of December and received a reply giving me a case number. I chose not to pursue anything over the Holidays. My local shop is still trying to find a decent one before they will start any work or will call it quits if they can't. So I called the phone number for the Hyundai Consumer Affairs today and spoke with a very nice young lady named April who denied any Hyundai coverage from warranty, etc. and noted our rather high mileage of over 140K since 2000. My wife puts on about 20K a year. I thanked her for her time and explained that this is just the opening salvo from my perspective as frame rust-through on any car of recent vintage, especially where welds are concerned, is no small safety issue.

Basically I'm just trying to see what others like yourself have done, step-by-step, to get reimbursement or assurance of same from Hyundai. Obviously if Hyundai does the job they will use a new sub-frame and the cost will rise appropriately so I am more than a little hesitant to take it to the dealer for repair in the first place without some understanding in place. If I have to out-of-pocket a $1300-$1400 repair, I can live with it, even without reimbursement. But I will not out-of-pocket a $2200 repair or more, as other have noted without compensation.

Many Thanks
Paul

bozy

Hi Paul,

I received similar treatment from the Hyundai Consumer Affairs department when I filled my claim. They told me that since my Sonata was a 1999 and had 95K miles on it, it was well out of warranty.
I was trying to figure out from the ones that were successful in getting Hyundai to pay for the sub frame repair what years these cars were but didnt seem to find this info. I wonder if these were 'newer' model cars that they had.
Even so, for something as serious as this, I still think Hyundai should do the right thing and pay up.

Mike

sky12

My Hyundai dealer recommended a "granitized (sp?) oil change" charged me $289 vs. the regular $45 oil change - evidently as a preventive maintenance every 40K miles. Has anyone heard of this? Is this really necessary?

colloquor

I've never heard of such a thing? This sounds very suspicious to me, and is absolutely not necessary. I would like to hear more about this, as this borders on unethical business practice by your Hyundai dealer. It really sounds like a major rip-off.

sprayer1944

i called my hyundai dealer about this ,they never hear of such a thing,believe you've been ripped sir!

jack47

Frankly, even the $45 charge for an oil change seems like a rip off.

craigbrooks

Could this have been a system flush? Every 40K sounds like it.

hotrod54

Jeez...don't go for something no one has ever heard of...regular oil changes are just fine, as long as you stick to the manufacturer's schedule...all this other crap is just gaff...all this motor flush hooey is a bunch of needless nonsense to enrich service buisness'es bottom line...regular oil changes worked just fine since the invention of the automobile, until some chemist developed a product for companies to sell.

sky12

thanks hotrod54 for your comments. Next time I get suckered into one of those things, I'll just say "no thanks". I was worried that if I did not do what the dealer recommended, it might invalidate the 100K warranty. Any former Hyundai technicians out there who can tell us more about this?

backy

I am not a former Hyundai technician, but I do know that all you need to do to to keep the warranty valid is maintain the car according to the manufacturer's requirements (not the dealer's), and of course don't abuse it. And you don't need to have the services done at a Hyundai dealer--but if not, be sure to keep good records of all maintenance.

Dealers routinely recommend services above and beyond the manufacturer's requirements--things like "throttle body cleaning" for example. It's great for their profits. But this is the first time I've heard of a "granite" (?) oil change.

dadof6

'07 Sonata GLS 4cyl automatic. Tranny fluid looked good at 44,000 miles in Sept '07. Now at 47,000 fluid is brown. I'm set to have it flushed this coming week. This will be its 1st change. The 1st 40,000 miles were done 1,000 miles per week with service done every 5,000 miles. Tranny fluid looked new until the service at 47,000 miles. We do all city driving now-about 150 miles per week. Hyundai says change at 30k under severe service or inspect regularly which I have done. I have been following the severe maint schedule since our driving habits changed but am concerned with how quickly the fluid went from good to bad.
Any body dealt with this?

craigbrooks

My question is....Why did you wait for this service? If mine looked good at 44K it would have been because I changed it at 30K. Darn near everyone drives "severe" service. Fluid additives can break down quickly. Preventative medicine works wonders. Flush it and go forward.

