Hyundai Sonata Care and Maintenance

12357

Comments

  • dump_truckdump_truck Member Posts: 42
    For those of you who have put on enough miles to do so, any suggestions on a good quality replacement for the OE?
  • bobadbobad Member Posts: 1,587
    Watch out on the Fram. Some of them were causing problems, and Hyundai does not recommend using them. Don't know if Fram has fixed them or not, but they have certainly had time.
  • ricschricsch Member Posts: 540
    So what is the maintenance schedule for the '06-'07 Sonata, such as valve adjustments, timing belt replacement, etc.? Costs involved with those items?

    Looking at the 4cyl. Sonata at this time.
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    Both the V6 and the I4 use timing chains now. I haven't researched the I4, but the V6 is specified to have valve lash measured every 60,000 miles. If out of tolerance, service replacement lifters* are available in 41 lengths. Since the camshaft(s) had/have to be removed to access the lifters, that means the timing chain also has to be removed, first. There could be some significant cash changing hands in that event.

    *According to the shop manual, these are designated as "MLA"s (manual lash adjusters?). My initial interpretation from the diagrams in the shop manual was that these were shallow, but full tappets. But on further reflection, perhaps "MLA" is Hyundai-speak for shims? Dunno - I'll leave it to a Hyundai dealership tech to settle the question.
  • gbxk86agbxk86a Member Posts: 12
    Just bought a '07 Sonata. Reading the warranty booklet, I was puzzled by the 2 yr warranty on emission equipment where a bunch of items up to 2 or 3 pages are listed. I was going to ask the salesman when I go there to mount the license plates. However, someone here may know. Does this two year warranty refers to adjustment for emission only? If one of these items fails or breaks, is it covered by the five year warranty?
  • miamixtmiamixt Member Posts: 600
    Emissions equipment is required by Federal law to be covered for five years or 50,000 miles. I believe California law requires 8 years.

    http://www.edmunds.com/new/2007/hyundai/sonata/100751612/standardwarranties.html-
  • gbxk86agbxk86a Member Posts: 12
    Copied from the warranty book per verbatim except skipping some wordings:
    ....is free from defects in material and workmanship at the time of sale which would cause the vehicle to fail to conform with such regulations for a period of 2 years from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use or 24,000 miles, whichever occurs first. Specific 2 year/24,000 mile emission parts (are) covered under the 5 year/60,000 mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty. (It continued to say several major components such as ECM and catalytic converter are covered under 8 yrs/80,000 miles)

    In the following few pages, there is a table listing about 80 items on air induction system, ignition system, valve timing system etc. There is a footnote for the table that said,"Specific 2 yr/24000 mile emission parts covered under the 5 yr/60,000 mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty, but it does not point out which ones fall under this note.
    I hope you see why I am confused. Are these 80 items covered by 2 yr or by 5 yr warranty? They seems to say that are sure when the car is built, these components will insure the emission standard to be adhered to for 2 yrs. However, it they fail within 5 yrs, they will fix it free. I am just not sure if that is what it is saying.
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    )) "There is a footnote for the table that said,"Specific 2 yr/24000 mile emission parts covered under the 5 yr/60,000 mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty, but it does not point out which ones fall under this note." ((

    Maybe this'll help (or not...): As an example, under the extended powertrain warranty, the exhaust manifold(s) is/are covered for 100,000 miles or 10 years. Under the Federal Emissions warranty that same component is covered for 24,000 miles or 2 years - and this is true regardless of vehicle make. However, most auto manufacturers do not have a 10/100 provision, so having 2/24 for the exhaust manifold is better than nothing. Under Hyundai/KIA's extended powertrain warranties, their original owners enjoy blanket replacement protection in the event of cracking on that component for the full 10/100 duration. To tell which specific components get the full-monty, check both your 5/60 and 10/100 sections to note the components covered by those warranties and then mark with a pen or pencil in your warranty supplement booklet* which of those specific components are listed under the Feds' 2/24 provision. Any components so marked will actually have longer coverage courtesy of the automaker's own warranty - at least while you own the vehicle.

