Hyundai Sonata 2006-2007

acurattle

The suggestions from backy (above) were good. When Hyundai called me asking if there was anything I didn't like about my new Sonata GLS last month, I mentioned that the seat belt reminder going off every few seconds was too much. All you new owners should do that if and when they call you, then maybe they will do something about it.;) If sitting in the back seat, as backy suggested, stops it from sounding off, then there's a weight sensor switch in the driver's seat. You could look for a connector under the seat, and see if you can disconnect it. That's how I did it in my old '74 AMC Javelin, and presto, no more annoying seat belt buzzer. That could conceivably affect the air bags or alarm systems, though, I don't know. (My Javelin had no such systems.) Here's another idea: Just leave your belt on. It's not that uncomfortable or obtrusive, is it? That's what I do to avoid the dreaded chime! :P

iluvmysephia1

that answers my question as to the extent of what your earlier question was. I understand your point about dogs (or cats, for that matter) becoming projectiles in the event of a person slamming on their brakes, or, heaven forbid, an accident.

These pets are honest-to-goodness full-time members of our family and we don't even wanna go there as far as losing one of them. I lost a 10 year old Pomeranian to CHF a little over a year ago and I'm still smarting from it. So, yes, perhaps some googling later on "projectiles in a car accident", including an entry for canines in there, would be well worth reading up on. We do have a good size car carrier that would protect them well in the event of a quick brake, and probably protect them in a lot of accidents, too. I'll look up some more info. on it.

rrc

sludge - you know, I negotiate otd price, I don't even know/care how they break it down - I'll have to look on the sheet. I'm in Knoxville, TN - I knew the invoice cost, subtracted rebates, calculated tax. I had an internet quote of 23, 900 from the dealer, and a competing quote of 23, 600 from another dealer. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I walked in and told him if he would pay off my 02 GLS(w/ 64K miles) note of $6500 and put me out the door at $22, 600 I'd buy the dw blue/pkg 3 LX on the showroom floor. He came back at 22598 and we were done.

rhaeffele

Weren't you allowed any equity for your '02 trade-in? It seems like it had to be worth more than $6,500.00.

rrc

So I guess jokes about seeing "The Flying Pomeranians" on the Ed Sullivan show would not be appreciated.

bhmr59

That looks like a good deal. Essentially, they matched your best offer ($23,600) and allowed $7500 for your trade in, if I've figured it correctly.

rrc

Oh yeah - they gave it an inflated value to make their accounting work - and that's where the deal was done, + dealer holdback. But book value was about break even.

rrc

Basically, right, and that's what I was after - I thought $1K for trade-in value was fair, probably what I could have gotten via a private sale but didn't want to spend the time and hassle. They have to make a buck, and for my money 22, 600 for the LX pkg 3 is a good value - the warranty still sells this car

acurattle

After looking through the electrical info on Hyundai's excellent online service manual (hmaservice.com), I have to retract my idea about disconnecting any connectors under the front seat. Disconnecting the seat belt buckle switch wire would disable the driver's Seat Belt Pretensioner, and you definitely do NOT want that!! Searched for info on the chime and fuses and such, found that you definitely do not want to remove any fuses associated with seat belt indicators, either. You could disable other vital components (yaw and rate sensors) for the ECS/TCS if you do. As for the actual chime itself, it is referred to as a "buzzer" in the operational check for the Body Control Module (BCM). It may be the "buzzer" is part of or near the BCM, under the floor console, below the center of the dash. Looks like a bit of a job to get into that. Will have to just listen and try to locate exactly where the chime sound is coming from. If someone can locate it, it should be OK to disconnect that, at least. Unless that chime is used for some other warning, too? :confuse:

pat

No, they wouldn't be appreciated, thanks for skipping them.

bhmr59

If you bought the '02 Sonata new, what was the purchase price? I bought an '05 Sonata in April and am wondering how much depreciation occurred in 4 model years. Although, I think Hyundai's resale/trade-in value will be improving on a relative basis due to the improved product they have been producing in the last few years.

Who knows, 4 years from now the '06 Sonata may have excellent resale/trade-in value compared to other mid-sized cars. .

rrc

I bought it used in 03 w/ 12K miles for around $14K I think, and was frankly surprised that I wasn't totally upside down. That's one reason I decided to go ahead and trade now, plus the fact I was out of warranty and while I had not had any problems, the long term verdict isn't yet in on these cars. They're Hyundais, you know.

bobad

>It's almost mpossible to smash up a car worse than the pictured Hyundai. Front >end, left side & rear end all destroyed, not "damaged", but "destroyed."

