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Comments
1 blow out while car sitting in driveway
1 flat within 2 weeks of the blowout
rear window replaced ( antennae/defroster defective)
front power door locks replaced, now rear door locks not working
drivers visor repaired (loose and falls down)
front drivers headlight bulb replaced-it is a pain to access took almost 1/2 hr
L rear and 3rd brake lights out
car acts as if in neutral after accelerating from a stop, had to coast to the side of the road and repeatedly try and restart
cupholder insert came out, lodged down side of flap and could not open
radio volume knob doesn't work
passenger visor light not working
drivers "cheater" handle pulled out of ceiling
glove compartment door pins came out, door drops down
drivers outside mirror control not working
leaky struts
warranty only covers major issues so all these hardware issues would be my expense, plus no loaner coverage and the closest dealer is 30 miles away.
plus other design issues I wouldn't necessarily think of until experienced, such as
major noise when windows rolled down, air noise is extreme, cannot hear
rear speakers have limited sound
mp3 display too large, should scroll
limited upholstery color selection, dark would show less dirt
dash control console has poor lighting, cannot brighten during the day
continually replacing cabin air filter or inside gets humid and foggy
cd's skip only on this player
poor vent directional design for front, rear passengers don't get any air
windows seem cheap, sounds are heard thru the glass as if it is really thin
unable to use seat or dash covers for protection due to airbags per mfr.
If you are finding you have to replace the cabin air filter more than once a year or so, you might just try removing it. My Elantras had/have a place for such a filter, but it was not included in the cars when I bought them and I've never missed it.
As for not being able to use seat or dash covers, this is true for any modern car that has SRS airbags in the dash and seats. You might be able to find some covers that are specially designed for a Sonata, and have allowance for airbags, but the dealer was probably playing it safe by recommending you don't use seat or dash covers, due to the potential for liability.
p.s. please take off Caps Lock.
1. tires..at 30K miles they should be at least 1/2 to 2/3rds worn and flats are not unusual (nails, screws, road trash etc) The blow out? who knows.
2. rear window replacement. Many people unknowingly place items on the rear package shelf that scratch the rather fragile antenna and rear defrost grids. This also happens when removing decals inside the window and even if not careful cleaning the inside glass. These are conductive paint sprayed on over a template.
3. burned out bulbs..ah show me any car that has infinite bulb life. not an issue.
4. roof mounted "assist handle" you must really put a lot of your weight on it to pull free from the roof. They are grab handles mainly used to keep passengers from being thrown about during spirited cornering and frankly I don't know why the driver has one since during that spirited driving he/she should have both hands on the wheel. I don't believe they are to be used as a body hoist to lever in and out of the car.
5. I will concede power equipment controls i.e. window, lock, mirror, seat will randomly fail. The same for door lock actuators, window motors. It happens.
6. Cup insert came out??? OK!
7. Visors...again OK failed, fixed.
8. glove box broke? boy you are hard on some things e.g. visors..assist handle...glove box. These are things I have NEVER repaired or had replaced ever on any car I owned at any mileage.
9. leaking struts..again not unusual since they are "wear-out items" and depending on how bad the roads are where you drive "sooner than later" comes to mind but in any case a little side trip: I bought a 2006 Honda Civic new and BOTH rear shocks leaked out and needed replaced by 4,000 miles. The right side was thought to have been dry long before the 4K when they were replaced.
The rest of the stuff is personal dislikes and "I woulda done it different if I designed the thing" So, in conclusion your tires went flat, your bulbs burned out, you had some minor issues with locks and visors and glovebox door and power mirror. Boy there probably are lots of people who wish that was all the problems they had with their car. I notice no mechanical issues..no engine, no transmission (except for the acting as if were in neutral thing). By the way what was wrong there? No brake issues either. Not too shabby I'd say
Looking to buy / have priced studded snow tires (Firestone Winterforce) - however set of 50's is appx $120 more than 55's. Has anyone out there had this same problem / corrected it via studded tires / can offer any guidance? Would the 55's do OK / not present clearance problems? Not a lot of "bad" roads here to top out in wheel well, and will be careful not to make "sharp" turns etc...
Thanks much!
The point I was making is that I have never had this many problems from one car out of all the cars I have ever owned put together, coincidence or not. I am NOT hard on my cars. I don't yank on anything. All of these items (glovebox, visor, cupholder, assist handle, etc) broke during NORMAL use. I never used the handle as a "body hoist". Nothing hard or punishing. I just think Hyundai has cheap hardware.
I never place anything in the rear window. It is a used car so who is to say what the previous owner did. The "neutral" thing was a big deal, when you are stuck in the middle of traffic or the railroad tracks.
And for all the power window, door lock issues, it is more than inconvenient to have to keep taking the car out of town to the dealer and rent a car for the time mine is down. It just seems as soon as one thing gets fixed, something else goes out. And thus another rental car bill on TOP of any other repair bills.