nvbanker

It never hurts your car to change fluids - so do it now, then watch it again. Odds are, it'll be fine for at least 30,000 more miles, but if it turns bad again quickly, you probably have something overheating in the transmission, and service or repair is pending.....

nikidemiris

i have a 2001 hundai sonata and lately i have some trouble the car satrts fine but when i try to putit to gear it sahkes makes a funny noise then stops , help.

nvbanker

Does it restart?

vjy

I own a 2007 GLS Sonata. I got NEW ONE IN April 2007. It is great but I do have one concern. The advertised MPG for city was 23 and highway was 28/29. But even after driving around 9,000 miles, I am getting only 21 MPG. I drive mostly city and the traffic is really bad, but still i feel the MPG is little low.
I am also not that hard on the car, I do not accelerate or brake suddenly.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

sprayer1944

i have an 08 sonata,but its a 4 cyl. and i'm getting 27 mpg around here,but i'm out in the country,city driving is gonna affect your mileage alot.is it a 4 or a 6 cyl. ?
that'll make a difference also.

hotrod54

Ok boys and girls...class is in session. Eyes forward, pay attention, no talking and interrupting until I am done. Ok. If you read the window sticker, it says these are just ESTIMATES...there are no absolutes when it comes to fuel mileage...so many things affect fuel mileage it boggles the mind, but lets review just a few here. From fall thru spring, many parts of the country use 10% ethanol in their fuel to reduce pollutants...you lose about 2 mpg because of this. Heavy city stop and go traffic will reduce your fuel mileage. Ambient temperatures will affect your fuel mileage. Humidity will affect your fuel mileage. Terrain will affect your fuel mileage. Did you know that when you run your your defroster that your a/c compressor is on (above about 35 degrees)? this will affect your fuel mileage as will running your a/c in warm weather. Low air pressure in your tires will affect your fuel mileage. Even tho the feds reformulated their testing procedures to reflect more real world ESTIMATES FOR FUEL MILEAGE, THEY ARE JUST THAT...ESTIMATES...to compare against other vehicles. Ok...any questions?...No? Class dismissed. :shades:

bhmr59

Well said, Hotrod.

Here in CT we have the crummy 10% ethanol year round (more expensive than "real gas" and lower MPG).

My milage to work is about 3 miles each way, not heavy city traffic, but it might as well be with 2 stop signs and 2 traffic lights, one of which is a "left turn only" and almost always requiring a stop and often having to sit through one light cycle before able to get through the intersection. On the approx 1 mile section of clear sailing, speeds vary from about 40ish down to 20 (and sometimes stop) due to school buses and commercial vehicle turning into and out of a side street. It can take anywhere from 7 to 11 minutes to drive those 2.7 miles. Do the math, my average speed, driving to work, ranges from 15 to 23 MPH depending on the traffic on any given day or how long I may have to wait at a traffic light. Yes, I usually get to 40 or 45 at some point (for maybe 3/4's of a mile). Driving home .5 of the last .7 miles is up an S curve hill with an elevation change of approx 200 ft--not exactly good for the mpg.

We all have different driving conditions which affect our mpg's differently.

(The hill coming home is why I shake my head when I read some of the posts on the Azera forum that say there's no big difference between RWD & FWD. Many snow storms I have to go a couple miles on a round about route to avoid that hill even with FWD.)

hotrod54

Sounds kind of frustrating for such a short commute bhm59. By the way, I left out warm-up time and idling. It really amazes me how people expect to get the mileage estimates posted...they take it for gospel and when it is not achieved, they think something is wrong with the car. I tell you, when I was in the service business, it was hard to get this point across to folks. Oh well.

bhmr59

Idling time. That's another good example.

Go to a bank driveup window or fast food joint driveup and sit in line for 5 or 10 minutes. Real gas gobbler.

Mr_Shiftright

I once had someone ask me: "What kind of gas mileage does my car get while idling?"