It's not as bad as it looked. The impacts wer right at the strength of the car... any car. Very few people are seriously injured with such rear impacts because of seat belts and head restraints. If you look carefully, the front and side impacts were very light.

NHSTA no longer does frontal impact tests. They do front quartering impact, and side impact. Those are the mostly type of impacts to cause crippling injuries and deaths.

That said, I am impressed with the Sonata's standard safety package. I hope to drive one soon to determine whether I will buy the 4 cyl or the V6.

rhaeffele

"... the long term verdict isn't yet in on these cars. They're Hyundais, you know."

That assessment's entirely correct for the new-from-the-ground-up '06 model. The previous generation, '98-'05 (enlarged V-6 engine and front & rear "freshening" for model year '00 and later - the '98s & '99s are rarely seen these days), had a seven year production run to fine tune any fundemental bugs out. Personally, I'm hoping Hyundai got the new generation Sonata right from the get-go. But, we really won't know for awhile. To be fair, all manufacturers have periodic lapses when new technology is introduced. As an example, the "other" H-car maker had a terrible time with its V-6 models when its brand new design debuted in '03. The engines mysteriously stopped running at inappropriate times. That H-car company eventually got 'em fixed, but they did suffer a marketing black-eye in the process among early buyers.

teashea

My LX came in - silver with the option package. It is a wonderful car. The quality touches are quite appealing.

TEAShea

jojoe

Your'e making me jealous.Still waiting for mine.Word is 29th of August and guess what! We will be away on Holidays,maybe there will be more insentives or rebates before we get back .Maybe I should take a longer holiday :P

jpryba

Speaking of bugs, I have found 2 of them so far in my 06 Sonata GL. First, there is a "pitter patter" sort of noise coming from the rear of the car when going slowly over speed bumps and also for a few seconds after coming to a complete stop (like at a red light). It seems to go away when the temperature is in the mid to upper 80s (or higher). Next, the gas pedal feels grainy/buzzy while accelerating, and interestingly enough, it goes away when the temp is below 80 or so. I wonder if the two issues are related (I'm guessing they aren't, but you never know). The dealership will be looking at it Friday morning. Other than this, my Sonata has been fine for the most part.

Time will tell if this is just an issue with my particular Sonata or if this is a first year issue affecting a lot of other 06 Sonata owners as well. If this is it in terms of the bugs I'll be facing, then I'm pretty impressed compared to the issues the "other" H-car maker has had

bman900

I just purchased the 06 Sonata LX and the next day noticed a peculiar clicking/thumping sound when the auto transmission shifts from first to second gear. This only occurs under very light throttle when the tach is at exactly 1500 RPM during the shift. Otherwise all is fine. I have an appointment to have it checked out next week, but was wondering if anyone else has experienced this or has any clues as to what it might be. The first year of a re-designed tranny kind of makes me weary.

rdillier

Going through the car's wiring and fuses seems to be an awfully expensive waste of time and resources to fix this problem. I have two fixes I think are better:
1. Find/buy another seat-belt buckle. When you take off your seat belt for more freedom of movement, insert the buckle. Shouldn't be any sound. Or...
2. Buy aviation-style foam earplugs.

Cheers,
Bob D.

Kirstie_H

A reporter is interested in speaking with former VW owners who switched to Honda, Toyota or Hyundai recently. Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Tuesday, August 30, 2005 with your daytime contact info and a few words about your decision.
Thanks,
Jeannine Fallon
Corporate Communications
Edmunds.com

acurattle

Your first suggestion is usable, if not as funny as the second idea. How would newsonatalvr use the cell phone? Or do those foam earplugs only block out seat belt reminder chimes? That chime does have another use, BTW: It sounds off if you open the door with your key still in the ignition. Guess I'll just put up with that nagging chime every 30 seconds on the rare occasion that I'm unbuckled and the ignition is on. Or maybe I'll find something to insert in the buckle slot to temporarily close the belt switch. Must always be safe & obey the law and wear that belt when actually driving, of course!

mnbob70

Second fill up. (first was 23.9 MPG)

avg MPH = 38, MPG = 25.1

mti

jpryba,

I also have an '06 GL and I have heard a faint noise coming from the rear when driving through the rain gutter at the end of my employer's driveway. I don't think I would describe it as a "pitter patter," but it sounds like it's the rear struts extending and retracting. I've also started noticing some sounds from the rear when I'm in my driveway the past couple of days and I haven't figured them out yet.