The purpose of buying a fairly new car with low miles was reliablity and I am not sure I feel that with this particular car.
Hyundai make a good car in the new Sonata, and I love the Genesis.
Any 2006-8 Sonata owners see this before, and have an idea how to fix it (and how much it would cost)? Does the entire rocker panel cover need to be replaced, for example, or is it just a cheap "clip" that needs repairing (which is what I've heard two dealers say--but if true, they would have fixed it I think).
It has 2 new tires P21560R16 Mirada Sports GTX on the front and the original 2 tires P21560R16 on the back.
I notice when the speed of the vehicle is below 45mph road noise is more pronounced. Above 45mph road noise is noticebly less. Does anyone have any ideas on this? Do you think the tires could be the cause or is it something in the suspension?
Nice to see you here also (as well as on the Genesis forum).
How's your Sonata shopping going?
POST
I just had my six CD changer Visteon radio replaced on my 2007 Sonata after six trips to the dealer. It turns out they installed a newer XM version of the radio. My old radio was not XM. The car was one of the last 2007 models without XM.The part number of the newly installed radio is an Infinity 00202-F7001-QZFLT Hyundai P/N 96190-0A650-QZ.
I was wondering if any of you gurus out there could tell me if it is possible to get it to work as an XM radio. I get No Tuner when I press the XM button on the radio.
I believe it needs some kind of module and an antenna but I can't seem to find much info. Can the module be located in the trunk and an antenna on the trunk lid.
Or is what I want to do impossible or too much work/cost?
Thanks for any advice.
I have looked at all fuses, shocking NONE where bad?
checked all forums, tried removing the positive side of the battery! Did not work
Took the car to dealership and they seem to know little about the systems? shocking!
The radio displays a channel, searches channels, and stops so it is picking up stations. The disc changer appears to be working. Point is NO audio. I have been told that the infinity system has to have an amplifier to function and that it is on the direct feed from the Battery. 1. Where is this amplifier. 2. is there a way to check the darn thing 3. is there a hidden or in line fuse to just the amp?
I know it does not need the CODE since the dealer said it would display something different. The dealership and techs do not seem to have a clue and will not look up the info for me and want to charge 70 just to pull the radio for the chassis #. I do not want to replace the factory radio to find out the amplifier is bad so i want to check all options first.
BY the Way I love my Sonata so much i bought an 09 for my wife and gave the 06 to my daughter. Great car just not happy with this stupid audio issue. HELP!
If it's helpful, the H rated tires I'm considering are: Michelin Primacy MXV4, Kumho Solus KH16, Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max. The V rated one I'm considering is Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S. Some of these are still pretty expensive but to save a bit, I might order online and have a local place mount them.
I completely understand that the dealer can't replace any parts if the issue is not reproducible, as Hyundai corporate won't reimburse the dealer for any parts and associated labor that aren't confirmed to be malfunctioning. However, I have two concerns: First, the wrong people might notice that the window is down and vandalize/steal from the car. Second, I'm concerned that the window will finally give out completely after the 5 year warranty and then I'll have to pay out of pocket for a repair that should be Hyundai's responsibility. I've spoken to corporate about this and they refuse to provide me any documentation providing me with coverage beyond the original warranty date.
Any suggestions on how I should approach this issue from here on out?
Definitely consider buying your tires through tirerack.com or discounttiredirect.com (free shipping) because you can save a lot of money, and they will ship the tires to your local tire shop for them to be installed.
If you have a local Discount Tire, the last set I bought I did a price match at Discount Tire using their own discounttiredirect.com web site and save a lot of money. They matched the tires and the warranty.
In essence you don't want to drive faster than the tires are rated for, but in reality, how fast do you drive? I imagine for the vast majority of people driving a mid size family sedan like the Sonata aren't exceeding 100MPH. If you don't exceed that, you could go with any speed rating S, T, U, H, or even staying with V. I probably wouldn't do R just to maintain a comfortable margin.
All other things equal, lower speed rated tires will usually last longer. High speed tires tend to be softer, which leads to leaving trace amounts of rubber on the road and is why they wear out faster.
I've had good luck with GoodYear Assurance TripleTreads; they had noticeably better wet & snow traction than GoodYear's Eagle LS series and Michelin Energy tires I'd previously used on the same car.
I also noted that the SE and Limited versions of the 2011 Sonata have V rated tires as original equipment. (Didn't look at GLS.) Don't know if that means those 4 cylinder cars can reach over 130 or just that Hyundai wanted to use those tires. I'm afraid that the new Turbo might require Z or W rated tires!
Now I would like some advice from the board on this issue. I purchased my car new 4 years ago this month and have 37,000 miles on it. Since the first rainy season after I purchased the car, the left rear window intermittently will not go up or down. Not such a problem when up but when down it's a big deal, as I live in a dangerous neighborhood and have to park on the street. In those instances, I bring my belongings into the apartment. By morning, the window works again. When it malfunctions while away from home, I have no means to safeguard my belongings.