    *In perusing these forums for three years, you're the first poster other than myself who's bothered to reference cracking that publication open. More than once in my 45+ years' driving I've backed smart aleck service personnel into submission with pointed references to specific provisions in the printed warranty material. (They hate it when I do that. ;))
  • gbxk86agbxk86a Member Posts: 12
    Thanks for your explanation. Honestly, this is the first time I read the warranty book in such a detail after buying ten cars in my life so far, perhaps because the long warranty intrigued me. I went back and read the others, Toyota and Infiniti. They all said about the same thing, except Toyota have 3 yr and Infiniti have 4 yr instead of 5. Their explanations on emission warranty were easier to understand though.
  • jfranojfrano Member Posts: 6
    Will be picking up a 2007 Sonata this weekend. Often we take it into NYC and as our current bumpers can attest, they get pretty beat up from people parking and taping the front and rear bumpers.

    What are my options in protecting the bumpers from this kind of abuse. We've tried the peel and stick black bumper guards, unfortuantley, after a year or two they start to fall off, sometimes peeling the paint with them.
  • billbillbillbillbillbill Member Posts: 1
    For 2.4 L I-4, it's a timing CHAIN - no belt to replace.
  • billwardbillward Member Posts: 154
    While I've been trying to get an 06 or 07 for over a year, the house I was selling ended up back on the rental market... and I ended up getting an 03 GLS V6. My wife and I are both disappointed that it doesn't seem to have speed sensor door locks; we've had them on our '96 minivan, and were going to require the dealer to activate them if we had bought new.

    But I've never heard whether or not they are on the '03, and just not activated by default. I also haven't seen them in the Owner's Manual, but in fairness, I've only been able to get part way through (the wife won't let me drive the car much, claiming that it's now HERS).

    So, anyone know if the '03 was equiped with speed sensing automatic door locks? :confuse:
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    NO speed activated automatic door locks on 2005 and earlier U.S. distributed Sonatas.
  • jandk98jandk98 Member Posts: 20
    I have an 07 GLS. I haven't found anything in the manual on how to turn on this feature (speed sensitive door locks). I'd really like to turn them on. I remember that, in a '98 Pontiac Grand Prix I used to drive, there was a series of on/off/button presses you could do to enter a program mode and turn on/off features like this. Anyone that knows about this for the Sonata, please write back. Thanks!
  • jandk98jandk98 Member Posts: 20
    Just curious about the Traction Control System in the '07 Sonata. While the web site, window sticker, and brochures all refer to TCS as standard equipment in all '07 Sonatas, there is no mention of TCS in the actual owner's manual. I realize that they link TCS with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) in some of the literature, but ESC and TCS are two separate systems and work differently. There doesn't seem to be any dashboard indicator for TCS, either.