I have a big problem with my gas pedal, but it doesn't feel grainy or buzzy. My problem is that the pedal moves 5/16" before the engine speed starts to increase. Does yours do this? My service manager is also driving a GL and he says his doesn't do this. Mine also has a hesitation when it shifts from 1st to 2nd and it is very noisy when I have the radio and fan off. Do have these problems? Let me know what your dealership said about your problems.

How about your paint? Do you have any paint problems? I have 8 defects/flaws whereby there is dirt or some other foreign debris under the paint. My GL is silver and I know there have been problems with the silver LXs, but I haven't heard about any with the GLs.

Keep in touch.

mti

bman900,

I have a different transmission (4-spd) than you do since I have an '06 GL, and I don't hear a clicking/thumping sound during the 1-2 shift, but I do have a hesitation on that shift and I also have a lot of noise when the radio and fan are off. My service manager didn't seem too concerned about it, so I guess I'll just have it fixed under warranty if/when it fails.

denp44

The GL is made in Korea and the LX is made in the US. I don't know if the same paint process is used in both plants. My LX in Dark Cinnamon seems fine.

teashea

After inspecting my car over the last three days, I have found only one small flaw - a small paint flaw at the bottom of the car in back of the wheel well - and this will be covered up when I install splash guards. Nice going Hyundai.

TEAShea

owen3439

Still cannot find a Powder White Pearl LX for sale. Does anyone have any new info on this problem? :confuse:

dgrosz

I did my first oil change on the 06 Sonata with the 3.3 engine. The oil filter sits up vertically under the shroud at the top of the engine, and is a canister type.

Taking the top cover off is easy-- I used a strap wrench. The top and filter canister come out together and then you can separate them--the lid is connected to a rod like device that sits inside the filter.

When replacing the filter, make sure to change both O-rings at the top and bottom of the lid/rod mechanism. New O-rings are included with the filter. Make sure to add a thin film of oil to all O-rings, including two others that are integral to the oil filter.

When putting in the new filter, place it in the aluminum housing first, then install the lid/rod and screw down. Here is were its a little funny. At first it seems that the lid on the cannister does not want to go down all the way and about 1/4 inch gap is left between the lid and the housing. I did not want to overtighten so I talked to a Hyundai mechanic who acknowledged the funny setup but assured me to continue to tighten until the lid is firmly set on the cannister. I followed his advice and it worked perfectly.

I put in 6 quarts of Mobil1 5-20.

By the way I am really enjoying my Sonata. It has 900 miles on it and I am truley surprised by how fast comfortable and quiet it is on long trips.

therealpotus

There's an article regarding Hyundai v Honda on the safety issue. Click for article.
Apparently Honda is now going for safer headrests/seats?

I wonder, though, how beneficial the Honda seats will be, especially if they're like the seats in the Honda Jazz (overseas car).

This article says the Honda seats are good, whereas dynamic testing disagrees.

So, it would appear that Honda is now chasing Hyundai. Soon,
www.nhtsa.gov and hopefully www.iihs.org will test the 2006 Sonata and 2006
Hondas. Then we'll finally know who truly has the safer car.

bigdaddyrick52

Thanks gandame! 2,300 miles and I'm still enjoying it. I must be driving in my sleep!?!

bryan200k

I took a LX for a test drive today. The salesman pulled the car around front, got out, and after talking to me for a couple minutes, said "take her for a spin. She's already running." I had been standing next to this car for about 2 to 3 minutes and didn't even realize that it was running. It was so quiet! Nice riding and handling car. Very responsive.

tbear503

I have owned or extensively driven most categories of automobiles except true sports cars or SUV's during my 44 years of driving. I am enthralled my this GL Sonata. The ride/seating position is like a much larger car and highway cruising is exceptional. It is going to force me to use the cruise control just to keep me from getting tickets. I'm in central Texas, it was 102 F. yesterday & I was constantly cutting back on the a/c. The 4-cylinder is more than adequate and is so quiet that I must learn to watch the tach when starting it so as not to try to re-start it when it's already running!

Late yesterday while driving at highway speeds through a t'storm with high cross winds it was exceptionally stable; much more so than the Mercury Grand Marquis that I had driven the last six years. Even seemingly minor things that one would take for granted are exceptionally executed in this car... i.e., like how effective the windshield wipers work! Oh, did I mention how quiet it is?!