Anyway, the first couple of years this only happened after a rain. For the last couple of years it happens no matter the weather, it just happens randomly. I've brought the car into the dealer several times and it has always worked properly at the dealer. Was there earlier this week and it worked fine. Went to the store 1/2 mile away and upon return to the car it wouldn't work. Drove directly to the dealer but service was closed by then. (Damn! I just realized that I should have shown the sales department, which was still open.) I'm sure the two dealerships that I've been to believe me but they can't reproduce it.
The first time I brought it in, the dealer suggested I hit the inside of the door to see if that would help activate the window. This trick actually worked. But now it doesn't work any longer.
I've called Hyundai customer service a couple of times over the past two years to get them involved. Previously, I simply asked them to send me a letter stating that when the window issue is finally reproducible, that they repair it under warranty, no matter if it is more than 5 years after the purchase date. They are very nice but refuse to send me anything in writing although they said when it does finally give out, they will consider fixing it as a good will gesture if it’s only a short time out of warranty or a few thousand miles over. After four years, this verbal assurance isn't acceptable to me. It's a PIA to deal with when the window doesn't go up and I've been more than patient with Hyundai.
I understand that it would be ideal for the dealership to be able to reproduce the problem. But I think it's time for them to take their best guess as to the issue and make an effort to repair it. I still have one year left on the warranty now. But if they repair it as good will after the warranty period, they will likely give me 30 days warranty on the repair. The window may not act up during that time, since it’s only occasional now, but on day 31 it may exhibit the same problem, thus meaning the fix wasn't correct. But then Hyundai will say I'm out of luck.
Your thoughts and advice about how to proceed are appreciated. Thanks.
Starting to think that may not be smart. Was hoping to keep car till 150K, great car,well maintained. Interested in your thoughts. Worth checking with another dealer?
We've taken the car on a couple of 300-400 mile trips and it's a nice car on the highway--smooth and quiet ride and a comfy driver's seat with the lumbar adjustment. It tracks well also. FE is not quite as much as I would like on the highway, only 33-34 mpg at 65-70 mph, but I guess that's not too bad for such a large car, and it's about the same as my much smaller and less powerful 2004 Elantra. In town, my wife struggles to top 20 mpg, but she has a lead foot; I can get mid-20s easily in town.
Unbelievably, the car has yet to pick up its first door ding. It has a couple small scratches and a scuff on a wheel cover, otherwise it looks brand-new (it was in like-new appearance when I bought it). It was hit last winter and got $8k damage in the right rear, but the repair was expertly done and you can't tell it was hit.
I'm hoping to drive the car for another 5-6 years, until it gets close to 100k, and will probably sell it then. We'll be taking it on a 2500-mile cross-country trip for Christmas, so that will be a good test of how well it does on trips. Before then, I'll have the 45k service done; I will ask them to lube those brake sliders, as has been recommended by some owners. No problems with the brakes, or the "thunk" some owners of these cars report, so far.
What type of replacement tires has anyone had success with and what were the prices? We're just starting to look. Of course OTD with balancing & alignment included should be included. (Maybe could skip alignment)
Beside CR, I also felt that Costco's multiple locations and service guarantee (flat repair, balancing, etc.) was a plus. The total came to about $750.
Yeah, the only repair done under warranty for me was the washer fluid pump/motor that died. The car has been practically flawless for me, and I am @ 75k+.
The new turbo sounds awesome (albeit a somewhat disappointing 0-60 time mainly due to the transmission shift logic), but alas, I have dirt roads to traverse on, and so will wait perhaps for the said motor to be put in the Santa Fe or for the Sorento.
Of course, I hear a brand new Santa Fe is due to debut soon; not to mention the Genesis line may introduce an SUV, no? We will see.
The car performed flawlessly (just did its 45k service before the trip). We were on the road for over 10 hours some days, and 4-5 hours other days, and I found the driver's seat (power) quite comfortable. I know my teenaged daughter would have preferred a minivan with its reclining mid-row captain's chairs, but she didn't complain about the rear sear accommodations of the Sonata. We used a small DVD player that fit perfectly atop the rear of the center console, and used an FM transmitter to play it through the car's stereo.
One thing I found about the cruise control: if it's set on level ground, it holds speed pretty well. But if set on an incline/decline, it can wander a bit. I have found that to be true with some other cars, also.
Much of the driving was done in the hills around Austin, TX, and I was pleasantly surprised with the Sonata's handling. It's no sports sedan, but the car felt sure-footed on the curvy hills. On the highway, the ride was usually quiet, except on certain concrete surfaces that elicited a hum from the Kumho Solus tires, and on the days with the strong headwind (some wind noise). Also, there's some patches of I-35 (in MN especially) that have big expansion joint bumps that can get noisy--but the Sonata was quieter on those than several other cars I've driven down that road.