Well, of course LOL! ...the answer is ZERO mpg.

craigbrooks

Gas mileage should get batter as the car ages. I have the 06 GLS I4 and I get 21 - 23 in "my" city driving. Depends on weather and how I drive it. Highway....I've only done one major road trip, 1500 miles at 80 - 90 mph and avg'd 28 - 29. I was pleased.

Play with it and find the optimum driving style to achieve the best mileage you can.

2000gt2

There is a loud humming/squealing noise coming from the front passengre side of the car while the car is off. Anyone have any ideas what this might be?

Thanks

wanna_azzy

Are you missing any pets, or children?

vjy

Thanks for all the replies. I just wanted to know since I do not have that much experience with the cars. But I felt for a 4 cyl engine, 21 is bit low.

Anyways thanks again.

hotrod54

Might be the rare humming/squealing squirrel :shades:

craigbrooks

keep in mind a "heavy" 4 cyl mid-size SEDAN. Not a lite 4cly civic/elantra/corrolla, etc. and a 2.4 litre with 160+ hp at that.

craigbrooks

now that is a great deal of help. Could have been his/her mother-n-law. In which case he/she should get out and look. If she is still breathing and squealing....back up. :surprise:

tyler77

Where is the crankshaft position sensor on a 2003 hyandai sonata v6???

Mr_Shiftright

cooling fan still on?

water/steam leak from a hose?

dadof6

I have followed the normal service schedule as recommened by the manufacturers since we began driving 50,000 miles/year several years ago. The exception being engine oil/filters done at 5,000 (easier interval to follow). Our driving habits fit the normal schedule nearly to the letter. I inspect things such as the tranny fluid for anything out of the ordinary every 5,000 miles and service as needed. My concern was how quickly the fluid turned brown. As I said the fluid looked as good at 44,000 as it did at 10,000 then by 47,000 needed a flush out. I would have expected a gradual change over several checks.
We have found over the years that our stuff lasts about twice as long as the "severe service" driver might experience. I'm all for PM but don't believe in overkill.

hotrod54

Dbl lol...I'll drink to that :shades:

334

I need instructions on how to replace a headlight in a 2004 Hyundai Sonata tried on my own and couldn't figure it out. any help would be appreciated.

nomad1957

Well I have little faith in the Hyundai dealership. I took my car in with several minor complaints and all they did was jerk me around.

1- passenger side rear window would not lower/raise from drivers console. They supposedly fixed it....its still mesed up and now I have to make yet another trip to the dealership.
2-The windshield wipers work when they want to work. No problems found at time of service...argh! They told me the water sprayer would have to be checked and blown out , that it was clogged......what? $ 90.00???
The sprayer started working again all by its self....blockage my foot?
3-My side mirrors quit working and the mechanic said it was a blown fuse...no there was no fuse in it when I took it to dealership. I went by auto parts store bought fuses and replaced the missing one....the mirrors and lighter works now...in the hand book it shows no fuse for side mirrors....dumb butts!

braggon

Well add me to the list, mines a 2000 case # 3200600. I didn't purchase the extended warranty. My Sonota is currently at the dealership and said the tab will be $2300. It's so bad it's not safe to drive. The first thing I noticed was it started pulling to the right after I hit a pothole. I jacked it up and was shocked when I saw it! At least one of the new tires is ruined. So i called the dealership, then Hyundai, then I called another dealership to see if they have seen any and surprise surprise, then have and said you need to call Hyundai to get them to pay for it. There should have been a recall because it's a safety hazard.

But the worst part is why didn't the dealership catch this when it would have been a minor repair??? They've serviced the car several times over the past few years!

dudushopping

Hi everyone, I just got a 08 Sotana less than a month ago. The other day, I drove it into a wall when parking. I stopped and then pressed gas instead of brake and hit into a wall that was 6 feet ahead of the car. So the bumper is damaged and the hood might be slightly out of alignment because the alarm went off several times randomly for no reason since then.

My friend suggested I should pay out of pocket and have it fixed in a body shop. But I kind of prefer to have the dealership look at it and fix it completely, I don't know if the body shop can fix the alarm system and I don't know if the bodyshop repair would impact my warranty in the future.