    Has anyone seen it mentioned in the manual, seen an indicator when it actually turns on, or experienced it in any other way? It just seems odd to me to not mention it in the manual, and I want to be certain as to whether or not the car has TCS. I'd also really like to know if the "ESC ON/OFF" toggle button on the dash shuts off TCS, too, or if TCS can ever be shut off at all.
  • cableguy06cableguy06 Member Posts: 299
    It has to be done by the dealer using their SCAN tool. They will do it for free and it took about 5 minutes.
  • cableguy06cableguy06 Member Posts: 299
    The car does have traction control but TCS is not driver controllable...always on.
  • jandk98jandk98 Member Posts: 20
    I see no mention of this in the manual, though; how can you be sure? Is it there and I'm just not seeing it?
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Hi cableguy - I'm still waiting to hear back from you on my last email request...
  • cableguy06cableguy06 Member Posts: 299
    Hi Pat...really nothing more to say at this point. I enjoyed our conversations. Shoot me an e-mail or call my cell if we need to chat further ;)
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    I did email with you some questions that I'm waiting to hear from you on. Please respond to me there and not here. Thanks!
  • jandk98jandk98 Member Posts: 20
    Anyone know if the 07 Sonata can be set so that the headlights stay on for a minute or two after the ignition is turned off? Right now, the headlights go off when the ignition is turned off, and the running lights go off once the door is opened.
  • cableguy06cableguy06 Member Posts: 299
    Unfortunately, no such capability in the 06-07 Sonata's.
  • dd5dd5 Member Posts: 7
    Does anyone have a problem with the front passenger seat rattling in a vibrating fashion. this happens when no one is seating in it and certain bumps or turns will shake the seat and cause a very annoying vibrating sound. the problem can sometimes be fixed by adjusting the seat forward or reverse position to get it lock in a new position. it may require several trials until this very annoying rattle goes away. Has anyone experienced a similar problem?
  • jandk98jandk98 Member Posts: 20
    Not sure which year your Sonata is. Mine is brand new (2007), and I had a rattle like the one you mention. Check the parts of the seatbelt that are close to the hard plastic of the B-pillar (between the side windows) when the belt is not being used - that was what was causing the rattle in my car.
  • dd5dd5 Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2006 LX. No, my problem is of a different type of rattle. it's the seat it self that vibrates. I can simulate the same noise when I punch on the seat's back rest. it seems that the seat is not firmly in place all the time, even though I hear a click when I move it forward or backward to adjust its position. I can usually make it go away after playing with the seat position a few times but it will come back after someone sits in the passenger seat. after he leaves the vibrating noise will come back again. I want to know if others are experiencing anything like this or if this a rare problem with my seat.
    thanks,
  • billwardbillward Member Posts: 154
    Actually, some dealers were charging for it if it wasn't specified in the original purchase last year.

    Of course, it's not on mine, so it doesn't matter to me... until a few years from now, when I buy an '06 style Sonata (maybe a 2011 model?)
  • eman73eman73 Member Posts: 1
    Yes, I have the exact same problem. It's the entire seat that shakes and rattles. If someone is in the seat, it's fine. I took out the headrest and it's still making noises. I mentioned it to the dealer before and they said there's nothing they can do about it. This time I'll take it to another dealer and see what they say.
  • jacknzonejacknzone Member Posts: 82
    Hi dd5 got a 2004 gls sonata yes got the same rattle sound and i move the head rest around a bit and it goes away . It only happen on the open road driving and I have trouble with the seatbelt on the passenger side too that was mention in a reply you had. :)
  • jandk98jandk98 Member Posts: 20
    Maybe the best thing to do is go for a ride with a friend.
    Just a thought:

    Have that friend sit in the rear passenger-side seat, without anyone sitting in the front passenger seat. Recreate the scenerio where you hear the rattle, then ask them to listen closely to the seat to better pinpoint the location of the rattle. Dealers won't help at all unless a.) they can recreate the problem themselves, b.) a computer can tell them what's wrong, or c.) you tell them exactly where you think the problem is.

    Yeah, this seems like a lot of work, but it's what I would do if I had a noise that was driving me nuts.

    If you figure out what the problem was, and the solution, I'm sure there are a lot of people here that would be interested in hearing about it.
  • dd5dd5 Member Posts: 7
    The problem seems to be in the back rest. the vibrations of the car are passed on to the seat and the back rest vibrates and makes this annoying noise. It maybe better to play with the incline handle of the seat to make it go away. it seems that you can find a position that it doesn't shake until some one will sit in it and when he leaves it it will start again. I still would like to know if this is a wide spread problem or a rare problem. If most people are not having this problem, then maybe we can argue to have the entire seat replaced. if only a few people are experiencing this problem, then this is a defect as far as I'm concerned.
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    '03 Sonata, here. Might try repositioning the passenger-side headrest to its fully retracted position when you're driving alone. I found on my car when that headrest is extended to the point that it would be effective at preventing a whiplash neck injury to a front seat passenger in a rear-end collision, it flops a bit - exquisitely engineered to be just enough to result in that infuriating passenger seat rattle. :mad:

    (If I ever win the PowerBall jackpot, my first purchase will be a Bentley Continental Silver Spur saloon. My second purchase will be the lifetime indentured servitude of Volkswagen Group's most astute troubleshooting technician - laws against slavery be hanged.)
  • jacknzonejacknzone Member Posts: 82
    Hi jand98 Good idea thanks
    The rattle is intermittent so I just put up with it ,move the headrest and turn the volume up the radio that will uselessly fix it,I have got use to it ,but to read that another person is experience the same problem (dd5) on a later model car you got to thing how many more are there out :D
  • hotrod54hotrod54 Member Posts: 82
    dump truck, hotrod54 here...best tire replacement is bridgestone turanza ls-v...superior wet traction and overall grip to michelin...you will giggle while blasting by all those people with their slippery tires :)
  • craigbrookscraigbrooks Member Posts: 420
    Check out the response I recv'd on the "Hyundai Sonata 2006+" forum, message 660 (8). When you turn off the ESC the traction control is disabled. There is no indication it is doing its job except for the fact that you get going faster than without it. I've never had a car with TC before and my first drive here in the Montana snow was great. Can't see having a car without it again.
  • cableguy06cableguy06 Member Posts: 299
    dump_truck - what I found very interesting is that the Michelin's that came with my car (Pilot HMX4) were TOP rated by consumer reports. Michelin's are typically a top notch tire so I guess I shouldn't be to surprised. The tires that came on my 07 Limited Ultimate retail for over $200 per tire so Hyundai certainly didn't skimp when it came to putting great tires on their cars.

    When it's time for me to get a set of replacements, it's the OEM tires I'll be looking to purchase.
  • dump_truckdump_truck Member Posts: 42
    consumer reports the mag? or consumer reports on websites? i don't paticularly care for them(the tires or consumer reports the mag), and a decent amount of reviews i see from actual users of the tire (on sites such as tirerack.com) don't exactly brag about them. not to mention the outrageous price. i've never owned michilens before personally, but a do have multiple accounts from friends/relatives with negative experiences with various models of them. i actually managed to spin my tires today in completely dry weather and roads/with the esc on, without getting even close to a full throttle start from a stopped position......makes me wonder how much worse they will be when it's wet.

    the above posters vouch for the bridgestones is the 5th or 6th i've seen for that same tire. it's the only alternative tire i've seen MULITPLE positive reccomendations over the michilens. good thing for consumersis, just because it's the most expensive does not mean it's neccessarily the best.
  • cableguy06cableguy06 Member Posts: 299
    Consumer Reports the magazine. Never intended for you to assume that I was implying that the most expensive tire is the best. We all know that all to well...we ALL bought Hyundais ;)

    I have never known anyone to have a negative experience with Michelins. They are one of the most top rated brands in the world but even the most top rated brands make products that may not be appreciated by all.

    If you like Bridgestone's, then by all means go for it. I, too, have no problem squeeling my tires on partial accelleration on dry pavement. I always chalked it up to the powerful V6 and the lack of a heavy front end.

    If my Michelin's make it to 40K miles and continue to treat me well, I will certainly look at them again when time for replacement.
  • dump_truckdump_truck Member Posts: 42
    i didn't mean to say YOU were implying the most expensive is the best...just sorta rhetorically stating perhaps?!?! I agree that is the reason we all bought hyundais as well! I don't neccessarily 'like' bridgestones, or any other tire for that matter. i also think another reason a lot of us bought hyundais is because we aren't 'fanboys' of any particular manufacturer, and weren't afraid to have an open mind and see a quality value when it's right in front of our face. otherwise we would have all done what consumer reports said and buy a camry. that was the point of me asking for suggestions specific to the sonata because that is the car i drive. while one tire might perform great on an acura TL, it may fail miserably on a hyundai, or any other vehicle due to many factors.

    i just can't justify spending $200 per tire, especially if there performance doesn't exactly blow me away. although i would be greatly pleased if they manage to last that long, from what i understand low prifile tires of this size tend not to last that long.
  • cableguy06cableguy06 Member Posts: 299
    I'm with you my friend!