I am very, very happy, and look forward to many miles of motoring pleasure!

nostalgia

This movie shows how Hyundai Sonata is durable!!
Even though it is 2005 Sonata in Iraq, it is amazing!!
Chek this out!!

http://mplay.donga.com/dkbnews/2005/01/Iraqi-speed.wmv

rhaeffele

So what exactly was this clip purporting to show? The latest high speed maneuverability testing by insurgents for acceptable car bomb platfroms to use against Navy SEALS, and American marines and soldiers?

guyf

I suppose the owner will claim Hyundai warranty for premature tire wear....

bhmr59

That clip was total BS. Even with professional stunt drivers they had to cut/edit it several times.

codata99

There's a Accord version with the same Iraqi terrorists trying all the stunt driving maneuvers...at the end, the front suspension falls apart That'll certainly break your heart, rhaeffele

therealpotus

Iraqi terrorists?!?!?!

Just looked like some street racers to me....

kwonc71

Had a short race with a Civic Warrior today. After dinner, heading back to my house. At a stop light, there was a lowered civic with racing wheel and big axx muffler on 1st lane. On 2nd lane VW Golf, and my Gl on 3rd lane. The kid in the Civic wanted race with VW, but driver in VW was not interested in. Civic kid did not know there was a hidden card....My GL. When the light hit green, Civic kicked in first, VW was still stopped, and I pushed my GL. By the time that noisy vcivic changed to 2nd gear , my GL was about 40 feet ahead of it. When I saw the next stop light turns to red, slow down, I could see the kid in Civic try to figure out what the hack my car was. At the second stop light the Civic warrior tried even harder, but result was same. That kid must be spent over $25,000 on his civic ( Price of the cars and modifications). My $16,000 GL blew door off that thing. It just amazing how good my 2.4L Sonata's engine performs. I love my Sonata.

michele7

My husband and I just picked up our LX 06 on Saturday. So far we love it and I'm actually a bit jealous that it's "his" although he says I can drive it whenever I'd like. I think we got a pretty good deal, got the car for $21,463 and after 2400 in rebates, we only paid about 19000 for the car. My question: we have a young son under 1..... I know there are many airbags in the car, even in the back. Are these safe being that a child will be in the rear in a carseat? Any ideas? Thanks so much!

backy

Best to put your child's car seat in the rear center seat, furthest from any impact point (and away from any airbags).

rhaeffele

"There's a Accord version with the same Iraqi terrorists trying all the stunt driving maneuvers...at the end, the front suspension falls apart That'll certainly break your heart, rhaeffele "

When my daughter's unit finishes its tour over there and she's back safe and sound, perhaps I'll understand your warped sense of humor, codata99. Have a nice day - she's doing her bit to help assure it.

psbar

It appears that youwere able to buy your LX06 at a very good price. What dealer did you buy from ?

pat

that the "terrorist" comment was inappropriate and move on. Thanks.

michele7

Bought it at Default. Shopped around quite a bit.... worked with the owner who was wonderful! Great shopping experience.

michele7

I should probably mention that we got the car without having to pay salestax because of our trade-in being worth more than the car. Don't know if that makes a difference or not.

michele7

I should probably mention that we got the car without having to pay salestax because of our trade-in being worth more than the car. Don't know if that makes a difference to any of you or not.

michele7

Sorry everyone, bit of a brain hiccup.... the dealership I dealt with was Valley Stream Hyundai.... when I look it up online it says Default Valley Stream, but I think that's just a weird internet mishap..... so Valley Stream Hyundai is the real name.

jpryba

I went to my dealership this past Friday, and they said they wanted me to drive it a little bit longer before they check it out (basically they want it broken in first). After figuring out that the rear noise issue isn't always constant (it went away when I was at the dealership, go figure), I don't think I'm going to have the dealership look at it and potentially make things worse in the process. I'll wait around and see if Hyundai issues a TSB.

As for the pedal, I need to drive around another 4 cylinder Sonata to make sure it's just not my imagination. Then I'll have the dealership tinker around with the pedal and/or cable. As for your particular pedal issue, I don't think I've noticed that at all.

I found another issue with the car, and that's with how the CD player is able to handle MP3 CDs. Basically, any MP3 longer than 12 or so minutes will start skipping if the CD player has been in use for a while. Any shorter MP3s will continue to play flawlessly. So, I'll take my longer MP3s and split them up into 10 minute segments. This makes it easier to get to my favorite parts of those anyway, so this isn't a big deal.

I'll look closer into the paint job on my silver GL the next time I wash and wax it. So far it looks just fine to me!

pat

Folks, please do not post contact information (phone numbers, addresses, email addresses etc.) for salespeople, dealerships or even yourself.

Also, please note that we are talking about Prices Paid and Buying Experiences in our, um, Hyundai Sonata: Prices Paid & Buying Experience discussion. That's the right place for comparing those issues.

Thanks.