But I don't know if I submit the claim with Geico, they would raise my rate really high later. To make the situation worse, I'm a new driver and this is my first car, I got it less than a month ago.

So I was wondering if anybody has any experience with insurance going up after an accident.

If I submit the claim and take it to my dealer (to make sure everything is fixed), Geico would have to pay about $2000 or more. Would my insurance go up substantially?

I have a friend who was in the similar situation and the insurance went from $450 to 2k for 6 months after slight collision with a pole (only bumper damaged). That sounds ridiculous!

Do you know if I switch company when if happens, can I get a lower rate from other company?

Thank you for your help in advance!

I hope you all have a good weekend!

sprayer1944

yes your insurance will go up unless you have all state that has 1 st. accident forgiveness,i doupt that geico does.a body shop can fix your problems unless the dealer has a shop of its own.i'd suggest out of pocket this time ,being your a new driver.try safe auto insur. for rates.i have aig for my 08 sonata and they're lower then most.good luck,and be careful

lmaxick

OK, I have answered this before apparently no one pays attention. Are you listerning???????? I had the same problem when I installled my weather strips on the drivers window. What you you do is start at the front and push that litlle sucker in the channel as far as it will go, then strat pushing it into the channel at the top untile it won't go in any further, at the back you may have to bend it slightly to get it into the rear channel, trust me, mine works just fine. Let me know hyow it works out for you you can reach me at Lmaxick@aol.com

nvbanker

I disagree about your rates going up. Unless the insurance company has to handle a personal injury lawsuit and settlement, fixing your bumper & hood will be nominal for them to pay out. My son was cancelled by an insurance company, but his rates were never raised, and he wasn't cancelled until after 9 (yes, nine) accidents - 7 of them his fault.

No, he doesn't have a car anymore.

hafrican

i am the owner of a sonata gold 2003 model, 4 cyl. 2.0 this car is doing 40k. it runs just fine but there is a whistling sound comming from the engine, everytme i rev , there is also a cry comming from front wheels when i move off and when i'm stopping. added to that i just changed 2 front shock and i'm still getting a rough ride can anyone advise me

gandb777

I have a 2007 Hyundai Sonata GLS 4 cylinder automatic with 13000 miles on it. tA while ago I wrote in about a slight vibration type of problem I was experiencing when in automatic and reached a speed betweer 45 and 50 mph
After considerable effort with the dealer, who could feel the problem but had no fix for it , I finally get the attention of the Factory rep. He road in the car and drove it but insisted that it was performing as designed.
Well, I still experience the problem and must put the transmission into shitable 4th gear to eliminate the vibration.
I still feel this is a problem area and if it exists on all 2007 Hyundai GLS,s then Hyundai has a problem they are not addressing.
Anyway,since I cannot afford to replace the car, I will live with it until I can do something.
I find Hyundai hard to deal with as I cannot find anywhere else to take my concern. Talked by phone to Hyundai customer service and they never got back to me. Also, does anyone know of an email address for Hyundai other than the dealer?
Others can do what they want, but I will not again be a Hyundai customer. Unfortunately I bought two 2007 Hyundai Sonatas at the same time. So I guess I made a mistake. I won't do that again.

craigbrooks

gandb,
I feel bad for you. Have you tried changing the trans fluid? It may help. If it was my car doing this I would invest a few bucks and have it done. Good luck man.

johnlee5

I've been to the dealer twice for this problem but they can't figure out what's wrong.
When I try to start the car after about 2 hours of non operation, the engine won't start at the first try. It cranks but doesn't catch on. It doesn't happen all the time but happens more than 50 ~70% of the time. Of course when I take it to the dealer, the car starts right up because it's been running.
1st time the dealer told me they could not duplicate the problem.
2nd time, the dealer changed the knock sensor.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? How did you fix it? This problem is driving me nuts. I have a 2001 toyota sienna that starts every time on the first crank.

eclark

Possibility your fuel system can not maintain required pressure during extended non operation. Perhaps your dealer could keep the car overnight to see if they experience the sympton you are experiencing. During periods of brief stops the fuel system is able to maintain enough pressure to start the engine. Keep us posted on your resolution.