    If you step down to an H-rated tire, which is more than acceptable for 99% of the driving population, if it means anything Consumer Reports rated the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S as a top tire as well. The only tire to score higher was the Dunlop SP Sport 5000. This tire is significantly cheaper than our stock Michelin and also has great wet and dry pavement performance. The Michelin actually scored at the top for best against Hydroplaning.

    If your'e interested in Bridgestone, the Potenza RE950 scored well but no where near as good as the Michelin and Dunlop. Have you looked into the Dunlop?

    I was never a Goodyear or BF Goodrich fan, but have had positive experiences in the past with Bridgestone and Dunlop. Based on the testing results, I think I would stick to Michelin and Dunlop if I had to buy new tires today.

    This is CR's Top Picks:

    Best for all weather conditions:


    H-rated:
    Dunlop SP Sport 5000, $81
    Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S, $78
    Falken Ziex ZE 512, $56

    Others to consider if winter grip doesn’t matter:

    H-rated:
    Continental ContiProContact, $77
    Michelin Pilot XGT H4, $98
    Bridgestone Potenza RE950, $80

    Have a great weekend dump_truck :shades:
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    I have never known anyone to have a negative experience with Michelins.

    Now you do. The Michelins that came OEM on my wife's '01 Elantra were not good. First, one tire was defective and would go flat as soon as it got warm at highway speeds. Went round and round with Michelin to get the tire replaced free as it had under 1000 miles on it. Eventually settled for half price and got the other half back after the tire was returned to Michelin for their inspection where they found it was indeed defective.

    Also, my wife's Elantra had the wheel shimmy problem that you can read about on the Elantra forums. Balancing, etc, would not take care of it. We recently replaced the tires with non-Michelins and the problem has disappeared.

    I had replaced the OEM Goodyear Eagle LS tires on my Galant with Michelins. Was fine for a while but one tire developed a slow leak. Slow enough that it only needed air every 4 or so weeks. Slow enough that tire shops couldn't find the problem to fix it and I couldn't get it replaced under warranty. I had to live with it until I got fed up enough to replace with new, again non-Michelin, tires.

    Right now we're giving the Goodyear Assurance TripleTreds a whirl. A little more noise at highway speed than I'd prefer but traction in wet conditions is defintiely better than the Michelins. They should prove better in the forthcoming snow as well.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • cableguy06cableguy06 Member Posts: 299
    Sorry to hear about your tire problems. I guess what it boils down to is no manufacturer is perfect and what is one persons dream could be anothers nightmare.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    Agreed. I had used Michelin in the past without problems but was very disappointed to have 3 different problems (flat-when-hot, shimmy, slooow leak) with tires from 2001+.

    I'm not normally that enthused by Goodyear but I've not had any major problems with their tires. The worst issue has been poor wet traction on the Eagle LS lineup, but the TripleTred seems to have overcome that nicely.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • w9cww9cw Member Posts: 888
    I've owned a number of brands of tires since I first driving on radials in 1968. I've probably have had the best luck with Michelins, but also good luck with other brands. I have a very good friend who owns an independent tire and alignment shop, and he's a wealth of knowledge on tire technology, etc. He certainly likes Michelin, but also Bridgestone and Kumho. In fact, he stated that he has fewer problems with Kumho than any other brand, and they are significantly cheaper than the competition. Kumho is Korean, as you may know.
  • navyairnavyair Member Posts: 202
    My father repaired many different brands of tires. He always commented that Michelins used thinner liners than the rest and were hard to repair. I personally don't like the way most Bridgestones handle in the rain, although they are great in dry weather.

    I had Michelin energy savers on my commuter car. When they wore out (very noisy tires) I replaced them with Nokia WX's. They work great in rain and snow as well as dry. I will be replacing my Hankooks with them next summer on another Korean vehicle. They are a bit more expensive, though, coming in at $125 each. They are rated at 50k mile tires, and I got an extended warantee for ~9$ more.
  • craigbrookscraigbrooks Member Posts: 420
    I have always had good luck with Cooper Lifeliners. Not speed rated and not available everywhere. They seem to last and I am hard on tires. Lots of curvy roads here in Montana. They work in the snow and rain. Not too expensive and are backed by Cooper tires. Free flat repair and rotations.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    Navyair, if you're willing to pay that much per tire, you might also want to consider the Goodyear TripleTred Assurance. Highly rated for wet/snow and has an 80K warranty. I replaced Michelin Energys with the Goodyears and haven't looked back. I haven't had to drive through much snow yet but they do have noticeably better traction on wet roads.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • txn428txn428 Member Posts: 41
    I've purchased my 2007 Sonata SE in mid October and I had put around 3500 miles on it. Should I do my oil change at this time? Lately I've been driving under stop/ go traffic conditions on a daily basis. I've talked with a Hyundai service advisor in regards to Mobil 1 Synthetic Oil and he told me that it's not the right time to use that because my car is too new. He recommends to use synthetic when my car reaches 10,000 miles because all the mechanical parts need to be in place first. Is that correct?

    If I were to have my oil change with the regular oil; should I use 5w-20, 5w-30, or 10w30? By the way I live in Northern California.

    Thanks for all your inputs

    txn428
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    The persistant myth of "Do not use synthetic oil until the engine has ____ (fill in the blank) miles on it."
    FACT #1: Some engines are filled with synthetic oil at the factory.
    FACT #2: Synthetic oils do not retard engine run-in.
    FACT #3: Some dealership service writers are retarded.
    If you want to use synthetic oil go ahead and do so. Some say do not change the factory-fill oil out early as it's a special break-in oil. That was true nearly 40 years ago and earlier, but as of the early '70s, machining precision allowed the use of standard, fully formulated detergent oils identical to what can be purchased in any autoparts deparment currently. That's what's installed in your engine - but automakers buy it in bulk quantity instead of by the quart so it can be dispensed automatically in metered quantity to the engine. The only difference is that during engine assembly, the worker bees slather a thick semi-liquid assembly pre-lube on all sliding parts to protect them upon 1st startup until the motor oil is pressurized and reaches the parts. Once that occurs, the pre-lube is washed into the oil where it blends. These pre-lubes are usually rich in a molybdenum-based anti-wear additive - so effectively there is something special in the factory-fill oil. Most current motor oil formulations also have molybdenum blended in. Those that don't, use alternate (and effective) antiwear chemistry. Honda, for one, pointedly states to leave the factory-fill oil in for the full duration. Hyundai is silent, but I suspect that taking the factory-fill out to 5K miles would be appropriate. Then, if you want to change out to synthetic, it's your money to spend as you please. You won't do damage with synthetic oil. Just be aware that Hyundai, so far as I'm aware, does not recognize the extended oil change intervals that synthetic oils claim to support. In other words, if you extend oil change intervals beyond the owner's manaul recommendations for your typical driving severity category, you may be jeopardizing your warranty rights. Hyundai's EPA-driven 5W-20 recommendation should be adequate, though your owner's manual also lists 5W-30 and 10W-30 as acceptable substitutes, climate chart permitting. Check the "DO-IT-YOURSELF-MAINTENANCE" section in your owner's manual. Hyundai, Ford, DaimlerChrysler (U.S. made models), certain Honda engines, and Toyota have embraced 5W-20 motor oil in engines provided for U.S. distribution. GM is still a bit cautious for some reason. I'm not aware of any Euro-automakers recommending 5W-20 to date. BMW and Mercedes-Benz are still filling their engines with 0W-40 to 15W-40 synthetic motor oils - even for vehicles bound for U.S. customers. BMW and M-B also recognize extended drain intervals to 10K miles and beyond, though. Your Hyundai V6 would probably thrive on a diet of Castrol Syntec "European Formula" 0W-30. I believe There's a comparable viscosity range Mobil 1 synthetic, too. That viscosity range flows better than 5W-20 when really cold, yet maintains superior "body" at operating temperature. To answer a question you didn't ask (or may not even care about), I use Phillips 66 TropArtic 10W-30 synthetic blend in my '03 Sonata V6 on 3K mile intervals.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.